Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-11-14

Alarge audience OF the most inteillg9ne
of our citizens was presen at Masonic han
last evening to hear what DR.. w L. Hsrrisoa
had to say with regard u. Spiritualism ana
Spiritual manifestations. The lecture was
of the most interesting character, cAlcu,
lated to appeal to the sound jodgInen. ana
reason OF the listener, in support OF tne
speakers claim that all the phenomena
which. BY certain class, are accreolDed 10
a supernatural agency, may be, and are pro-
luced by natural causes.
THE Doctor claimed that, as minister OF
the oosnel. IL was his duty 70 seek for the
trntR wherever it may be found, and he
considered that the doctrine Of Spiritualism
was antagopistic to the religion OF Christ,
and he therefore felt It to be his duty 10
combat and expose it.
lie oava MANY illustrations of wonderful
things which have been performed through
the medium of mesmerism or animal mag
netism and sleight of hand, explaining, IN
this connection, q seemingly Supernatural
performance of the Fakirs OF lhdia,
wherein it appears as though boy IS TAKEN
into the air, where his limbs are CUT on
and drop to the floor, and Afterwards come
together and the boy, sound ana WnoIe
stands before you. This trick ne said,
was performed by the aid of lenses ana
life-like picture of the boy who is supposed
to be cut to pieces.
The speaker made sweeping criticism
| OF DIR, Samuel Watson's work on Splrltual-
ism entitled ssThe Clock Struck One," rom
| which he read extracts Of messages which
the autbor(a well-bnown Methods minister
| of this State) claims to have been received
from the spirits of Bishop Soule, Judge
Edmouds, Lord Bacon and others, where
| la Bishop Soule predicts that DR.. Watson's
proposed book would meet with immense
success, and that it would, probably, be the
| means of uniting the North and South.
The speaker had friend who toid.hlm
of having entered the dining room to take
his seat at the breakfast table one morning,
when he saw, as distinctly as he ever saw
ANYTHING, the apparition of brother
who had previously died. This, the
| Doctor accounted for by the fact that
chair ard plate were always placed, after
| the brothers death, just as they had been
| before, and when all the members OF the
family came into the room, The law OF asso-
citation which forced itsel! upon bis mind,
| instantly created the phantom which ne
saw standing behind the chair which his
| desd brother had occupied in his life.
The speaker had had similar expe riences'
He found, lot long siner, in searching over
a lot of old papers, 3 book-nark
scented with musk, which had beeI
given him when young man
and which he had not seen for fifteen years
INT the instant his eye rested upon it and
| detected the slight smell of musk, ne saw
before him the friend who had presented
him with the book mark, as well as half
| dozen other friends whom he had not seer
for many years, all of which was brough
| about by the Law of association, lie als(
gave an Interesting description of seemingly
wonderful things which he is capable OF do
irg through the medium Of the obi
force, which exists 20 create
or less extent, in every human being
Having very nervous temperament, TIN
sneaker. after having been exhausted b.
close confinement, found that by runnin
his fingers through his hair, the electri
sparks would fly from his head in perfec
shower.
Speaking of the mental phenomena Q
Snjritualism, he saii that at one time whel
sIffino with a rather dull friend, he fount
himself all at ones reading his friend
thoughts, neither Of them having spokel
for a few moments, and takin
= pencil he wrote down what was passin
through the mind of his friend, aud ha
ou, lust finished when his silent companio
looked mp with the Inquiry, "Brother Hal
ris0p, die you ever read 50 ard SOP" oelu
precisely the words he had written down
The bIehly entertaining lecture wa
brought TO a close by the speaker anDoun(
leg that his address is well known, and sha
whenever any spiritual medium has man
festations of any kind which he is Willin
to subject to full, free and plai
examination with respect to their sui
roundings, conditions, and circumstance
under which they are made, he will be gla
ia neat that medium and either show L
their falsity-so far as supernatural sgeDc
is cnncerned-0r he will acknowledge hin
self convinced Of the truthfulness OF th
doctrine Of Spirit Lalism.