New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-05-04
An AMERICAN PHILOSOPHER ABROID.

AZ AMERICAN PHILOSOPHER ABRO1D.
II is always a pleasure to receive the latest
advices from the TheOsOphical Society. 1t Is
an organization surrounded with delightful
halo of mystery-a halo that grows in Opaque
ness as you approach it, like one of Professor
Summers free trade arguments The dictlon-
aries and encyclopedias never are so unsatis-
factory as when they get to defining theosophy
while the professional eXpOundcrs of the sys-
tenn have not succeeded in bringing it within
the appreciation of the masses. Such publica-
ton as a Popular Heosophicol Monthly has
never been projected, and the omission is
doubtless due 20 the fact that, for some reason
or other it is impossible to pOpularlze theO-
sophy. But it is not entirely because OF the mys-
tery with which il is enshrOuded that the lheo-
sophical Society is interesting to New orkers.
They take to it not only because it makes a
strong appeal to their curiosity, but because
its president Colonel OlcOtt. is n fellow citizen.
Some of them 90 so far as to speak of 1t as
Colonel OlcOtts society, ahd it is believed that
these people are strong in the opinion that the
French King who declared | am the State
had less to fortify his claim than the Colonel
would have if he exclaimed " | am the Theo-
sophical Society"
Well there are latest advices at hand from
the society. They are to be found i'll a recent
number of The Pail Mall Gazette The presi
dent is now in London, is full Of his mission"
and has lately been working large and varied
assortment of able miracles The Ga-ette'S
article indicates that the Colonel has produced
a profound impression upon the London mind.
How can it be otherwise considering the re-
. Il. Lad 90 bn
abandonment of his professional career in the
United Statcs"7 Did not weird Alahatma, one
of the race of devotees dwelling in the remote
Businesses of the Thibetan Himalayas, appear
to him in a vision, indorsing Madame Bla
vatsky's teachings and presenting him with a
lovely turban materialized "on the spot
That turban," The Gazette testfes, Colonel
"Olcott carries about with him to this day; he
I" has il at the present moment, and 1t can be seen
"by the unbelieving the outward and visible
" sign of the mysterious visit that completed his
"converson." 1t is clearly impossible that Lon
dOners should not be attracted to man who Is
thus commended to them The owner of a
materialized turlan, manufactured for his
special wear out of the vaguest protoplasm by a
mystic spirit of the remote Himalayas, is not to
be met with every day. And then the Coloners
miracles. They would appear to have filed
MANY trustful London heart with ave. That
the miracles are genuine in every particular
does not admit of doubt, for The Gazette
states that they are vOuched for by Mr.. Sinnett.
The name of the man who vOuches for Mr.. SIM
nett is not stated but it is affirmed ;hat
Colonel Olcott himself modestly places the
anumber of his psycopathic treatments at
[" S. 900 in thirteen months. During that period
she is SAID to have performed almost every cure
" "a recorded in Old or New Testament" Lon
dons Spurgeon has "A worldwide reputation,
and she can boast of scores of other great di-
vines. But at the risk of disturbing the good
feeling that now exists between England and
America we venture to assert that London can
not bring forward clergyman who has made
5000 psycopathic treatments in thirteen
months. The simple truth is that the president
of the Theosophical Society has beaten the
record.
There is one popularity about the sketch
which The Gazette prints of the Colonies eX-
plots in theOsoply calculated TO pain his adj
mirers. There is something i'll the tone of the
sketch that suggests leyity and distrust, as if the
editor declined TO credit more than say 1900 OF
the pyscopathic treatments. The reassuring
thought is that the London masses can hardly
share this light scepticisIn. There is certainly
no evidence that they DO. On the contrary, the
Colonel must flye inspired them with such an
.utbusiauu, that tLev ara fully nersuaucd The