The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-07-12
Mr.. Beecher on Nfedium..

MEDIUM OR Nor "A great many neon,a
mere are who do not know what they believe
vrmany On many intricate subjects. There arc many,
hrobaoiy, brought up to believe great many
things, which, II ffkecniy examined. they do no,
believe. But neither Of these nositions i. ~
perplexing rs that Of finding ones self beliey.
ing hrniy and religiously what he had a, WA Va
supposed himself to reject. so thai ha is iiriy
IN double state running parallel n stata a
unconscious belief, and a state o9 conscions
alsoeliei, upon the very same subject. These
~Ie,aa[ks ~ are suggested by the paragraphs
which are flying about the country na,arl = .
10 our belief In Modern Spiritualism. II seems
Mr Chase declared that we were real
splriaaai ,, medium, and preached by help OBJ
'a.heu VI spirits. We have seen this ouoted
scores of times, and we have before M a MIL
Igan paper in which Mr. Eyerts. in some ex /.
plantations about his remarks on Mr. Chase
says: VA N' ~iase'
am myself medium, and always know
Uneh 1 am In magnetic state, and If Mr..
Deeeher Is one, 1t would be impossible for him
10 go into that state unknowingly MIR. Bee
cner breaches about the same doctrines as
din din"r sptr,tuaists, and so doing, is also
tainiy is q believer in Spiritualism "
And, again:
"lf Mr.. Beecher, then, is a medium. and his
solaI.ions are such that he can hold direct
communion with the spirits of departed men.
and that said spirits do influence him To
speak rs ne does, he certainly must be con.
sclous OF the fact"
we are sorry to inform Mr.. Everts that we
are quite unconscious of having had any per-
sonal intercourse with the departed sniriis of
men; nor, from the fruits of such alleged
intercourse in other cases, have we any par
.ieuiar desire to do so. We have noticed, at
tentlvely, for some years, the messages sent
hitner, as Is said, from the other world from
some OF the most eminent names and we are
satsfed that, if they are genuine then either
tha; mas oeen great injury to them, else
thelr wisdom is much damaged by refraction
IN Delng transmitted to this sphere
>. We are lar from denying that the messages
aid not come from the disembodied spirits of
Edwards, Napoleon, Bacon VOltaire Webster.
Calnoun, etc, etc. But we may be permitted.
we nope, TO mourn over the results to which
greatness comes and to throw a new and mel.
SSnsnoly ilght upon the meaning of that
scripture which says that the first shall be
last certainly, If there is lower depth of
lnanity than that out Of which these new
spiritual philosophers speak, our surprise
mus. nus wait ior some augmentation of being,
before 1t can gain any further expression.
But we do not interfere with other peoples
business. We do not attack the faith of any
man In modern spiritualism; but when they
insist upon 1t that we do believe in spiritual
ism ourselves-nay, that we are mediums and.
unless dishonest conscious, mediums, we do
think that we ought to overhaul our faith, ex-
perlence and consciousness, to see what we
are. Now, II any spirit, or any corps of a.so-
ciated spirits, are employing us as a line by
which TO telegraph truth from that sphere to
this, they are doing it without our knowledge
or consent. We protest against the operation.
And,os we can imagine no way in which to take
the law against them for trespass, we take the
newspaper. And we here bring no railing ac-
cusation against any sundry spirits that
have quizzed Mr.. Chase or Mr.. Avery; but we
s1postulate with these mischievous sprites that
amuse themselves at the expense of these sober
and honest gentlemen. 1t is not fair. 1t would
not be regarded RS square in the body, and we
don't believe II is so out Of the body. And, as
for using us as go-between onsuch ludicrous
errands, the spirits know very we'll that it is
on the sly, if at all. And, if it is not stopped
Immediately, We will find out some way to cut
the wires.
The only thing that connects us with spirit
uaism is the publication OF every sermon
which we preach in one or other of the spirit
| ual papers. But this is their arrangement not
ours. If they can stand our sermons we can
stand their papers. And as yet we have seen
no message from the spirit world alonside of
the sermons which put us to the blush But
this putting every sermon into type is hand
ling minister rather severely. 1t gives him
no chance tor poor sermons. 1t keeps him TO
the necess ty of good sound work; for there is
many snowy sermon that would do well
enough if only heard, that would i'll bear care-
full reading. But if spiritualists choose to
| build paper pulpits for orthodox preachers,
why should We finch at mounting them before
an audience of hundred thousand people
IndspeHdsnt, July 7tb,