The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-11-03
JUDGE BLAcK ON spTRTrUaIIsa.
fie Glasses ~ with Ghout Seeing. DivInatIon
md hecrsmnncy.

TAG N'HsaeH " with Ghort Seeing. Divtnhtlon,
and hecrsmnncy.
Whenever Judge Black gets up TO speak
In tho Vanderbilt will case the Court. the law
yers and the spectators prepare for a treat. and
listen with marked attention. Even William II.
Vanderbilt shows that lac likes 10 hear the
venerable member OF tho Buchanan Cabinet
address tho Court although Il is on the side
opposed TO him. He smiles at Judge Blacks
Jokes. and listcns nttcniivcly TO his arguments.
As specimen OF the hundreds Of neat little
speeches that the Judge has made in the great
will contest. the following Is given: The point
before the Court was the proposed testimony OF
DIR. +. II. Nandcrweydc as TO tho physical char
acieristics Of those who were likely t. be de-
ceivcd by spiritual manifestations. In support
Of admitting this testimony. Judge Black said:
"Spirtualism is absolutely false TO the mind
Of any reasoning being that will tnko the sub
jcct into consideration. How do we know that
It Is falso2 Because VIZ do no, know that II il
true; because here Is an assertion Of n fact
based upon what those who PROFOUND II call
science-that Is. n uniform system Of facts-and
they say that it is true and that il has been dis
covered within the pnst twenty five years. But
spiritualism is inconsistent with all the expert
cnce the human race has had since the fall OF
Adam. 1t is inconsistent with all that We have
learned by Divine Revelation; j. it not absurd
TO believe II without cvidcncc2 Can you say Of
man that he ~ anything else than poor,
weak. supersitious being II he hclicvrs II. or
II he INSERTS that he believes II, without evil
dcncc2 Can you possibly comprehend how
such n man us that can bc hOncstp
There is however. and everybody knows
there IT, NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Of the most con-
elusive Kind that IL Is fulse for every time that
II has boon subjected to test II ha- failed TO
stand the test. Sprituaism should have every
whore The ,irst 10 which Horace Greeley sub
l"ctrd "; Mr. tireelcy told these persons who
asserted that they could tell what wns going on
IN any part Of the world 10y spiritual commune
cntions. that II they would communicate events
as fast MS they happened he would give n GER
tain very large amount Of money; he wanted
them to furnish him any time before o'clock
M the evening summary OF the editorial mr.
t'clrs IN tne London london dnhes OF thal morning,
lcngcd thcm 10 rcnd his own manuscript
Judge Blark-Mcll, he did not put them to
ono; he nut them TO this other that | have
named. Well. the world 81 spiritualism simply
backed ont from that, although they We're per-
i"rtly willing TO mako any statement whose
fasity could not be discovered for n ice 81 80.
qr 81 Or a; There was case in which Judge
Judge was regarded. nrurt from this subject.
win, believe. general confidence. After the
out hcing heard from. it was universally ho-
ieycd that she hal gone 10 the bottom; he tax
Ing II or granted TINT she was lost brought up
the spirit 81 Capt. West Of that vessel. and COM
municutcd To- the world all the circumstances ~
"a" wreck 81 TINT vessel IN mid ocean. from
mo ifvinr. MS vrssnl hnI mn ff'i,' C,rt mi
therefore, had not bcon honr1 81 The ,iud.-s
WIS very careful ever after that never To- bring
tnev, hovor1 Mi horlt ,I"t a.. ,,.rs d.,3
n puylfor Wrll Tint so,uo sor, of thtpf hnd
boon tried UPON him rcpOnte,lly hy friends i'm
Cu if,rnin ,vhfsh ho believed v.n. trun Inn d,
turned ON fo 10 uot trun M, ali
Huf eunu.-irt. IL tn h, trnc Thorn IL et,,i
a thiu., ~ fn.nta ,non stii,nc, vi GRO tho nor
son Il NOT open 10 accusation ot being an i'm.
vrf he trn,. hniievn i'm IN. frus ii,io,, {; Il a
rnnn NAV b. true v,orshinnnr c,,r,iin,, ~ M,
rites II Christonloin hut tiai doesn't prevent
linn from Ming "A worry super-t.fi'ua man
some Of tho most r"lirioti. petsnrs' tno,, -
and whose fnitl ia ma trne n. vtlin, rnr ba
have become supcr.'iti0u. because th.V carried
il nxn..s rhnraf.r, 81, l,'ini,i1t li.b tbe
wnrsiip ~ Tho time or nf tho fui.e Gnl Hut
vhrihri y1, call 4, n srnnrstitiNn Or n f'ilv W.
an iuordinntr dcpond1nce upon tho truth
founded i'm rc4sou h. not that a mental pho
nofucnn which tine.s /, I'm n cio-4 ~ euh','e,s
Tint arc cntalia ~ Lain,.nrrnn'.e s,i,nt ifnll,5
And There il n INV ni,nIt Tint -
There is no operation If the human mind
and no fun zion II tho human body thot il MI
sut1nct 10 some law II we can only manage 10
discover what that law il we shall know what
science is In that respect Science in these DAYS
il continually making lis cXplorntions until II
has mastered mn imiuonsc amount of that Kind
Of learning II ia risfricd TINT science has dis
covered IN, Inv of suiritunIism md suncr.
sttinp. ,.nporailv I ,voulI urr1nrr il ni,nt,
with the belief In 'vitnhrrnft ghrsts ltvinnti,n
ncrromuucv ami ns,ruioev md "A hundred
other things tending % tho -piNr thing that lp.
horuc diGrront names Mt different times. Wa
know that these facts exist exist naturally
and could not exist except there was some law
~ tho human mind that made them poss ihn
and by the knowledge Of which you can trace
the phenomena bnck to their proper cause.
Now | think your Honor win Doe taking a very
grave respNDs ihiiity in This cuse-of course Won