The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-09-05
Modern spiritualism.

A few weeks ago, says the New York
Post, We copied from the Cornha Xaga
sine q witty article entitled "Aoderr
sorcery," In reply 10 hr. Alfred Russe
Wallsce's articles explaining and defend
ing the doctrines Of "Nodern Spiritual
ism" which we had previously COPIED
from the RntRishay RsriAo An inielli
gent friend, who syows himself q spirit
ualist, requests Us to print the following
remarks in reply 10 the clever structures
of the writer Of the COrnhia article, ant
we readily comply with the request. ThC
remark that the subject Is one which i
rapidly engaging the attention Of Very
intelligent minds, which have hitherto
been repelled by its seeming sbsurdi!iet
o. manifest vulgArities, is undoubtedly
true; and the comparison Of 3 coarsG
spiritual medium with coarse telegraph
operator is quite as clever as any Of The
illustrations OF the CornhiE writer.
ain order to appreciate or understand
the standpoint from which modern spirit
ualism branches out 70 declare Itself il
msniIOld ways, the orthodox mind, be-
tore figuring into the mysteries oil thai
surgery which 1t defes, would better
listen 10 clear statement oil the belief IL
Immortality accepted by all spirituAlIsts
even those 10 whom the tHble-wrappiug
is as distsstelul Is 1t is to the author Of
Modern Sorcery.' We can remember
the time when we stood in the same at.
titude; when the very name Of spiritual
ian created only disgust; and, when
marvelling al the ignorance oil It's beliGT-
ers, we piItied them exceedingly.
The conventional and popular idea o.
death is that Of great and sudden
change by which The soul Is rent from
the body; then comes the final moral &C
count; the doomsdsy reckoning and judg
menr the soul is disposed Of according &c
It's deserts. Either heaven or hell opens
70 receive ii. II the former place, II
would not wish 70 return TO earth, since
celestial Joys, sunderiDg the chords Of
earth's memories, would absorb it costa.
ticAlly, 10 the exclusion OF the pain and
sorrow lett behind. II 10 hades the lost
Ioul travels, most securely 1t is shut up
tor oil eternity.
"The spiriIuAlist ignores the word
death, but calls the final act Of the soul
leaving its earthly tenement the COM
mencement Of new lie, with all the
glorious certAinties and possibilities Of an
eternity TO retrieve its past delinquencies
in. II he soul leaves the earth cast down
or in { confused state Of mind, it does no,
receive at once the full glare Of the doc
trines oil its new life, but it sbsorbs only
what its nature can at that time compre-
bend. With some the DEVELOPMENT i!
retarded; with Others, whose minds are
more prepared, the progression Is sWifter
There are persons who cannot understand
or receive, on account OF their grosi
material condition, lessons Of truth and
purity while on the earth-intermarriAct
and ill.sssorted unions producing such
depiOrable moral results that the marvel
is not that some act Wickedly, but rather
that there are not more offenders against
1aW and society.
"The writer in the CornhiR Mdodrin.
dWells pathetically upon the want OK ven,
Grafton shown By the spiritualists In seek
ing communications from their deceased
friends. l cannot understand why l shall
reverence my friend more when he hsl
left the earth, than when he shared WITH
me ali LIES joys and sorroWs: why 4
should be = Sacrilege to hear from hin
spiritually perhaps through uncultiyateC
mediums), when ! disdained not in ouI
ordinary life here 10 receive or send tele-
graphic communications through tele-
graph operators who may have been ex-
ceediDgly coarse and ignorant people, bul
who, nevertheless, transmit the most del
lcate and confidential matters daily and
hourly, and in whose Transmission OF mes
sages so little care is taken that the sad-
dest blundeIs are frequently committed
concerning subjects frsught with deep
eat interest TO the parties concerned,
Is 1t q wonder, then, that Shirt
uA communication, which trom
the very nature OF the Ching
IL 9 thousand times more subtle
and delicate than telegraph opera
ting, and oil more recent groWiA
should fail to reveal itself, since the diff
culties 10 be overcome at both ends Of the
invisible wire are equally great, and
methods are almost wholly unknown /
The spirituGlist turns away from ali the
talk that sentimentalists indulge in On
buried affection and the mysteries Of the
tomb, to the certainty that no true Stfec-
ton can be buried fer one instant; rather
that II blooms anew, and keeps awake All
that Is noble and pure on earth, NOT hold.
ing converse with musical cherubs Tor.
ever, but cementiug more firmly togethe,
the links that, like Jacobs ladder, reach
ing from heaven 10 earth, may be regarded
Is . beautiful and prophetic type Of The
union Of the terrestrial and celestia
worlds, now close Of hand. But because
mediums are (the greater part Of them
not educated, much dross mineles with
the gold. Also, many are not sufficiently
unconscious Of sell to abandon themselves
tothe Influences that wish 10 control them
While they may possess q nature thai
mSgnehcally draws 10 them spiritual
forces, some want Of truth, some
moral weakness, may stand In The
way Of transmission; then the com,
munication would be imperiec,
or very unsatisfactory. Als6 An
untruthiul spirit, who carried ayay with
him his prevailing fault, commnnicstss
....-.f- lno.t,,nS O., III. ava