New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-12


constantly seeking new processes 10 cEr'prn ana
amclo!atc pruGu"ts The Influence oi 'hc cen
sorshp upon Journalism was rcrn"ion> III til" "N'
IRENE. The monarchy was honcyconic ny cor
ruption in Office 4 free press which roi!d on
pose theft and dapidation. or even an o''aHi"'ai
bold and timely pamphlet. might have s'F'd l.
millions Of annual revenue and madc IN" diirF-
cncc between atliucncc RENDERING 'hr na'"i pros
porous and respected. and III" virtual "'nkr"p'"N
which was 50 constantly Gripping It's enterprises
Bat. rs we have seen, there was no'hiA" on Wili'h
the censorship was more rigid than on All 'r'l-
cism of public officinls. No comment was alI"Wr1
upon any transactions connected with the TOW
eminent: no healthy public opinion was possible" ;
officials enriched themselves and III" nation was
paupcri7cd" Nor was this the worst Of the stu
alton. That worst was =" the s'udIouA uniting
of the people for tho changes in store for them.
Through long generations they had been carcfNll,
kept in leading strings. and when they were sud
denly called upon to walk alone II is n" wonder
that they t"ttcrcd and stumbled. Tho fierce re-
vulsions and the chronic instability Of Spanish III
situations since the Napolcoric invasion ar IN"
direct result of the censorship in which a>"luii"r
found its most effective instrument for building
its power upon the ignorance of lis subjects
Mr. IHas second essay. upon, "Mvstcs and
Il 81
dificnlt and obscure subject. Spanish Mysticism
was stimulated by the conquest oi Grrnada The
repulson Of the Jews. tho founding of the In
QUESTION. and lastly the advent Of the Rcrorma
ton. These Influences operated powerfully upon
the intense national character. producing strange
phases Of religions fanaticsm and cnth,i>aS'n
out of which grew still stranger theories and
systems The matriN of the Cc>taSics. vision,
and the Quictist trnrts which We're dcycoprd
subsequently WAS n psychology one Nigh; SIR
mise To- have been borrowed from India. where it
has been known for ages as VEGA philosophy
The Io4a methods were in fact almost identical
with those of tho Spanish Mystcs The ORR
entail philosophers practise Il kind Of concentration
and abstraction which they pretend fills ticir
with divine cillucncc or hrln2s them ato UNITY
with the Divine Essence. in cmpiyins the m Id
Of consciousness. BY pmcIsin" their peculiar
physical methods they claim I" hr able I" HE
the soul into sphere Of c\lscn"c 50 far above
tho earthly ore that IFS clorIc> incomp!rh"nSi
HE II mere mortality This was the end of
Spanish Mysticism; hut there was Il sort Of half
way stage in the process Of interior abstract ."n
and illumination when the spirit. not vet cont
plctciy separated from murdanc experiences. hp'
elevated beyond ordinary experiences. WAS SIh"r'
t. visions and ccsta>ics and This halfway stage
The Spanish Nirvana hal,cI The If, Of c"'it"npa
lion Of course fosicrcd Mysticism. and ~ &c.
curdance with natural laws it TOOK a stronger
hold upon women than upon men.
The more delicate ~rnsihil!tlcS Of the former.
their hvelier Imagination, their greater "I"d-
ulity and their tendency to hys'rrcal affections.
each and all counted i'll the production Of the class
of women Mystrs known as the Rca'iS
Church and ln1uisition speedily found them
selves seriously embarrassed hv tins movement
for inasmuch as the common pe"pl" a"crrtr a.!
the visions and prophecies and ALLEGED nra"c>
and supernatural manifestations with an m
faltrrng faith. and inaemuch as conventional in
situations and churches greatly enriched hI
the offerings made t" ard through p"pIhr l|a''>.
