The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-06-23
THE REV. MIR. LONG ON SPIRIT
 UALlSM.

The following criticism on spiritualisr, delivered by ;he Rev N. NJ. Long. i. taken from the Memphis A7aksaeix;
 The minister said that for 10 years
 had been investigating the subject. De. cause he regarded t as very imporsar. one. He hes;;ated 10 treat of Ii because he was aware that he knew little about,
 but he had heard II extensively repoftes tha; he had become a convert 10 spirl.
 ualism. and he thought t was time to make known his opinion. If he had be- come convinced Of its truth. he would have told his congregation of it the sub sequen; Sunday, if he could hare reache
 his pulpit. He did no, say that his pres ent position vas final Further evidence might be brought forward in the future to convince him that it was erroneous He said that he was predisposed to sp:r- ituaiism. Numerous instances were mentioned in the bible of spirits cont munioa,tng with nortals. and the script. ures gave tone of probability 10 such intercourse. Intellectually and frori the heart, MT. Long said he was inclined to sPiri,ualism. and he could no, be charged with prejudice. IL would afford him untold satisfaction to have the sas,e trust in II that some of its adherents had but after careful investigation of il, he had come to the conclusion that i, was | tallacy and delusion. Spiritualism pre- tended to offer palpable proof of immor- tality. II was something that could be seen, heard and felt, and therefore it was nt object for scientific investigation. ha fv~tt hxr.a< sl~ .. l. 1 -.
 summed such investigation. and refused to submit to tests that would prove is claim to respect. The speaker said he had attended number of seances. and he had seen nothing so far to show ,ha. there could he any eommunie asian he- tween the living and the dead. He hal seen nothing that he could no, aeoocr. for. lis flfst experience had been wiz table rapping. Although violent and IT. stantaneous rapplnss had been promise hum. only the taintes, possible knocks haa been heard. and when he stated his theory .hat these were due ,o muscular contra1- ton or influence. the rspS ceased al.s- sether Ills next experience was with the cabinet. He had himself bound .he me aium securely with her hands behind lie. back. The curtain of the cabinet was dropped. and III about siN seconds raised when she was found ;o have ehaiI hun. upon her arm and her hands were s,iii securely :ied. The curtain was asa.a dropped and in SIN seconds raised again. when she was found 10 have ;wo chairs, one on each arm. hands still being se- curely tied. This Mir. Long pronouncei the eleverest sleigh,-of-hand performance he had ever seen: but contended ,ha, !: was much more reasonable 10 suppose i. was sleigh,-ofhand performance than to think. as the spiritualis;s did. that the arm of ihe medium actually passed through the chair. The next phase he investigated was he dark seanee. where he could see nothing. and which. ot course. needed no explanation. His las. experience was with the so-cailed li,h. seanee. The medium was a very peca- liar looking woman. and her face. o-ce seen. could hardly De forgotten. The preacher noticed iha; no time did more than one spirit come out of the cab:. net t, the same t.nle. tnoash II did loos occasionally as fl TWO or more would ma 'egialize. Several facts stsack the ai;e.,- lion ot the minister. The male forms were always dressed in black. ard nevef wore pants. They came out of the cab- nci rather tail. like a person walking oa tip;oe. but he always noticed that before they weE; back they had shrunk .o ab1e. the size ot the medium The children who appeared were fully as broad as iney were long. and he was satisfied the me dium. by stoopins. assumed the role ,: each child. The way they wooblet about was also proof that the whole thin. was done by the medium. On one occa-. sion the beard had dropped from one of the male forms. and disclosed the face of the medium; and one female torn. dressed Tn white. had inadvertently raised her white skirt too high, and dis played black skirt beneath it. The pe- culiar voice of the medium. moreove.. was apparent in all the talking done oy the spirits. Several persons in the circle had said that they saw one of the forms sink into the floor. NIT. Long said he saw the spirit distinctly bend down. while the curtain of the cabinet was raised. and she crept through. the curtain then bein- dropped. and hiding her from view.
 Mr. Long said tha, spiri;galism de- served no respect: that |, vietimized ; lot Of excitable but hones, people: !: hal done no good: il had never gwen utter ance to d single thought tha, could sur pass in beauty the dic;on of ,he bible II had discovered nothing in science. and had in no way advanced the welf.te !. the human race.