Red Wing sentinel. [volume] (Red Wing, M.T. [i.e. Minn.]) 1855-1861, 1859-11-26

COUNTY, MIMI. SAIUF
first suggestion, to frenzied movements
and ordinations. Far from restrain.
ling either, the minister earnestly en-.
|courages both. The men, who seldom
wholly lose their selfpossession, serve
to swell the chorus Of terror but the
women become more easily physical
victims Of their fears. With spas.
|modic gesticulations and piteous cries
for mercy, they fall down into = kind
of cataleptic 6t. Then it is the trium.
phant pastor breaks forth into thanks.
giving, as for q direct manifestation q
divine power. The congregation are
then told to pray for repetition Of
miracle in other instances; and the
fervid anticipation thus created as
matter of course realizes ITSELF Halt
"a dozen helpless women have been
thus &c smitten" in the courseaof q sim
gle hour, 1t is announced beforehand
that adjacent apartments await their
reception, and that persons are in at
tendance to remove them thereto
Doctor Stopford relates the particu-
lars Of several scenes of the kind he
witnessed. He followed the "possess.
ed" to the places prepared tor them
during their state of trance, watched
them during its continuance, and con-
versed with them at their awakening.
Far from casting any doubt upon
the reality of what he saw, or imput-
ing any admixture of deceit or vanity
to those concerned, he bears the
strongest testimony to their sincerity,
and does not shrink from saying that
he entirely believes them when they
describe their mental state to be one
Of unearthly happiness. They declare
themselves unalterably assured Of par
adise, and to have ceased to care
about the ordinary ills and sorrows Of
their present mortal state. He tells
us also that for a certain period, usu-
ally brief duration, the features of
the smittcn" wear the glow of su-
pernatural beauty; but he does lot
fail to add that this ccstatic illumina-
ton of the countenance commonly
gives place to very different appear.
ances. He finds in the blotchcd and
murky skin, the unnaturally fixed ex.
preston of the eye, the incipiently de.
crepit gait, and above all, in the help
less susceptibility to emotion, the un
,nistakeable symptoms of hysteria.- =
He does not question the sincerity o1
motives in those whose preaching rem
ders their hearers peculiarly liable to-
even when it does not actually drive
them into, this condition, but he say.
plainly, that it. Is a state of bodily dis
ease, which is not and cannot be tn,
true or just means of efecting mora
regeneration. In q word, he deprc
Gates strongly all idea of treating it a
imposture, but he manfally strives t.
wrestlc with it as fearful delusion.
1t does seem hardly credible, we
unfortunately we know it to be true
that disintercstcd persons of educa
). ton and worth should at the presen
moment be actually engaged in en-
deavcring to inoculate the communit
on this side Of the Channel with thi
humiliatiug and deplorable disease
Persons, both lay aud clerical, hav
gone from hence to the places wher
it is known to prevail, and have RI
turned possessed with the idea that
is their duty to bring all within the
reach under its expanded influence
At Manchester, Woolwich, and otht
places, vast gatherings have been hel
within the past week avowcdly fc
this purpose; and we are sorry to ol
serve that SO far from any warning b
ing given against Fictitious physics
excitement, expectations are openl
held forth, and prayers actually offere
that God would make himself mirac,
; lously manifest by the same tokens :
it is supposed that he has shown els
where.-Edinburgh Era,ei,ser.