Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1875-02-25
Concerning SpirisuaIisnl.

To DE Editor Of DE Commercial;
You sometimes fret me a little by manifestly
taking sides as against what il called "modern
spiritualism," and uniting with the shallow pre-
vsiline cry that would assume il to be humbug
and but the fruit of popular error and credulity.
II you and portion of the public laugh ut the
detection of fraud in .sKaty King" and other
like cases, and pronounce "Splritualism' de-
fnnct on that account BIO assured that the true
spritualist has his laugh also at the short
sigted ness of such AZ imagine these cases OF
roguish counterfeiting, or the successful imita.
tons quoted in your issue of 18th can in any de-
gree affect the deep philosophical foundation
upon which he buiid- his belief.
1t would seem that respectable sheets like the
COMMERCIAL are not doing their full duty to the
public, by showing up the weak side OF Spirit
uailsm, and giving no expression to the other.
Would it not be fair to inform your readers that
Spiritualism, lacking the prcselyting power OF
juvenile educstion, which gives the main uumer-
lcal strength to other sects, has yet made its
converts by the thousands amongst the matured
thinkers Of the age and often even from those
naturally the most skeptical Are you not aware
that physicians the most skilful lawyers the
most learned and able to construe
evidence, judges the most astute. congressman
the most cearheaded, governors the most wise,
Presidents OF the United States, Fellows OF the
Royal Society of England, English Lords the
English Queen, the Emperor OF the French,
Alexander OF Russia and All endless list that
might be named, have all deemed the modern
manifestations real and have more or less given
up to a rational belief in them. Is it the
province Of the enlightened journalist to ignore
the facts, that m author OF the Responsibility
and learning Of Mr.. Howett has written ali
exhaustive treatise upon the History of the
supernatural, clearly illustrating that the modern
manifestations are but repetitions of what the
world has witnessed from the remotest ages
that besides Howett there are scores of able a,l.
thois b It'll older and more recent that have
made literature for spritualsm which, after
blowing out the chaff still leaves All abundance
rich in clear logic, sound philosophy, searching
enquiry and the independent expression OF
thought of which any cause might be proud.
What signifies counterfeit catch-pennies or imi-
tators i'll such Gaze Woe be to the world we
say, II ID has not sense enough to gather up the
manifest truths that are dropping from this
source and to apply them to helping themselves
out Of the mental bondage to religious dogma to
which too many are now subjected. You speak
also in your Issue OF the 18th of the dogmatism
that science Is now assuming, and your remarks
are solid and instructive. We have often taken
occasion to decry the almost equal bigoty of the
scientific materalist and the intolerant theo-
Logan.
II ever there is to come a reconciliation be-.
tween science and religious truth as touching
the future life OF man it must come through the
philosophic study Of the nature of man and his
cosmical relations to the world lie in,abits as
based upon facts CLEANED from modern and re-
corded spiritual manifestation.
The enlightened spiritualst acknowledges the
importance of the veneratiye and religious ele.
ments in the human constitution and mourns
over their misdirection which has been the
fruitful source of 30 much suffering to the race.
He lnments further that science, having made
such gratifying progress in the study of mate
rial nature has left that knowledge which is
most interesting and important to struggle
blindiy i'll the web of dogmatism,
Whenever sectarans become willing to ignore
for truths sake, their selfish and associated IN
terests ard to trace backward to their source in
the fables OF primitive man their most venera.
teddogmas and whenever scientists adopting a
more humble spirit of inquiry become willing to
know that not only the material world, but The
spiritual world also are linked together in one
grand cosmical law abiding chaiu, open to stu.
dy and investigation, thon will the reconcilia-
ton come and the race, unclogged and untram-
eled. may grow to realize more than the tabled
millennium. SPIRIruAIIsr.