the case with winch the cAt"rnals Of NT>i ri~iI
could he simulated was sch. and IN" temptation
to inposinrc 50 great, that III a shor' time tlr
country was filled with fraudulent IC2''>. ana
every other nun in Spain was "nGin- +" hay"
visions or ccStaSicS. or to hc abe 10 exhibit tn"
sticmata. The Indulgence AMI cri.-lrdorAIncni
al first extended I" the Ny>tics lrd +" uiirn
abuse that j, became ncr.ssnry :, ci"c,. a." "p
Gcinc The moment investigation VS. 81 "u
foot numbers Of impo>trr> wcr,. posed. n;.d IN"
Of thee exposures nVnVrd thc ~rN"'c dier'p.:i.ii-
of entire congregations. nI"naN'"r."s and cor
vents What probably decided IL" Church - pf'
down Mysticism and All ~ c"n:'Il"!s " ~"
fac' that many ccst.,tc> claimin., direct c"iunrnI
eat ION with God AMI win tAc Prrs"..r 81 t'c
Trinity delivered rcvcl.i!"I, winch frrturn'I'
carlc into collision with established d'-r.,~
Nnw If II was To- 10 In' that these c"'ni'.'.n
cations were genuine. thrr contents mr'' be- '".
opted as superior IN authority to Tie de- rr'> ana
bulls of Councils and Fop">; and ihrir Ms II.
saying where rcv"lu'Ionary Imn","tI"is - 49,
,rnc was l., the effect that ;>ccn,"n I, tn: r>'
spiritual Fights conferred nnl"""IlIli; upon ~"
Mystic: and this wa. conclusion iraIrhi "iih
all manner Of ecclesiastical dis ipllnr AID "a.
thnrty.
The SUBJECT of. tie " r.ndrmpnia','e. p'>
sc,scd, Is LcN considered b. Mr. Lea. wIi h.,
usual tlorourh hines, and lucdny. The plr'i"incn,
Of possession have. indeed, never been complc"ly
eyulaincd. and modern medical science is ~ some
respects a. far from CLEARING mp the matter ID.
were the old writer's on dcinon"l"oV. Bn' '"'A
stand with equal iiInn,ss and >"lItiiiv uirh ;ir
oh ions fact tina, whatever cl'c E"y enter mi
possession Inpoeinrr las always been IT. ~"
Ioitlnt factor in such manifestations i.yNrrI'
j, IN elastic word. and II has been >''!"H>h 'Hn-"
by mu,.c.n writer, 10" determined /" account l"i
every thing. if only in appearance. Bat tIr'" can
he rn doubt that h%stcrIl has lad vc:y much
10 do with III" >o-calci d"in"nla"I p"s,''sl"',
and that a. in al hy>tcrlcal allcrt"nS Tier" n''
been "a strong epidemic tendency in ii"s' secures
IS IN the case If The i"atas. the Church va, a.
first puzzicd by the EndcmOlliidn.>. and tIrd It
make use Of them. But imposl"rS mHlilpiI"',
! ami il found necessary I" call III 1h" lil".S
,.on which found lt'le diliicutV III r"Pr~Hln2 t'
! movement and ci!cchinr H. sH'ri
Mr. Lea concudcs las really fascinating H"ii''
| So. trit, II.
sti;.ruc olu stpcStItlOns 10 the clr'L NAV ll'
lev, were ~ the habit of sarrihrIn. hiIHli'i
| children N GnhaiUwrd ii'", and OF "'"1iit-
| saci..rlriiIl waters for cnp!oNncii III ma"
oucr,tiOn>. The extent ANA In fhI"'Fh'P 81 'i'
| former of trS. vulgar su"IStIll"li> MAS '"''i
| demonstrated within Il frw Years III r'I'al' r,r'
| ~ Eurnn. In Suaiu an elaborate .c2.Ud- tia
ri ri SANTA \irn ia, t., t;uur,ia-is here traced l.
/ IL, foundation and ioowed il IT, gi"wt lh'
| whole fori.s Il striking illustration "i "l"' may
le CA He'd tine vitality of malignant Sllria'I'i"
| NJ. ,nl.,,n. ~ q Wnnlc II llAnNI M