Evening star., 1922-10-24
. ROM Washington our route ran
4 through Philadelphia, where 1
gave two lectures with all the

@ through fnlldQelpuid, "ucIc
gave two lectures with all the
success / could wish, though
at the second lecture, a matinee. 1
unfortunately coincided with a great
public function at which Mr.. Taft was
to reconsecrate the old Town Hall,
center of American liberty. We went
down to explore the old building,
which. with it's adjacent courthouse
and other wings, is of considerable
size. 1t is Of red brick, Of the style
of the early Georges, and reminds
one of some Of the buildings in the
legal inns Of London.
There are the old revolutionary
flags, the Liberty Bell. now badly
cracked (absit omenD and many other
relics Of the stirring times. The chief
one. however, is the room itself which
sheltered the first Congress-, and
which heard the first reading of the
United States charter of independence
wonder how many Americans in
their natural exuberance at victory
won have reflected what would GER
tainly have occurred had the leaders
of their people held on in patience,
other decade or so. The liberal party
in England would, the moment they
got in power, have redressed their
grievances and henceforth the en-
pire would have been contented and
whole. There would have been no
war of 1876, no war of 1872. no war
OF 1861, for the freedom of the slaves
could have been effected by fair pur-
chase as il the rest of Britain's
possessions.
America Chief Guide.
Then. as the most popuious must
always govern in any democratic sys-
tenn, America would quite naturally
and peacefully have become the CEN
ter and chief guide of all the scat
tered English-speaking nations. with
the four home countries as part Of
that huge world wide confederation
which might have stopped all war
and ushered in the millennium. 1t is
strange to think that as events have
turned out, it was the independence
of England rather than that of the
United States which was really de-
termined in the old Town Hall.
Philadelphia is associated in several
ways with this the greatest of all
questions. the psychic revelation
sometimes honorably and sometimes
the reverse. 1t will be accounted to
her honor that the early seeds grew
rapidly there in the consenial Quaker
soil. and that the first Spiritual
Church. now ably presided over by
Mr.. Russell. was established there
seventy years ago. 1t is to her honor
also that brave and clear headed
man, DR.. Hare. professor of chem;s-
Try at the University Of Pennsylvania
was the first scientific man of repute
and to assert not only their validity
but the religious implica tionS which
lie behind them. Less honorable is il
however, that Mr. Hare los: his chair
through the hostility produced by his
honest declaration. and even less
credItahle is the story of the SeEbert
commission which was sent out by
this same university IN the eighties
I" examine into psychic matters.
Mr.. Seyhert had left sum of money
for the purpose of psychic research.
The committee, after an examination
the failure Of which may have de-
pended upon themselves. reported
that there was no material for any
research. a decision which was alb
surd at the time. but is utterly stulti-
fed now. when there are psychic re-
search societies all over the world
The money was therefore absorbed AS
understand it, into the general funds
of the university. which surely c3in-
not rest satisfied in its conscience
until 1t is devoted to the object to
hich Mr.. Seybert had consecrated II
understand that somewhat similar
situation has arisen in tho Leland
Stanford University in Californ "a
where a large sum left for the en-
c"uragement of psychic studies has
been used mainly up TO now in an
ATTEMPT I" show that telepathy does
not eEiSt-an easy matter IL one as
sembleS all the negative evidence and
avoids what is positive,
Telepathy as shelter.
But what are the eXpiafners-awar
to d. if they are robbed of telepa thy
which has, up to now, together with
the subconscious, been the umbrella
under which they sheltered themselves
from all evidence Of unseen life,
l had a visit at Philadelphia from
Prof Newbold of that city. whose
subject is early Christian philosophy
but who was good enough to show
me photographs Of the remarka BILE
Noynich Ms. 1t is really a most ex-
traordinary thing if it proves to be
genuine. and Prof Eewboid assures
me that there can be no doubt upor
this point. The manuscript was found
in the east Of Europe--I am not clea~
waere. 1t is partly legible Latin ard
rarsiy in very obscure cipher, which
Newt bold thinks that he has solved.
1t is signed by Roger Bacon. SO that
The manuscript has to DO with the