Class. Book PRESENTED BY Pf«(VA^I«-UAffAliy NO, ■"■-•' •"^gsnir Mrs E-mma Hardinge Britten NEW Y@RKC: MDCCCLXX MODERN AMERICAN SPIRITUALIS A TWENTY YEARS' RECORD COMMUNION BETWEEN EARTH AND THE WORLD OF SPIRITS. BY EMMA (HARDINGEj /X I /^-\ , I / i^ (fourth edition.) NEW YORK: PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR, 229 KAST SIXTIETH STREET. Trade supplied by the American News Co., 117-121 Nassau Street, N. Y., or "Banner of Light" Office, 15S Washington St., Boston, Mass. MDCCCLXX. l\ V Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by EMMA HARDINGE, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New Yoi |3 JS-4\y.*X,-s-resent the leading ideas which have grown out of the inter- course between " the tAvo worlds," cite the revelations of spirits concerning the conditions of the after-life and the philosophy of the communion, and quote the utterances of those public teachers who claim to have been spiritu- ally inspired. We shall point to the idiosyncracies of those who have become prominent in the movement, especially the media for the communications from the spirit-world, and when practicable, give such portions of their biog- (15) 1 6 INTR OD UC TION. raphies as may enable us to solve the problem of their seemingly exceptional gifts. It v/ill be necessary for the elucidation of our subject, and in verifica- tion of what may be deemed rash statements, that we make frequent quota- tions from the press notices of the day, and present verbatim extracts from the spiritual journals, where facts are to be found recorded with a minutiae of detail which cannot . fail to be valuable to posterity, however tedious such familiar narratives may be to those who are still realizing similar expe- riences. The earnest American Spiritualist is one who combines all the restless and inquisitive tendencies of his country with the strong additional propelling power to locomotion which a search after the marvellous supplies ; conse- quently he not only undertakes frequent pilgrimages for the purposes of investigation, but visits distant places and persons on spiritualistic "missions." He reads all the journals of the time and place where he tarries; he visits all the media and joins all the circles held there, whether in garrets, cellars, saloons, halls, steamboats, mines, woods, valleys, Indian wigwams, or amongst the ruins of the "lost races." Either in his own person, or that of some member of his family or acquaintance, he is sure to have available medium power at his command, consequently he has his own store of phenomenal history to add to the general sum. He is a coiastant attendant on all the Sabbath spiritual services held now commonly in every town and hamlet he may chance to visit, and there he never fails to gather around him a considerable number of the magnates of the meeting, some member of whom becomes his hospitable entertainer for the day, when the joint experiences of the host and his guest are inter- changed and fully canvassed between the morning and evening meetings. Some portion of each Sabbath is devoted in spiritualistic associations to the public conference, when our sojourner gives his views with that peculiar facility and occasional touch of eloquence which is an almost national char- acteristic in America. Most commonly the close of the evening service is followed by several invitations from the ranks of the hospitable brethren to join circles, at one of which the welcome guest is greeted by mortals and their celestial visitors with all that cordiality and fraternal feehng which is one of the happy and distinguishing marks of American Spiritualism. And it is as much due to these locomotive and hospitable features in the move- ment that the phenomena has become so widely diffused, and carefully studied as to any national claim which the American can set up for a peculiarly spiritual nature. From such itinerant experiences, however valuable and often wonderful they may have been, the author freely confesses she has not felt herself at liberty to make many records. Compelled to withdraw within the stern pale of well-proved and thoroughly attested facts, the floating cur- rents of mere hearsay have necessarily been unwrought mines of wealth. Hence, for every fact recorded there will no doubt be found thousands ready to declare they could have furnished testimony of a far more wonderful char- acter. To such Vv^e can only say, we write for that posterity to whom our facts of veritable history will be of incalculable value, though to us, the living actors therein, they may be of little or no importance. Besides, the memory of these marvels rapidly passes away from us, and their effect upon our minds becomes lessened with the flight of time. Many there are that require a constant succession of phenomena to renew their faith ; and few amongst the best-informed Spiritualists have been at the trouble of carefully recording the facts they have witnessed. Spiritual journals, too, though numerous, and often conducted with remarkable abliity, have all — with the excepti )n of the INTR OD UC TION. I ? Spiritiial Telegraph 2J\^ Bamier of Light — been too short-lived to become l^oints of reference to x^osterity, and most of the other Uterature Oi the movement, though often marked with rare excellence, yet from being issued whilst its events were in transitu, are too premature in time and incom- plete in detail for historical uses. Obviously, then, a duty rests on some one to collect the best and most reliable evidence that the circumstances of the case will afford, so as to con- serve in a compendious form the records of either the commencement of a new era or an episode in human history as unparalleled in its preternatural marvels as it is rife with instruction, abundant in religious, social, and politi- cal influence, and prophetic of a mighty and momentous future for mental and spiritual science. Thus, then, it will be seen that it is not in the interest of the present so much as for future generations that we write ; not in the hope of putting forth a volume the tone of which will command, from popu- lar interest, a remunerative sale, but in deep and reverential conviction of a duty performed toward the mighty and beneficent power which has inaugu- rated this movement, and a grateful desire to share with others the priceless blessings of spiritual revelation which have been so abundantly poured out upon the actors in this marvellous drama. The whole history of the " Rochester knockings," the disturbances in Dr. Phelps's house at Stratford, the phenomenal life of the " Poughkeepsie Seer," accounts of the Spear, Harris, Spencer, and other fanatical movements, together with a vast array of incidents of a less stiking character, are all familiar as household words in the experience of every nineteenth century Spiritualist. But scattered as their records are in solitary volumes, or diffused through a mass of literature which has cost the author years to collect and collate from, they obviously require systematic effort to arrange ; and familiar as they may be to the present generation, they demand, in justice to pos- terity, an orderl}'- place in a compendious history of the whole movement. Besides this candid statement of w^hat the spiritualistic reader may or may not expect to find in these pages, a few words must necessarily be addressed to the critics, by whom, as is the custom, this work is to be heralded forth to that portion of the world who are in the habit of permitting the said critics to do their literary thinking for them. Although Vi"e scorn the petty subterfuge pf affecting to disregard the world's opinion at the very time when we are publishing a book for the avowed purpose of appealing to it, yet long expe- rience of the course pursued by a majority of the press in reference to un- popular subjects generally, and Spiritualism especially, has taught the author to expect no better treatment for her work than has been experienced by those whose honorable names should have commanded respect for any subject they wrote of. Where the honest truths detailed by an Ashburner or a Plowitt have been received by bold denial or insolent ribaldry, and that by self-styled critics who were utterly ignorant of the subjects they reviled, how can an author without their claims to public respect and " decent observ- ance " hope to escape ? Whilst candidly yielding, therefore, to that portion of public opinion which is represented in press criticism all the influence and weight it deserves, the author begs respectfully to state that she has heard the epithets of "trash," "falsehood," "imposture," "impiety," a rehash of old ghost-stories and exploded theories," etc. applied. to stubborn facts and unpopular truths before, and is prepared to hear them again. Happy in the belief that the assertions of falsehood do not affect the realities of truth, nor the opinions of bigotry and superstition long retard religious progress or hin- der the growth of spiritual freedom, the author, in company with a mighty 2 l8 INTRODUCTION, " cloud of witnesses," is contented to cast her great truths upon the \vaters of time, and let them sink or swim, as their own inherent vitaUty shall deter- mine. Well satisfied by the experience of all mankind that truth and logic will survive the shafts which abuse and ridicule aim against them, she com- mits her record to time and the inevitable justice which this mighty touch- stone has ever rendered to the cause of truth. Starting on our undertaking, first, with an overwhelming sense of its magnitude and many difficulties; and next, with but very qualified expectations of a satisfactory recognition from either S[)iritualists or outsiders, it may be significantly asked, for whom do we write at all, and on what possible basis do we rest any expectation of public acceptance or sympathy in our work? We answer: "We write for the sake of the spirits, the truth, and humanity," and from each and all we expect to gather such reward as we may merit. On behalf of the spirits we believe that Ave write of beneficent beings, of whose very existence, much less of their tender efforts to bless and benefit the world, a large portion of it is profoundly ignorant. If they, from their exalted spheres of blessedness, can be content to labor for a dark and ignorant generation, cannot we, in our human insignificance, emulate their disinterestedness? And again, can none of us afford to labor for love of the good and true, without a certain assurance of temporal reward and human appreciation? It were a libel on the race to deem otherwise. Ninty-nine per cent, of the world's brightest immortals have lived, labored, and died, for the sake of the true, the good, and the beautiful, with no other reward than the tardy and remorseful appreciation of posterity. If there be any amongst us who dare to emulate their martyr-like devotion, and humbly seek to walk in the track of their shining though tear-stained foot-prints, why question or sneer at the choice ? It is enough that the subject is more than worthy of all the care, labor, and disinterested effort that the many or the few can bring to bear upon it. Through the beneficent action of the mighty though invisible hosts who constitute the legions of the modern spiritual army, thousands of darkened minds have been snatched from hopeless belief in the horrible doctrine of annihilation. The crippled limbs have been made straight, the blinded eyes opened, the dull ears unstopped, the ebbing life called back to gladden the pathway of rejoicing friends ; the homes bereaved of frail mortality have been filled with the glorious presence of arisen angels ; the sinner has been startled from the paths of crime, and the fainting strengthened in the thorny road of virtue, by the direct and visible guidance and warning of precious spirit friends. A flood of light has been poured on the long-veiled and awful mysteries of the grave, revealing the solemn and stupendous realities of the inevitable hereafter, and a mass of wonderful revelation has illuminated the cherished mysticisms of supersti- tion and sectarianism, breaking the fetters of darkness that have so long hung around the neck of humanity. "Babylon has fallen "—" M3'stery, the mother of abominations," is slain, and the angel of truth and judgment has sOunded the trumpet of victory in the great outpouring of modern Spiritual- ism. When we remember that all these results are but a tithe of the bless- ings which the Spiritualist recognizes as flowing from the dispensation where- v/ith he has been visited, can it be a matter of astonishment that we deem it the highest of life's privileges to be permitted to write for spirits, and bear witness of their wonderful works throughout the land? To qualify the author for this office, she has borne her part in every phase of the spiritual dispensation. From earliest childhood up to the present time she has seen and conversed with spiritual beings like familiar friends ; passed tlirough INTRODUCTION. 