New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-03-28
yrDoE L.p4OEDS on SPiRITUALIsE


I Ia ding 20, de- not mean 10 sidfesi myssu oo~
hsver though they nrs pretty formidable band, be-
1g ssabeTsd Eow by mULcn' IN tsa country Alone;
soi to the ave ak mIAsns CT protesting Chnsnaas
a our Eston, for I an bOCrd to accord TO them the
Prvl.g. claim for my,sN OF enjoying thar o1n opn-
on without molsstssion bat Anal address ny'sh TO
tts fAses twenty millions Of eur people who osoog
to 10 church, who scarcely Pos'sn aay r,lison, BAT
VINO seem wiling or compelled TO ,ruN to l1ek sai 70!
II the fu.urs taks care OF Itself.
To them vii prefer fsith whica car relieve thar
painful doubts to the future will GisPel the anxiety
which in spite Of every eEort will sttn-, ntru3s upon
every mind will open to their comprehension we"
Of the fatare beyond measure attractive 70 an innor
tai nature and, Wtls ii may corac with many Of tbs
doctrines taught the religion OF tn. day, vii snjon
upon al who receive it N 1nyNyiny Ifs OF paoLc
worth ard private virtue.
/ To DO chat shall an q, two things. One viii be
to demonstrate the fact that they WAC ones lived on
earth and hsys died. can ami do comm4nicste with
these yet living; and the other what il Is that they
car ,ad do reveal to Us through such communion.
\ t. ell til, tack full would require VASTLY more
room than viii b, accorded to ne in these papers and
l shall therefore be compelled to be very-very bnsf
| in my misunderstanding myself, Of necessity,
with sffording my reader, mainly guide to assist
them in their researches rather than full disclosure
| OF al that is known on the topic.
o. cOorse ,hall h.y. TO rep,st many tbisgs have
s-d al other msp and many not be TO some of my
readers. Tediocs as that may be them snd TO NE,
sanno: well help it, for my object ia not TO paudsr TO
craving for the novel or the marvellous, bu; to bring
te,.ther 10 view the vas. Of evidence the
subject lying in scattsrei fragments a around ne
| sm TO bear my testimony well as that of
others and therefore ought frat Of all 10 show that
am cornpeter. to do 10.
Am Trustworthy This paper vii be dated on the
Gay attain the sge Of sixty years, nearly forty Of
which have been spent no; obscurely but profession
ally politically and juiciay before tbs p1oiic where
ali could jncgs Of n7 character for versoity.
Am easily deludedl Let my private and public
carer
An crsdulou,, particularly on thi, sabject Let
TINS statement arsrer for
II va in January, 1851, that first began my a.
vestigstons ard II "a, not until April, 1853, that
became firm and uuquestoning believer in the reality
Of SpirItua Intercourse. During twenty three noatns
Of these tweLtyseyen, | witnessed several hunored
msnifes tat.ru, IN various forms. l kept very minute
and careful records Of macy Of them. My practice
was whenever attended circle, to keep in pencil a
memorandum Of all that took place, fsr as could,
end, a. toon as returned home, to write cut fall
account Of vbs, had witnessed. did .ll tbs wit
IS much NH uteness and particularly as mad ever
kept any record Of trial before ms in Court In this
way during that period preserved the record of near
80 hundred interview running through some 600
pages Of manuscript.
/ he'd these interviews with many different mediums
and unoer an uioite variety of circumstances. No
two interviews were alike. There was always some
thing new or something different from what hsd pre-
yionsy occurred. And it very seldom happened that
Only the same persons we're present
The manifestations were of every known form, ply,
ical mepiA-soniomes Only one, and sometimes
both con hinAd
iresoIted to every expedient could devise to Do
tect imposture and to quad sgsin,t de usiou.
Iflt in myself and saw 10 others how exciting was
the idea that we were actually communiug VITO the
dead; and abored, as thought successfully, to pro-
vent any oiss Of my jude mcnt was at times
critical and cAp,ous to unreasonable extreme, and
when ny belief challenged, as it was over and
over ain refused to yield except 10 evidence that
would eavs no possible room for cavii.
! was severely e1acirg in my demands, and this
roulo frequently occur: | would go to a circle With
come doubt on my mind 70 the manifestations of the
previous circle, and something would happen aimed
directly at that doubt and completely Cvetnrosing It,
a. II then seemed that hsd no logger any reason
TO doubt. But you'd go home ard ~rite out care
fully my minutes Of the evening, costate over them
then for several days. compare them with my previous
records and finally End some loophoe-soue possbl-
ity that 1t might have been something else than spir-
itua influence ard wonI 90 TO the next circle With
rev doubt and set of queries
was in the habit on such occasions, when alone By
myse and in preparation for the next circle, Of put
ting psper every possible question tia! could I'M
| Aglue TO tsst the matter.
| saw that the circumstances Of the Interview often
prevented my framing the sPur Of the monent qaes
lions suficienily searching, and therefore took my
leisure when alone in my library with nothing to inter-
rup the current of thought to perform that task, sndt
u.ed often to attend the circle with series ct questions
thu, deliberately framed which carefully concealed
from every buuan beng, so that knew beyond par
adventure that mort. could know what questions
meant to ak and no mortal could be prep Ared before
| hand to answer them
Hook back sometimes now with 3 ,mi!e a. TIE iugs
! ru'y wasted in dsvisiDg ways and meas to AVOID
the possibility Of deception
St,l there was the dare-rof sefiecep,on or metal
d.lusion ny part snd tried to BE- equally astlte
on thst point not merely when AZ tho circle but alone,
in tire cam OF ny hOuis Of study.
Hws. remarkable feYure Of nv Investigations
ths, every come vsbs objection | could iaiss Wa,
frst orlsst net and Answered.
Ist me take tie rappiugs a. specimen:
Wien FIR. heard item, it VS. in the pre'sncs Of
three em.es wbose characters we're enough OF 'hen-
selves to assure sgan't any atcno; a. lmPosiioa
AsI entered tie room where toey SEATED together
st ore siee Of table TIE rappirgs came WITH hur'
red cheerful round the for reE ~ne'e they 'st