Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1865-12-31
Npirituaiism Expesed--The Manifesto
lions Pronounced all Isumbug by
One OF the Nest Successful Medi-
INNS.


tions Pronounced all Isumbug by
One OF the Most Successful Medi-
INNS.
Mr.. Z. A. Sothern, the actor, publishes in
the Scotch papers the following revelations
Of his experience as a spiritual medium in
New York:
There is an article in the Spiritual Maya
zine in which / am referred 10. | should
not dream of noticing any article in any such
publication, had not found respectable and
rational journals, such as yours, reproducing
statements affecting my credit and candor
consider il due TO the conductors of the
daily press Of these countries, as we'll as TO
myself 10 notice remarks ON me and on my
conduct when find them transferred to their
columns Had they not been excavated
from the gloomy obscurity of their original
source, they might never have attracted my
observation, and certainly would never have
obtained my notice.
Possibly it may be thought that am do
ing this spiritual publication a service by
bringing il into notice. do not think so.
When you prosecute a pickpocket you go be-
fore the bench as matter of public duty;
the pickpocket is certainly brought into pub
lie prominence for the time, but il is only
eaAt tt may bt Ahtt huNtt TtCtN-
nize6, punished and exposed. Nobody, |
suppose, win be perverted to a belief in
splritualism, by reading an exposition Of the
mlsstatements Of spiritual writers.
Now for the article. The main count in
the indictment against me is thus..stated:
A few years ago a party of spiritualists in
New York, composed chiefly Of actors and
actresses, held regular sittings for the pro-
duction of spiritual phenomena. One of the
members OF this circle was an actor by the
nameof Stuart, who was recognized by all as
the most powerful medium. The NANTES
tations witnessed at these sodnoes were so
wonderful as 10 give 10 the meetings the dis
tinguished title Of the "Magic Circle" They
created so much Interest that il was consfd-
cred special privilege 10 be admitted 10 this
magic chamber. Mr.. Stuart at that period
was better known rs Stuart the magnetizer,
or magic worker, than Stuart the actor.
The actor named Stuart" is now better
known as the actor named Sothern." Fol-
lowing sufficiently illustrious precedents, |
used an assumed name when | entered ON
my profession, and mainly resumed my own
by the advice Of friend. The "party of
spirimahsts' was not composed chiefly Of
"acfors and actresses" Ii would have been
none the worse IL il had been, but in reality
il was composed oftwelve gentlemen &C high
positions in their respective professions, who,
aciuated by common curiosity and interest,
joined in thorough, practical, and exhaust
i've investigation Of the phenomena of
"spiritualism.n We were quite ready for
either result TO believe il il il were true;
70 reject il IL found false; and in the latter
case, i, at least, resolved in due time 10 ex-
pose H. For more than two years we had
weekly meetings AT these, by practice,
We had succeeded in producing not only all
the wonderful manifestations Of the pro-
fassional . nisdia,f bat other effects still
more startling. We simply tried TO repro,
dace the appearances and the results which
we had heard Of and read OF and seen-and
ve succeeded. Pushing our practice and