19 many of the phases of modern mediumship, and "ndtnessed or taken part in most of the scenes described in these pages. For the performance of pro- fessional duties connected with the cause of SpirituaUsm, she has travelled and lectured through thirty-two of the United States, and gathered her records chieHy from personal observation and the witness of living millions who are still on earth to bear testimony to the truth of her statements. Thus, the facts herein recorded are open to the strictest scrutiny ; they are, indeed, still transpiring, and occur constantly in the experience of eleven viilUons of persons in America, whose numbers include authors, editors, doctors, lawyers, clergy- men, professors of colleges, magistrates on the bench, statesmen, traders, operatives, and mechanics — in a word, all gi^adations of rank and all classes of thought. As keen research and sceptical scmtiny has for the most part characterized the progressive belief of American Spiritualism, these vast masses testify of that 'which they know and have proved. On the contrary, it will be found that the loudest and most rancorous opposers of this belief are persons who have either never investigated the subject at all, or so slightly as to be in no position to judge of its subtle and far-reaching realities. Let the world determine between these two classes. Both, no doubt, will be represented amongst the readers and critics of these pages, and to both Ave close our introductory remarks by affirming that we have lived, written, and purpose to abide by, in time present and to come, and under all circum- stances, this axiom of invincible strength and never-failing triumph : " The truth against the world." MODERN AlIEEICAN SPIEITUALISI ; OR, A TWENTY YEARS' RECORD OF THE COMMUNION BETWEEN EARTH AND THE WORLD OF SPIRITS, FROM 1848 TO i868. CHAPTER I. "VOICES CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS." " In deep trance-slumbers, when the world, asleep. Lay in the arms of night and wept or smiled. His liberated soul raised from its dust. We led him far beyond the veils, and floods. And labyrinths of sleep ; the clouds of death And all the shadowed dwellers in the world Were far beneath him. Through his consciousness Streamed the celestial sunrise. Cities and temples of celestial space Were mirrored in his mind." T. L. Harris. The Mesmerizers — Electro-biologists — Adventists of Spiritualism — The POUGHKEEPSIE SeER AND HIS REVELATIONS. If it be true that the history of humanity moves forward in epochs, then it is certain that the leading characteristics of one era result from the specialties of the age which preceded it, whilst we in turn plant the seed whose fruitage will be gathered by the hands of our posterity. Pie who searches for the origin of some great discovery, or the sources from which spring stupendous changes, may invariably trace the germ-thought through a continued series of experimental antecedents. Sometimes the causative idea is sown in many minds, and springs up in many places at once, but it may always be traced in rudimental stages of growth e'er it is exhibited in the maturity of a fully-perfected work. What we call "Modern American Spiritualism" forms no exception to this univerasal method of progressive unfoldment. Startling and unprecedented in many respects as appears to be the achieve- ment of a telegraphic communion between the visible and invisible vv'orlds, the open ear of intelligence will have no difficulty in recognizing the voice of many a John the Baptist who has proclaimed the coming of the New Spiritual Messiah. (21) 22 HISTORY OF MODERN Amongst these none has rung out with a more clearly-marked tone than " Mesmerism," with its kindred phenomena of *' Electro-biology " and " Clairvoyance." Chemistry, Physiology, Phrenology, Magnetism, and Clair- voyance have all been steps leading up througli the once-forbidden mysteries of nature into the realm of imponderable forces, bearing the student onward to the very gates of the temple of mind, within which are now heard the low, telegraphic knocks of the spirit, inviting the earnest inquirers to enter, and prophesying the great day of revelation, when man may ascend, as on a Jacob's ladder, that mighty column where Physics is the base, Science the shaft. Metaphysics the superstructure, and Spiritualism the coronal glory of the capital, whose starry crown pierces the overarching firmament of Heaven. Mesmerism, with its wonderful results in somnambulism and clairvoyance, has often been assumed by the superficial observer to ofter a complete solu- tion of the mysteries of Spiritualism. Without attempting at present to show how totally inadequate is this explanation to meet the case in point, we are prepared to admit that mesmerism has performed an important part in usher- ing in the more comprehensive movement of Spiritualism. For several years antecedent to the advent of the latter, mesmerism, or " animal magnetism," was largely practiced over every part of America. In nearly every city, town, or hamlet, the itinerant mesmerizer made his rounds, operating upon chance subjects as opportunity offered, and alternately exciting superstitious terror or wrathful antagonism by the exercise of his seemingly magical powers. Many professional operators were no doubt skilful, and with a higher realiza- tion of the valuable gift >vith which they were endowed, might have become successful healers of the sick. As it was, and despite the fact that the exercise of their art was frequently interrupted by the insensate fury of ignorant mobs, they often succeeded in effecting what were deemed " miracu- lous" cures, at which they themselves were not less astonished than their subjects. In view of the superstitious bigotry and scientific ignorance which prevailed on this subject when animal magnetism was first practiced in America, con- tinuous experiment and deliberate investigation was impossible. Neverthe- less, the exhibitions of itinerant magnetizers, undignified and occasionally riotous as they were, became suggestive to thoughtful obsei-vers, and ulti- mately produced a wide-spread interest on the subject. Intelligent witnesses, assembled by chance in a village school-house or country barn, set them- selves to work to discover the source of the marvels they beheld. Magnetic experiments were practiced in the home circle ; more favorable conditions were followed by more remarkable results ; the inquiry deepened into pro- found interest, and the phenomena of animal magnetism became familiarly known to the most progressive classes of the community. Ignored by those scientists who were too proud to investigate anything they did not originally discover, and anathematized by a superstitious and creed-bound priesthood, animal magnetism was openly denounced as " the latest invention of the enemy of mankind," or, "a profound humbug" whilst the luckless itinerant exhibitor was often cited before some grave magistrate, who, in the seclusion of his ov/n home, was a more interested investigator and a better operator than the criminal he was called upon to punish. In a v>-ord, magnetism became a fashion, and its legitimate claim to be considered as a science was at length fully established. The result of this movement upon Spiritualism has now become obvious. AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 23 Thousands of persons "who are -warm advocates of the sphitual philosophy ficknou'ledge that their attention was first attracted to the subject by their interest in magnetism. In all the principal cities of the Union, gentlemen distinguished for their literary abilities, ^progressive opinions, or prominence in public aftairs, have graduated from the study of magnetism and clairvoyance to become adherents to the cause of Spiritualism, whilst many of the best mediums — especially the trance speakers and magnetic operators — have taken their first degree in Spiritualism, as experimentalists in the phenomena of mesmerism. All popular movements in America are spread over such immense surfaces of country that nothing less than a question of national interest can form a focalizing point for popular opinion, or its representation in foreign countries ; hence, whilst magnetism, electro-biology, and clairvoyance have sv>-ept ovei the land in vast tides of influence, they have acquired more notoriety in a few solitary instances in France and Germany, than in all their magnitude in the United States. Admitting that the modern spiritual manifestations in America first began to assume the form of a concrete movement at Rochester in 1848, it would still be impossible to separate the influence which the prevalence of the magnetic idea exercised upon minds prepared to receive Spiritualism and organisms already imbued with the necessaiy force to develop mediumship. Between the epochs in which these two great movements have dominated, is an interregnum, rife with the advent of a human phenomenon, connecting both, belonging to both, yet standing alone, and unrivalled in the marvellous character of his occult endowments, and the irresistible nature of the in- fluence h.i^ has exercised upon humanity. This, personage is Andrew Jackson Davis, more commonly called " the Poughkeepsie Seer." At about the age of fifteen, young Davis first became remarkable in New York and Connecti- cut for his skill in diagnosing and prescribing for disease through his wonder- ful clairvoyant faculty. Of a slight and delicate temperament, the young physician possessed a degree of intuitive refinement which in some sense compensated for his total deficiency of educational culture, and an artificial grace which could not be expected from his exceedingly humble origin, which was that of the son and apprentice of a poor country shoemaker. About tlie age of fourteen he was casually magnetized by a ]\Ir. Living- ston, of Poughkeepsie, who, discovering that the shoemaker's boy possessed wonderful clairvoyant powers, and an unusually successful gift of prescribing for the sick, gradually drew him from his trade into association with himself until at length they travelled and practiced together as operator and subject, with unbounded success and benefit to the world. From the period when Mr. Livingston accidentally discovered young Davis's Avonderful endo\\"ments, his whole time was so disposed of that neither then nor at any subsequent period of his career could he have found leisure, even if he had the capacity, to add one iota of literary information to his slender stock of village scholasticism. The exceedingly humble rank and limited means of his parents deprived young Davis of all chances of culture, save five months at a rustic school and the association of the rude boors of wild country districts. The extraordinary celebrity to which he has now attained has rendered even the minutest details of his early childhood public property ; hence it is well known that his highest accomplishment, at the time of what may be called his spiritual illumination, was limited to the capacity to read, write, and cipher very indifierently, v.hilst his whole stock of remembered literature was a tale called " the Three Spaniards." 