The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-05-14
LITERATURE.

During the present week Mcssrs g. w. Carleton will
publish from tho authors manuscript simultaneously
with its appearance In England Mr. d. b. Homes long
expected book ON Spirituaiism. Mr.. Home occupies
such prominent position among the spiritual me-
drums OF the day that anything no has TO say upon
subject with which he is familiar win listened to
with interest with faith. In Robert Dale Owens
"Cebatablc Land' we only have sprituasm at second
hand. for, firm believer as is Mr. Owen, lie Is not .
medium, while Mr.. Home is celebrated Tor his marvel
lous eats Spritualism. The dedication OF the book
gives good idea OF the authors pan and fol-
lows:-
TO my wife, whose loving sympathy and constant
have s0othed me In many hours OF trial and PAIN
and whose superior counsels have aided me IN com
posing work the end and aim oil which IL 10 place a
much insutcd truth on a plane where honest lovers
OF such truth would not have cause 10 blush In avow-
ing themselves to be what she is-a Christian ana a
Spirtualist-l. In affection ana esteem, dedicate ais
book.
Mr. Home devotes parts first and second OF his book
10 proving the antiquity OF SpirtuaIisln, which he
pronounces us old planet BY a course OF rea-
sonug. which evidently satisfactory to himself, the
author traces Of Spiriualism among the
ancient Assyrians Chaldcans, Egyptians Persians
and among the early Greeks and Romans. In tho
second part OF the book he finds the faith
ing among the early Jews and Christians, even INTO
Bible times Mr. Home regards rs Inconsistent those
Christians who believe in the miracles OF the Bible
but refuse 70 believe those OF modern times. He
remarks
That spirits can in the present day operate upon
matter with powers similar 10 those possessed by u
man beings still in the flesh IS assertion received
with derisve incredulity by myriads who profess
every sabbath their belief that occurrences
common from two thousand to four thousand years
ugo Tho tens OF thousands Of clcrgymen who have
preached against such iacts OF modern Spirit
uailsm the moving OF material objects without
visible agency and tho millions OF listeners who have
agreed with their sermons, would doubtless be in lg
nant asserted that they dsbeoved 10 tho oos
ing by angel OF the chains OF Peter the rolling
away by another angel OF the stone which secured the
are regarding that deviation by spirit
power Of which ana others have IN modern times
been the subjects, received ty Christians OF Europe
and America who may road GU one page OF their Bibles
how the apostle Philip was suddenly snatched up IRON
the sight OF the eunuch whom he had baptized ana
conveyed from GAIA 70 Azotus, distance OF thirty
miles. In another place The verses IN which
Ezekiel tells how the hand Of the Lord
htsd him 49, and v.s carried ed, HIM INTO the
bones. Again, the appearances OF spirit forms aud
hands which have SO frequently occurred IN the
the vouchngs OF witnesses OF the highest standing,
Ia tcllectua and SOCIAL calmly set aside. Yet OF
the most picturesque chapters OF the Old Testament is
that wherein Daniel rccounts how the FINGERS OF
mans hand at the impous least OF Bclshazzar, were
seen by the monarch himself and a thousand OF his
saraps TO write in ery characters upon the wall OF
the palace intnation OF the approaching doom Of
Babylon
In beginning the chapters on modern Spritualism,
which he looks upon as tho most interesting well
the most important in the book, Mr.. Home has
word or two TO say in regard to his iailn and its
abuses. Every will have its parasites but be-
tween Spirtualism aud the majority OF the abuses by
which IL is disgraccd there is, he says just little in
common as between precious stone and the mud
which may happen to cling 10 IT. Mr.. Home says:-
An experience exceedingly varied, and extending
over period OF five and twenty years. gives me to my
own mind, ana will give me TO he minds OF the
reasoning portion OF humanity. sufficient title TO be
heard. Pccunary motives in publishing this work
have mono The desire 10 create sensation equally
, ,as and as duty Shall endeayor dispassona,ew
ana unshrinkingy TO iulh IT, shall level no attacks
at individuals, but Will SIMPLY, by recording facts and
making plain the philosophy Of those facts, attempt to
serve the truth That all honest ana inleig ov.
ers OF that truth will be upon my sde am CERTAIN
That all the dupes and rickstor who are in any way
bpoied TO- or concerned IN unfolding inposturc Will
join in a common chorus OF Jury against me nm also
CONSCIOUS
or himself as q medium hc says
In this am the exponent OF a cause counting Its
adhercu.s by millionS both the Old World and
new Az The servant OF power outside OF, and I'M
Compensated by myself am compelled to protect
this phase OF my character from misconception and
Misrepresentation. Where, through the maggnancy
OF enemies, hbes tending to throw suspicion par
ticuar manifestations occurring through mo have
been circulated, nave uniformly il able 10 trace
those hbels to their source, succeeded in proving
them sroandloss IT. The case o. honest inguirsrs
remedy TO be perfect passiyy. Again and
again the particular manifestation called IN qucs-
tion would be repeated through me- and
repeated under conditions utterly pecuding the
OF trickcry. may add that like, and have always
liked 10 meet with au intelligent honest sccptc
The questions asked by such one are, as q rule,
pertinent anu natural HIS reluctance TO accept I'M
tested phenomena is only the natural reluctance
themselves 10 blind faith in the unknown, and
readily vanishes whom that unknown becomes the
known and proved. have never myself found tho
spirit world "up in arms when confronted with
doubtcr OF this class.
In this Introduction Mr.. Home "goes for" so TO
speak, a number OF American Spritualsts and others
by whom ho considers himself malgned. He says OF
his deiamors:-
The moral status OF such people IS as little satsfac-
tory their mental capacity. Like Shcrdans Sir
Benjamin, they have pretty turn Tor SANDER II no
iasehoods are TO be had second hand they set them
selves coin few. They havc the audacity to
print these fabrcations Toward tho close OF 1870
there appeared IN an American newspaper tho GIN
cnnati Commercial the following pretty item OF news,
Conway
Robert Brownngs story is different. being the effect
that lone was detected in the imIosture Of placing
house. and confessed his mpostmrc. Anthony Trolope Is
ence and Adophus Troope credited with having once
kicked that eminent medium down stairs
am certain that Mr.. Brownlng's widest poetic
flights would never lead him TO the utterance 0t such
u caumny as IS here attributed TO nim. Nothing OF
the kind ever occurred. The story is M utter and
malicious talseh0od; and the sllndcr To which Mr.
Trolopes name IS tackled equally malicious and equally
untruthiul IL MI. Conway be the author Of these
libels tho readers OF the Cincinnati Commercial eau
be congra uated on tho ingenuity OF their English
correspondent, but neither ON his honor nor his
veracty.
Mr. Home denies that he is professional medium.
He says
have all through life felt nvincble repugnance
to making merchandise OF tho git beloved me.
Large sums OF money have been offered me tor uut
single seance, anu they have been invariably refused
make no boast OF the fact; but II gives me, think
Ituasm rs these chapters constitute. y = My whole
being bound up in the cause exponent oil which
was carly sol apart and to advance whose mighty
truths have lnbOred for quarter OF century pas,
An injury done 10 that cause feel like wrong IN
nictcd on myself utter my protest, then, against
the toes and knaveries which present disgrace II,
anu utter that protest n species of alarm winch
hope may all true Splrtualisis TO action and
UNITY. Spirtualism can well be compared TO Il Doblo
cornneid. Tho wide plain Is before us. As We SOW
thereon shall We reap. Lovers Of the truth will
dos Tint The harvest khnuld consist snrIy that