The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-04-18
The Origin and Progress of American
SpiIitualism.


AN inspe ction of history will convince any
close observer that mankind is subject to the
attacks OF temporary mania, which we may
appropriately term On epidemic The forms
assumed by this species of insanity are as
various as those of Proteus. 1t may be mar
tial, mental social, moral, OF political. 1t may
raise crusades, incite series OF murders, pro-
woke revolutions, or give birth to some wild
religious idea, which seems to rob men of
their brains. The immediate cause which
induces its appearance is always superlative
in its degree. Some men get most singulariy
mad ideas, some fearful and unparalleled
crime, some total, yet unexpected destruction
of a natural power, or some perfectly original
and unprccedentedy mysterious faith. The
American revolution caused a republican
epidemic to sweep over Europe; the deeds OF
CGUR DE LION gave life to the Saracen
crusades and the assassination of HENRY
OF Navarro caused a mania for murder to
iniest France. he doctrines of Mormondom
once propagated, sprang ready armed, with
host of followers, upon our people. So also
the spiritualistic teachings of ANDREW
+ JACKSON DAVIS swept over our land with
trightful rapidty, and made within a few
! years multitude of converts. 1t is Of the
origin and progress OF Spiritualism, Psyche
nancy, Swedenborgianism, or whatever
/ else you please to call it, or that we would
/ speak.
! A recent number Of the Edjnburgh Quar-
! terty &eUieoC contained an article on Anne
! rican Psychomancy," written in a style OF
! playful sarcasm, which made it extremely
! readable. 1t treated rather OF the doctrines
! than of the history Of spirtuaIism, and would
lead foreign reader to deduce many erro-
neous conclusions. Prominent among these
would be the deduction, that the number
and social standing OF the spiritualists in
the United States were very different from
what in truth hey really are. The tone OF
the article leads us to infer that in number this
strange class of believers exceeded any spe-
cial religious denomination, while their social
and political position were the highest Be-
cause Judge EDMoNDs. of New York, and ex-
Governor TALMADGE, OF Wis onsin, en-
braced the doctrine, then the gr eatest legal
lights of our land were members of the faith.
The error Of such an assertion is apparent to
our readers without demonstration.
Probably the doctrines of the Spirituallsts
are well known to all, but Jew have an accu-
rate idea of the ORIGIN of the fallaey which has
converted so many. In 1926, was born of
humble parents, in Orange county, New York,
the father of the faith, ANDREW j. DAVIS. In
childhood and youth he followed the decidedly
material trade ofa cobbler. When he was in his
seventeenth year, after having experienced a
series of mysterious manifestations, an It'll
nerant mesmerist named GRIMES appeared
and inculcated the rudiments of the belief.
On removal to Poughkeepsie the village
taller became medium, and young JACKSON
and he commenced the crusade together in
1S43. He Immediately visited New York
city, and there met for the first time with
LYON and FIsHBoUGH, two men to fortune
and 10 fame unknown" who were destined by
fate to become the editors of his revelations
Feeling fit coming on, the Juvenile seer
retired into privacy, and he, with his editors
was cheerfully employed from November
1S45, to February, 1647 in undergoing a series
of attacks of prophetic fury. The result was
work of gigantic size, entitled "The Divine
Principles of Nature" which is still stand
ard with all true believers.
What the unfortunate DAVIS may have
been doing during these fifteen months, We
know not. but we cannot but admire the in
dustly Of his editors. The fruit of their labors
was this grand mingling of all the infde
writers from the age OF BRUNO to that o
STRAUSS They laid under contribution al
the teachers of Spinozeism, Fourlerism, Simo
nianism, and Rationalism, and resorted tt
wholesale plagiarism. This mad mixtur
of infidel extracts from "Gulliver" and "Mun
chausen" is now received with all the taitl
t of Holy Writ by its followers. In 1S49, whel
the excitement occasioned by DAVIS bool
was at its height, the house of one WEEK
f MAN, near Rochester, New York, was mys
teriously infested with vague noises
; WEEKMAN fed, and the family of Fo1
took possession of the residence. TIL
L sounds still continued AT length one Of tn
j daughters of Fox, child of twelve years G
{ age, whilst lying in bed with her younge
sister, amused herself by endeavoring to inn
: tate the sounds which had Oecasoned so muc
} anxiety in the place, and was greatly SUI
S prised to find that each of her attempts wa
9 repeated from the walls of her bed-chambe
s "Now do as do" exclaimed the younger {
: the children, as she began to clap her hand
> violently together. Again the blows wer
e duly re-echoed. The girls now called fC