The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-06-15
Lnin phnsp. IN SpIrltunIlsm.

supervision.
Late Phases In Splritunlism.
The most intense preoccupation OF SO.
ciety in St. Petersburg, wo are told, is
spiritualism. Seances are being held in
every quarter Of the city, and several
distinguished citizens have given in their
belief, among them Prof, Wagner Of the
Imperial University, who has published
his experiences and convictions in the
Messenger Of Europe. From his statements,
which Nine Blavatsky Whose name re-
calls memories Of the Spirit vale" mani
lcs,ationsO has translated for the Spiritual
Scientist, We should judge that no has
yielded to the simplest form OF these
phenomena, the rapptngs and tIppings;
and some Of the performances he de-
scribes appear to be tricks OF rather
clumsy sort, not comparable to the
achievements OF tho Eddys, At this
time the spread Of the infection among
intellectual circles Is peculiarly regretted,
because the Car has just begun, like tho
Jewish King Saul, to put down fortune
tellcrs and wizards by statute, and to root
out tho popular belief in wOod-dcmons,
house.spirits, and other such bogies. It
seems odd, too, that u city where Home
has often been an honorcd guest for years
past, and where he now resides, should,
at this late day, get fOvcrish over what
should not be very new to its people.
But Frcnchman named Drediile, simply
because he "manifests" at so much per
head, Is much moro OF u sensation in St.
Petersburg now than ever Home was,
who at no time has held sitting except
in houses which he entered as q guest,
1t is strange that these old and simple
forms Of the spirituaIist phenomena
should have such freshness and influence
for grave scientific professors. Mysteri-
Gus though they arc,-Quito us mysteri.
Gus as any subsequent develOpcments,-
they seem so far from involving the
theory OF spirits that We cannot apprcci.
ate their weight in confirming that theory.
The experience Of any cool, clcar.headed
participant in these table.tipping and
rupping scanccs points to some individual
ty in the circles as the source OF the pow
or. There is general misunderstanding
We must think, rs to this matter, "Medi-
unlship," so called, is not an uncommon
gift; dozen people could hardly be
brought together without including ono
medium" in embryo. Tho person muy
be Unconscious of the gift, but when n
dozen sit around the table, laying the
hands lightly on the top, in silence and
darkness, and tho tippings or the rnppings
begin, he very soon finds il out, and or
dcrs the phenomena by the conscious OK
Grtion OF his will. II Is true that, II the
company get warmly wrought up with
excitement, tho manifestations seem togct
beyond control, but it is nevertheless the
personal power Of the medium" that Ia
at work. 70 such medium" the notion
Of spirit Intervention in all this Is sheer
nonsense.
The "Kutie King exposure, though 1t
greatly lcssenCd the public interest in the
subject OF naturalization, has not de-
TERED men Of high character from n So
rious study Of that and other manifesto
tions. A Miracle club" now holds fire.
Qucnt night sessions in New York for the
express purpose Of iathOming tho mys.
teriep. Col. OlcOtt, the investigator and
convert Of tho Eddy brothers, Is one Of
the members, and the medium Is dis
tinguished and respected gentleman, who
has long known himself to possess extra.
ordinary powers, but has been reluctant,
perhaps afraid, to use them. The Spiritual
Scientist Of Boston, through which the
most earnest andthoughtful spiritualistS
confer with each other, has been doing
good service in sampIing the professional
mediums Of that city, and showing what
humbugs ut least nine.tenths Of them are,
even il there should be truth in Spiritual.
ism.
In connection with this subject, the as.
sumption Of ,lemoniucal possession as the
cause Of the horrible murders and dis
asters over the wide earth, which was
mudc by several Boston preachers the
Sunday after Mabel Young was killed, Is
Il direct acceptance Of spiritnnlism in it,
most positive form. Ore Of them, DR.
Lorimer, declared in plain words that
evil spirits were actively present among
men, constantly and pcrsistcntly melting
to wrong courses. SpirituNlists say that
the whole ground of life Is covered by
influences Of the spirits that were once
men and women, so that the battle which
Ia wngcd between good and evil elements
in every human soul Ia but the reflex and
consequence Of the battle which the spir
its are wagng without. This Ia only the
doctrine Of God and tho devil, indefinite
ly multiplied, and cannot, in the eyes o.
orthodox preachers, change the criminal
responsibility.