The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1867-03-30
[For the state Rights Democrat.
~SDirituaIisna.

that the spirits OF departed friends re-
visit earth's inhabitants, aud, through medi-
ums, teach us our moral and religious duty
and future destiny. If | understand cor
rectly, it is also held that the assertions OF
the spirits aud the feats they perform are
sufficient demonstrations that they are not
only spirits, but tho identical ones they pro.
fess to be. To embrace this doctrine would
%unsettle n belief that | have always cherish.
ed as n source demonstration That If friends
were good when they left this stormy world,
they entered into rest. | enjoyed tho belief
that they would no more be so agitated as to
seek n brief interview with us-as il restless
wanderers and aliens in the spirit land, pill
grims yet and homeless.
But if tho claims of Spiritualism are true,
all my fostcred hopes and preferences must
| yield to the higher claims of truth truth ia
imperious, and | ought to believe it. And
will not say that 1t il impossible for the
claims Of S%piritualism to be true, because
am nm entire stranger 70 the possibilities OF
the spirit world neither am / so incredulous
as to close my senses against passing events
and affirm that nothing strange has transpir.
od within those called spirit %circlos. That
strange manifestations are presented | nd.
nit on tho testimony Of those familiar with
the circles. Surprising them to be as honest
and sagacious rs myself, ! am not willing to
circumscribe my ereod to tho narrow limits
of my own experience. But while | admit
tho strange phenomena, | am not prepared
gratuitously TO ascribe the cause Of it to spir-
its. Time and research may make such dc.
velopments that future generations may be
familiar with some law Of nature explaining
the entire mystery on natural principles +;
thus shaming the present age for superstiti.
ously calling in the aid Of spirits 20 solve
| mysteries which nature was ever ready to do
If we had patiently studied her pages aud
proved her willingness to minister 10 our
thirst for knowledge-as the last few centu.
ries have cxhumed vast treasures Of knowl-
edge by the development Of electricity. the
Geographic wire, animal magnetism, togeth.
or with the strange exploits Of those under
mesmeric influence, so completely as to be
what they term clairyoyant. In view Of all
these possibilities. | very seriously doubt the
agency Of spirits III the case. aud believe,
without mourning the charge of being cap
tious, | may ask If they are spirits ofhuman
beings-dcparted fellow. mortals, cvi.
denee do they adduce TO satisfy n reasonable
inquirer &C their identity? Suppose one
should now rap on the table or il one that
communicates through a writing medium,
he cause the hand of Il nervous medium 10
move without his will or cognizance, and
through some Of these means make known
that he is the spirit Of my departed brother
wishing TO converse with me. | ask. "What
evidence do YOU give that you are my broth
or? | can neither sec you nor hear Your
voice. For all that ! know, ifa spirit ut all,
you may be the spirit Of some decciyer seek.
ing my ruin, having como in the natno Of my
beloved brother 70 gain my confidence thro'
che Esn1ra1 a.. - III ~ - a auwa r. al -
cause the raps on the table to give intelligent
answers to any questions, or cause the chairs
and furniture in the house To tumble over the
floor and then return 20 their place again"
What If YOU IAN? That will be no proof
that you are the spirit of my brother, and 20
far rs behavior Is concerned il il not like his.
He, while in the flesh, behaved himself re.
specially he was never known 10 act the
clownish maniac. Your behavior proves 10
me that you are not my brother, bat some
ill-behaged iInpossor, assumingmy brothers.
name tn gain my confidence. Your works
Condemn you ns a dcrciver, and in assuming
ms brothers. name you insult his memory
and character. But suppose the spirit com.
municate BIZ n writing medium, whose hand
seems 10 move alone by tho control Of the
spirit. The ehirography Is in every respect
that Of my brother as he wrote IN his life
time, and 10 complete the whole it il sub
scribo1 with his own signature. Can | then
doubt its being my brother? / still doubt
whether it il n spirit at all. But, | wave
this doubt, and then | have no proof that ii
is my brothers spirit. What are the hand.
writing and the signature worth in point-of
evidence? How do | know but this Is some
arch couutcrfeiter, who hnd been guilty Of
forgery n dozen times in his life, and could
aaaT1g F.rsFo lilo - E.vudraI E&Ea~aI IFmWsr
its can write at all they may be able 10 imi-
tate any hand they please. Besides, there
is no proof that spirits can write; or if they
can, we have no evidence that they would
write the same rand that they do in the
flesh. This still leaves me without evidence
Of identity except the bare word Of the spir-
il, who seems determined 10 keep me in
darkness and doubt. for he will neither
speak that / may Judge from the sound Of his
voice, nor will he show himself that / may
judge of his figure, size or complexion, nor
will he let me see bis bony hand that | might
recognize it. But if he can tell me just
where | was born, or make known the place
Of lost treasure, or tell me Of some circum-
stance that transpired with me when no 9TH
or mortal was present, or tell me where
some Of my friends were buried, can / then
dispute the IDENTIFY Suppose he does all
that, it will not satisfy me that he is my
brother. If spirits can thus mix and min
gle inVisibly, | do not know but n thousand
spirits may nave been present at the occur
rences alluded to neither do / know but
that hosts of them may be here now. / did
not know that the one pretending to be my
brothers. was present till the table was rap
ped or the hand Of the medium moved and
now / have no means O fknowiIg whomakes
this communication but the ghost!y word Of
one who seems desperately determined to
keep himself safely irresponsible by with
holding every vestige by which ] could rec
ognize him, Is there a court in the country
so ignorant and superstitious as to admit
such an irresponsible witness against mo if
l were on trial for life? Surely not. From
the examination, thus far, there is no evil
dence to settle the claim of agency on the
spirits of departed human beings. But, if
the spirit should approach me in the visible
form of my brother, claiming to be him,
that would only confirm my conrictioD that
he was not my brother; because, if spirits
are naturally invisible to mortal eyes, and
such a strange phenomena appeared to me,
while others, perhaps in sight, could not see
it, | would then be very certain that | labor
ed under a hallucination, as thousands of
disofdered minds have done. / would then
be convinced that ! was afflicted with q false
apparition. think physicians report many
such cases, in which the unfortunate valetu-
dlnafian with an over. wrought Imagination
supposes that he sees many strange things
even men n beasts-near him. To him it
appears to be reality but in fact it is only