24 HISTORY OF MODERN Mr. DavIsJ was about eighteen years of age when he announced to the circle of admirers who had become interested in his wonderful lucidity as £. clairvoyant, that a new and astounding phase of spiritual power Avas about to be revealed through his instrumentality, commencing with the delivery of a course of lectures which were destined ultimately to revolutionize the scientific world and produce a striking effect upon the religious opinions of mankind. In fulfilment of this prophecy Mr. Davis proceeded to give the promised course of lectures, for the production of which he selected Dr. Lyon, of Bridgeport, as his magnetizer, the Rev. William Fishbough as his scribe, the Rev. Y. N. Parker, R. Lapham, Esq., and Dr. L. Smith, of New York, as his special witnesses, whilst several other gentlemen, high in place or distin- guished for literary and scientific attainments, were from time to time invited in, or permitted to be present at the delivery of the lectures ; and thus was produced the vast compendium of literary, scientific, philosophic, and historic knowledge, entitled "Nature's Divine Revelations." Of the work itself, together with a more detailed account of its author and his subsequent career, we shall speak more fully in our biographical sketches ; sufiice it to say that the marvellously abnormal character of the book, emanating as it did from a person so utterly incapable of its production under ordinary cir- cumstances, excited the most profound astonishment in all ranks and classes. "The Revelations" were quickly followed by "The Great Harmonia," "Penetralia," "Present Age and Inner Life," and other voluminous produc- tions, the sum of which, combined with Mr. Davis's lectures, editorial labors, associative movements, and wide-spread personal influence, have effected a complete revolution in the minds of a large and distinguished class of think- ers in the United Ststtes, who are known as the advocates of the " Harmo- nial Philosophy," a belief which emphatically owes its origin to the poor shoe- makej-'s boy, A. J. Davis. Even at the early age of eighteen (the period when the first of the " Revelations " were given) the remarkable attainments of Mr. Davis as a medical clairvoyant, together with the exceeding purity of his life and the modesty of his manners, had drawn around him a circle of distinguished persons who became his warmly-attached friends. Mr. James Victor Vv-'ilson, a gentleman of New Orleans, renowned for his literaiy talents and the author of an excellent treatise on magnetism, writes of him thus, during the delivery of his first lectures : "The world will shortly be apprised of a triumph in clairvoyance through the celebrated Mr. Davis, which it will be totally unprepared for. During the past year this uneducated, unsophisticated, and amiable young man has been delivering verbally, day by day, a com- prehensive, well-planned, and extraordinary book, relating to all the vast questions of the age; to the physical sciences; to nature in all her infinite ramifications; to man in his innumerable modes of existence ; to God in the unfathomable abysses of his love, v isdom, and power "Thousands of persons who have witnessed him in his medical examinations or scientific disclosures, live to testify to the astounding exaltation of mind possessed by Mr. Davis in his abnormal state. " The two new planets of our system, conjectured recently, were described in Davis's manuscripts fourteen months ago, namely, March 15 and 16, 1846." Shortly after the lectures commenced, Mr. Davis's rooms in New York City were thrown open to the public for medical examinations, on which occasions his manuscripts were often submitted to the highest intellects of the country for investigation, and his whole career — especially the impossibility of his having acquired the knowledge he exhibited in his clairvoyant state AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 25 by any ordinary means — was made the subject of searching and rigid scrutiny. One of the most marked resuhs estaWishcd by the hfe of this phenomenal personage was the actuahty of clairvoyance and the triumphant revelation that the soul of man could commune spiritually with su[")ra-mundane as well as mundane minds, and asi:)ire far beyond this terrestrial sphere in its acqui- sition of knowledge. The latter, indeed, was still a mooted point, and a vast amount of logic was expended on young Davis's case in the attempt to prove that all the "revelations" poured through his lips were only the reflex of minds still upon earth, or stereotyped in books, and that the seer's gift was simply clairvoyant perception of mundane existences. It was doubtless very gratifying to the egotism of certain individuals to believe that the clair- voyant had found the source of his remarkable and varied revelations in their own highly-illuminated minds, and they professed themselves willing to become the subjects of this original system of mental piracy for the sake of appropriating the merit of his comprehensive philosophy and disposing of the awkward problem of supra-mundane interference ; but whilst many of Mr. Davis's writings give obvious evidence of human clairvo)^ance, 'there is still a large amount of original matter which can only be accounted for by admit- ting the hypothesis of spiritual perception in realms of super-sensuous ex- istence and inspiration from a world of supra-mundane knowledge. Besides this, there are points of coincidence in the testimony of other illuminated persons which must not be lost sight of. Whilst it must be admitted that Mr. Davis's lucidity and breadth of mental power was unparalleled in the records of history, the gift of clairvoyant sight was by no means limited by his ex- perience, even in his own time. The various magnetic subjects who abounded at the period we write of, not only gave evidences of a highly exalted condi- tion and remarkable interior perception, but frequently perplexed, their opera- tors by speaking oi spirits^ declaring the)' could converse with " dead people," perceive them in life, enter their habitations, and describe the homes or " spheres in which they dwelt." All this was contrary to the experience of the magnetizers, hence declared by them to be no reflex of their minds or opinions ; and as these unaccountable vagaries of entrancement seemed to be on the increase, considerate and candid inquirers began to connect them with the wonderful mental flights achieved by young Davis, and conjecture that the freed spirit in its "sleep waking" condition, might pass into realms of being, super-sensuous in their nature, and supra-mundane in their popu- lation. Meantime, as the transcendent powers of Mr. Davis seemed to concen- trate into one focal point all the lesser lights of magnetic marvel, so the whole ranks of materialistic antagonism rushed pell-mell upon him, as the head and front of all spiritualistic ofiending. Nero-like, the anti-spiritual world seemed, to think that in striking at him they could sweep out of being all the obnoxious, occult people and forces that outraged their materialism or bigotry; hence the " Poughkeepsie Seer" earned his newly-acquired fame at the price of becoming a target for the shafts of every form of abuse, ridi- cule, and slander that ignorance and prejudice could heap upon him. About the early part of December, 1847, the general understanding of spiritual philosophy received a valuable impetus from the publication of an excellent weekly journal entitled The Univerccelum, 0?' Spiritual FJiilos- opher. This paper was started at the instance of a few gentlemen whose friendship for and high appreciation of Mr. Davis induced them to make this attempt to popularize- his opinions, and call around them a circle of such v/ise and progressive minds as would sympathize with their views. The projectors 26 HISTORY OF MODERN and chief contributors to the undertaking were Mr. Davis, then just twenty- one )fears of age ; Rev. WiUiam Fishbough, Rev. Thomas L. Harris, the in- spired author of the "Epic of the Starry Heavens," and other equally renowned poems ; and the Rev. S. B. Britain, to whose scholarly charge and highly-polished intellect the editorial department was wisely intrusted. Besides this accomplished editorial staff, contributors of the highest talent filled the columns of the Univercoilum. Amongst these were the Rev. W. M. Fernald, J. K. Redfield, Mr. F. M Baker, J. V. Ingalls, Charles Worth, and • D. T. H. Chivers. So brilliant an array of writers procured for the UniverccElimi a high reputation, and besides being the first spiritual periodi- cal of modern date in America, it became a compendium of the best thoughts and purest philosophy of the age. In addition to its own intrinsic merits, this journal was favored with the usual amount of advertising, which resulted from the bitter antagonism provoked by the spiritualistic reputation of its authors and editors. Unfortunately the latter gentlemen were richer in mental than material endov/ments ; hence they had to struggle with the usual amount o'f financial disability, that seems to be the fate of genius ; and hence, too, in all proba- bility, they were as much indebted to the publicity afforded to their paper by the rancor of their opponents as to their own merits ; the combination of the two causes, however, enabled them to fill a hiatus in the literature of the time for above two years, during which their paper, sustained by the most in- domitable perseverance and bitter self-sacrifice, laid the foundation of a noble and genuine tone of thought, the fruits of which will be felt in all ages where true spiritual life and philosophy can be appreciated. Besides their untiring eftorts in connection with the paper, its noble staff of editors endeavored to distribute the bread of life with which they felt they had been so richly blessed, in lectures given at home and abroad, to v.'hich they added public discussions, newspaper and magazine controversies ; in a word, they threw their hearts and talents into the work, and formed a nucleus from which the irradiations of spiritual thought and influence flowed out in abundant and startling force. It is simple justice to affirm that "Nature's Divine Revelations," the UnivercKlum, and the personal influence and difiu- sive labor of their talented authors, inaugurated a new era in the v/orld of thought, and opened up a new channel of inspiration, whose source, like that of the mighty Nile, may long remain a hidden mystery, but when explored by the enterprise of future ages, will date back to a human Nyanza in the per- son of the " Poughkeepsie Seer," upheld by the strong hands and sunlit minds of the noble gentlemen who rallied around him. " Honor to whom honor is due." The despised itinerant lecturers on magnetism, the still more contemned experimenters in electro-biology, even the unsophisticated children and rustics who were their subjects, these, as forerunners of the culminating marvel of modern ages — A. J. Davis — were amongst the first to hear the divine command to "prepare the way of the Lord," and re-echo the solemn charge in the wildernesses of materialism. The obscurity of the personages, and the humility of their pretensions, may throw over the origin of the movement the veil of imkind forgetfulness, or ungrateful repudiation, yet the vital fires of magnetism and the subtle forces of psychology Avill yet be found to underlie the whole science of life and mind, whether incarnate in mortal clay or enfranchised in the free spiritual existence in life beyond the tomb. The waters of Oblivion, muddied by the thick night of human ignorance and human ingratitude, may engulph in dim forgclfulness the name of the author of "Nature's Divine AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 27 Revelations," but his phenomenal life-work and teachings have already formed a glittering star which is set in the firmament of eternity, surrounded by the constellation of unworn minds Avhom he focalized about him, and through whom the spiritual yearnings of the nineteenth century first found expression, in the shape of a true and harmonious philosophy. A. J. Davis and his friends, ridiculed, despised, contemned and slandered as