Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-04-02
sPIRITs-AND THINGS.
E. W. Wilson Interviewed by a Nash
fiIIe Audience.

by a good sized audience.
WILSON'S PERSONAL APPEARANCE.
When the lecturer made his appearance,
the audience cav heavy built, square set
man, about fifty years OF age,
vigorous and hearty; bis rather
large head covered with a heavy
mass of gay hair, which had not passed un-
der the skillful hands of the barber imme-
diately preceding the appearance of tie
lecturer, said hair growing down rather low
on his forehead. a thick beard, innocent
of razor for 10, these many years, covered
the forid face of the medium, giving him a
patriarchal sort Of look. He was COM
fortably, but plainly, clad 10 garments
which were evidently purchased more Tor
solid service than on account of any ultra
fashionable ideas on the part OF
the wearer. He seems TO have un-
limited confidence and faith in
athe belief which is in him." is clear,
distinct, and pleasant speaker, and is
much more intellectual looking man than
the medium Foster, who visited Nashville
a month or two since.
Announcing 'IDfuences" as the subject
| of his lecture, Mr.. Wilson said he came be-
| fore the audience feeling the serious re-
| sponsibility resting upon him.
Although Adam was the first man SEN
| tenced to die, A0el was the first who did
| die. When Cain was questioned by God
as to the whereabouts of the brother be had
| slain, he replied that he was not bis brothers
| keeper. There was no human justice TO
appeal TO and Abel had appealed
70 God himself, and IL Cain knew that 1t
was God wIF2 addressed bin, he had the
impudence of the dsYl himself to answer as
be did; If be did not know, how do we know
that it was God who spoke?
| A SPIRIT.
Here the lecturer singled out an old gen
tleman in the audience and said he distinct
| ly saw a spirit standing beside him, aud
that be (the geritleman) had la.ely passed
| through revolution with reference to re-
Hgious ethics, and that he had about de-
termined to thloI of his allegiance 70 the
doctrines which be had endorsed through
life.
The o,d gentleman very quietly remarked
that the medium was very much mistaken,
which result was hardly calculated to en-
courage him in his attempts to make pnbhC
a strangers individual affairs.
The lecturer then recOunted anumber ol
instances which had fallen under his own
observation, where persons fatally bitten Dy
rattlesnakes and dogs of various soecles
had, previous TO death, exhibited all the
characteristics of the serpent or anima
which had inflicted the death wound, and
this naturally led to the inquiry
HAVE SNAKES SOULS?
But as this conundrum was too tough TO
any of those present, it passed unanswered
The lecturer was convinced in hi
own mind, that the plan of traDsplantln!
mankind from earth to heaven, would b
an utter failure, unless the peculiar sur
roundings of each one of Us upon earth, /
reproduced in heaven.
THE PHENOMENA OF REvIvALs
he said were produced in this way: w
must first have house, or a grove; ther
| must be barriers, inside of which every
thing is declared sacred. Next, we mus
have an audienee-the more compact.
crowded, the better. Then We must hsV
Z a temperature a little higher than the aggre
gate temperature of the bodies present
= Then we want in the desk, man WHIT
can appeal to the passions of the people
s 1evivalists never reason; then this minis
ter must have on his right and left thos'
who can sing little and groan some, anC
| tIOHJ Va JlC otaIAs A. oA0ASO
l seat, and on this seat, in the beginning, ;
: few old stagers. Then these old stager
q will groan, and shout, and sing, and wor
upon the feelings of the audience. Thl
thing may continue for four days withOu
much result, but if continued after tina
i time, men, women aud children will &c
: interested, and then the epidemic sweeE
/, among them like pra irie on fire.
ANOTHER SPIRIT.
Here the quick-eyed lecturer spied out
spirit (which none of the audience ha
noticed) standing beside General Bushro
johnson. This spirit he describe
as being that of youn
girl-a sister Of the Generals
d who bad died when she was seventee
a wears of age. She was represented as be
ing a young lady ofmost remarkable beaut
--Iqarge hazel eyes" and all that. As ou
reporter sat directly behind the General, b
asked him ifhe had beautiful sister die
that see. 10 which he responded "not tn;
= he was aware Of"
- A little farther along in his discourse, 10
medium singled out gentleman who o.
cupjed a seat on the right, near the stag
= and asserted that when that gentleman W:
" in his seventeenth year, somewhere Dt
y tween the 1st of February and the 1st
April" he had assumed a great respons
= bility, which he had borne ever since.
= The medium not thinking it worth whl
to ask the gentleman whether he had toi
: the truth or not, our reporter wrote on
1F card sis there anything in his statement!
and had the card passed along TO the Vi
!, tim, who sent it back endorsed
, 6NcT MUCH.
:, I began life sooner than be says"
. Selecting another gentleman in the aud
. ence. Wilson said that eleven years ago th
u gentleman had begun series OF inVestlg
tious. and asked if he was not correct, u
i person replying that he was go certal
= extent" se
3 In response 10 the lecturers request, tn
u some gentleman, well known to those pre-
70 ent. should rise and stand with his back
= y the stage, Gen. johnson arose. WilsC
C' then passed his hands across his CIV
son's) face several times, tire
- - himself into q thinking attitude, as tnout
= he were trying to remember what he ha
" done with the morning paper, or his
y caipted gas bill, dipped bis fingers In u
u " glass of water (out of which he afterWar
10 drank), threw the drops from him with
!" scientific flip of his fingers, waived his hal
= toward the waiting ex-warrlor Win 3
E tronizing gesture, and then proceeded
10 give a chronological description OF his cha
20 acter, picturing a character SO perfect al
III admirable that no man on cart
. with the single exception OF Georg
- frapcistrain, has sufficient egotis
le to claim as his own. Or cour
20 the General denied being the possessor
20 the greater part of the virtues ascribed
'e him by the medium. A few of bis eth
. siastic friends, in answer to Wilson's inqul
! as to whether be had properly described
" characteristics, gave hesitsting e.
70 but they looked as though they knew th
10 were romancing at fearful rate and we
e very much ashamed of it.
W Wilson then told Major James Hawk
ef that be had observed the spirit of an {
y gentleman, about seventy-five years Of a
70. standing beside him, bolding paper
" or his hand, which paper 'govern
'0- certain proprietary rights" to property
of which he (Hawkins) had been defral
an ed. The medium thought this was
,v. spirit of the Majors father, and ask
nd Whether be was correct or not. The 81
nm stance of the Msjor's answer was, that W
Dio the exception of slight mistake relative
'ck the age of his father, who had died at s
antv wears. and of his having been defral