Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-04-20
MODERN ~SPIRITUALISM.
The TWenty-niuth Birthday of the
LOng.Batred Ism.


indianapolis Herald, It'll
Last Saturday wa the twenty-ninth
anniversary Of modern s%piritualism. The
"~wonderful child" is now old enough to
begin to amount to something if it ever
intends TO. Twenty-Five years ago this
mind-geakening mystery began to rap
out letters of the alphabet in Rochester.
Since then it has Progressed" into clair
yoyance, presentations. slate writing,
geouud and lofty tumbling, bell-ringing,
ropetying and tntying, and that crowR-
ing imposture, naturalization; and
yet the world knows no more Of it than
it did t%weuty-nine years ago. Spiritism,
the absurdest OF oil isms, is still the puny
baby that it was when il was born. Its
disciples have multiplied, bat it has rot
gained an inch in stature or q feather in
weight. All the ~so'called progression"
that its followers prate about has been a
progression into dubious mystery and
debasiug deceit. The world is neither
better nor more learned because Of its
existence. 1t has furnished a new road
way for people Of inferior minds, indilfer
emit morals and original faiths, to walk
upon. and that is all 1t numbers with
in its fold many honest and credulous
people, but they, being anxious TO be-
lieye, and often honester than their teach
ers, would have chosen TO be faithful TO
some other belief this curious ism had
not attracted them by its mysterious fas.
cinstion, and hence lived their lives with
ouiI feeling, the need of the science
phenomena" or religion" Of spi-iism.
About the strage faith there lie, to many
minds, az irresistible fascination. II IS
the delusion it holds out Of bringing
them a little nearer than THAR fellows to
the infinite, the supernatural, and this,
they fondly imagine, will be to the m an
inestimable advantage. They will then
be like gods, knowing all things, or at
least knowing more than their neighbors
and the knowledge will give them do
minion or control, to a certain extent,
over those who know less. They are vii
ling 10 submit themselves 10 all the fool
Conditions" imposed upon them 10 at.
tain \ knowledge Of the infinite. II Is
not always affection for the dead that is
the ruling motive in %tamperers with
spirits, familiar and otherwise. It is
often the hope Of seli-aggrandizement;
the desire 70 get on the right side Of crea.
lures Of superior knowledge and power.
The same motive power aetuates man
prominent Christians in their Jealous
support Of the church. By propitiating
the Lord with money and good works,
they expect to stand we'll With him, and
be specially favored. That they look
upon those who are a little further away
from the throne with something like con.
tempt there ia no doubt. They put them
selves out considerably in the Lord'sssr.
vice, but they are comfortably conscious
ell the time that the Lord is great, and
anything they do for him will be proper
ly rewarded. II sounds badly, but the
love Of self, and not the love Of the Lord,
is Of the root Of much Christian zeal. II
ia the same way with the believers in
spiritism. They are often not real sure
that they do believe, but they try hard to
think they do, in the selfish hope that the
belief will give them the service OF some
supernatural beings, who will be useful
in worrying their enemies and securing
them position and influence among men.
The spiritist wears bis hair as long to day
as be did twenty nine years ago, and in
nine cases out Of ten is as clammy and
worthless and unreliable as be was then.
IL spiritism Is TO do UNCONVENTIONAL
part Of what is claimed for it, il is time
it was at work on a small fraction Of its
mission. If til always to remain the
miHd.weakening, body.attenuating and
soul fcufing mystery that it now is, it ID
time it should %ayAuntl