The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1875-03-31


verbal and written communications, cN-
ccedingly simple and childish ia their na-
ture. when not utterly meaningless and |
disgusting.
Like Mr.. Obcrly am not q member Of |
the Liberal Religious Association bat !
UHiib' him | M -ympathl" with it, |
views. IL, purpose. and it. achievements. !
The organization stands upon advanced |
ground. With no faint OF superstition |
about it--with fixed belief in "a grand !
controlling clligcHcr--With n cOnyic-
ton that the world has moved forward. |
since the time 81 Christ, in the art- aud
the sciences. anu that religion should
keep pace with with a deeply rooted
belief in all this. the organization has
but n brace of mDnosyllablcs cmblaZoncl
! upon it, standard and they are "DO
| lIGllI'' With men and women who
shape their walk aud conversation hy
! tins Injunction, can and Il, sympathiZe,
and bid them "ood->pccd in the glorious
work of cvtngcliIing those who yet
| groVcl IN the rui OF superstition and Weld
( blind faith tp ill" Miraculous and lmpo>-
| iblc.
| am nota confirmed Sprtuai.t: but
! ! have enough moral courage to- not 5euV
/ N" CriicDr,y ptU,y senses r0pt to be-
! licvo in everlasting lie. and 20 to Spr-
/ ilualisni ~ the only agency under the
| sun oi Heaven that can demonstrate il
| dJ this the more chccrtully since In 40
recorded instance has Intelligent. ppr,i,-
. tent investigation failed To bring cunNic-
ton. Ofthc tive million ~piriluali.'- now
IN America, ldDup, u lirN" the. care five
/ thousand who diduut ESSAY au inv,,iiga-
! li'uofthc phenomena lhrnurh determine
alton to detect what all their predecessor,
/ had failed 10 discover and Ia cNup.r the
"crupl impn.lurc" tu tlir drri,ion OF the
world. Judge Edmoud,. of the New
| urN supreme Bench, assaulted the i'm
with such view, and. pushing hi iuvc--
LEGATION, year after year, leaving nothing
to conjecture; closing up every avenue
. whereby fraud and trickrry might br
practiccd upon hiuI. he closed hi, cnuui-
rlcS, al thc end of five year.. So firmly
rooted in belief in the realty aud truth
OF the ism. that all the dcrisiun ana OBJ
luVuy ui the Wurld--lthcn much fcrccr
than now could neither shake his con-
Niction, en- deter Him from giving them
voice on all suitable occasions. judge
Edmond, saw SpiHluali>m in all Il,
phases. aud yielded belief To what all hi,
senses. acting in absolute harmony. lie
clJrud To- b" true, and ai once became an
'apostlc Of the "u,w faith" Hon. John
II. Obrrly has giycu->ay two hours To
like iuyc>ti"atiOn--.lW uuthing-hcard
nothing. and Vet he assumes To pro-
uouncc the well liked faith OF millions.
A. without foundation in fact-as the out
growth ui well devised and ,fully
p|ciircd trichcry and >hamclr,, drcop.
ton,
Standing a, dl. midway between
these two extreme, | can. | ana sure.
Judge with impartialiiy, aud will hc cN-
cu>e!, even 10y my friend Obcrly, when
declare that much a. | value hi> opinion
in matters of law, politics. bu-iuc,, and
literature. ! attach no weight whatever
tu lis opinion respecting Spirituali~m.
. believing. J- du. that j. /, based upon
no experience. and i the cap-,hcaf Of no
I Investigation whatever.
"Spirituali.m,' says Mr.. Obcrly. "ha,
thrown uo new light upon the world
-ha> communicated nothing OF value To
/ man, and Ia, i'm no wise brttoIcd the hui
! man race" WHY Mr.. .. is given to the
/ belief that IN the simple act of dying-in
/ the mere act of shaking OF thi- human
/ dro,,-thc soul should gather such new
/ Gght-Why the intellect should 80 cN-
pand ~ To- be able, ihc moment after
passing over To- a~lOu>h the world
with wonderful rcyclaliOuS--to do In an
instant what Il mundane litc-tiUe. had
come God-all this ! leave for him TO
explain. But while | cannot see ,riy
communications from departed friend,
should cmbody more that /, startling.
more that j. valuable. more that /, learned
and useful than j. embodied In cummlmi-
cation. between living man and man. iii.
true, nevertheless. that many Of the 500
called messages from the "blUo-hryOud.
have been lraught with consequence IN
the mortal world. They have contrib
utcd 10 medicine and literature. to science
and religion what the world would
be 10th to give back. The torc-yarn-
in@S and admOnilionS, the suggestion,
and advice which Spiriluali,i, claim 10
have been governed by, have brought
calm ana Happiness, have iDilcd dangers.
the wicked Vaccination, Of the I'M
scrupulOU' ana designing. and opened
the way 10 grand civil SUCCESSES. But.
grant that all communications pos,p,s no
merit but the inherent proof that they
come from those who have passed the
portals Of the grave. Grant only this.
ana nature has no secrets the UNFOLDING
of which would 80 ~iguallV blc,, man
kind. Grant only this. and Won demon
STRAIT" what has hitherto been nnlya hone.
You provr'tlut there i, immortality for
man You hold before him the STRONGEST
| inccniivcto moral deeds and noblclrtiol
that can hc found out,ilr of
dom" good for goods sake. Buti. itirrlr.
that Splrilunli>m-bc II a verify or
| dclusion-has done nothing to better the
! human race; I'm the life and hope, and
! aspirations OF every confirmed Spiritual !
| i-l in the land, Wc,rc pointed denial of
! ia" trull OF -llcll an assumptions SHOW /
me q ~pirituali,t aud win show Won "A !
/ man who claims 10 hor that the spirit /
l. Immortal, and who, animated by such /
comforting certainly, does right q. lc |
! J. enabled 10 see the RIGHT. 10 such "A /