Sacramento daily record-union., 1881-11-12
employ to conceal their real thoughts ON Il

employ to conceal their real thoughts on the
subject. And indeed almost everyone, if
brought to make frank confession, and
II certain of protection against ridicule,
can be got to recall either something in his
or her own life, or something related by
friend, bearing out the common-we might
almost say the general-belief, that death
does not end ali, but that there is another
life beyond the grave, from which occa-
sionally dim echoes and signs and manifes-
tations come back to men. And though the
belief in the supernatural is explained
away by scientists and philosophers
as the result of various natural
phenomena, as for instance survivals
from the superstitious age of barbarism,
subjective illusions, unconscious cerebra-
tion, and so forth, it is evidently quite
useless to try to convince the generality of
men that the mass OF what they suppose
to be evidences of the reality of the super
natural, is after all but evidence of the
extreme liability to deception of the human
senses. The Scientists may be right, but
the people will not for all that abandon
their desperate hold upon another world.
And this absolute credulity is perhaps less
discreditable than it seems at first sight to
the popular intelligence, for in reality it is
the heart of man speaking against his
head. 1t is the presence of Death every
where that has made the vision of another
world so dear. It is the yearning for
comfort under bereavement that has caused
even the strongest minded to reject the
rational hypothesis of the finality of the
end of life. It is the reluctance to admit
that they have parted with their dead for
ever that reinforces the legends of super
naturalism, and keeps alive the common
faith in the reality of "the other shore.
A curious illustration Of the depth and
universality of this belief in the super
natural is just now being afforded in Eng
land. A London journal ithe Daily 1'ele-
graph not long since sought to ascertain
whether any evidence of apparitions, or
fulfilled predictions, or double sight, or
any of the various alleged phenomena of
" "occultism could be gathered by direct
appeal to its readers. They were promised
complete anonymity if they desired it,
and were invited to come forward and tell
what they knew. To the surprise of every
body there was perfect rush in reply to
this invitation, and for weeks not one but
many journals have been publishing several
columns each day of what purport to be
authentic narratives of the supernatural
The moment the supposed discredit attach
ing to confession of credulity was re-
moved, everybody seems to have hastenei
TO bring forward fresh evidences of the re-.
ality of supernatural phenomena, and the
result has been mass of statements suf-
ficient to make considerable addition to
the literature of the subject.
One thing demonstrated by this ava
lanche of ghost stories is that modern
education has as yet scarcely touched the
capacity and tendency for acceptance of
the marvellous which form such conspicu.
GUS features in the savage intellect. In
fact it is rather difficult to understand how
the belief in witchcraft should have disap.
peared among a people so given over to
credulity, and SO easily deceived by their
own senses. Nor does there seem to be
any distinction between the educated and
the uneducated. All who write to the
papers are alike impressed with the truth
of what they relate, though all are not
equally willing to acknowledge the COM
pleteness of their belief. 1t is, however,
by no means a bad plan which our London
contemporary has adopted in this connec.
tion. For if there is nothing in the popu-
lar belief but popular fallacy, the best way
to expose and overcome that fallacy is to
bring together the greatest quantity of
supposed supernatural evidence, and ana
lyze it until nothing remains. If on the
other hand Science is at fault, and the
popular instinct is true one, still the best
way to demonstrate the truth is to bring
the whole subject forward into the light,
and discuss it fully and dispassionately.
And in order that it may be seen
whether the people of California are more
advanced than the English people, or re-
fleet the ideas of the latter on the super.
natural, the RECORD UNION proposes to
open its columns to communications of the
same kind. The conditions are, that there
shall be no argument, but simply recita-
tions of fact. Whoever knows of any
alleged supernatural incident, or can tell of
any such incident at second hand, provided
some authentication is attainable, is invited
to communicate the circumstances to us.
We presume that, allowing for the differ
ence OF population, the field ought to be
as fertile here as anywhere for supernatural
evidence, and we desire to find out if this
is SO or not. Those who write to the
RECORD. UNION on this subject can if they
SO desire have their names suppressed in
publication, though of course the credibil-
ity of story will generally seem to be
increased, for the average reader, by the
fact that the real name of the narrator az.
companies it. Stories of apparition both
before and after death, of other indications
of coming events or deaths, of doubles
and wraiths, of family spirits of the
Banshee kind, in short of every orthodox
description of supernaturalism, will be
welcomed. Everybody knows that such
stories are constantly told in social circles,
and they may just as well be told through
our columns.