they were, on the one hand startled the age from the worship of atoms, in which material science pretended to discover the sources of mind ; and on the other, embodied the vague transcendentalisms of credal faiths in the dis- tinct and tangible form of an electric, living, silver cord, uniting the shadov/y phantasmagoria of matter with the deathless and changeless principle of spirit. Though not the origin of or immediately connected \vilh the phenomenal movement called Modern Spiritualism, though indeed, up to this date, TJie Harmonial Philosophy of A. J. Davis, and the doctrines of Spiritualism, may maintain lines of separative demarcation between them, the great spiritual unfolding revealed in Mr. Davis's person, and the irresistible influence which he has exercised upon the opinions of the age, unquestionably formed the John Baptist which inaugurated that sunlit day when faith became knowl- edge, hope of immortality a glorious realization, and the dark, spectral shadow of death became transfigured into the radiant form of a ministering spirit, in the bright illuminating beams of modern Spiritualism. CHAPTER II. "AND THERE SHALL BE NO MORE DEATH." The Shakers as "John the Baptists" of Spiritualism — Hydesville — The First Rappings — The First Spiritual Telegraph. A FEW years ago, the author, being on a lecturing tour in the vicinity of a large village of the community known as " Shakers," was waited on by some of their members for the purpose of communicating certain facts which they seemed to think it was essential to the cause of truth should be laid before her. One of the party, a man distinguished for his literary talents and the in- tegrity of his character, read a document which purported to be an account of a special visitation of the " guardian spirits " who openly communed with the members of that society. It seemed that manifestations of spiritual presence, through rappings, movings of furniture, visions, trance, clairaudi- ence, and clairvoyance, had been common amongst the Shakers since the time of their foundation, some seventy years ago ; but the particular visita- tion to which the visitors desired to call attention, took place about 1830, when a multitude of spiritual beings, with the most solemn and forcible tokens of their presence, in a variety of phenomenal ways indicated the ap- proach of a great spiritual crisis, in which they designed for a season to with- draw the special gifts enjoyed by the Shakers, and pour them out in mighty floods upon the "world's people," who, for the realization of certain divine purposes, faintly shadowed forth, Avere to be visited by unlooked-for and stu- pendous tokens of spiritual presence. ^ The commencement of the promised new era was to be inaugurated by 28 HISTORY OF MODERN an extraordinary discovery of material as well as spiritual wealth. Alines of treasure were to be discovered in the earth, and floods of spiritual light were to descend from the heavens, and both these vast outpourings were, it was predicted, to occur in the year 1848, and to continue until about 1S70, when fresh sensuous and super-sensuous demonstrations were to proclaim the inauguration of another era. The record of this spiritual visitation, together with the details of the communication, was shown to the author, duly attested by numerous witnesses, and bearing date about 1829 or '30. The document stated further, that the Shakers, fearing lest their beloved "guar- dian angels" purposed to withdraw from them altogether, wept in such abundance that their tears fell on the ground like rain, and bedewed the sacred floor on which the angelic presence shone. The authenticity, together with the date of this prophecy, has been confirmed by numerrous communications from other Shaker communities ; and in further corrobora- tion of its truth, we call attention to the fact that the discovery of gold in California and the breaking out of Spiritualism through the "Rochester knockings" both occurred in 1847-8. In a most excellent work, published as early in the progress of modern American Spiritualism as 1855, giving a detailed account of its facts and fanaticisms up to that period, Mr. E. W. Capron, its author, relates, chiefly upon his own authority as an eye-witness, a full and interesting account of that initiatory phase of the manifestations knowm as the " Rochester knock- ings." Dr. Hare, Judge Edmonds, Hon. R. D. Owen, and other American ■ writers of celebrity have repeated in substance Mr. Capron's narrative, while several journals and a great many ephemeral pamphlets, now out of print, have given the sum of the history with more or less fidelity, so that a repeti- tion of this oft-told tale in these pages might appear supererogatory and almost impertinent, were its insertion not in strict accordance with the principal aim of a work which promises rather a compendious resume of the facts already patent to the public mind than any originality of detail or novel revelation in connection with it. Even the privilege enjoyed by the author of an inti- mate acquaintance with the famed " Poughkeepsie Seer," the "Rochester mediums," and Dr. Phelps, of Stratford, aftbrds no new sources of informa- tion in addition to the facts already detailed in former publications ; but as these facts form the opening wedges that rent asunder the rock of ancient supernaturalism, converting it into the light of modern Spiritualism, so the omission of these details from our history would shear eftects from their legitimate causes, and display the blossom and fruitage of a great movement severed from the root which gave it birth. The astonishing power of the human mind revealed through the magnetic sleep were not phenomena peculiar to Mr. A. J. Davis alone, nor unfamiliar to the investigators of occult science ; nevertheless, it was in his person that they assumed such magnitude and orderly development as to crystalize in one example the experience of preceding ages, and represent magnetism and clairvoyance as facts which admit of no dispute. Strange sounds and apparitions of the so- called dead were not peculiar to the house at tlydesville, inhabited by the Foxes, neither was the aura through which spirits could manifest their pres- ence an attribute special to this family alone. Besides the spiritual manifes- tations of other times and countries, rappings, movements of ponderable bodies, and all the variety of unaccountable phenomena witnessed at Hydes- ville, had often startled the inhabitants of other districts before ; and although the weird manifestations at Dr. Phelps's house at Stratford, exceeded in power and persistency any equally well attested facts of modern Spiritualism, AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 29 their nature was not unfamiliar to those who had ever examined the subject of haunted houses or the doings of the German "Poltergheist." Still the concrete and scientific characteristics of the spiritual movement in America take their origin in the first attempt at telegraphy, commenced at Hydesville and followed out in Rochester, and hence we cannot do justice to the subject without a careful review of this portion of it. From the first v/orking of the spiritual telegraph by which invisible beings were enabled to spell out consecutive messages, they ["the spirits"] claimed that this method of communion was organized by scientific minds in the spirit spheres ; that it depended mainly upon the conditions of human and atmospheric magnetisms, and pointed to the ultimation of a science whereby spirits, oper- ating upon and through matter, could connect in the most intimate rela- tions the worlds of material and spiritual existence. They referred to the house at Hydesville as one peculiarly suited to their purpose from the fact of its being charged with the aura requisite to make it a battery for the working of the telegraph ; also to the Fox family as being similarly endowed. They called this aura the " life principle," represented it as a force which constituted the person or place in which it existed in. abundance a medium, or channel through which spirits could communicate. These glimmerings of philosophy form the first stepping-stones to a spiritual science ; hence it is to the inauguration of a communion based upon these principles that we trace the commencement of the present era, and we should deem our history in- complete unless it started from that point. In x^ursuance of this object, we shall now invite the attention of the reader to a few extracts from certain pamphlets, written by E. E. Lewis, Esq., of Canandaigua, New York; D. M. Dewey, of Rochester, published in 1S50; J. B. Campbell, M.D., of Alleghany, published in 1S51; E. W. Capron, of Auburn ; and the testimony of various members of the Fox family, ren- dered in familiar conversations with the author. It should be stated that the scene of the follo\\ang manifestions was a small wooden house in the little village of Hydesville, Wayne County, New York. The place, not being directly accessible from a railroad, Avas lonely, and unmarked by those tokens of progress that the locomotive generally leaves in its track, hence it was the last spot where S, scene of fraud and deception could find motive for or possibility of a successful execution. The family so prominently identified with the phenomena were persons of worth and integrity. Their little dwelling, though so small and simply furnished as to leave no shadow of opportunity for concealment or trick, was the residence of honest piety and rural simplicity. All who have ever known them \vill bear witness to the unimpeachable character of the good mother, now happily removed from the scene of her overwhelming earthly trials, while the integrity of the simple- minded farmers who were father and brother to the ladies who have since become so celebrated as " the Rochester knockers," stands proved beyond all question. At the time of the manifestations, the house was tenanted by Mr. and Mrs. Fox and their two youngest children, Margaret and Catharine, the respective ages of whom Mrs. Fox's published statement represents as twelve and fifteen years. These details, insignificant as they may now appear, are due alike in justice to the family and posterity. "Wlien the future of this wonderful movement shall have become matter of history, and antiquit}^, if not reve- rence for spiritual truth, shall induce mankind to follow the example of their ancestors and label the records " sacred," the names now sunk in obscurity 30 HISTORY OF MODERN and masked by slander may perchance be engraved in monuments of bronze and marble, and the incidents deemed too slight for notice may be reverenced as '■'■Holy Writ.'' These changes of chance and time have happened before. If history repeats herself they will occur again. From a published statement of the early investigations connected with this house, entitled " Report of the Mysterious Noises, etc.," we learn that some disturbances had affected the inhabitants before Mr. Fox and his family came to reside there. Nothing of the kind was noticed, however, until the tenancy of a Mr. and Mrs. , who, according to the statement of Lucre- tia P. [a girl who occasionally resided with them], occupied that house for a short time during the winter of 1843-4. Miss P., in the deposition called forth by subsequent investigations, states that one afternoon a pedler, ap- parently about thirty years of age, dressed in a black frock coat, light panta- loons and cap, and carrying with him a pack of goods, called on Mrs. , v/ho seemed to recognize him as an acquaintance. Shortly after his arrival, Mrs. called her, and told her, very much to her surprise, that she thought she could not afford to keep her any longer, and, as she was going to Lock Berlin that afternoon, she wished Lucretia to leave the house with her. This the latter agreed to do, but before going she looked at a piece of dress delaine in the pedler' s pack, and requested him to call with it at her father's house the next day. The man xDromised to do so, but she never saw him more. Mrs. and Lucretia then left the house, the pedler and Mr. remaining