Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1871-08-19
Written for the Chronicle.
WHAT WAS 1T =


ny JonS SYLVESTER.
What 1 have to tell now, happened
many, many years ago. Changes
vast have doomed up in the physical
world since It's thrilling occurrence,
and 1 may safely add, vast changes
have been wrought In the mental and
spiritual since that time. Aud while
the occurrences of which / am about
to relate may SAVIOR largely Of what
IL usually termed Spiritualism, / do
not propose now to vindicate the
truth of that doctrine, neither do
intend 10 make an attack upon Il, my
object being solely for the investiRa-
tion oftruth. I am not unaware of the
many bitter denunciations, and ma
levOlent anathemns which have been
hurled against this doctrine by Its en-
einies, enemies too, who have paid
the least possible attention tn Its
teachings. l only know such to be the
facts, The reading world Is aware of
the violent opposition which met KEEP
Ter, Copcrnicus, and Newton, when
just entering the great vestibule of
scientific truth. And when Christ
came into the world to establish
truth, to lay the foundation Of pcrpet-
ual peace, and pave the way to linz
mortality, hue and cry was raised,
whose echoes float yet wildly over the
wreck OF time. Do not understand
that am attempting q defence of
Spiritualism. may have my own
peculiar views In reference to this
doctrine, holding myself amenable
only to that great source of truth to
whom 1 owe my being. Twill admit
that sincerity and intelligence both
combined, have thus made attacks
upon this peculiar doctrine, yet per-
init me to state, that sincerity Of pur-
pose, never yet proved the correctness
Of principle. Humboldt, no doubt
WAS sincere In lis doctrines Of atlle-
ism, and Farady, with all of his re-
ligious and spiritual errors, knelt at
the shrine OF sincerity and scientific
and further, II Spiritu-
alism be predicated In error, yet for
the sake Of charity at least, give It a
fair, patient test; and while upon this
branch of my subject, per-
NIT me to make the calm, quiet, So
Der inquiry, Is SpIritualism athelstic ?
Or even is 1t deistic In In Its tendency
| can only express an opinion, and
that is, decidedly, no.
Everything In Gods moral uni
verse Is indissolubly connected by an
lmcOmprehensible chain of metaphys-
ical law, paying obeisance to that es-
sence of purity, which we denominate
God. Some writers ask pardon for
ask none, and of course
do not expect any, l have only given
to calm sober thought,
without any vOliti0n Of my own.
About 9 O'Clock on the evening of
Friday, September 18th 1854, friend
and neighbor rode up to my fathers
house on Spring Greek, In Montgom-
cry County, Tennessee, and called me
down to the front gate. After the
usual c0urtesles Of the evening, he
stated +, me, that there were visiting
ut his house couple of femnle rela-
tives from one of the Southern States,
and that one OF them was an avowe,l
Spiritualist, and that he would like
for me to come down at some conven-
lent time, and be present at q Spirit
ual Scdace. l told him that nothing
would afiordme more pleasure; he then
asked me when would come, / told
him that would take tea with him
the next evening. He then babe me
adieu, remnrking don't fail to come"
This nieghbor aud friend II, 81 ut that
time on the Clarksville and Russell.
vile Turnpike, about five miles from
GAINESVILLE, and my father lived due
north, three miles on the headwaters
- mr. A AZ
a young man Of about twenty-five
years, strong and vigorous, and
possessing all the paraphernalia req
uisite to make my entran ,e into fe-
male society pleasant and agreeable.
Ills true l was not considered very
handsome, yet the ladies said pos,
sesed many winning ways" So
laying aside my interest in Spiritual
ism, anticipated happy evening in
the society of the two Southern bellies
of whom l had heard, prior to the
announcement made by my friend
and neighbor. During the year of
which write was not engaged In
any specific avocation; l lived u
quiet, easy life at my fathers, hunted,
fished, read or visited, at my pleasure.
At that time l owned most beau.
tiful rifle, and 1t was my chief delight
to walk with it through the dark
and sombre woods hunting, and In
the absence of game, 1 would seat
myself on some time-honored trunk,
and muse the silent hours away. l
had thus u fair opportunity of hold
ing quiet and uninterrupted com
munion with the great soul of inf
mite truth; and should prying eyes
discover my retreat, In silent adora-
ton of the great, and the good, and
the glorious, and the beautiful, they
would instantly exclaim, "rhere Is
insanity or a.belief In Spiritualism,
which amounts to the same thing"
But needed not the wild unmean.
ing gibberish of prejudiced popu-
lace; / was only intent on satisfying
the cravings of Intellectual demands.
On Saturday evening, September
18th, took my beautiful rifle from
Its resting place, and started ON foot
for my friends house. l arrived there
about sunset and was shown into the
parlor by the good madam Of the
house. In few moments two young
ladies entered, magnificently dressed
In Southern costume, and after pre-
sensations by the aforesaid lady of
the house, they took their seats with
that quiet, majestic dignity, so char
acteristic Of true Southern elevation.
In short time supper was nnounced,
and there l met with my friend whom
l had not seen since the evening pre-
vious. Aftersupper, we repaired again
to the parlOr, and as a matter of
course, direct allusion was made to
Spiritualism, AS IL was generally un-
that the principal object of
my visit, was I'm the interest Of this
much prosecuted belief One Of the
young ladies In question, Ia most
beautiful lady having raven black
hair and eyes, asked me, II I was "A
believer In what Is usually denomi-
mated modern Spiritualism, This