The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1866-01-25
For the Lancaster Gasette.
The Original Lord '-Dundreary"
on SPIrItualISm.
A Oulleas Le.ter from Mr. s0.hsrn.

A oufious letter from Mr.. soIhsrn.
EDIroR GAZETTE: In your issue of
last week, I fad some extracts from
a letter written by II. A. Sothern, the
actor, to Glasgow paper, under the
above title, which are not only "cu-
rious,' but unprotected by the requi.
red safeguards Of reliable and truth
full narration. /, at last, and may
safely add, that all others with me,
who have been constant readers ofthe
spiritual literature of both America
and Europe, for the last twelve or
fifteen years, easily find in these re-
puted remarks of Mr.. Sothern, both
internal and external evidence that
the whole thing is a bogus affair;
something got up for special purpose,
To sustain this view of the letter, |
give reasons, which cannot fail to
strike the sense of your readers. If
these things had been done in the city
of New York Je,o gears ago.; if Mr..
Sothern and his party did all that
spiritualists did, and 'more too; if
they pushed their practices and exper-
iments so far to "erecate featS much
more remarkable than those presented at
any of the spiritual seances if tho
press to obtain admission to the miricle
circle became SO great that "pe had to
start an engagement book, and make ap-
pointments"; if "people came from all
parts of America and wditedtheir turns; !;
and if this state of excitement contin-
ued at weekly sittings, during +" t,oo
years" common experience satisfies us,
as it will the public mind, that a
knowledge Of such wonderful and
startling" occurrences would have
gained some width, and that the press
would have abounded with notices Of
things SO strange and unaccountable.
Such notices by the newspapers, of
the occurrences at the time and place
referred to, were never given. ! have
been constant reader Of the Banner
of Light for ten years; have not, l be-
|lieye, missed a number; and it, at
best, never contained single intima-
tion that such an ASSOCIATION, or such
manifestations wore known in New
York; nor was the subject ever al
luded to by prominent spiritual wri-
tiers; or Judge Edmonds, Mr.. Part.
ridge or others. The Banner is spir-
itual sheet of eight pages, published in
Boston, and has a circulation of over
twenty thousand. 1t collects and pub
fishes everything, even remotely refer
ing to the supernatural. Notices o.
mediums; all spiritual phenomena
supposed haunted houses remarka
bic dreams; reported or real expo
sures Of pretended mediumship crit
cisms ofspiritual philosophy; in shert
everything for, and everything against
spiritualism as q religion; all are
carefully collected and given to the
world through IT'S columns. repeat
therefore, my want of belief, that sucf
an association, or such manifestation
as Mr.. Sothern refers to in his letter
ever were known in New York.
But, passing the point of criticism
I will concede that all was as Mr.
Sothern says it was, for the convent
ence of analysis. He remarks, "w
joined in a thorough, practical and er
haustive Investigation Of spiritualism
We were quite ready for either result
to believe It if it ,oere true, to reject it /
found false; and in the latter case, l
, at least, resolued in due time to expos
it," Hethen proceeds to affirm, tha
they came, in time, to produce greater
: wonders, and more startling manifes
tations than Hume or the DauenportS
or any of the other more notorious spirit
ual exhibitors" So astonishing, in
deed, that " professional media came ant
saw, and themselves avowed our Superio
! power ouer the spirits" and closes il
the following manner. "How ce dic
them, do not intend to captain. W
did them, but Aow ve did them l do no
feel any motiue to declare"
l need not remind the attentive
reader, that this resolve is, to say tn,
least Of it, in bad faith, coupled, as i
is with the pledge that, ~ at least re
solued in due time to eTpose it" Why
does not Mr.. Sothern make the prom
ised exposure? He says that th,
, whole thing is "myth;" an "erpenStp
SELL" &C.; that they (the company
! knew how the phenomena were pro
duced, but that spirits had no agenc.
) in producing them. Why then with
hold so important discovery from th
worldH
Did they procure, by placing pen
: and paper under the table, tho auto
graphs Of Shakespeare, Garrick ant
others, without tho aid Of human
hands? Did thoy procure ponderabl
: bodies to be moved, and music to b
played upon instruments, without mus
Gle and mind? (All these things hav
been done thousands of times in tn
presence of spiritual mediums, an'
certified by thousands of reliable wit
nesses.) Did these Investigators pene
trate, the regions beyond the presen
limits of human knowledge, and learl
: that electricity and magnetism pos
: sess mind and intelligence, rs ma
does, and that therein lies the solution
|, Of the phenomena of tho so-callc.
: spiritual manifestations ? then, indeed
t would they have something wort
: making known; something that man
: kind should know. In that case, MI
: Sothern is bound by every considera
Q tion, to give the world the benefit 9
8 his discovery. He is bound by hi
: pledge to do SO he is bound by th
: common laws of philanthropy to do Sc
/, and cannot aeouit himself before Tn