, 1874-07-11


oil, halt Of thom, at tho loast estimate. being
wastod. Anything moro siokoning 1t would bo
difficult to conceive.
WALLACE ON sP1RITUAL1sM.
Wo have already called tho attention Of our
readers to two remarkable papers which ap-
pearod in tho .Fortniqhtly Rcuid,o from tho pen
Of Nlr. Alfred Wallace, tho emtnont naturalist,
on Tho subject Of BpirltnaliBn1. The fact that
tl,ey are perhaps the ablost contributions eyer
made in advocaoy Of that strange croed, was suf-
ficont to cntislo them to notice. A1r. Wallace
,nany 1,ayo blas towarta Spiritualism. We boz
love ho has, but he has also solontiilo mind,-,
ono which, as . rulo, docs not accopt that for
which thore Is no ground. a writer In tho Lon
don Spectator Of juno 6, who aeoma
to have worry vido acquaintance with tho lit
orature Of spiritualsn. md Who informs us
that ho LAS attended something like twonty
seances, aone oil them with celebrated moliumH
laoe's articles, and makes a few remarks about
them which are evidently juat. Like Mr. Wallace,
he Ia evidently very much interested In tho subject
Of Bpiritua1tsm. Ltkobim, hohas boen very palms.
taking to arrivo at rational explanation Of Its
phouomona. Unliko him, howe%er, ho roiocta
the doctrine, not being able to discover any roa-
son whatevor why ho should accept it. In oil
tho seances which no attended, tho writer in tho
Spectator assures us he never Witnessed any
phenomenon which might not bo accounted for
on tho "moat ordinary and humdrum
Wow Of life." Still, ho does not meot
Mr. Wallace's challenge by tho cry Of '1nored-
iblo nonBcnso!" Ho Is able to explain away
all tho so-ealled phenomena Of spi1itualism that
has como under his own immediate observation.
Not so oasi1y, however, tho circumstance that
men OF undoubtod acuteuosa, oalmnosa, and
honor teatify to The cxstonce of certain cxtraor-
dinnry and unexplained facts Of d medium
istio nature. That mon possessing such quail
tics should boliovo in the facts Of Bpiritualism
and become conyorta to It, and that it's newest
converts should be mon Of highor average
cabro than the carlior onos, IL tho only aurpria-
ing thing this writer notes in tho whole history
Of spiritualism, aud be IL ready to admit that
this alone ls sufficient TO mako 1t roaBon-
ablc to inquire further and with Rroator
caro- into tho alleged wonders Of modern
spiritualiam. The question to be solved in tho
case Of tho Intelligent aud honest adloronts Of
Spiritualism is how their Illusion arises and, as
M1. Wallaces critic remarks, cnrofu1 crosB-
examination by Investigators OF somo Of tho 1ead-
Ing instances will be able to show how 1t docs.
Tho alleged facts, II true at ALL arc highly im-
portant ones, no matter what their explanation,
whether they signify only now physical force,
q now field Of yolition, OF now evidence Of i'm
mortality.
The writer in the Spectator rightly finds fault
with Wallace for saying that the reality Of the
facta ho alleges are 30 indispptably proved tint
they do not want confirmation. Regarding Mr.
Wallace's instances OF apirlt-photographs, he
aays that an excellent photographer has insured
him that 30 far NJ they depend on nero soien-
tiho guarantees, they arc good for nothing for
tho purpose for which they are quoted that Ac
Ind himself examined the facts carefully, aud
discovered fraud ut work in them time aud
again. However. It is with Mr. Wallacs's asHer-
tion, that 1t Spirtualiam be trna it constitutes
~ great moral agency Which may yet regsuorate
the world" that his reviewer finds moat
fault. II, 10 argues, the phenomena
alleged by aIr. Wallace do actually occur
and arc due to tho agency OF spirits which ouco
Tired upon earth, tho principal inference from
tho fact Ia " that ninety.niue huudrodthH Of the
communications como to us from the moral rub
bish Of tho unaeen world" This, even Mr.
Wallace does not deny, since he grants that " rub
bish la tho word which best e1prosaos the intel
! lectual aud moral condition in which, perhaps,
ninety-nino huudredthB of those who arc born iuto
tho world leave it. II this be not the explanation,
no must then, infor that the loHs Of bodily or
gauization impoyorshes rather than develops
the faculties Of spirits. a writer, Mr.
Crookos. meutoned III our CRITICS article,
remarks that the "intelligencos which comnau-
nicate through mediums are possibly not human
st oil, but mny come from sonic othor racs Of
beinga-Aric1a and Cailbans-prosunlably below
our level, not above it," That thoy may DO such
or anything Is possible, sfnde no effort WAS ever
| made to identify them with ths individuals whom
nt its best is hut faith ln Immortality plus the
excitement of receiving Bories of absurd commu-
nications from tho other aide Of tile grave; and,
the writer in the Spectator shows, 1t is 10 great
spiritual gain to believe that, after wo shall have
slutllod OF our mortal coll, no shall
10 endowed with tho glorious facul-
ty Of knocking about our ftionds'
tables, showering flowers upon tliem Of giving
thom lock Of spiritual hair, appearing in a
misty cylinder with our head Just dlmly visible
at one end, of playing on harnaontuna. ringing
!. !. bells, untying knots, or making musIcal iustra.
| monts move about q latkened chamber. II the
| phononlena Of spiritualism prove anything,
they testify to tho existonco only OF q lot Of lu-
yi0ible boinga distinguished as aorohats, simple
tons ana liars, purporting to hayo been onco
mon like ourselves, and to hayo beon acquainted
with ourselves, with our parents. friends, or first
| cousins. That meu Of genlus like Wallace
H.. n II.