New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-04-18
SPIRITS IN 1902.

New England in lG9. was unfortunate il
having among her ministers, a pedantic
painstaking. selfcomplacent, lll-balancee
man called Cotton Mather. His great in
dustry and verbal learning gave him undue
influence, and his writings were much read
He was interchangeable in magnifying himself
and his office, and he eagerly seized on al
witch stories, hunting for them as for hid
den treasure, and deliberately presented
them to the world. In an age when light
reading consisted OF polemical pamphlets,
It is easy to see that his stories of Margaret
Rules Dire Affections" and "Wonders o!
the Invisible World' wonld find favor and
proparo the nina for a stretch OF credulity
almost equal to his own.
Before this day Mary Oliver had confessed
that she was a witch 1880; Margaret Jones
mad been executed as such at Charlestown,
Massachusetts, another at Dorchester and
another at Cam bridge. Ia Cos the Widow
Libbins, wife of q former magistrate, had
been hanged at Boston, and one or two
others had been put to death Tor witchcraft
in other parts of New England. All their
stories and others were widely circulated
in New England, aud had their influence.
Fhe English books upon the subject such
as Royal James First's Ia royal fooi's) De-
monology; Perkins book. containing rules
TO find witches, and Barnard's and Clan
ville's witch stories; the account of the
witch trials in England in 1854; Baxter's
Certainty of the World of Spirits, aud other
auch writings were not uncommon. and
we're much read. The pulpit, also, dwelt
freely upon the devil and his dolngs, and
lie fear OF him was a powerful incentive
90 revive the decaying influence OF the
churches.
During the King Philips war nothing W as
heard Of witches, the public mind being
fully occupied; but in the year $685. the
children Of John Goodwin, a grave man
and good liver, in the north part of
Boston, were believed to be bewitched."
Mather at once took them in hand, ard the
eldest of them to his own house. where lie
found she was struck dead with the "As-
sembly's Catechism," "Cottons Mix for
Babes" and such like; hut conld read very
well in Oxford jest bookss Sand even in the
prayer book; all of which went for proof
with Mather. The children charged an old,
half-witted Irish woman with having be-
witched them, something'of the kind being
expected Of them, and she was at once
hanged. This was only the morning star of
a coming day. Matber elaborated the ac-
count, which was published in England in
1861. and was much commended by Baxter
and others.
Salem seems to have been the seat which
the Massachusetts, devil had chosen for his
doings. la the month of February, 1851 =.
two young girls Jagged ten and elevenj OF
minister Paris, and two other children,
began to show signs OF beng bewitcbed.
The Rev. Paris at once took the thing IN
hand, and, almost as Il matter Of course it
went on; the children getting Into holes,
creeping under chairs and ''uttering fool
ish speeches, which neither they nor any
ONE could make anything Of The news
soon spread in the quiet town of Salem; and
and when physicians were called in, and
could make nothing of it, women were
ashast and went from house to house, and
all decided that they were bewiiched."
Tho town was in excitement and great pity
was expressed for the ''poor children" who
were afflicted with invisible ''spindies,"
poisons, hot irons, teeth, pincers, and SO
on--all as invisible as the best doings OF
our modern spirits. Mather says that IN a
lew days time they arrived at such a
refining alteration ~ about their eyes that
they could see little devil, of IA tawny
color who rendered them a book to sign or
touch. If they refused, the specters, under
the command of the black man. tortured
them with prodigious manifestations"
Fasting and prayers were Il led first, by
Minister Paris, in his sitting-room. and
then by other clergy called from the |
neighborhood, which seemed to do no kind |
of good; for the children barked like dogs, |
purrcd like cats, were struck with 'iDvis- |
Ihle sticks" roasted on invisible spts. |
chained with Invisible chains. and what |
uot-and had now come to be held in so |
great consequence, that one or two timidly |
ventured TO suggest $50 much pity might |
confirm them III their designs" which none |
could toresee. Such IA suggestion as this /
could have no effect. except to cover the
makers of it with disgrace; and, On the
sleventh of March, a number OF ministers
we're called together to try whether or not
the gates of hell' should prevail. Their
best efforts again seemed powerless. Satan
kept his hold and the gates prevailed.
The next step. clearly, was to Learn who |
rad bewitched these children, and. OF |
course they were urged to tell: for they
must know, There was, in ParIis's family, |
IN Indian woman from one OF the Spanish
Stands, who, in her superstitious way,
bought she would try TO right this matter,
prayers having failed; so she made CAKE
With some sort of coniuration. and gave 1t
@ the dog, who appeared TO like 1t very
veil. When the children heard of this,
hey cried ont upon her: "Iitnba the |
witch, Tituba the witch!' Then they cried |
ut upon Sarah Osborn, "a melancholy.
istract old woman, then upon Sarah
GOOD, ian old woman who was bedrid,"
nd then upon church members Cory and /
'urse, and were terribly convulsed when
YER they came near. The matter grew |
srioue; for who else may not be charged
rich bewitching them! But now a new |
he wife of Thomas Putnam Joined the |
and makes most terrible /
bricks" against Goody Nurse, that che was !
ewitching her, too. On the third of April, ]
linister Paris preached long and strong