Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-06-16
PuSlisher. Of Prescott Journal

DEAR SIIs.-By request, l send Won syn
upsis of NV argument in the late discussion
on Spiritualism. Toward the close OF the
discussion. Mr.. JaWieson proposed to me
that we furnish a rrpOrt Of-the entire discus
sion for a paper IN Neutrality-suspicious. one col
umn each for each evening. making sixteen
columns In all. Learning that the paper was
. spirItist paper. Of which Mr.. Jameson was
aKent and travelling corrpspnud cnt. declined
assisting him ia his nice little pecunIary mat
tiers but proposed that we furnish our reca-
piiuIaiions. Just as they were delivered ON
the last evening. for publication M your pa
per. He declined TO do this. bn. proposed TO
furnish = report of the entire discussion Tor
Your paper. As this would take nom sixteen
10 twenty columns.it WILL he seen at once that
his proposition was entirely impraciible, and
of course l oeclined i make this statement
so that the public may know why both reca-
pItulaiions are not placed side by side. so
that all may compare them. This synopsis IS
my recapiiula;ion. Just as it was delivered.
with the addition Of some few points, which
from lack OF time, could moi get in at that
time: GEO. c. HADDocx.
SYNOPSIS
OF the negatiTe argument in the discussion on
Spintnalism, in Prescott. beginning May
%. 1871
Mr. Chairman. Gentlemen of TIE Committee.
Ladies Gad GessIaReH.-My opponent, IN has
oIening speech, read some niaeteen PROPOSE
tons, containing some things that were peel'-
liar to spiritism as such, aud q great deal that
was not said it reminded me of the bay
who, being requested by his mother to get
some eggs aud set the goose. procured for her
one hundred eggs. why Johnny" said the
old lady what in the world made you put 50
MANY eggs under the gOOsef" well moth-
er," replied the boy. Il wanted 10 see the old
goose spread herself EDr Oncei' i declined
10 pay any attention TO his propositions. ex-
rept those which were peculiar TO spiritIsm.
such as. no personal God; indiridEa'isna; no
bible; SPIRIT intercourse. DC. gave biief
definition Of Modern Spiritualism. as being
that system of religion which grew out OF the
Rochester knOckings." the corner stone OF
which is the idea that departed human spirits
hold constant Ineligible conversation with
moTials, and which finds its expOnents in the
leading spi:iiist books, papers and orators al
the day. | then sail that the discussion
would disclose what this system is, and the
audience will be able to decide whether 1t Is
worthy of the confidence ard support OF the
people" .
then proceeded to read large number OF
extracts from spIritist sources. showing that
I'm their system there is no place at all Tor any
God of Pantheism. \ huge animal. with ma
ture for IFS body. and principle for ats soul
A God who knows nothing, feels nothing.
cares for nothing, sympathises with no one,
loves no one. A useless God, OF no more
benefit to mankind. than cast iron deiiy.
He is called yariOusly, ian ocean Ut masne-
tism." grand central electr cal focus"
forming principle" an "affectIOnal source,
DC. according To 4. j. Davis he originated
an 'bOundless ocean ct liquid fire. IL IS
aaid of him, Man is God. and God is Man
Ma. - Godsa bsobasf diviuasf Oufpr elab-
Grafton :" God comes TO self-consciOusness
an man.&c." The editor of the ReitgiO- PhI-
ssophi al Journal. the leading spiritIst paper
of the west, devOIes two long editorials ma
different numbers, 10 prove that God had
nothing TO do with the creation Ut the worlds;
but that beings resembling men made them
and that humI n spirits are now engaged In
making plareis, which is as easy for them as
II was f0I Watts To make the steam er CINE.
He says there are places like ship yards IN Tia"
skies, where one set Of spirits make the PLAN
cts, and then another set trundle them off TO
their destined places?
Ny opponent said he did believe IN God.
whose body Nature is. and God the soul"
But when | repeatedly asked him what that
soul was, so that we nigh; see whether II
was different from the Pan" of the Greeks
he refused to do so, thus IeavIng us TO infer
that he was ashamed If his own God.
He said that the quotations had read
about man being God and God man. &c. was
an abuse ofspiritualIsm. / replied that TO rob
God OF his personality. was TO thrust man IN
his place. because being rho has elf-coHscioHs.
Fess, intelligence and riH. pOrer ntnst be superb
or TO the one trho has not +; therefore thequOta-
tiOnfI had read we're bu. illustrations of one
the planks OF his goose piaifOrm-no personal
God. To this logic. off repeated during the
discussion, my opponent had no reply.
also read a large number of extracts from
spiritist sources. showing that in their sys-
TEN there is no place for human acc"unIa-
bility- Man is responsible TO no one but
himself IS und, obligations to no one but
himself; is TO he judged by no one hut him.
cell: j. law and authority only 10 himself
he owes God nothing; is " above law and
government is but temporary arrange.
ment TO be Ouigrown with the greatest posi-
bic speed. There is a secret society, COM
posed solely of spiritsts. having for its OBJ
ject the overthrow OF all governments, and
the erection OF q grand spirit theocracy, con-
trolled by an organization composed cf the
leading minds ia the spirit worlds. This my
opponent did not dare deny. He said how
ever that these extracts also. were abuses of
tile system. replied that they were but IL
Illustrations of the "indivIdualism' plank in
his goose platform. That plank repudiates all
authority all standards. all rue, except ones
own opinion. To that alone must man bow.
To that alone must he submit. Consequent
", tlese extracts are not abuses of the system.
il his own platform is fair representation Of
the system.
In defence of dvidualism my opponent
said that reason was the standard to which
we must bring all things / replied that
truth was the standard. not reason. The less
er cannot be a standard unto the greater.
The lower cannot nc test unto the higher !;
and as truth is higher than reason. therefore
truth and not reason in the standard. He
INSTEAD that truth was on trial before the
world. and that reason was the judge 10
which iI must be brought. i argued that
truth could not be tried except by her peers,
and she had no peer but God. Error is on
trial. aud it = the business of reason to sitt
out the error. aud then Te:eive the truth. 10y
ally. swestly, reveiently, as from God, whose
child she is.
also read large number of extracts from
spiritist sources. showing that in their system
there is no distinction between vice and vir-
tue, truth and falsehOod RICH; and wrong
Whatever isis right There is no condemna-
ton for the evil doer. no praise for the well
doer. Man, though in brothels. prisons. jsils
or on gibbeIs,is on his way 10 all that is good
and true" DIR. Child says that FenelOn is
no better than HerOd Judas no worse than
Christ. These distinction between good
. and bad men, are moral and religious fietions.
which spirItualism comes 10 bleak down and
destroy" And this infamous book, "what-
ever IS is right" has fifteen pages of endorse