behind, the former being apparently likely to remain there for the day. After the lapse of three days, Mrs. sent for Lucretia P. from her home and requested her to return to her again. From this time Lucretia P. began to hear knockings in the bedroom, and on one occasion, when her employers had gone to Lock Berlin, she sent for her little brother and a companion named Aurelia to pass the night with her. All the young people that night distinctly heard noises which, as they declared, sounded like the footsteps of a man passing from the bedroom into the buttery, then down the cellar stairs, .traversing the cellar for a short distance, and then suddenly stopping. They were very much frightened, and scarcely slept the remainder of the night. In the "Report of Mysterious Noises," Mrs. P., the mother of Lucretia, who resided near, deposed that, having called on Mrs. one day, after the foregoing circumstances, she found her quite ill from want of rest on the previous night. On inquuing the cause, Mrs. declared that she was sick of her life, and that she heard the footsteps of a man traversing the house all night ; a statement which she often subsequently repeated. About a week after the visit of the pedler to the house, Lucretia, having occa- sion to go down into the cellar, stumbled and fell into some soft soil. Aware that this was unusual, she screamed for assistance, and when Mrs. came to her, she asked "whatever had Mr. been doing in the cellar?" Mrs. replied that it was o\Ay rat-holes ; and a few nights afterwards, the wit- ness related that Mr. was busy for a long time in the cellar filling up "the rat-holes" with earth which he carried there himself The house, as has been stated, was an humble frame dweUing, consisting of two fair-sized parlors opening into each other, a bed-room, and buttery or pantry, opening into one of the rooms ; and a stairway between the buttery and bedroom, leading down to the cellar and up to the half-story above. It seems that those who had inhabited this house previously ha,d never noticed any unusual sounds or disturbances in it. A few months from the occurrences abo\'e de- tailed it was occupied by a Mr. Michael Weekman, whose testimony we AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 3 1 exti-act from Dr. Campbell's published account of the spirit rappings at Hydesville, which states that — "The first well-authenticated history that we have of the sounds so unaccountable to those who have heard them was in a house occupied by Mr. Michael Weelcman, in a little village known by the name of Hydesville, in the towTiship of Arcadia, Wayne County. He resided in the house for about eighteen months, and left some time in the year 1847. Mr. Weelcman makes the statement in substance as follows : That one evenmg, about the time of retiring, he heard a rapping on the outside door, and, what was rather unusual for him, instead of familiarly bidding them ' come in,' stepped to the door and opened it. He had no doubt of finding some one who wished to come in, but, to his surprise, found no one there. He went back and proceeded to undress, when, just before getting into bed, he heard another rap at the door, loud and distinct. He stepped to the door quickly and opened it, but, as before, found no one there.' He stepped out and looked around, sup- posing that some one was imposing on him. He could discover no one, and went back into the house. After a short time he heard the rapping again, and stepped up [it being often repeated] and held on to the latch, so that he might ascertain if any one had taken that means to annoy him. The rappmg was repeated ; the door opened instantly, but no one was to be seen ! He states that he could feel the jar of the door very plainly when the rapping was heard. As he opened the door, he sprung out and went around the house, but no one was in sight. His family were fearful to have him go out lest some one intended to harm him. It always remamed a mystery to him, and finally, rs the rapping did not continue at that time, passed from his mind, except when sometlaing of the same nature occurred to revive it. " They were at one time disturbed by a manifestation of a different nature, which might be thought more incredible than the. former, had not facts proved that such occurrences were common in the families where the early manifestations were heard. One night their little girl, then about eight years of age, was heard to scream from fright, so that the family were alarmed by her cries and went to her assistance. This was about midnight. She told them that something like a hand had passed over her face and head ; that she felt it on the bed and all over her, but did not become so much alarmed until it touched her face. It seemed cold, and so badly had she been frightened that it was a long time before slie could tell the cause of her alarm. It was several days before she could be induced to go into the same room to sleep. "All. this might have occurred, and been only 'the idle fabric of a dream;' and we should be inclined to the belief that such was the case had we not had the most conclusive evidence that such manifestations were quite common, not only in that house, but in various others where any of these strange occurrences have happened. "We hear nothing more of Mr. Weekman being disturbed by the rappings or other manifestations, or there being anything of the kind with that exception, until after the house was occupied by the family of ]Mr. John D. Fox. It was resented to that family to be the instruments of communicating to the world, or to this part of it, this most singular affair. They were the ones who first, as if by accident, found out that there was an in- telligence manifested even in this rapping, which at first appeared nothing more than an annoying and unaccountable noise. *■' The family of J\Ir. Fox were well known in the neighborhood where they resided. Mr. and Mrs. Fox were connected with the INIethodist Episcopal Church, of which they had for many years been exemplary members, and had sustained a character unimpeachable for truth and veracity. No one who knew them had the least suspicion of their honesty or truthfulness. At the time these occurrences first took place in the family, there were living with the parents three daughters, the youngest about twelve years of age. "There are probably few families in which such an occurrence could have taken place where it would have created a greater degi'ee of surprise and fear than m this one. They were entirely unacquamted with the history of any similar occurrence in the world, and brought up in the common routine of religious belief they were, as in fact aU the world really was and still is, entirely unprepared for such a development of the power of spirits to make themselves known to us by somids or other ways." From the family themselves the author learns that they heard knocking very frequently before the jjeriod when they first called in the neighbors, and that they generally seemed to proceed from the bedroom or the cellar be- neath. Mrs. Fox was at first disposed to attribute these sounds to a neigh- boring shoemaker, but the cause soon began to be plainly located in the 32 HISTORY OF MODERN house itself, and not only seemed to jar the furniture, but even to OGcasi je a slightly oscillating movement of the bed in Avhich the children slept. Some- times the sounds resembled footsteps, and occasionally the children com- plained of being touched by something invisible, which at one tmie seemed like a cold hand, and again a large dog. The family had moved into the house in December, 1847, and in the February of the following year the noises had become so distinct and continuous that their rest was broken night after night, and they were worn out by their eftbrts to discover the cause. Up to the March of 1848 these disturbances, harassing and even serious as they were, affecting their rest and tranquility of a night, had never been heard during the day. At length, however, they became "so incessant and distressing that Mrs. Fox communicated the matter to her son David, a farmer, who resided about three miles distant from the troubled house. Her story, however, was listened to with incredulity, and regarded simply as the work of imagin- ation " or something of the simplest kind in the Avorld." On Friday even- ing, March 31st, the family had retired to bed earlier than usual, being completely worn out with the restlessness induced by former disturbances. The mother had strictly charged the children " to lie still " and take no notice whatever of the sounds ; but, as if in rebuke of her determined insen- sibility, they were on this occasion louder and more pertinacious than ever. Rest or silence was impossible ; the parents had not yet retired, but were about to do so. The children kept exclaiming, and sitting up in bed to listen to the sounds. Mr. and Mrs. Fox tried the windows and doors, but all in vain ; the raps were evidently answering the noise occasioned by the father's shaking the window-shashes, as if in mockery. At length the young- est child, Kate — who, in her guileless innocence, had become familiar with the invisible knocker, until she was more amused than alarmed at its pres- ence — merrily snapped her fingers and called out, " Here, Mr. Split-foot, do as I do ! " The effect was instantaneous ; the invisible rapper responded by imitating the number of her movements. She then made a given number of motions with her finger and thumb in the air, but without noise, and her astonishment and childish delight was' redoubled to find that it could see as well as heai-, for a corresponding number of knocks were immediately given to her noiseless motions. " Only look, mother ! " she cried ; " look, it can see as well as hear ! " What an announcement were these few simple words ! It can see as well as hear should have been a text which all the doctors, professors, sceptics, and scoffers who have subsequently tried to crush out the sublime truth of spiritual intercourse with earth should have studied and learned by heart ere they entered on their rash and irreverend crusade. Flappily for the momentous work which the spiritual telegraphers had undertaken to initiate in this humble dwelling, the first manifestations did not appeal to the high and learned of the earth, but to the plain common- sense of an honest farmer's wife, and suggested that whatever could see, hear, and intelligently respond to intelligent queries, must have in it some- thing in common with humanity; and thus prompted ' she continued her investigations, an act doubtless far beneath the dignity of mighty professors and learned savans, who can work out problems in Euclid, but scorn to de- scend to the simple task of putting two and two together to make four. Addressing the viewless rapper, Mrs. Fox then said, " Count ten." The raps obeyed. " How old is my daughter Margaret?" then " Kate. " Both questions were distinctly and correctly rapped out. The next response was v/rong, however. Querying, " How many children have I ? " the raps an- AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 2>Z swered " seven." Mrs. Fox only had six living, but having become sur- prised and interested enough to Avish that the invisible rapper should be cor- rect, she repeated her question, and was again ansv/ered by seven knocks. Suddenly she cried, "How many have I living?" six raps responded; " How many dead ? " a single knock ; and both these answers proved correct. To the next question, " Are you a man that knocks ? " there v.