, 1869-04-09
or WHAT usEt

Spiritualism has become one Of the estab.
lished institutions or creeds Of the country.
10 this city il numbers its converts and ad.
herents BY hundreds, If not thousands. ME.
diums' abouRd iu all directions, aud call IN
spirits. from the Vastly depths of the past.
Spiritual circles meet nightly 10 variou.
quarters 10 fish up messages aud 'manifesta-
tions' from the myriads who have gone before
down into the dark aud impenetrable shad-
OWs OF death. Scores visit these institutions
to see, and jeeF, and seOf-then scoff and
visit again. There is 10 human nature a
ae,s Asd ,neaa,rnlshle loneine ~ penetrate
and fascinating in these attempts to raise the
veil which separates the living from the
shadOwy realms Of the dead Even the
strongest aud best disciplined minds are not
proof against this human desire to learn
something, beforehand. of the road which all
must travel ; of the regions which all must
inhabit, sooner or later. Hence it is that
many who do not believe in Spiritualism are
frequently visitors to the sauctuaries Of its
vOtaries As moths visit and revisit the
destructive light, they 60 and 60 again to
these places, only, perhaps, to get singed at
their faith in other creeds may be SO shaken
that they will be left, like vessels at sea,
without rudder, chart, compass or pilot.
But what good has been or eau be achieved
by Splritualism, as q religious elementg Ii
Processes TO be able to communicate with the
spirits of the departed. For years it has
been engaged il this business, aud what are
the existing proofs of its excellence The
dead and gone have not sent anything back
to make the living any wiser, better or hap
pier. We are sorry to say that most Of the
messages they have given US. as published
in the spiritist organs, are unintelligible gibI
berish. Everything protesting to emanate
from the Land OF Shadows, which is not
gibberish, lacks evidence of its ghostly origin.
If the spirits were wiser than we, and if they
could see further into the future than we
do. and could foreWarn US of coming events,
and advise us how to ward off unseen evils
and to gain unknown benefits, their messages
might be productive of great good to the
living world, aud make it more fit for the
world to come. Could the spirits, for inI
stance, disclose the hidden secrets of Gen
Grants brain, foresbadoW his policy, and
thus warn US what to expect from his Ad-
ministraton, we would be put upon our guard
aud enabled to provide against such evils as
most OF the good WIN wRch MS mind aud
intentions are charged. They might, also,
save much trouble and expense to whole
armies of Office seekers, BY giving the names
of those who will be the successful applicants
But orthodox Spiritualism does not profess
to foretell future events. Only the quacks
aud pretenders, We are told, go to this eX'
tent. Orthodox Spiritualism does not, We
believe, even preteud that the spirits can give
US information We do not possess Of current
events. That is. spirits cannot tell US what
is transpiring to day. either in Europe or
Asia. They can ouly tell US OF past events
known to ourselves. Now, to what does
such information tend? 1t eau neither make
US wiser nor better We cannot conceive
how it can make US any happier: The ma
jority Of mankind are attracted to the mys-
terious. They like to dabble in matters and
subjects they cannot comprehend. The
strength OF Spirtualism consists in the touch
OF mystery which surrounds it-a mystery
the more enticing because the science half
couceals nnd half disclOses it, apparently-
and the promise it holds out OF an easier
Heaven-a more comprehensive hereafter
than is promised By other creeds 1t prom>
ises progressive hereafter-a future lie, 10
which the being of to>day can 60 on from
bad 10 better, or from bad to worse, accord
ing to his iuclinations. 1t makes an indlN
vidual the controller of his own fate and
| fortunes through all hereafter, so to speak.
This promise, and the mystery surrounding
it. are what have caused the success of Spir'
itualism thus far, and have given it its
strength. But we cannot see the good, II
any, which il accomplishes 1t is undoubt'
edy fast undermining faith and confidence
in existing religious creeds and II 1t progres-
ses the next ten years as fast as 1t nas the
last decade, it will be as great spiritual pow
er in the laud as any of them Men are
beginning to manifest the same tendency TO
run after new spiritual creeds that they do
to essay new experiments in politics ms
is an age of revolution in matters religious
as well as secular matters spiritual as well
as political. What it will all end 10, the
Lord only knows. But whatever may be
the result, Spirtualism is bound to play Its
mart in the religious revolution, as democracy
or republicaaism play their parts IN the poll.
tical revolution. And still the question will
remain unanswered, OF What UseY-S. r.
Gail.
If YOU have friend who loves you, who
has studied your interest and happiness, DC
sure to sustain him IN adversely. Let him
feel that his former kindness is appreciated
and that his love was not thrown away.
--~~~~~--O~- r~~~~~-
eTHE only liberty cap says clever and and
witty author, is a night-caP lG 1t men @ res'
one third of their lives, and the land Oh sieep
the only land where they are always Tree
and equal
Ii the spring puts forth no blossoms ln
summer there will be no beauty, ana in l au-
tuna 40 fruit So, if youth be trlned away
without improvement, ripper years Will We