The New York herald., 1874-09-27


| cutters. PRUDENTIUS.
! spirituslisna and Free Love-Reckoning
with Herald Correspondent-What
| Rational spiritualists Believe-Crimi-
mails Entertain Evangelical Opinions.
NRw 1ofE, Sept. %, 1874.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
am a constant reader Of your paper ana seldom
have occasion to complain OF any want OF fairness
IN your treatment OF either political, social
ligious topics. Most especially do recognize the
uniform candor and distinguished ability that
characterize your editorial department. Bnt
among your numerous correspondents I
sionally meet with one whose limited Information
and unlimited prejudices render MIN incapable of
furnishing reliable Information on the subject
essays to treat. When the views OF large classes
OF intelligent and Order-Oving people are grossly
misrepresented; when the deepest and most
sacred convctions-resting upon she scientific
basis Of fact and law-are subjected 70 unmeas-
ured rdicule, and the collective character OF
large body OF conscientious citizens rudey assailed
by writer's who are nothing II not equal to the pro-
duct1on OF a new sensation it occurs TO me that
any qualified representative OF such a class should
be heard In Its defence.
respectfully call your attention to an instance
OF this kind in your issue OF yesterday. II occurs
on your third page, in the letter written from WI
posed purchase and settlement OF Vacour Island
by community Of free lovers. 1t is said that the
properly Is now owned by owen Shipman; ana
the small materials from which IL ia attempted to
feed the TOO prevalent appetite for scanda0us SEN
sations appear in the admitted facts that no such
community has vet been founded and not 81 has
been subscribed toward purchasing the island. So
far as the correspondent has informed be found
only three men In Vermont who, on being inter-
viewed, gave qualified Endorsement OF the free
love doctrines, and OF those only one belonged
there (the others were from Illinois and WiscOn-
sin), which certainly leaves abundant room ior the
na AN me va" % u II o yo S mn m
to reproduce the following brief passage from your
correspondents letter.
This old man shpman has for long time been resi-
& n s anq % e os @
love. Not by any means that would have It under.
y q Who
certain extent believer in spiritualisln
Your correspondent boldly assumes that Spir-
| ituailsm is "disease," and in this makes un-
necessary exhibition OF his ignorance and inca.
pacity to form Judgment that is entitled to pub
iio respect. After a somewhat familiar acqualnt-
ance with the subject TOR twenty-elght years am
prepared to say that Spirttualsm, In comprenen-
| slve sense, rational philosophy OF the uni
verse; that 1t is utterly and forever at war with
| the principles Of materiaiism and every form
| of the creation, the spiritual nature OF man,
the existence nS Of spirit ~ World S to which
| sustain a necessary relation, not less intimate
than that which connects the bodily organs and
nomena Of tins world Pray what is there in such
philosophy that warrants the inference that 1t
the offspring Of disease II win win, be perceived
| must demand from the party who accepts it the
imposition Of rational restraints upon his animal
appetteS and passions; in short, spirituality OF
nie. II / know anything OF sprituaiism, IN a true
and in the judgment OF It's rational disciples,
1t at once involves such philosophy and demands
such o lite.
This spirituallsm is illustrated by innumerable
| facts which have been of more or less frequent
occurrence in every age OF the world. These facts
have not only been accepted by the wsest and best
SImen IN al countries M ana every historic perlod
the great religious systems OF the world. This
| being true, by what authority does your corre-
spOndent assume that Splrtuaism per sc, Is 10 be
included In the category of diseases II such a
classification can be justified we may ascribe the
q similar source. rhen too the religion OF the
earliest nations and OF the Jews and Christians,
since they were all founded on phenomena said to
have originated IN the operation or spiritual laws
and the vohtion OF spiritual beings. Are we TO be-
heve that such ancient teachers as Pythagoras,
Socrates, Plato and many OF the most illustrions
mel men Q! antiquity were , all hopelsssly diseased
spirits within the sphere OF our mortal relations;
| they recognized their influence on the human
include the greatest poets OF ancient and modern
times in the invalid CORPSE Did Homer.
disease Shall we attripute the inspiration
OF Jewish prophets and Christian apostles to this
Elias and others; spiritual beings opened the
prison doors to the lncarcerated apostles; Paul
peopied The air and the Revelator conversed
with beings from other worlds than this. Are
those early spiritual teachers and all dIvinely IL
Illuminated souls, since the word began, to be en-
braced in the SICK iist9 And have we no healthy
people in this world except those who are stone
proud TO follow the long line OF an iustrious
ancestry back 20 the monkeyss
Your correspondent says that "Spiritualism has
never failed to 90 hand in hand with It's kindred
disease Tree love-" 1t Is true ne mildly qualhes
aot Sy ss,os that I to
have any meaning 1t must be taken as contradic-
ton % Of the previous os statement since ~ Spirit,
hand with free love in every instance in which the
former declines the company Of the latter. Now
larger part OF all the spiritual societies through
out the United states have already officially and
publicly denounced the Tree love doctrines, and
many or them have published cards or resolutions
notifying all whom 1t may concern that they viii
known ts entertain and defend SUCH views These
are facts that have been 80 widely published that
| no newspaper correspondent can nnd any justin-
cation lor longer circulating such calumnes
against the great body OF American Spirttuaists
Your correspondent further says he has rarely
found free lover ol either sex who Is not to
certain extent believer in Spirtualism." II this
be true the TACT proves nothing against the essen
tlal truth ana practical importance o Sptrituallsm.
Defaulters, countereters, political stock and lot
terry gamblers are said to nelieve in addition,
multiplication ana ulVSlOn" DuL tnclr crimes
furnish ground OF argument against the
science OF NUMBERS and no one doubts the
respectability OF the multiplication table. 1t has
been ascertalned, by actual inquiry, that very
large majority Of the cOnvicts our State prisons
believe IN tho fundamental doctrines OF the pop
ular religion. But from such premises will any
one have the audaclty to assume that larceny,
burglary, highway robbery rapine and murder go
hand in hand with orthodoxyY This Is the pecu-
liar style reasoning your correspon dent adopts
In his treatment OF Spirituallsm, and no further
Illustration OF the subject Is necessary to expose
its nagrant injnstice and absolute absurdtty
In conclusion suggest thai II your correspond
ent cannot succeed in nnding Tree lover who is
not o Spiritualist, he had better go to Long
Island taking care not to leave the work OF inves
tgaton to Q committee. Yours, respectfully,
S. b. BRTTTAN, NJ. D.
Ministertal and Church Movements.
PRESBYTERIAN.
Rev. G. Swain, pastor OF the Gates avenue Pres.
byterian church, Brooklyn, has returned from .