^as no response; but '■'■ Are you a spirit?'''' elicited firm and distinct responsive knocks. To the question whether " it Avould knock " if she called in her neighbors, an answer was given, Avhereupon she sent her husband for a Mrs. Redfield, who, after questioning the knocker in the same manner and re- ceiving numerous and always correct responses, in great agitation proceeded to summon others, by whom similar investigations were conducted, with equal success, far into the night. The reader must endeavor to picture to himself the scene which followed the introduction of the neighbors to this weird and most novel court of in- quiry. Imagine the place to be an humble cottage bedroom in a remote and obscure hamlet; the judge and jurors, simple, unsophisticated rustics ; and the witness an invisible, unknown being, a denizen of a world of whose very existence mankind has been ignorant ; acting by laws mysterious and incon- ceivable, in modes utterly beyond all human control or comprehension, and breaking through what has been deemed the dark and eternal seal of death, to reveal the long hidden mysteries of the grave and drag to the light secrets which not even the fabled silence of the tomb could longer hide away. Those who have been accustomed to dream of death as the end of all vvhom its shadowy portals inclose, alone are prepared to appreciate the awful and startling reahty of this strange scene, breaking apart, as it did, like a rope of saud, all the preconceived opinions of countless ages on the existence and flestiny of the living dead. Those who have become familiar with the revealments of the spirit circle will only smile at the consternation evoked in this rustic party by the now- familiar presence and manifestations of "the spirits;" but to those who still stand in the night of superstition, deeming of all earth's countless millions as dead ! dead ! lost ! gone ! no one knows whither ; never to return ; to give no sign, no echo, no dim vibration from that vast gulf profound of unfathomed mystery — what a picture is that which suddenly brings them in an instant face to face with the mighty hosts of vanished dead, all clothed in life, and girded round with panoply of power, and light, and strength ; with vivid memory of the secret wrongs deemed buried in their graves ! The wrong doer and his victims face to face ; earth's murdered ones in life again ; her loved ones, supposed to be crumbling into dust, in busy, active life, fanning our cheeks with threads of golden hair ! "W^iy, sirs, the very air is full of them ! Our city streets are thronged with an unseen people who flit about us, jostling us in thick crowds, and in our silent chambers, our secret closets, and our busiest haunts ; their piercing eyes, invisible to us, are scan- ning all our ways. The universe is teeming with them; "there are no DEAD." Those who went out from the humble chamber on that night of mingled fear and awe beheld the Avorid they lived in with changed eyes. Every familiar thing to them seemed to wear a different aspect. Something was altered ; some might}^, nameless change had fallen on all around them, and though they knew not how to phrase their thoughts in speech, they all and each felt that they Avere another man or Avoman, Avhilst the air, the earth, the dust beneath them, and the sky above, Avere filled Avith a vieAA'less host 3 34 HISTORY OF MODERN of spirit-witnesses ; and that for all they had loved and lost, as for themselves, '■'■there is no deaths Returning from this digression to the house at Hydesville on the memor- able night of March 31st, 1848, Ave again invite the reader to the perusal of the statements collected by Dr. Campbell. After reiterating the questions already quoted, the pamphlet continues the narrative thus : '* Mrs Fox then inquired in the same way — /. e. by the raps — if it was an injured spirit, and to request an answer in the same way, and the rapping was repeated. In tliis way it answered her until she ascertained that it purported to be the spirit of a man, and that he was murdered for his money. To the question of how old he was, there were thirty-one distinct raps. She also ascertained by the same means that he was a married man, and liacl left a wife and five children ; that his wife was dead, and had been dead two years. After ascertaining so much, she asked the question, ' Will the noise continue if I call in the neighbors? ' The answer was, by rapping, in the affirmative. They then for the first time began to call in their neighbors, to help, if possible, to solve this great mystery. "At first they called in their nearest neighbors, who came thinking tliey would have a hearty laugh at the family for being frightened ; but when the first lady that came in found that the noise, whatever it might be, could tell the age of herself as well as others and give correct answers to questions on matters of which the family of Mr. Fox v/as entirely ignorant, she concluded that there was something beside a subject of ridicule and laughter in these unseen but audible communications. These neighbors insisted on calling in others, who came, and after investigation were as much confounded as at first. "The family, being somewhat alarmed and much fatigued, left the house for the night. The next day the excitement began to spread, and the house was filled with anxious seekers for the unknown and invisible visitor. Through that day and up to that time there were no sounds heard in the daytime. "On Sunday morning, April 2d, the noise commenced in the daytime, and was heard all that day by all who could get into the house, as the crowd which came from all quarters was much greater than the house would hold. We have heard it estimated that at one tim.e there were as many as five hundred people who had gathered to hear the sounds, so great was the excitement at the commencement of these strange occurrences. On Saturday evening, there was a committee appointed to ask questions and report what the result was, but it was nothing of any importance differing from what is here related." As a confirmation of what we have above stated, we give the following extracts from the testimony of William Deusler, of Arcadia, an immediate neighbor of Mr. Fox at the time of the transaction. This statement was published in a pamphlet by E. E. Lewis, Esq., of Canandaigua, New York, which contains the testimony of many persons in the neighborhood. Mr. Deusler says : " I live in this place. I moved from Cayuga County here last October. I live within a few rods of the house in which these noises have been heard. The first I heard anything about them was one week ago last Friday evening [31st day of March]. Mrs. Redfield came over to my house to get my wife to go over to Mr. Fox's. Mrs. Redfield appeared to be very much agitated. My wife wanted I should go with them, and I accordingly went. When she told us what she wanted us to go for I laughed at her, and ridiculed the idea that there was anything mysterious in it. I told her it was all nonsense, and that it could easily be accounted for. This was about nine o'clock in the evening. Tliere were some twelve or fourteen persons there when I got into the room. I went into the room and sat down on the bed. Mr. Fox asked questions, and I heard the rapping \\-liich they had spoken of, distinctly. I felt the bedstead jar when the sound was produced. " Mrs. Fox then asked if it would answer my questions, if I asked any, and if so, rap. It then rapped three times. I then asked if it was an injured spirit, and it rapped ; I asked if it had come to hurt any one who was present, and it did not rap. I then reversed this question, and it rapped. I asked if I or my father had injured it [as we had formerly lived in the house] ; there was no noise. Upon asking the negative of these questions, the rap- ping was heard. I then asked if Mr. [naming a person v>'ho had formerly lived in the house] had injured it, and if so, to manifest it by rapping, and it made three knocks louder than common, and at the same time the bedstead jarred more than it had done before. I then inquired if it was murdered for money, and the knocking was heard. I then requested AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 35 it to rap when I mentioned the sum of money for which it was mm-dered. I then asked if it was one hundred, two, three or four, and when I came to five hundred the rapping was heard. All in the room said they heard it distinctly. I then asked the question if it was five hundred dollars, and the rapping was heard. "After this, I sent over and got Artemus W. Hyde to come over.* He came over. I then asked over nearly the same questions as before, and got the same answers. Mr. Red- field sent after David Jewel and mfe, and Mrs. Hyde also came. After they came in 1 asked the same questions over and got the same answers I then asked it to rap my age — the number of years of my age. It rapped thirty times. This is my age, and I do not think any one about here knew my age, except myself and family. I then told it to rap my wife's age, and it rapped thirty times, which is her exact age ; several of us counted it at the same time. I then asked it to rap A. W. Hyde's age ; then Mrs. A. W. Hyde's age. I then continued to ask it to rap the ages of different persons — naming them — in the room, and it did so correctly, as they all said. I then asked the number of children in the different families in the neighborhood, and it told them correctly in the usual way, by rapping ; also the number of deaths that had taken place in the different families, and it told correctly " I then asked in regard to the time it was murdered, and in the usual way, by asking the different days of the week and the different hours of the day, learned that it was mur- dered on Tuesday night, about twelve o'clock. The rapping was heard only when this particular time was mentioned. When it was asked if it was murdered on a Wednesday, or Thursday, or Friday night, etc., there was no rapping. I then asked if it carried any trunk, and it rapped that it did. Then how many, and it rapped once. In the same way we ascertained that it had goods in the trunk, and that took them when he murdered him ; and that he had a pack of goods besides, I asked if its wife was living, and it did not rap. If she was dead, and it rapped This was tried over several times and the result was always the same. " I then tried to ascertain the first letters of its name by calling over the different letters ^^ of the alphabet. I commenced with A, and asked if it was the initial of its name ; and ! when I asked if it was B the rapping commenced. We then tried all the other letters, but could get no answer by the usual rapping. I then asked if we could find out the whole name by reading over all the letters of the alphabet, and there was no rapping. I then reversed the question, and the rapping was heard There were a good many more questions asked on that night by myself and others, which I do not now remember. They were all readily answered in the same way. I staid in the house until about twelve o'clock and then came home. Mi\ Redfield and Mr. Fox staid in the house that night. " Saturday night I went over agaiir about seven o'clock. The house was full of people when I got there. They said it had been rapping some time. I went into the room. It was rapping in answer to questions when I went in "There were as many as three hundred people in and around the house at this time, I should think. Hiram Soverhill, Esq., and Volney Brown asked it questions while I was there, and it rapped in answer to them. "1 went over again on Sunday between one and two o'clock P. M. I went into the cellar with several others, and had them all leave the house over our heads ; and then I asked, if there had been a man buried in the cellar, to manifest it by rapping or any other noise or sign. The moment I asked the question there was a sound like the falling of a stick about a foot long and half an inch through, on the floor in the bedroom over our heads. It did not seem to rebound at all ; there was but one sound. I then asked Stephen Smith to go right up and examine the room, and see if he could discover the cause of the noise. He came back and said he could discover nothing ; that there was no one m the room, or in that part of the house. I then asked two more questions, and it rapped in the usual way. We all went up-stairs and made a thorough search, but could find nothing. "I then got a knife and fork, and tried to see if I could make the same noise by dropping them, but I could not. This was all I heard on Sunday. There is only one floor, or par- tition, or thickness between the bedroom and the ceUar ; no place where