The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-09-26
MODERN splRlTuALIsM.
It Originated In the United States Forty
one Years Ago-Its Progress


NEW YORK, Sept e.-Spiritualism, as
it is commonly called, which has found
such hosts of believers throughout civil
ization, is generally supposed to have
originated in the United States about
forty-one years ago. 1t is rare that any
doctrine or philosophy has gained so
many and so devoted adherents in so
short time. Spiritualism has made
converts in all conditions of society
and in every part of the world. But,
strictly speaking, the philosophy is,
as its advocates claim, very old,
older than history. What is recent
about it is the spirit rapping phe-
nomena, which began in l64S in the fam
lily of John D. Fox, at the little village
of Hydesville, Wayne county, N. Y.
Fox and his wife and their daughters
Kate and Margaret, 0 and 10 years of
age, were startled by strange rappings
in different parts of their house, partic-
ularly at night. In short time these
rappings, though still unaccountable,
were made Ineligible They assumed
to come from spirits; they told the age
of the Fox children; they answered
questions negatively by one rap, affirma-
lively by two. They disclosed, it is said,
that the remains of murdered man
were buried in the cellar of the Fox res
idence, and, search being made, skel-
eton was found in the identical spot
indicated. The name of the victim was
raped out, and inquiry revealed that,
five years before, such person had Wis
tied the house, and never been seen or
heard of afterward.
The Fox family went to Rochester,
where the raps occurred at the command
of Kate and Margaret only, and clair
voyance, the moving of chairs, tables
and other heavy pieces of furniture, with
other phenomena, were manifested with
out visible agency These drew atten-
ton, and forty years ago in the autumn
of 1949 the Fox sisters appeared in pub
lie hall; the phenomena were submitted
to many tests, but could be traced to no
human source Public curiosity and in
terest were gradually aroused, and when
the girls gave an exhibition of their
peculiar powers the year following in
New York, the newspapers discussed the
subject, and it soon became of nation
al significance. Endless controversies
were started; mediums, through whom
the phenomena were presented, sprang
up all over the land, and Spiritualism
grew to be the burning question of the
hour. Since then the new philosophy has
been debated by the ablest minds in every
quarter of civilization, and it has I'M
settled to an extraordinary degree the old
beliefs, rationalistic as well as orthodox,
of the whole world.
Even before the spirit rappings in the
Fox family the societies of Shakers at
New Lebanon, Watervliet, N. Y, and
elsewhere had at the same time startling
psychical experiences, wherein certain
members of the fraternity would lose
their proper consciousness, and the de-
parted spirits, as was maintained, of per-
sons of various nationalities would occu-
ply their bodies and speak through them.
Almost simultaneously Andrew jackson
Davis, shoemaker's apprentice at
Poughkeepsie, developed through mes
merism wonderful clairvoyant abilities
Albeit uneducated, he was qualified, by
report, TO speak freely and eloquently
on medical, spiritual and scientific top
les.
While in the mesmeric state he de-
clared he had intercourse with invisible
beings, and was instructed as to his
place and duties as teacher of the new
tenets He likewise dictated, under the
same conditions, hundreds and hundreds
of pages on diversity of supramundane
there's, an odd compound of eloquence
fustian and absurdity. These were af-
forwards published with the title, 1.-THE
Principles of Nature; Her Divine Reve-
lations and Voice to Mankind" The
work had an immense sale and met with
the most contradictory criticism. Davis
thereafter wrote, in his normal mind,
many volumes of a similar character
(they all denied the supernatural author
ity of the Scriptures) the "Great Har-
monia" and his autobiography attracting
the most notice.
OF the innumerable mediums that have
appeared here and abroad within the last
forty years. none has won such a repu-
tation as Home Daniel Douglas), ma
tive of Scotland, who came to America
when only 9with an adopted aunt. Spir-
its are reputed to have haunted him from
his earliest consciousness, and he remem-
bered seeing at ID a companion of his
boyhood some years dead. At II he be-
came regular medium, and continued
to be such until his death, which oc-
CURED recently. He lived in New York
state and in New England up to S55-
he was then 20-doing, beside the things
that general mediums do, many novel
ties.
During the last thirty years of his life
he made Europe his home. In Paris,
Rome, Berlin, Vienna and St. Peters
burg he created great stir. He was
presented to the emperor of the French,
the czar and the pope, and received
many superb gifts from crowned heads
and the nobility. Having joined the
Roman Catholic church, he was after
ward expelled from Rome when it was
the City of the Soul, under the papal
dominion, for practicing spiritualism.
He was big lion in London, where he