The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-01-07

matter, it approached a secretary which stood
there, and rising several feet, 'struck gently
against one of the smaller drawers" The charmed
spectators after some little hesitation OWNED their
dumb friends wishes and performed them to its
great satisfaction. Whether this table enclosed in
its circumference plain deal or marble we cannot
tell, but certain it is, its actions this occasion
proved it to be of no kin to what LEAR termed the
" marble hearted fend''- ingrattude, for on re-
turning to the parlor it gave great signs of joy, and
approaching lady laid its legs upon her shoulders
'as if with the desire to embrace her." while the
underside of its top "was pressed against her lips
1t then passed about the room, manifestng af
lection for of those present, and extreme
ly polite to others, ''who received as it were
ga hearty shake of the hand" But we cannot
sit through this little play-sufice it to say
that the table called for song and of course had
it, for it chose to intimate its desires by kicking
young lady in the mouth, or, in the language of the
narrator, ''with the extremity of one of the legs
'ouched her upon the lip, and the exhibition ended
to the satisfaction of all. We must not omit to
mention, however, that the hands of three persons
in contact with the table during the whole
performance. This, perhaps, was a necessary pre-
caution with piece of furniture so heavy and so
obstreperous.
The after experiences of the narrator refer
mostly to communications through other med-
ums, directly to himself, from the spirits of
the departed, with the exception of certain imita
lions of the hand writing of such spirits and
an alleged miraculous cure by ''healing
medium who is still in the flesh. Suppos-
ing us for the moment to concede that these
are simple statements of facts, the case then
rests upon them alone, for there is nothing
o1,tol I,,t, III, NJ.
probably admit may occupy the ''debateabe land
between reality and imagination. His was
shaken as if by an Electrical current" and he
moved to write verses and history of
the "creation of the world He has given us
specimens of the former, though none of
the latter and more important work,
and we confess signs of any interference
the part of the spiritual world, unless perhaps
some slight assistance rendered by one of the
least busy of the Nine MUSES.. We are not disposed
to be unconlplimentary but do insist that this
is only the case ofone who has heretofore underra
ted his capacity in that line, and now somewhat
overrates the product of its labors. A single in
stance will show the truth of our remark. While
illustrating the power of the law ,of attraction"
he had written the first half of sentence, when
"the inspiration ceased" but when he was about
to retire, in despair, it returned to him and on COM
plotting it, it stood thus-"essences the most re-
"fned are withdrawn from grosser contact and
"moulded in forms of beauty by its power" Now,
we submit that Mr.. DANsKIN is fully capable of
writing many paragraphs like this, while we at the
same time contend that it is not lucdy philoso-
phical as to convince that it emanated from the
spirit land. Again, we told tn "the power of
'heang the sick was promised" him, and he may
OOSSibly 90 1oin nd no bad
into the bargain but unless it is done in way more
satsactory;and therefore more astounding than the
usual practice, we cannot admit that he is gifted
beyond his fellow mortals Such things as these
constitute the larger portion of Mr.. DANskIN's book
and it is
"Such stuff as dreams made off,
We were not therefore, surprised to read that sat
almost every sitting" some or nearly all of
the persons present, ''would be thrown into gentle
slumber."
So far the statements offacts in this volume are
concerned we do not think we have dealt Unfairly
by them in presenting them, we have, to
readers. We that we have no wish to
do injustice to its author, and we do not intend
to speak of him contemptuously harshIy. He
has advocated his theories in the face of the world
and cannot object to any opposition they may en-
counter, and by the publication of this little work
he challenges criticism both upon his views and his
method OF presenting them. The subject is one
which is attracting great attention now, and may
affect the well-being of thousands in the future If
we think it is reckessly advanced, foolishy de-
tended we must say so, though shall do it with
out abusing any of its advocates for some of whom
we may continue to entertain respect. In this
we need scarcely say thatwe place Mr. DANsKIN in the
latter class, because we believe him Lo Gin
cerely seeking after truth by the best lights
that are vouchsafed him. Even while treating his
arguments as weak and inconclusive, we by no
means assert, as some have done, that only
fatuous intellect could deem them worthy of inves
tigation. When soaring or cropping beyond the
verge of the physical world and unaided bv reyela-
ton, there is little difference, Mr.. MAcAULAY saws
between the mental capacities of ARCHIMEDEs and
naked savage. Subtler minds than Mr.. DANsKIN's
have, time and again, in every age built upon foun-
dations as unsubstanta he has laid, and fancied
they were firm upon the rocks. That his tempera-
ment was precisely such visionary novelties al
ways work on most easily, though he was not aware
of it himself. is shown in the very first chapter
he has written. lie tells us his mind had become
"restless uneasy and dissatisfied" that he had not
only begun to doubt what the "crude ideas" ad-
vanced from the pulpit sought to teach but bad
arrived at the conclusion that man was not the
"croA ming glory of a master mind but rather a
"tantalizing burlesque, an abortive effort" TWAS
in this unsettled condition of thought that Spirit
ualism found him, and who can wonder that he en-
braced twho at its advent unhesitatingly hailed it
as "the much needed link in the chain of divine econo-
"my?" Was it not with him foregone conclusion :?
That head was not clear and steady enough to
init him to stand safely the brink of the well within
whose depths Truth lay hidden, may fairly be in
ferred from the advice offered him by Poet, long
since dead, who kindly told him. " Be calm DAMS
KIN, and will give you acrostic." Quiet was
prescribed and an acrostic suggested as the best
exercise on which his faculties could be then en-
ployed.
Wewould not, however, speak only in terms of lev
lty, OF Mr. DANsKINs idiosyncracies if we NAV EN-
ture so to call them, for the subject is serious one
to him and to many others. We must now dismiss
him very briefly, and can speak but word
or two upon the question "why" he ever per-
mitted himself to be made subject to them.
1t is, we think, capable of being readily solved
Absorbed for years in business and occupying
himself only in the routine of daily and familiar
duty, as he informs us, he had given no time or
thought to the sub jects which now engross him.
With quicker brain and a warmer imagination
than he deemed himself to possess he found new
and pleasing field for the exercise of both in the
regions of speculation into which he began to peer
Both were the more and more developed as they
were pressed into active service, and it is not
strange that be should have been gradually BROUGHT
to the belief that the unwonted results to which
they daily gave birth were unnaturally produced
and were in fact but limitations or comr uncations
from the beings OF some other world He had drift
ed from his accustomed moorings and was floating
away at sea, and his unpractised eye saw fowery
islands In the feeting mirage and poroenns noun
tains in the shifting clouds.
But to return more particularly to Mr. DANsK1N's
book About the last half of it is composed of spec
ulations concerning the spiritual world, and the
connection existing between its denizens and our
selves, and of theories upon the constitution and
destiny of mankind, unsupported by any of his
premises, unwarranted by any established facts,
and at variance with the most widely recognized
psychological laws. Half the world would de-
nounce their heterodoxy, and the other half. Der
haps, would rail at the temerity which nut them
forth. But, as we have intmated, they are enun-
ciated in a tone which, though sometimes vrulent,
indicates mind earnest in its inquiries and honest
in its convictions, and we would not boot down
the feebest champion who enters the arena of free
thought
We are tempted to discuss somewhat the real ma