The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1865-07-01
Communicated


Mr.. EDITOR In Difference to a Quesitor'' | will
tell what little | know. respecting the "humbug"
he inquiries about. l propose no discussion. but sm
willing simply to post your readers upon q subject
which seems to he making considerable stir in the
world.
Spiritualism. properly speaking, is not q religion.
il is a philosophy. 1t claims to settle the question of
our Immortality, not through revelation, but upon
positive proo.-hence there is about as much sense
railing against it as against phreDology or geology.
| have not time for, neither is there any necessity TO
go into a lengthy exposition of animal magnetism as
understood by previous generations. or the revela-
tons and doctrine of Swedenhorg. which are well
known to the intelligent reader. and have only a
remote bearing upon the subject in question.
Seventeen years ago. the 31st of March last, the
first tiny : . rap was made by the "invisibles'' at
the little village of Hydeyille, near Rochester, New
York, that ushered in modern spiritualism. 1t was
discovered by chance, but taking the hint, and OBJ
serving the conditions 10y which these raps were pro-
duced, the curious succeeded in reproducing them,
and now. not only raps are produced nj pleasure, but
an almost infinite variety OF other manifestations. L
will not stop TO enquire the cause OF these manitesta-
tions, il is sufficient to know that the rap mania has
spread with fearful %rapidity, oVershadowing, seem
inely, all other PHILOSOPHERS and creeds in Europe
and the United States. In the latter country alone
it already claims five millions adherents. 1t estab-
fishes no churches, does not take the form OF a reli-
gious sect, but pervades all classes IN and out OF
church edi6ces, enters the pulpit, even, and Is now
preached like phrenology by some ordained clergy
men. and indirectly by others. 1t is well known that
I. Starr King was. and that DR.. Bellows is u spirit
ualist. Henry Ward Beecher lin fact. the whole
Beecher family is claimed as such. though he avoids
announcing it lest it. might injure his influence, a
prudence on his part | heartily commend. Judge
Edmonds, in an address upon the occasion of the
assassination, affirmed the common report that Presi-
dent Lincoln was a spiritualist. All know that
Horace GreelY is one also thousands or other Ieauing
minds in the United States, including about all the
uaitarians, universalists and in6dels. if that is any
honor to the new science, as they are pleased to call
it. The most noted spiritualists in England are such
as ]. Stuart Mill, Bright, the late Golden, Lords
Brougham and Lyndhurst. Sir David Brewster.
Boucicault, Sc, &c. Germany IS being taken by
storm with il, while Louis Napoleon maintains a
number of mediums for his instruction or diversion.
The second chapter of his PTe de cesar opens with a
platitude stolen from the spiritual philosophy, that 10
to say 80 Les rois sont expulseS de Rome. lis dls-
paraissent parce que leur mission est accomplie. IL
eriste. on ie dirdit, dams POrdre moral dtnst que
dams FOrdre ~Dhysique, une Ion supreme gun aSSigne
aur institutions. CONNIE a certain etres' une Hmtte
fatale, marquee par lie feTme dc ieur uttitfe. liant
que ce terme providentiel nest pas arrive, rlen d'op-
pose ne prevaut les complots, les revotes, tout
echoue contre Ia force irresistible qui malntlent &c
ou'ou voudrait renyerser, mais 81. au contraire, un
etat de chooses inebranlable. en- apparence, cesse
d'etre utile aux progress de humanite, alors nj Fem
pire de traditions, ne lie courage, III lie souvenir d 'un
passs glorieux, ne peuvent retarder dun jour
la chute decidee par lie destin." The italics are
" "
mine. and Il translation is unnecessary since there
are so many readers of French among US. The word
:" destin'' does not mean fate as commonly under
stood. The principal journals in the interest Of
spiritualism are the - Psyche in Germany; " Revue
Spiritualiste." Paris; 1.-The Spiritual Magazine"
and Spiritual Telegraph" in London; and The
Friend of Progress" 1.-The Progressive Age" and
..Tbe Banner of Light ia the United States.
The physical and %psychical phenomena attending
the spiritual manifestation seems TO be Just as much
of a mystery to the believers, including all kinds OF
,,al;prnS o . u rOD-haliPyerSa and reyllerS. even the
Davenport Brothers, who are among the most re-
markable for m~ediumistic power, pretend to know no
more about the cause than you or l. Ihey simply
know that n mysterious force attends them, and they
feel that they are called like sensible chaps they
are, to exhibit displays of this force to the public,
since they get well paid for 1t. Certainly there Is
nothing wrong in that, for, if there is aught useful
behind all these manifestations. it will appear only
by a thorough examination and acquaintance with
the subject. Hence, the desire on the part of spirit
ualists that scientific persons should investigate the
subject, as they are better prepared by education and
discipline than any other class for that KIND OF work.
But scientific folks are apt TO be a little conceited and
hate MORALLY to be caught manipulating a phenoma-
non they cannot explain, so, true 10 their human
nature, well as the rest Of us, they crawl out OF a
fix by abusing rOundly the internal humoug. A
grand and solemn investigation OF this subject was
held at Harvard University in 1857 by Professors
Agassiz. FELTON, and Pearce, where. after q thorough
examination with the Misses Fox. and discovering
nothing but 1" unaccountable noises they proceeded
to experiment with the Davenport brothers.: " they
bought FIVE hundred feet of new rope. selected for the
purpose. They bored the cabinet, set up in one Of
their own rooms. and to which they had free access,
full of holes. They tied the two boys in the most
thorough and the most brutal manner. Ihey nave
(the boys) as any one may see or feel. small wrist:
and hands large in proportlon-good solid hand:
which cannot be slipped through a hgature, which
fits even loosely on the wrists. When they were ted
hand and foot, arms, legs, aud in every way, and
with every kind Of complicated knottIng, the rope:
were drawn through the holes bored in the cabinet
and firmly knotted outside so as TO make n net work
over the boys. After all. the knots were tied will
linen thread. Professor Pearce then took his place
in the cabinet between the two Brothers. who could
scarcely breathe, so tightly were they secured. Al
ne entered, Prof Agassiz was seen to put something
into his (Pearce's) hand. The side-doors were closet
and fastened. The center door was no sooner shu
than the bolt LcGS shot on them INSIDE, and Proi
Pearce stretched out both hands TO see which of tn
two firmly bound boys had done it. The phantom
hand was shown. the instruments were ratified. tn
professor felt them about his head and face, and a
every movement kept paving on each side with hi
hands to find the boys both bound firm as ever. The
the mysterious present OF Prof. Agassiz became ap
psrent. Prof Pearce ignited some PHOSPHORUS b
rubbing il between his hands. and half sutfocate
himself and the boys with its fumes IN trying TO Sc
the trick or confederate. At last both boys ver
united from all the complicated fastenings withou
and within the cabinet, and the ropes were foun
twisted around the neck Of the wstchful Professo
Pearce," wide London Spiritual Magazine for Jsnu
airy, 1866 and 10 this day the professors have mad
no report OF that Investigation as they promised
do. This transaction has not done " Old Harvard
much credit, or the Brothers much harm; on III