The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-08

The PosT-IsTELLIGEScER has no quarrel
with theosophy or theosophists, except so
Tar as Madame Blavatsky is concerned and
her conscious confederates. It is proper
to state that Blavatsky was gifted adven-
turess and impostor, who rode theosophy
for all it was worth just as miserable pre-
tenders have ridden other faiths for their
own purposes. Those who are interested
in knowing that Blavatsky was an arrant
fraud will find the proofs in the extracts
published in another column from an
article in the current number of the Arena
from the pen of Moncure d. Conway, an
eminent man of letters, who for thirty
years has enjoyed high reputation as
man and liberal thinker on both sides of
the water. Mr.. Conway is a radical Uni
tartan and nationalist; is the author of a
new life of Thomas Paine. and breaches to
large congregation in London. He Wis
tied the mystic shrine at Adyar, investi-
gated Madame Blavatsky's Indian career,
and his estimate of her cannot be i'm
peached as prejudiced or as a sectarian
libel. He does not, nor do we, treat theos-
ophy with contempt; he merely paints
Blavatsky in her true colors as a brilliant
female imposter.
The Arena is magazine of liber al views
and its pages represent the most complies
freedom of thought and expression on all
subjects relating to psychic knowledge
guished representatives of theosophy have
free access to its pages, and it cannot be
suspected as lending itself to any rarti-
san purpose in the publication of Mr.. Con-
ways Madame Blavatsky at Adyar"
Mr.. Conway is friend of Annie Besant.
Of theosophy itself, apart from its occult
ism" and Madame Balavatsky, and as ex-
pounded today in India by Hie-ophant
Olcott, Mr.. Conway says that Olcott's adj
dresses contain a medley of Buddhist,
Brahmanic and Zoroasterian traditions in
terpreted in mystical and moral way.
Col. Olcott's theosophy on the negative
side aims to combine all oriental relig-
ions against Christianity. He has not
"any belief in or connection with Chris
tianity in any form whatsoever" But he
maintains the oriental PHILOSOPHERS, and
to some extent the mythologies, of eras
corresponding to the discredited biblica.
Doctrines and legends. It is not, indeed,
literal restoration; but no esoteric inter-
probation can make it very different from
an attempt to rationalize for Europeans
ancient Druidism, or for Americans
Aztec fables and symbolism.
Mr.. Conway thinks that if Colonel Oh
colt should fix his headquarters in Ceylon
there would be fair prospect of fruitful
alliance of theosophy with Buddhism.
He is robust man, of powerful will, and
in these days of hypnotism his influence
over the most passive Of people may ap-
pear less wonderful to US than to them.
No Christian was found willing to meet
him in debate. By lectures, in which In
gersollism blends with Arnold's "Light of
ASIA" the colonel brought about sort Of
Buddhist revival
In conclusion Mr.. Conway says:
1t remains to be seen whether theosophy,
which has hitherto shown an affection for
titles In India and London, is willing to take
Its place beside Buddha under his Bo tree, and
share the lowliness of his followers. This may
be rather hard after the rapid success of
theosophy in India, where in four years from
its foundation QS79) it counted seventy-seven
hourshing branches; but these are whitening
away under the Blavatsky scandals, and il
theosoDhy is to live it must stake refuge in
Buddhal"