New-York tribune., 1872-02-20

necessity OF allmentation ana does hot cav
His body is sustained by the simple respiration 0, Ae
ethereal fluid in which he is immersed, OF OH wnicn
he floats for on this point NJ. Figuier is not so lucid
as the exigencies of accurate science deinaho Inc
moral effect of total abstinence from food is i'm
mense In orr present state the struggle for SUD
sistence is the chief cause of the misery OF animal
| life From this brutalizing occupation result tnc
| passions. the quarrels, and the suilerngs ol man
! The need of procuring bread for every DAY Is
at the bottom Of the fatigue and wre'cneu
| ness of the human species. But the iaNoi.'
! inhabitants of the planetary ether are doomeu 10
no such sorrowfu heritage. Free hoin III
care for food without the torment OF pad niaih'''
and worse cooking, sustaining life nv mere iespn"-
ton. these dwellSs in ethereal space Sleiu o"S ~
oniet and gentle Continents, and experience no lui-
| pressions but those of unclouded serenity ih'y
| know nothing of WEAKNESS OF bodN' w ahlety VI
MUD They Ar, never sick. Their peaceful spirits
arc never disturbed by the consciousness OF nerves
| or n stomach. Living by the pure force OF the lie
that is in them, they have physical function but
that of the respiration of ether The only duty OF
| the body is to sustain the faculties OF
| the soul by respiration. All its energies COM
bine for the exclusive end Of spiritual nou1shment
With their peculiar organization, they move rapidly
from place to place, comprising great distances with
CELEBRITY which we can measure only by that OF the
electric current. They can take no pleasure IN
chariots and horses Railroads and tclegraphs are
super1uous They have no need of sleep. The being
who comes next to us in the hierarchy of Nature IS
| ALWAYS awake. There is no night there The rota-
ton of the earth on its axis which depryeS II of the
light of the sun during half Ofits revolution does not
! affect the ether above our atmosphere. That huid
mass remains mOtionlcss, while the earth and Its
| atmosphere revolve on their axis. The supclhnman
beings sccthe earth turn under their feet. but placed
far above the motion, they never lose sight Of the
central sun. The luminous orb is always visible, and
| their blissful days roll on in sea of light.
! The ethereal beings know not the distinction OF
sex. The reciprocal affection which pcrvades their
souls requires difference Of man and woman.
Love is not founded on physical desires, and dis
interested friendship survives the extinction OF the
| senses. Love is an ennobed sentiment, ideal and
purc growing out Of serenity and goodness of soul,
of the sympathy excited by mutual perfection. The
supcrhman man, exalted 10 glory, willloyc her who
vas his wife as he now loves his son his brother and
his friends The senses viii longer degrade the af-
fcctions His inward happiness viii till and overflow
his soul His capacity FOL loving viii reach al Ma
turc If will unfold itself into the highest spheres
and rise TO a grand sympathy with all creation. The
love Of God viii govern the affections, and the deep
glow If tenderness for his feIow-creaturcs will be
! crowned with sublime alteration for tie Creator.
| We need not be startled at thc prospect of this
| Elysian glory, tor as we are assured by NJ.
FCuicr, vI1c the proportion of spirit to matter in
mau is about ~ per cent here IN the world Of ether
it cannot bc less than from 81 10 X per cent. II j.
| gratifying 10 become acquainted with the exact
| measurement, though we are provoked nj the rctl-
ccucc OF the author, vino gives no inking Of the
| process by which the result is obtained. But We
are not to suppose that the planetary ether
is 10 10 the final home Of the elect who
| are so happy as to be born into its heavenly
| environments another change awaits the soul, IN
| the Grand hicruchical procession from gloom 10
glory from the souOWs of the flesh 10 the ocs.cics
of Immortality. .lLe sun in ". Figuios apocalyptic
! vision, is The graud center in which an
! souls finally meet in their progress fon
/ tho several planets through the eNpanse Of
! ether. This body is mass of burn
| ing gas. The human being exalted and refined 10y
his several incaruations in his vast journey through
tuc l,,c-, oTriNlu- at tlic e"", e'roT, iue con
dtion Of pure spirit. He s.Gycstcd Of all material
substance all carnal alloy. He Is flame, breath;
! all Intelligence sentiment thought; NO l"pUlty
mipplcs with his perfect essence lie is absolute
soul q soul without body. The BLAZING mass nat
constitutes the sun is set apart for thrN" beings that
have attained the quintcss .uce of immortality.
| throne Of FIRE must be the throne Of souls
The scientific absurdity Of tbi, volume eliminates
with the authors theory Of the constitution Of The
sun 1t consists in an aggregation Of sonls, and the
r1rs Of Light that are transmitted t" the planets are
determinations of those souls. This i, the only
tianal explanation, according 10 NJ Figuicf, of tie
! solar light aud heat. The solar radiation Is
! sustained 10y the constant influx of sonls
! into the sun. These ardent aud pure spirits
come TO take the place Of the carnations
| constantly transmitted by the sun through space
upon t,Io globes that surround him. This theory
as TO The conservation Of the solar force, The author
adds with n rather suspicious dcmWcuc~~, we can
advance with some confidence since >Ciegcc has 10
| exact information to give on the point il qnes
ton. and philosophy only fills up & guli between
astronomy and physics.'
/ We have no space to follow the fanciiui author
| through his whimsical spcculatious, looscncss Of
uuaseolocy and ignorance OF the history OF phlio-
soIlica systems One instance of the carclc,sncss
and want of precision in his language the state
ment that " the existence OF man on the earth Is
something dcfnjfrc" whichis immediately succeeded
| By the assertion that this state of things can he
only tcmporUH" that is to ray, human existence
here is 1T once in state Of uaIity and OF transition
! His acquaintance with philosophy may Ice inferred
| from lIs chasing Locke among the adV coates Of
innate IDEAS theory to the rcfutation Of which
| the Essay concerning Human Understanding by
! that great thinker is expressly devoted
! We have passed Judgment on thi, work on the
ground assumed by n. Figuer that il is serious
attempt 10 apply tAe conclusions Of physical science
to tie support Of the immortality of the soul.
in this point Of view, il must be pronounced
nothing but a senscless comedy. 1t may be
wiser after all to regard il experiment
of Imaginative invention ike Robinson Cnsoe or
the famous "Moon Hoax but in that case it calls
for a still more decided condemnation for the
forIouncss of its IRONY and the coarse extravaganza