Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1874-12-03

A Lecture Differed By DR.. George " Beard
before the Long Island Historical .Soci,ty.
Nor 20.
Las: evening DIR. George NJ Beard de.
livered lecture IN the rooms OF the IlI,
torical Society Building. Brooklvn, on
The Couuterieiter> of Science. and How
to Detect Them" The audience COM
prised large number of ladies and many
OF the prominent medical men OF BrooS-
yn. Al o'clock MIR. Hannah. Secretary
Of the Historical Society. introduced the
lecturer. who -pohc substantially a. fol-
lows
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: 4 number
of wears ago one "t Americas greatest
thinkers. DIR. Bushnell. declared. in sub
stance. that in this country the contest was
between K manism aud Prutestantism. as
between civilization and barbari>m. We
have met to-ni.hJ-a lew of our thought
iui citiZeus-to make strike for ciyii.za-
tion. Since the war. aud n result in
part of the Decentralization of the war,
there has been. n you all know. tempo
rary eXacerbaiion, to use a medical term
OF political and social corruption. A few
years ago, under the leadership OF IIE
NEW YORK TINS, AN indignant people
arose in their strength and threw off the
tyranny OF Tweed and his gang. To-day
We are called upon To overthrow tyrant
tnighticr than Tvv.ed. the crimes OF which
areiar more extended and more perilous TO
the life OF the nation. | mean supersti-
ton. that now has its bloody hands ON the
throat OF the Republic, and viii strau.le
il if it can.
THE DUTY OF SCHOLARS AND SCIENTISTS.
When any great wave of excitement on
the subject of Spiritualism or mind read
ing or clairvoyance or OF any other delu-
sion rolls over the country, sensible and
Thoughtful citizens can take one of three
courses:
FTst-They may entirely ignore the
matter; spending no time ihimking of il
or talking about 1t. This course. TO the
majority, is entirely justifiable; i. is not
the duty OF the mass Of people or the mass
of scholars or the mass of scientific men
to give any attention TO these matters. for
this Is out OF their realm; they are incom-
petent to investigate the subjects involved.
and they are right in letting them alone,
expressing no opinion upon them either
for or against.
Sec0hd--They may denounce them
humbugs and frauds without an examina-
fion. This course is also iustitiable.
When any one comes along protesting to
isiNt CAllItON ant. Spiritual
istic, or physio force powers. the pre>ump-
tlon that he does not Possess any OF these
powers in any degree Is so great that if
we have no opportunity for examination
We have right in private. at least. to
pronounce against them. Those, there
fore, who hastily declare that all these
things are deiusion; that there is moth
Ing in them II all: that from beginning 10
end they are frauds and follies, are nearer
the truth. are more scientific. and more
wise than those who also hastily declare
that there Is soTerhng in them. and that
nea force has appeared in the world.
1hTd-Ihose who are masters in IIeuro-
physiology and experienced in the science
and art OF detecting frauds under cover
OF neuro-phy siological peculiarities, and
who are familiar with the nervous system
in health and diseases, to humanity 10
civilization. and to themselves, as il seems
TO me. TO make special efforts. and sacri-
| fce. If need be. their own time and com
| fort. to detect these frauds and expose
| them and put them TO shame before an in.
| dignant people.
| But their efforts should not stop at this
| point; they should 30 further. and from
| special exposures; they should rise To the
discussion ot the general principles by
which frauds ofthi, sort are 10 be detect
ed. and should seek. by all just means 10
set ia motion those forces that shall. in
/ time. educate the peop e Ia look at all
these things through scientific eyes. Thus
they may do something to save our Re-
| public and proohg our civilization.
The strength of SpirltuaIi.m consists,
first. in the emotional nature. and second
| ly. IN the ignorance OF humanity. Take
that mother who last year lost her child.
| her only child in ipta f,e l.
| life TO her WAS sorrow; her only 10y was
the memory of that precious one. In Il
thousand ways, thousand times she saw
that child, and in her dreams at night she
| drew it to her arms and kissed it. and il
became alive again. Sitting by the dying
embeTs in the twilight. its form comes near
| To her and is as dear TO her as when il
was on the earth. This mother hears that
far up in Vermont the spirits of the de-
parted come to meet their friends on EARTH
AT much expense of time and money, she
makes the trip. In the darkness she sees
the form of a child as she thinks; all her
motherhood comes into her eyes and she
exclaims. This is my darling one -
When now the hard man of science comes
with the faculties all trained to move un-
der the rule of reason, as the regiments of
an army move under the commander in
chief, and exposes the illusion, and lays
his cold and cruel hand upon il, revealing
Q handkerchief on top OF a boot no won
der she is angry; she was happy in the de-
ception; science makes her miserable.
The second factor is the ignorance of
the world. But few realize that our coun-
try is one Of the most ignorant of civilized
nations. II you wish to find barbarian
you need not cross mountains nor seas
One-thlrd Of the population Of this coun-
try, at least. is in q state of comparative
degradation. 1t is in this one-third that
Spiritualism, strikes root. whence it rises
and reaches, and extends its branches
now and then into the higher realms Nc
new principles of science are needed in
order to study spiritdalistic and clairvoy.
ant phenomena. We study them just as
we study all others realms of science-t the
same cautions, the same preparation; the
same freedom from prejudice; the same
care in eliminating sources Of error; the
same need Of skilled experts; all these
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