Daily national Democrat., 1861-01-18
Spiritualism Looking Up--Distinguished
Converts to the TabIe-tipping Faith.

tutest commentators, editors and literateurs
OF London, and one who has chiefly devoted
his large capacities to the comparison OF
probabilities, the weighing of evidence and
the minute sitting of facts has come out
openly in the Cornhill Magazine, avowing
himself believer in spritualism, and stat
ing the evidence on which his belief is foun.
ded. lie states that he has witnessed the
phenomena which he describes, not in one
house, but in many houses; not in the dim
religious light, but in the morning-in the
broad day, in blaze of gas; not in single
room of any peculiar construction, but in
every and all sorts of rooms not in the so.
c!ety of gaping mystics, but in the company
OF sceptcal scientific, shrewd, worldly men !;
not the houses of mediums exhibitors, show
men, but of private gentlemen and ladies,
unbelievers and scoffers like himself With
this preface we shall submit to the Judgment
of our readers MIR. Bells description of one
sednce which he attended at the house of a
medium-Mr. Hume, "the spiritualistic con-
hdant of the Emperor Napoleon the Third, 3"
also being present.
"On sitting down to the table" says the
writer, 81 found the table cover drawn over
my lap. A.twitch at my knees was several
times repeated. A large hand came under
the table cover, and with the fingers clus-
tered to a point, was raised between me and
the table. felt it very sensibly-it was as
palbable as any soft substance, velvet or pulp
and at the touch, it seemed as solid but
pressure reduced it to air. hand bell was
snatched away-running at several places
and returned into the hand of another per
son. A hand, with long, white, delicate I'm
gers, rose up slowly, and bending over n
flower, vanished with it. A hand, of which
the lambent CLEAN was visible, slowly ascen-
ded and placed flower in a hand for which
1t was intended An accordeon descended to
the floor in silence. 1t played without hands
with unearthly sweetness and delicacy. exc
cution and power-at the close drawing
tears from every eye.
Upon holding the instrument myself in
one hand, in the open room, with the full
light upon it, similar strains were emitted,
the regular action of the accordeon going on
without any visible agency. During the
loud and vehement passages, it became so
difficult to hold, in consequence of the extra
ordinary power with which it was held from
below, that | was obliged to grasp the top
with both hands. | witnessed the same re-
suit on different occasions, when the instru-
ment was held by others. Mr.. Hume was
seated next to the window lie said, in a
| quiet voice, My chair is moving; | am off
the ground" l saw his hand disappear from
t.le tabe-his head vanish into the deep
shadow beyond. His voice was in the air
above our heads. lie ascended higher-de-
scribed his position, which was sometimes
perpendicular sometimes horizontal.
| 1--WE saw his figure pass from one side of
the window to the other-feet foremost
horizontally in the air. He spoke to us as
he passed, lowered round Che circle severAl
minutes, passing perpendicularly over our
heads. heard his voice behind me in the
air-he gave me leave to touch his foot.
placed my hand gently upon it, when he
uttered cry of pain, passing over to the
lurthest extremity of the room. He had
reached the ceiling, on which he made
slight mark, descended, and resumed his
place at the tabe-the accordeon We sup
posed to be on the ground playing a wild
pathos in the air from the most distant cor
ner of the ROOM"
This is a pretty tough story, as all must
admit; but Mr.. Bell vouches that all these
things have been submitted to the test of his
senses, and Mr.. Thackeray vouches for Bell
apart from his intellectual reputation,
which needs no indorsement-as man
whose good faith and honorable character
he can attest on the friendship of twenty We
years" But there is yet other and equally
reputable evidence on the point. The phe-
nomena witnessed by Robert Bell were wit
messed at the same time by DR.. Gully, the
eminent physician of Malvern; by the emf
nent DR.. Collier, of London, and by other
persons distinguished for the social position
they have attained by lerniug, genius, abili-
ty, and vigor of mind
William Hewitt, the author, has seen and
vouches marvels equally startling. Sir Ed
ward Bulwer Lytten, a minister of State;
Newton Grassland, one of our most success
ful lecturers and acutest annotators; Parker
Snow. of the Arctic expedition; Mr.. and Mrs
). e. Hall, celebrated in literature; Sir Da-
vid Brewster, DR. Bird Lord Brougham, and
many Others of equal note, are all believers
in spiritualst theory. 1t is well known that
Louis Napoleon is firm and ardent student
of these phenomena, and that he received
many messages through Mr.. Hume, purport.
ing to emanate, and believed by him to ema-
nate, from the spirit of Napoleon the First.
A PRoPHEcY-A correspondent of the S.
F. Times furnishes that paper with a copy of
a prophecy, delivered by Jo Smith % years
ago. 1t is as follows
A reyslation and prophecy by the prophet,
seer and reeeldtor, Joseph Smith,, giUen
December %, 1882.
Verify, thus saith the Lord concerning the
wars that will shortly come to pass, begin
nina at the rebellion of South Carolina