The New York herald., 1878-12-30
sS g. W." again appear in print, that you will not
need to edtorially apologize for his reckless IAN
guage. SPECULuM.
BROOKLYN. Dec. &c, 1875.


BRooKLYN. Dec. 26. 1878.
IN. n" EMPHATICAILy REAFrIRMs POSITIONS
HERETOFORE ASSUMED BY HIM-THE TRANS
POSITION OF THE sENsEs-A BLOW AT THE
FOUNDATIONS OF REVEALED RELIGION.
To rHE EDITOR THE HERALD:-
/ respectfully submit that 1t is not fair that
should be placed in false position before the public
by the neutrality-suspicious. and abuses which have
been receiving from some Of your correspondents
without being afforded ample opportunity and space
for selfdefence. perfect hornets nest of selfsu
ficient experts seems to have been stirred into
the ventilation of their peculiar lucubratons
Notably among these is the epstle OF - 8.
w. in Tuesdays HERALD, who. in defective
English, assumes the audacious role Of our modern
self-styled scicntists-those men who measure
possibilities by the extent of their own attainments
or their own faculties Of comprehension This last
victim Of the scyibenda ore which has grown out Of
the discussion Of Miss Fanchers alleged phenomenal
powers exhibits the very essence Of offensive dog
matsm. He characterizes "presumptive' and
SILLY" all who recognize facts any Of the occult
phenomena which have been declared to be truths
by such Benjamin Franklin. Barnard, Mayo,
Cheyne, Wallace Gregory and host Of others who
occupy prominent places in the domain OF phiio
sophie research. Verify ''silly" people can find
great sOl0re III tlt CONSCIOUSNESS OF DeuR III SUCH
goodly company.
II the positions by these allow Tyndallites
correct; il they have really grasped the limits OF
philosophic possibility; If nothing is true which
seems to extend beyond these prescribed limits
which they have marked out for the operation Of al
natural laws then we may as well burn the Bible,
disband all religious corporations and turn our
churches into theatres public institutions FOR
physical culture We may as well prepare the way
for return to the Epicurean philosophy. Even the
moral codes OF the old pagan philosophers may be set
aside for such men Confucius Plato and Socrates
thn Iuff
had his familiar spirit as he supposed.
TWO POSITIONS REAFFIRMED.
These assaiants their batteries principally
two positions which yentured to assume in refer
ence to the Miss Fancher case:
Frst-That some of her alleged powers were in ac-
cortance with the hypothesis Of what some writer's
call "a transpostion OF the senses Not being SUI.
ciently explicit In setting forth the exact meaning
which intended the expression was construed
literally and elected passing editorial structure.
Finding myself not only misconstrued, but fagranty
misquotcd in other quarters. sent to the HERALD
list OF authors who use the term with an explana-
ton stating that the only rational Specification which
could be given to it was that virtually stated IN
the HERALD editorial-namely, transference OF
OF the functions of certain nerves OF sensation
to other nerves Of sensation Up to the time Of this
writing Tuesday, oath nst), that explanatory letter
has failed to appear, while structures and criticisms
seem to multipy.*
Second II assumed the position that recognition Of
the possibility OF mortals being endowed as to
reach super-sensuous perception and knowledge un-
derlies all religious belicf that all important spir.
itual truths must OF necessity be revelations from
the spirit world, and these truths must have been
impaired IL Mt ALL by the exercise Of the very gifts
and powers the part Of mortals which these won
derfully self satisfied and selfsyed experts assert
to be frauds deceptions. lmpositions and impossbi
ties because contrary to their definition of what
stitutes "thc mniutablc limits OF natural law.
Now in the OF all the of these doughty
champions, I emphatically reafirm these positions
and invite them to fire away. They suppose they are
aiming their popguns At the phenomenal features OF
Miss Fanchers case and at those who claim them to
be verities. But in reality they wasting their
ammunition the very foundations of Christianity.
do not affirm that all the exceptional endowments
have mentioned have been developed in Miss Fan
cher. But wish to know from these smart people,
49, $. w." -. w. T." and Others, IL such endow-
mens have ever possessed in the past and if in
the past why not possible i'll the present?
leave the conundrum with them. They will find
IL one of the conundrums of the Dundreary sort,
which 'sno fellow can find out" NJ H.
TUESDAY, Dec "a, 1878.
NoTR.-No communications from this correspond
ent have been received by except those printed
Ed. HERALD.