Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-12-01
SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATIONS DEVELOP.
MENTS AND ISSUES RELATIVE TO ma
LIBERALIZATION.


LIBERALIZATION.
So-called spiritual manifestations have
recently attracted very much attention in
this State. It has been due, first, to the
announcement by gentleman OF high in.
tellectual culture and inquiring mind that
there have been presented to him proofs OF
naturalization by spirits of the departed,
into bodily forms, and the dematerializa-
tion Of these again into spirit, thus estab-
fishing as verify the fact of life beyond the
grave and the possibility of spirit commu.
nication with the living The second
cause is the denial that he indeed had these
evidences, and the charge that he was the
victim of base deception. These are given
renewed interest by yesterdays accounts
of the exposure of clever spiritualistic
devices in New York.
The significance of the avowal first re.
ferred to is found in the fact that hereto
fore the same intelligence, after scholarly
research as an exhaustive reader, arrayed
itself unhesitatingly against Spiritualism
and its manifestations, on the ground that
the evidences were insufficient, the results
unsatisfactory, and the teachings-if, In
deed, there are any-valueless. Not only
this, but the same cultured mind has not
hesitated to express its skepticism regard.
ing the suficieney of the evidence of a
future existence as generally accepted by
religionists.
1t is not the purpose at this time, nor in
this place, to enter into studied philosophi-
cal considerations, pro or con, on these
topics. Il may not be done in the scope of a
newspaper article with any considerable
degree of satisfaction. 1t is the pur-
pose only to indicate the channel in
which thought may be conducted, and
to inquire somewhat into the conditions
by which the intelligence referred to
was surrounded in the pursui. of inquiries
leading up to the result announced and
also as to'the possibility of imposition hav-
ing been successfully accomplished. It
may be promised that the question of the
sincerity Of the believer and the honesty
OF his testimony is not for a moment
doubted by any who have a knowledge of
the man, or who have been brought into
contact with him in the intellectual field
as We have been FOR so many years. Any
question whatever as 10 there being on his
part any deceit must be dismissed as I'M
worthy an instant of contemplation.
Here, then, highly cultivated mind,
that has been more than skepticsl concern.
ing the essential tenet of the relig-
ions that teach the existence Of the spirit
itual part in a sphere beyond the present,
suddenly becomes convinced and testiiies
to the reality of spiritual existence, and
Accommodation between those of the
present and those who have passed from
earth. This conviction was brought about
by inquiry, not after the methods usually
employed by that scholar in inuuests upon
involved questions, we take it, but by
series OF physical experiments, that are in
no respect new, and have engaged some of
the best minds OF the age, not only unsat
isfactorily, but very frequently disas
troasly; that is to say, the tests of the
senses were applied, and these convinced
tle inquirer that he actually held in his
arms, under conditions that to him com.
pletely pat the question of mistake or
fraud out of the way, the materialized body
out OF spirit of recently deceased child,
and caressed and fondled her with the ten
der touch OF affection, though the same
senses testified to him that the real body
o; that child was moldeIing in distant
graveyard (; and by the same evidence he
was convinced that the renewed body was
de naterislized, or sgain returned to spirit
To us this statement seems to carry with
It its own contradiction. Here is a girl
with blood, and bone, and tissue, reclining
in the arms of a parent who knows that
child to be dead. She has form, weight,
substance, material clothing formed of
earthly fabrics; she bTeathes, and moves,
and speaks, and with warm lips testifes to