New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-07-24
THE SPIRITUlLEsT CllP-MEETIYGS.

THE SfIRITU1LIST CIWP-HEEIN6S'
The Spiritualists have at last made decided
simultaneous movements toward asserting them
selves and propagatinG their airy, intangible creed
They are gathered together III a quiet grove on
Nesnaminy Creek, Penn, place easily reached
from this city or Philadelphia by the Bound Brook
Road for the purpose Of at converting the UNI
believing, fishing, dancing and holding prolonged
picnic through August The place is badly chosen
for purposes of propagandism. The slow-going
farmers of Bucks County harness up their teams
on sunday and drive over by the hundred for an
astOnIsLed stare at these lOud-talkIng folk who
have ghosts rs their daily companions. But they
are not likely to convert many of the Scion Shingles
| of Bucks.
Another meeting of the same kind opened this
week at Harwlch, Mass.-a much more likely
field These are the first general combined efforts
of this sect, # sect it may be called, to present
itself as an active working force before the
public Both the conventions, it is stated,
contain many of their representative men.
The popular idea of a Spirituast is very like the
ancient type of the Acknowledgement, lantern
iawed, Iong-haired wild-eyed men, and women in
Boomers Very few of this sort Of people in reality
will be found among them. The Brahmn class Of
spiriualists embrace, both here and in Europe men
and women of high culture and unsettled religious
faith cropping for truth in every new hypothesis
set before them, among whom were the Iloliopes,
Mrs Browning and many BOstOnians well known as
leaders in the literary and social world But the
great mass of believers are downright obstinate
people OF coarse practical minds, destitute OF line
Imagination or emotional faculties, whose hope or
idea of future life not outraged by this reyela-
tiOn of stupid chaIr-ftmg, humping souls, loaiing
through eternity, who can prescribe Tor congested
liver or give useful hint as to railway
1 .rfI4a
| Iiarwich expecting to meet "A congregation
of ghostly, half-disembodIed, poetic souls,
having their habtaion half in this world and half
IN some unseen Aidenn. will be disappointed. The
Spirtuaist is, as a rule, a hearty feeder, sharp
dealer man well inclined to sensuous pleasures IN
this world and therefore quite willing to accept
Teady-madc heaven Of the sort. He Is stolidy
sincere IN his belief. Below him there is lower
deep of hungry tricksters. paid mediums the
Holme es and Katie Kings, who trade in the faith
of these fattcr disciples and earn comfortable
living from 1t. Every few months these profess
sionai caterers 10 superstition bring up n novelty
in the shape OF materiazed spirits, heavenly photo
graphs or roses and vegetable from celestial truck
patches Just as other traders devise fashions TO
tickle the taste of their customers As matter Of
course many of both sexes of .his class swarm at
the camp-mseting4. i IL their haryes. ground.
We are glad 10 see thab the lr4ueis DcBLh thcIr
declaration Of faith by the open announcement
that the prophets, apostles, even the Saviour Him
self were only exceptionally successful" MEM
bers of this order of professional mediums. The
American public which they am to convert, is at
bottom devOut and firm in its oliuglng to the old
means of salvation, audit is well it should be told
frankly that 1t must give up wholly its faith In
Christ before climbing heaven by the aid of raps
aud tabe-mOvng spirits who for the most part can
neither spell nor write English