The New York herald., 1868-03-10
Our advice, therefore, ID, let .Sns'Anu ~!
down the money in time, ard let FRANZ
tate her example

weirdlike, ghostly sort Of existence duri'g 'no
past few years, I .ha causes Of which are l&
picking to the Psychologists ana reverend
pastors, and may result in consequences
unpleasant to the physical man in his own
proper person. Voluntarily losing his foothold
on terra Ji,ma, Mr.. Owen has been attempting
to float himself in new and unsubstantial
sphere, of misty and will-o'- -the-wisp forma-
tion alternately, not ranging sufficiently high
for heaven, darkened occasionally by unwel-
come messengers from the celestial antipode,
and yet far removed from that limbo Of purga-
tion through the discipline of which, we are
assured on respectable authority, post
maortem quiet may be attained by the
exercise of friendly prayer and the
| endurance of a considerable amount of pain.
Mr.. Owen, as it appears to us, manages to
reach certain point of elevation on his
| journey towards complete Generalization, and
then lowers himself towards our earth, or, as
Charles Dickens has it, 'flops" down again to
relate his experiences. He never allows him
self to come squarely and firmly on the ground,
however, but always manages to alight In some
four story garret in Broadway, or at best on
the floor of Dodworth Hall, where he is equally
bewildered by the carnal presence of extraor-
binary admixtures of Spiritualism, Free Love-
ism and Woman's Rightsism, and mere flesh and
blood, each inclining, coaxing, persuading and
forcing him in this, that and the other direc-
ton, so that he is almost compelled to fly away
again in order to get rid of the influences and
try to find out how all such people will fare
after death. Mr.. Owen has, In fact, got among
the Spiritualists, and undertaken very un-
healthy mission in endeavoring to analyze
hereafter in their behalf and for their special
comfort.
There is really no good cause why 1t should
be 80. Mr.. Owen possesses clear, sound
mind, if he would only just preserve it in
sound, healthy body, by strict attention to the
observance of the rules Of hygiene and the use
Of plenty of exercise in the open air. This
would effectually counteract all tendency to
nervous eccentricities. Years ago Mr.. Owen
was in New York advocating the peculiar
system of Fanny Wright, with the principles of
womans rights, in the columns of an evening
newspaper. The incarnation of Fanny Wright
ism appeared to sicken him; 80, acting wisely
and well, he took himself out to the great West.
| Here, under the influence of the pure air OF the
prairies and in view of nature in her solidity
| and grandeur, he Immediately recuperated.
| The men of Indiana sent him to Congress, and
| he arrived in Washington with his mind en-
larged, well balanced, argumentative and in
that excellent democratic training which kept
him agreeably before the public from the year
1S43 to 1847.
President Pierce took him up in 1853 and
sent him as American Charge d'Affaires to
Naples, and here, as his own relation at Dod-
worth Hall last Sunday, and the publication
| OF s'Footfalls on the Boundaries Of Another
World, plainly prove, his real troubles COM
| menced With the fire of Vesuvius and the
.facile descensus of its crater right before him,
| the threatened fires, and penances and fast
ings, anathemas and professions and decretals
of the Church in Naples around him, the mur-
muring of the infant democracy of Italy in his
ears the yellow moon of the glorious bay right
| over his head and the tidal action of the Medi-
| terranean at his feet, Mr.. Owen became a little
| confused and began to imagine that he was on
very unsubstantial footing here on earth.
Our representative, in truth, got somewhat
''mxed" as regards matters sublunar and
lunar When in this frame of mind he was
introduced, as he tells us himself, to a fair
lady, a Russian, we believe, who 'came over
him" with system which she termed ''auto-
graphic writing whatever that means-and
from photographic writing" Mr.. Owen has
| gone on step by step to Condolences, "second
sight," ''spheres," ''portals Of the unknown
world" and ''spiritualism;" in truth, to ghosts,
and ghosts sufficient in number to alright
whole nurseries of children, other than ''Young
Americans" in any land. He thinks that peo-
pie come back to visit us after we have seen
them to their last earthly homes, and asserts
that 1t forms a very beautiful" pursuit to in
vestigate the correctness, or otherwise, of the
assertion. In orr opinion the investigation
would be just as profitable as the enterprise
of the man who purchased raven to see If 1t
would live a hundred years, as he was told.
| This Russian or Italian autographic
writer" has good deal to answer for in Mr..
Owens case. If she has already departed
this life the gentleman should have an inter
view with her spirit by all means-the first
introduction at the Russian Minister'S lodgings
will serve-and find out the true state of facts
from her In the meantime we would advise
him to a course of Russian baths, followed
by immediate runs in the Central Park. This
will likely cure him. Should it fail he must
attach himself as an acolyte to the train of
some Chinese Tannst priest chaplain in the
Burlingame mission, who will perfect him in
the mysteries Of ancestral worship" and
show him plainly how living man may be-
come the vericst slave Of the dead. Should
Mr. Owen neglect both remedies and "stck'