Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-01-09
ASTONISHING PHENOMENA.
A Record Of Extraordinary Experiences
with the Medium Home.
Excerpts from Lord Dunrayen and ViscOunt
Adare's Work.

From the London Correspondent Of the New
York Times.
doubt that there are eleven mill
lions of s~piritualists in America; but
there must be a large number inter-
ested in the subject, in one way or
other, 81 much as to wish to know
what progress England is making in
the science of the supernatural. l
have, therefore, from time to time,
given such facts as have come to me.
Little is said publicly on the subject.
The moral courage necessary for the
aVOWal of an unpopular or UnfashiOn-
able belief does not seem to be very
common. For one ma Of position
who boldly cOnfeSses himself a Spirit
ualist, there are scores, perhaps hun
dreds, who keep their belief in these
occult mysteries IA profound secret. 1t
Is said that there are Spiritualists On
the stats Of nearly every London Jour
nal and important periodical; but
who would think so from reading
them? Professional men and bust
ness men have strong motives for act
ing the part Of NicOdemUs. The
aVOwal Of a belief in S~piritualism
would be equivalent, with a great
many, to a confession of insanity.
They have had warnings against it.
Years ago DR.. ElliOttsOn, even for the
avOWal of his belief in mesmerism,
was punished with the loss of medical
practice TO the amOUntOf several thou
sand pounds a year. No lawyer look
ing for business or briefs, no clergy
man having an eye to prefermDnt, no
man whose position was not assured,
could afford 70 meetesneers and ridi-
Guile, doubt or dread. Years ago, Mr..
Thackeray inserted an account of a
seance in a magazine he edited; and
his experience, and that of his pub
fishers, was sufficient to prevent such
a paper from appearing in any period
zeal but one specially devoted to the
subject, from that day to this.
But, for all this, mediums have null
uplied, seances have been attended,
converts have been made in large
numbers, and at least scientific soci-
ETY., which has among its members
some Of the most audaciOus thinkers
Of the age, has been induced to appoint
a committee to give the subject a thor
Ough investigation. The Committee
Of the Dialectical Society, presided
over by DR.. EdmOnds, has taken the
testimony of perhaps fifty witnesses,
nOblemen and noble ladies, men of
science, men of letters, ladies and gen.
tlemen of as high reputation as any in
England. Abortion of this testimony
has been published from time to time,
and the whole, carefully taken down,
will no doubt be printed with the re-
port Of the committee in the proceed
ings Of the Society. The opinion of
the committee will not, perhaps, sat
isfy everybody; but the testimony
will be there for everybody to exam
inc.
While this examination has been in
progress there has appeared in some
of the highest circles of English
society one Of the important and in
every way remarkable books yet
written on the subject-written and
printed, but as yet, 1 am sorry to say,
only for private circulation. 1t lies
before me now, a handsome large !
octave in purple and gold, 179 pages.
entitled Experiences in Spirituallsm
with Mr.. ID. d. Home, by ViScount
Adare, with Introductory remarks by
the Earl of Dunraven." 1t is not pub
lished; only a few copies have been
printed for the family and friends of
Lord Dunraven and Lord Adare. 1t
has not been furnished toany libraries,
and is to be treated, therefore, strictly
as a private letter; and it is to be un-
derstOod that l am not betraying the
confidence with which l have been
honOred, in the remarks l make upon
this curious and most interesting vol
ume.
The Introductory remarks by the
Earl Of Dunraven occupy the first
tWentN pages. As a man of science, /
Lord Dunraven many years ago made
a thorough examination of the phe-
of mesmerism, and succeeded
Archbishop Whately as President Of
the London Mesmeric Infirmary, es-
tablisbed by DIR. EIliotson, which is
still in successful operation. He was
therefore prepared to examine the
alleged facts Of S~piritualism before re-
them as absurd or impossible.
In 1867 his son, NiscOunt Adare, be-
came acquainted with Mr.. Home.
They travelled together ON the Con-
tinent, and appear to have been much
together. in England and Ireland, so
that Lord AdaTe hadthe best possible
opportunities for a long and careful
investigation. The body of the book
consists of letters written by Lord
Adare TO Lord Dunraven, giving the
most simple, circumstantial and evil
- 4~sthspl d~aaopinfiopS of o Inno