The Portland daily press., 1865-03-22
The Rationale Of Spiritual Manifestations
PoRTLAND. March q. 1855.

PORTLAND, March 81, 1865.
To the Editor Of the Press: 81
In the Bangor Times of recent date, is a
notice of what has been published of certain
wonderful manifestations" in this city, and
the editor of that paper adds:
Such strange antics, if the work of spirits,
would materially lessen our IDEAS of ths per-
lection of the spirit world"
As you have shown no sympathy for the
manifestations" referred to, 1 have no claim
upon your indulgence, and yet feel confident
you will allow me brief word OF remark up
on this hasty conclusion of your Bangor con-
temporary. l am quite sure he would have
withheld the above had he understood as do,
and as l think most intelligent spiritualists
do, the rationale of what are usually known
as spiritual phenomena or manifestations. l
understand that there are not only trathful,
coed, and wise, spirits but also lying, wicked,
and silly spirits, corresponding to their condi-
lions in earth life. ~. 4 u
Now tits atheory generally received among
Spirituahsts who have given careful thought
to the matter, and with whom this new
form Of faith is something more than mere
plaything, or something to amuse the fancy
and crafty a childish curiosity, that spirits,
like ths dwellers on earth, seek the society OF
congenials pirits; ascend or descend to their
appropriate sphere, or, to use more familiar
and expressive phrase-fnd their level.
Now what is the natural, logical sequence
of this doetrineP Is it not,-inasmuch as it is
the spirit of the medium through which The
departed spirits manifest themselves, THAT an
intelligent, truthful spirit will never manifest
itself through a grossly ignorant, silly or ly-
ing medium? Surely, ii the idea here limited
at is acceptable, all such difficulties as haunt
the mind ct the hangar editor are dis ipated.
he should not have his ''ideas OF the perlec-
ton of the spirit world materially lessened"
by ssuch strange antics as he refers 10, with
out first ascertainlng whether the "anties, " in
wisdom, dignity aud intelligence, do or do
not rise to the the level of the medium, and of
those who put themselves In communication
with the medium. Those mediums or others
who see nothing higher in Spirituslism than
RIDICULOUS manifestations, such as tipping fpr-
niture tepsy turyy, ringing bells, pulling hair,
ETC., are not expected to attract to their circle
the spirits of Socrates, Plato, Oberlin, Frank
lin, Napoleon and Webster; nor would per-
toy Of the cast of mind of these great men, ii
acting as aaedum, or in correspondence with
medium, be expected to attract to him the
spirits Of simple'ons, ignoramuses, or chill
dren In deyelorement,- NOR would the spirits
congenial to him and likely to respond 10 his
spirit, be likely to stoop down from their
intellectual spheres to unite knots in old
ropes, to tip over clothes horses, to beat drumsl
or to perform the physical acts suited only to
the capacities of children, or of grown people
whose minds are frivolous or entirely unde-
veloped. ~
In word, the 'straDge antics" which are a
stumbling BLOCK 10 the Bangor editor, though
undignifed and silly, perhaps, are no less an
evidence of a spiritual presence than would
be philosophical discourse or learned dis
QUESTION, spoken through an Intelligent person
in semi unconscious or trance state. They
may indicate the character and quality of
the spirits, but are no proof that spirits are not
manifested in them. TO produce higher Or
der Of manifestation. higher order of medium
and of those in correspondence with the me.
dunn, must first be had. A silly medium in
correspondence with an intelligent individual
is negatiyed or neutralized, and no manifesto
tons are produced. The law of spiritual
manifestations, as understand it, lie, like me
asea"t sses e Ia, end tho mediur and tbose
in correspondence with him must uu ....s--.
al, and the spirits will be congenial to both.
| 9isau bae SPIRITuALIsr.