anything could be secreted to make the noise. When this noise was heard m the bedroom I could feel a slight, tremulous motion or jar " On Monday night I heard this noise again, and asked the same questions I did before and got the same answers. This is the last time I have heard any rapping. I can in no way account for this singiflar noise which I and others have heard. It is a mysteiy to me which I am unable to solve " I lived in the same house about seven years ago, and at that time never heard any * The son of the proprietor of the house at Hydesville. ^6 HISTORY OF MODERN noises of the kind in and about the premises. I have understood from Johnston and others who have lived there before moved there, that there were no such sounds heard there while they occupied the house. I never believed in haunted houses, or heard or saw any- thing but what I could account for before. (Signed) "Ap-il 12, 1848. William Deusler." To the same effect is the testimony of the following persons, whose cer- tificates are published in the work alluded to, namely : John D. Fox, Walter Scotten, Elizabeth Jewel, Lorren Tenney, James Bridger, Chauncey P. Losey, Benjamin F. Clark, Elizabeth Fox, Vernelia Culver, William D. Storer, Marvin P. Losey, David S. Fox, and Mary Redfield. CHAPTER III. THE FIRST SPIRITUAL TELEGRAPH ON EARTH. "We are the first that ever burst Into that silent sea." Ancient Mariner. So blind, so ignorant is man, That did not God withhold in ijiercy what we ask We would be ruined at our own request." Hannah More. The First Spirit Circle — The Removal to Rochester — Persecution — The Beginning of Sorrows — The Spirits Rejected — Their Return and great Joy of the Mediums — Preliminary Arrangements for Public Investiga- tions. As it was deemed best for Mrs. Fox and her children to seek the shelter of a neighbor's house on the night of March 31st, when they had departed, Mr. Fox and his neighbors, to the number of seventy or eighty persons, re- mained to question as best they could their mysterious visitor by the knocks. Through these, obtaining affirmative answers or silence to their suggestions, they learned that the rapper purported to be the spirit of a pedler, who had been, as it was stated in the preceding chapter, murdered in that house be- tween four and five years ago. On na,ming over the various inhabitants of the house who might have destroyed him, the knocks emphatically and repeatedly pointed to one who had lived there at the time indicated by the spirit. It was in this way ascertained [as far, at least, as answers to leading questions could be held as testimony], that the pedler was murdered on the Tuesday night that Lucre tia P., the hired girl, was sent away; that was alone in the house, and that " the body was dragged through the parlor, into the buttery, and thence down the cellar stairs, and buried ten feet deep in the cellar." When the party adjourned to the cellar, the knocks accompanied them, and repeatedly confirmed the above story in every particular ; these sounds also indicated the place where the body was buried, and the rappings were given on the spot above the place pointed out in the cellar. An attempt was made to receive communications through raps, by caUing the letters of the alphabet ; the sounds responded to C and B, but it was not until a later period that Mr. David Fox succeeded in ob- taining the full name of Charles B. Rosna. To the practiced investigator in AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 37 spiritual phenomena, it will be readily understood that the confused mag- netic spheres of the highly-excited crowd assembled in the cellar at Hydes- ville on the night of the 31st of March, prevented the success of the first attempt of spirits to communicate through raps by the alphabet ; and the same considerations show why Mr. Fox, in a calm and prayerful spirit, did succeed on a later occasion. The only marvel is that this attempt was not again resorted to until four months aftervv'ards, when Isaac Post, a member of the Society of Friends and an acquaintance of the Fox famil}^, weary of the unsatisfactory method of prompting questions and only obtaining nega- tive or affirmative replies, suggested the same method of communication as that used by David Fox in the cellar. The result of this experiment has been, as all investigators know, eminently successful, where the conditions have not been broken by over-anxiety, fear, antagonism, or any strong emotion on the part of those present; conditions which, by causing disturbance in the delicate, imponderable aura that surrounds the circle, as conclusively break the affinities through which the manifestations are made as unscientific ar- rangements will destroy the effect of a voltaic pile or galvanic battery. Notwithstanding the crude methods in which the first mvestigators at Hydes- ville endeavored to communicate with their invisible respondent, their report, and the astounding implication of murder involved in it, drew all the inhabi- tants from far and near to the house. Up to seven o'clock on the evening of April 1st, however, no noises were heard, after which they re-commenced, and answered the questions as before, when amongst the hundreds there assembled, it was asserted that not a single incorrect response was given. On the Monday following Mr. David Fox and others commenced digging in the cellar, but as the house was built on low ground, and in the vicinity of a stream then much swollen by rains, it was not surprising that they were baffled by the influx of water at the distance of three feet down. In the summer of 1848, when the ground was dry and the water lowered, "the dig- gings" again commenced, when they found a plank, a vacant place or hole, some bits of crockery, which seemed to have been part of a wash-bowl, char- coal, quicklime, some human hair, bones [declared on examination by a surgeon to be human], and a portion of a human skull. Such Avere the results of the examination of the cellar ; such the only cor- roborative evidences obtained of the truth of the spirit's tale of untimely death ; and hence it may be proper to add that Mr. , the party to whom the spirit emphatically pointed as his murderer, came forward from the town of Lyon, N; Y., to which he had removed in 1846, and produced a certificate of good character, signed by forty-four persons, to the effect that they had "never known anything against him," and '■'■believed him to be a man of upright and honest life, and incapable of committing the crime of which he was suspected." By way of throwing discredit on the tale rapped out by the spirits, several other missing persons were said to have been murdered, and after various parties had been accused falsely "by the spirits," reappeared again. Most of these stories proved " bogus," and none of them bear the least relation to the unsought and unexpected spontaniety of the revelations at Hydesville. No further investigations, however, have been deemed necessary into this affair. The presence of human remains in the cellar proves that some 07ie was buried there, and the accompanying quicklime and charcoal testify to the fact that all traces of that mysterious inhumation were purposely destroyed. The Fox family did not immediately quit the scene of this mysterious haunting, but remained to witness still more astonishing phenomena. The 38 HISTORY OF MODERN' furniture was frequently moved about; the girls were often clasped by hard, cold hands; doors were opened and shut with much violence, their beds were so shaken that they were compelled to " camp out," as they termed it, on the ground ; their bed-clothes were dragged from off them, and the very floor and house made to rock as in an earthquake. Night after night they would be appalled by hearing a sound like a death struggle, the gurgling of the throat, a sudden rush as of falling blood, the dragging as if of a help- less body across the room and down the cellar stairs ; the digging of a grave, nailing of boards, and the filling up as of a new-made grave. These sounds have been subsequently produced by request, and spontaneously also, in the presence of many persons assembled in circles at Rochester ; but occurring as they did in that "lonely dreadful house," in the stillness of the dim even- ing, or dark night, and startling them, when not thinking of the subject, with all the ghastly sounds of a murder then enacting in tragic reality close to them, produced upon them the most painful and distressing feelings, aggra- vated, too, by other circumstances of annoyance that now began to thicken around them. It was perceived that " the spirits" seemed to select or require the presence of the two younger girls of the family for the production of the sounds, and though these had been made zvithoiit them, especially on the night of the 31st of March, when all the family save Mr. Fox were absent from the house, still, as curiosity prompted them to close observation of, and conversation with the invisible power, it was clear that the manifestations became more powerful in the presence of Kate, the youngest sister, than with any one else. As the house was continually thronged with curious inquirers, and the time, comfort, and peace of the family Avere consumed in these harassing disturbances, besides the most absurd though injurious suspicions being cast upon them, they endeavored to baffle the haunters by sending Kate to reside with her eldest sister, Mrs. Fish, at Rochester ; but no sooner was she gone than the manifestations re-commenced, with more force than ever, in the presence of Margaretta, the second sister. In course of time, Mrs. Fox, with both her daughters, took up their residence in Rochester ; but neither change of place nor house, nor yet the separation of the family, afforded them any relief from the disturbances that now evidently attached themselves to per- sons rather than to places, as formerly. Although the Fox family had for months sedulously striven to banish the power that tormented them, praying with all the fervor of true Methodism to be released frojn it, and enduring fear, loss, and anxiety in its continuance, the report of its persistent mani- festation began to spread abroad, causing a rain of persecution to fall upon them from all quarters. The respectable parents were so severely censured and so impertinently lectured by their minister — who should have been the foremost to sustain them in their heavy visitations — that they were obliged to sever their long- cherished and hitherto unblemished relations with their church. Old friends looked coldly on them, and strangers circulated the most atrocious slanders at their expense. Mrs. Fish, the eldest sister, who was a teacher of music in Rochester, be- gan to lose her professional connections ; and vt^hilst the sudden blanching of the poor mother's hair in a si?igle week bore testimony to the mental tortures which supra-mundane terrors and mundane cruelties had heaped upon them, the world was taunting them with originating, in wilful imposture, the very manifestations which were destroying their health, peace of mind, good name, and fortunes. Notwithstanding their dislike of the notoriety that these mani- festations brought upon them, however, it was impossible to avoid it. AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 39 Tliey had solicited the advice of their much-respected friend, Isaac Post, a high!