The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-11-27
Seeing La Refierinu


Seeing is Relieving.
This is the title of an essay in Blaektrood of
October, devoted 10 spirit-rapping, table. m v-
ing, and other phenomena of that description
This essay seems to have been prompted by
Mr.. RoBERT DALE OWENS amusing but we
presume, not very philosophical work, Foot
faiis o. the Boundary of another World" and
is,la fsct, a review OF that popular work
The writer very candidly admits that seeing
is belleving-indeed, we should think it IA Their
difficult to dispute that proposition with any
great degree of success. He takes ground,
however, against the habit-very common, he
assures us-of sonfouuding our differences
with whatwe see. Thus, when we see q table
rise up from q floor, we are at liberty to be-
Sieve the evidence OF our eyes, but we are
not at liberty 10 infer from the fact that We
are unable TO discover the means by which it
Is raised, that the raising is supernatural
This, however. he says. is precisely what is
done. We see the phenomenon, we do not see
The agency; we conclude that inssmuch as we
diG not see 1t. 1t must be supernatural.
All this may be true enough but until some
person shall be found acute enough to account
for the maAy singular phenomena alluded to
~ Mr.. OWENS book the majority of the world
will persist in confounding inference with
eye-sight, OF. as the Reviewer has 1t, in be-
iieviug what they see !" and drawing their own
conclusions. When Mr.. OWEN tells us that
he saw, with his own eyes, dinner table for
seven persons, with fruit and wine on it. rise
up Il certain distance and settle down again.
we cannot find il in our hearts to blame him
very severely for ascribing it TO supernatu-
raj cause, especially when he can, after strict
Investigation, find no solution for the miracle
of a character merely human. 1t rose several
feet in the air, without any visible agency, re-
manned there suspended about thirty seconds,
And then settled on the carpet. Nobody could
see cord above, or any mechanical agency
beneath. 1t was time, we think, to confound
Inference with eye-sight, or in other words,
10 give the spirits credit for the deed.
Mr.. OWEN in his book, gives a detailed &C
count OF the strange noises and other phenom-
ena, which disturbed the quiet OF family of
more than usual celebrity. 1t was that of the
father OF the celebrated JOHN WESLEY, who,
we belieye, has certified 10 the truth of the
occurrences. Nobody has ever yet accounted
for them. They may be found in Mr.. OWENS
book, aud they so nearly resemble a series of
visitations which occurred many years ago in
the family of a gentleman residing at the time
in Amherst county, in this State, that we are
tempted TO allude to the latter
1t seems there was a teacher EMPLOYED in
the family, and several boys boarded with the
gentleman, who occupied certain room The
eldest son OF the gentleman was lying ex-
sreInely Ill In the house, but his recovery was
not despaired Of His mother had been watch
ing by his bedside the whole night. She was
sitting In the morning, with a favorite old
black female servant, in the front porch when
they both heard the approach of heavy
wagon. The whips cracked, the gate few
open, the wagon drove up 10 the very steps of
the porch, and discharged with numbering
sound, what appeared to be heavy load Of
plank or scantling. All this time, neither
wagon. horses, nor wagner, were visible
The load discharged, IL apparently turned
about, and retired as it had entered The old
servant Immediately exclaimed, that her
young master was about to die, las he did that
very day. and that this was the plank for his
eoffin. few nights after, In the room occu-
pied by the boys, the most alarming disturb.
ances began. They commenced by a sound
upon the roof just above it, resembling tina:
which we should suppose would be made by
thousand carpenters driving nails. The din
mus occasioned was varied and intensified,
occasionally, by the noise OF wagons driven
across the roof and discharging heavy loads
OF timber, which seemed 10 shake the house
70 its foundation. The cover was stripped
from the boys in the bed. and their toes bitten
by something which they described as having
the mouth OF a catfish. Tongs and shovel
hew from one end Of the room to the other
a case OF razors lying on the window.sill
new after them. Chairs were whirled about. |
as though they were taken with st. Wins,
osnce. The books, In large book case |
~hien was locked, were turned upside down. |
These disturbances continued about three
months. When stranger staid all night
they would cease for the first night, but al
ways fecoinmence on the second. Several
years aiter lhey had apparently ceased alto
getheT, the family Were all seated around the |
"rs. when suddenly they heard a female voice
commence singing very solemn air at the ton
oi Tue stars. II came on down, came to the
door OF the room in which the family were
sitting, the door flew open, and 1t advanced 10
ne middle OF the room, being all the while in.
visible. The music was so slow, and the gem
is"oh OF the honse was SO self. possessed, that
NC "ou'o nave written down the words had
ne hot oeeh compelled TO bes tow his a attention.
upon daughter. who was frightened ir,o
COMMISSIONS by the occurrence ua r.n.r.
bered but single line, and that w.s n. L..
IL WIS
Come 10 my aid, thou best Div,,.
These things never were accountsa e.
They were attested by persons whose word :,
would be impossible TO doubt. The gents-
man IN whose house they occurred, was
man OF high intelligence and undoubted in
tegTiy. The occr rieLce was q sub beet Of deem
Modification - MIN, and he never forgaye
any pefso" "ao so he ~ II 10 him. To only
. person, fasoriie hisce, was he ever
Hno~n 10 speak u 1t voluntarily. II hap
pend that she said there, many years af,sr.
when the Lohse was very full Of guests, and
mere "as some difncnity IN accommodating
a.. y ihsts, ~Ia2" fs.geg s9ms u u. .