The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-10-12

missions In michigan only o few days ago.
nat Professor Neuendorf presiding at the organ
st. Peters church has achieved reputation for the
most II not the very first among ecclesasticai ea
ices In the State.
The morning instruction win be given by Father
Boudreaux, and the evening sermon by Father
Smarius Several other priests will attend during
the mission, which WIN continue during the ensuing
TWO weeks.
Antagonist Of Spiritual Philosophy and
Christianity.
Horatio, the special dreamer upon themes philo-
sophical would have been somewhat puzzled, not to
say startled, had he been present In the body-he
may have been In the spirit, however-at the convo
cation Of spirituasts assembled yesterday afternoon
In conferencen In side room at the Everett Rooms,
corner Of Broadway and Tnirty-nfth street. He
would have found that philosophy, which those OF
ordinary ken given to looking through material me-
diums and not TO going wool gathering through the
misty mediums Of shadowless spirits suppose al
ways true to itself and reconcable TO natural laws Is
after ALL very cross-grained and capable Of very
diverse twistings and interpretations. About fifty
constituted the socalled conference and about fifty
years was their average age-that special age OF the
lean and slippered pantaloon and spectacle on nose
to whom phi0sophizing Is an attributed weakness
Some OF the men sat with their hats or and more
with them on, but around the gray and venerable
locks and attenuated figures OF all OF them seemed
to hover dim, sepuchral light suggestive OF their
having to do with spirits other than pale Bourbon or
Jersey lightning. few ladies were scattered about,
but there certainly was nothing srikngly spiritual In
their appearance, though what they are capable OF
dong IN the spiritual way either =, drinking sparkling
talk, or write al their imper0uS WILL did not tran
spire on the present occasion.
Mrs. steele, woman fair, fat and forty, to say the
least presided ut the conference" whose ingre.
dents we have In brief terms set forth. She did
her part with grace and dignity, and therein though
not saying word, presented a mutely eloquent ar
gument In favor OF womans rights. The subject OF
discussion or OF conference, as the people choose to
call 1t, was announced above, although embraced
In more words and put with an interrogation point
at the end. The chairwoman stated that each
speaker could talk fifteen minutes. Several evinced
an ambitious desire to talk FIRST but gentleman
wearing his spectaces particularly down toward the
tip OF his nose was allowed the first say. His talk
Ralph Waldo Emerson in their most obscure moods,
and when he came to speak Of spirits
h he was as wildly dramatic ,us and unint tel
witches among the higher Alps The next speaker
was clearer. He believed in Christianity; he did not
believe In spirit manifestations. He talked out his be-
lief IN Straightforward manner and called Spiritual
ism what he believed 1t to be, charlatanry and hum
bug. The fourth speaker was equally emphatic In his
denunciatOns of what he called the Christian scheme
OF salvation. He ridculed the accepted account
Of the fall OF Adam and Eve as snake story; he
proclaimed that no such being as Jesus Christ ever
lived Christians he declared to be mpostors,
wolves In Sleeps clothing oil OF them Spirltualism
he avOwed to be the only true Christianity. Follow
Ing this speaker rose one who declared himself ''up
to the hub Splritualist, one OF the Simon Pure
s0rt but he believed In the Christianity OF the Bible
also. He recommended the last gentleman to read
Christ's Sermon on the Mount. The next speaker
ventilated a good deal Of NEUROLOGICAL lore but
though well up In the facts was poorly up In the pro-
nunciation Of the names he mentioned. Coming
down to the subject under discussion he differed
with all who had gone before him, any one might
have known he would from the fact OF his putting
his shoulders to his ears when he started and talking
with the forefnger OF his dexter hand keeping time
to his argument on the palm Of his left hand Other
speakers followed In similar and dssimilar views,
and at the close Of the meeting each held to the
opinion as at the opening.