The Sun. — 1855-10-25 (London, England)

PROFESSOR ANDERSON.  his belief, namely, that the raps are produced mechanically I am aware that in some instances electricity or electromagnetism is use d, and that in other cases it is merely a skilful adjustment of levers and cleverly-arranged horsehairs; but a physical cause in every instance produces the physical effect. Nor are the Spiritualists at all backward in availing themselves of the latest discoveries in physical science. In the Morning Advertiser of last Wednesday there is a lengthy account of how the spirits have been developing themselves musically, and how magnetised harps have been played upon by mysterious fingers, and pianofartee giving forth harmonyat the touch of invisible ghostly young ladies. Do you ask how it was done ? i Go to the Polytechnic, and you will learn. The whole mystery of musical spirits you will find to be contained in the conducting power of a piece of dry wood, and Dr. Bachoffner will prove to be a more communicative and truthful medium than any you will meet at a spirit-rapping soiree. The second position I have taken up is, that the protesfessional rappers are wilful impostors. That opinion I reiterate. Let those who deny my assertion state that which they know of them, who they are, and what is their position in society. Will any one have the goodness to introduce me to a medium whose honour is unquestionable and whose name is a guarantee for security? and will any medium be good enough to produce raps on my table at the Lyceum ? The third position I take is, that many of the most strenuous suppertersof Spiritualism are absolute believers in it, and really have faith is what they affirm. These are not the media, but the dupes of the media, the people of acceptive intellect—if I may use such a phrase—who take all promises for granted, and argue on bases of belief which they have never examined. How often do we meet with mathematicians of the most acute logic power, who can reason with the utmost precisionand subtlety, but who accept the axioms on which they argue without investigating, in the first instance, whether those axioms are really deserving of being ranked as axiomatic? It has been the enlistment of this class, of minds which has reinforced most powerfully the ranks of the Spiritualists, and produced the worst results in causing the ignorant to be deluded through the influence of their names. My fourth position is, that many of the phenomena of spirit-rapping ara purely subjective, that they are esoteric, not exoteric; but which I mean that the belieter fancies the existence of that which has no existence, ave in his eownver every -day . saying, H "Youmuchm ay real make yourself b lieve anyphilosophy is t ere in the thing !" Only excite the brain sufficiently—only concentrate the imagination to one point, and your mipd becomes the unconscious slave of your ideality. In this lies the whole secret of what has been termed electro-biology, and and in this is the explanation of how, without knowing it, you may cause a table to turn round, and believe all the while that it is turning of its own accord, or tilt it so that it may rap the floor with one leg, and be induced to think that the table is performing to you, while you are actually performing to the table. The fifth and last position I assume is, that spirit-rapping is detrimental to the well-being of society, ,dangerous to the community as a whole, cud productive of the worst results to its individual members. Accerdiug to reliable statements, which I saw before I left America, it was estimated that 7,500 persons were immured in the lunatic asylums of the United States, whose lunacy bad wholly resulted from their belief in the spirit-rapping imposture. It was also stated that from the same cause 30 had committed suicide. There have been many such cases in this country already ; there was one at Sheffield recently ; and I have no doubt that the physicians of our asylums for the insane could adduce many more. Let any person paint to themselves the condition of an individual who has been led  Sporting Intelligence,