}'' esteemed Quaker citizen of Rochester, and, at his suggestion, suc- ceeded in communicating by raps \A\\x the invisible power, through the alphabet. Thus telegraphic numbers were given to signify "yes," "no," " doubtful," etc., and sentences v/ere spelled out, by which were learned the astounding facts that not only " Charles Rosna," the supposed murdered pedler, but hosts of spirits, good and bad, high and low, could, under certain conditions not understood, and impossible for mortals yet to comprehend, communicate with earth ; that such communication was produced through the forces of spiritual and human magnetism, in chemical affinity ; that the varieties of magnetism in different individuals afforded "medium power" to some, and denied it to others ; that the magnetic relations necessary to produce phenomena were very subtle, liable to disturbance, and singularly susceptible to the influence of mental emotions ; that the spirits chiefly concerned in the inauguration of this telegraphy were philosophic and scien- tific minds, many of Avhom had made the study of electricity and other imponderables a specialty in the earth-life, and jDrominent among them the name of Dr. Benjamin Franklin was frequently given. In addition to com- munications purporting thus to explain the object and sonlething of the modus operandi of the communion, numerous spirit friends of the family, and those who joined in their investigations, gladdened the hearts of their as- tonished relatives by direct and unlooked-for tests of their presence. They came spelling out their names, ages, and various tokens of identity con^ectly, and proclaiming the joyful tidings that they all "still lived," "still loved," and with the tenderness of human affection, and the wisdom of a higher sphere of existence, watched over and guided the beloved ones who had mourned them as dead, with all the gracious ministry of guardian angels. The spirits recommended the assembling of the friends of the family together in harmonious meetings, which have since obtained the name of "spirit circles," and at these, the practice of animal magnetism to some of the parties present was suggested, as a means of evoking the phenomena of clairvoyance. But redolent of joy and consolation as is the intercourse with beloved spirit friends at this time when orderly communion has succeeded to doubtful experiment, it must not be supposed that any such harmonious results characterized the initiatory proceedings of the spiritual movement in Rochester. "VVithin and without the dwellings of the mediums, all was fear, consternation, doubt, and anxiety. Several persons possessed of clairvoyant and clairaudient powers had been developed as mediums by magnetism. But in the meantime fanatical religionists of different sects had forced themselves into the family gatherings, and the wildest scenes of rant, cant, and absurdity often ensued. Opinions of the most astounding nature were hazarded concerning the object of this movement; some determining that it was a "millenium," and looking for the speedy reign of a personal Messiah and the equally speedy destruction of the wdcked. Boisterous sounds accompanied the fervent prayers of the ranters, and wild confusion, in which invisible actors played their weird part, added to the distraction of the already tortured mediums. A Mr. Calvin Brown, who resided in the house of Mrs. Fish, and after- wards became her husband, being particularly opposed to the manifestations, •seemed to be selected by the spirits as a marlced butt for their Puck-like pranks. They threw books, pamphlets, and other small articles about his person, and though — one occasion alone excepted — they never struck him 40 HISTORY OF MODERN with sufficient force to cause him the least injury, they persecuted him by inteUigent signs and movements of so violent, erratic, and even spiteful a character, as to compel him at last to own and respect their power. They often threw about the house blocks of wood with sentences written on them for the encouragement and instruction of the family, who uniformly con- ducted themselves gently, piously, and in fact admirably, in the midst of the trying scenes they were passing through. It must not be supposed that the clergy were idle spectators of the tumultuous wave that was sweeping over the city. On the contrary, several of them called on Mrs. Fox with offers to "exorcise the spirits;" and when they found their attempts were futile, and that though the spirits would rap in chorus to the "aniens" with which they concluded their incantations, they were otherwise unmoved by these reverend performances, they generally ended by proclaiming abroad that the family were "in league with the evil one" or the authors of a "vile imposture." Honorable exceptions, how- ever, were found to this cowardly and unchristian course, and amongst these was the Rev. A. H. Jervis, a Methodist minister, of Rochester, in whose family remarkable manifestations occurred of the same character as in that of the Foxes, and whose appreciation of the beauty and worth of the com- munications he received several of his published letters bear witness of. Mr. Lyman Granger, Rev. Charles Hammond, Deacon Hale, and several other families of v/ealth and influence, both in Rochester and the surrounding towns, also began to experience similar phenomena in their own households, while the news came from all quarters, extending as far as Cincinnati and St. Louis, West, and Maine, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and New York, East, that the mysterious rappings and other phases of what is now called "medium power" were rapidly spreading from town to town and State to State, in fulfilment of an assurance made in the very first of the communion to the Misses Fox, namely, "that these manifestations were not to be con- fined to them, but would go all over the world." Notwithstanding the fact that many persons besides the Fox family became distinguished as mediums for the sounds, movements of furniture, and other manifestations of supra- mundane intelligence, and that every day saw some new development of "the power" in families whose wealth and position placed them beyond the reach of suspicion or the possibility of collusion, so startling and unparalleled had been the first appearance of the phenomena that it seemed impossible for the public mind to dissever their origin and continued practice from the Fox family. They were still called the " Rochester knockers," the " Fox girls," the "rappers," and other epithets, equally foolish and cruelly obnoxious to their interests and feelings. Catharine Fox, the youngest girl, had been removed to the house of Mr. E. W. Capron, of Auburn. Mrs. Fish, though generally present when phenomena were transpiring, was not in its earliest phases conscious of being a medium. Margaretta, the second sister, was then in reality the only one through whom the manifestations appeared to proceed, when in November, 1848, the spirits, who had long been urging them to permit public investigations to be made through her mediumship, informed them by raps that "they could not always strive with them," and since they were constantly disobedient to the spirits' requests, and obviously opposed to their presence, they should leave them, and in all probability withdraw for another generation, or seek through other sources for the fulfilment of the high and holy purposes with which this spiritual outpouring had been designed. AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 41 To these appeals the family were inflexible. They constantly prayed that the cup of this great bitterness "might pass from them." They "did not wish to be mediums," and abhorred the notoriety, scandal, and persecu- tion which their fatal gift had brought upon them, and when warned that the spirits would leave them they protested their delight at the announce- ment, and expressed their earnest desire that it might be fulfilled. There were present at a circle, when communications of this character were made, several influential persons of the city, who had become greatly interested in the manifestations and were warm friends of the family. They could not, however, realize that the threat here implied would actually be fullilled until the spirits, by rappings, spelled out several messages of a particularly affectionate and valedictory character. The scene became, says an eye- witness, solemn and impressive. The spirits announced that in twenty minutes they would depart, and exactly as that time expired, they spelled out, "We will now bid you all farewell;" when the raps entirely ceased. The family expressed themselves "glad to be rid of them;" the friends present vainly tried to obtain, by solicitations, made, as it would seem, to empty air, some demonstration that this beneircent and Avonderful visitation had not indeed wholly ceased. All v/as useless. A mournful silence filled the apartment which had but a few minutes before been tenanted with angels, sounding out their dear messages of undying affection, tender counsel, wise instruction, and prescient warning. The spirits indeed were gone ; and as one by one the depressed party separated and passed out into the silent moonlit streets of Rochester, all and each of them felt as if some great light had suddenly gone out, and life was changed to them. There was a mighty blank in space, and a shadow everywhere, but spirit light came no more to illuminate the thick darkness. A fortnight passed away, during which the former investigators called constantly on the Fox family to inquire if their spirit friends had returned. For the first few days a stoical negative vras their only reply; after this, they began more and more fully to recognize the loss they had sustained. The wise counsellors were gone; the sources of strange strength and super- human consolation were cut off. The tender, loving, wonderful presence, no more flitted around their steps, cheered their meals, encouraged them in their human weakness, or guided them in their blindness. And these most v/onderful and providential beings their own waywardness had driven from them. At last, then, they met their inquiring friends with showers of tears, choking sobs, and expressions of the bitterest self-reproach and regret. On the twelfth day of this great heart-dearth JNIr. E. W. Capron, being in Rochester on business, called at the house of Mrs. Fish, with George Willetts, a member of the Society of Friends, and one of their earliest spiritual investigators. On receiving the usual sorrowful reply "that the spirits had left them," Mr. Capron said, "Perhaps they will rap for us if not for you." They then entered the hall, and put the usual question if the spirits would rap for them, in answer to which, and to the unspeakable joy and delight of all present, they were greeted with a perfect shower of the much-lamented sounds. Mrs. Fish, now Mrs. Underhill, often declares to this day that if suddenly, fortune, friends, and all they had ever loved had been snatched from them, and as suddenly returned in an hour of despair and agony, their emotions could have scarcely equalled the ecstacy with which they once more greeted those precious returning proofs that their spirit friends had not deserted them. In fact, in the enthusiasm of that returning morning of long-quenched spiritual light, they 42 HISTORY OF MODERN knelt down and kissed the ground made sacred by the electric tones of the heavenly telegraph. And now once more the s^^irits urged them to make the manifestations public. Again they reiterated the charge with solemn earnestness, and despite of the mediums' continued aversion to the task imposed upon them, the fear of a fresh and final bereavement of the inestimable boon of spirit com- munion prevented their continued resistance to the course proposed. When the persons who were called upon to aid the mediums and take some- what prominent parts in the work urged the awkwardness of the positions assigned them, the spirits only replied, "Your triumph will be so much the greater." Chere is no doubt that the severe warning they had just received, and the fear of its repetition, acted upon the whole party with more force than any argument that could have been used to induce their submission. Certain it is that they at length consented, one and all, to do the bidding of the spirits ; but as their first public demonstration of the modern spiritual movement requires more accuracy of detail than history has yet assigned to it, we shall reserve its description for another chapter. CHAPTER IV. CORINTHIAN HALL, OR THE FIRST PUBLIC INVESTIGATION OF SPIRITUALISM. '"Tis bitter to endure the wrong Which evil hands and tongues commit ; The bold encroachments of the strong. The shafts of calumny and wit ; The scornful bearing of the proud. The sneers and laughter of the crowd. , Conscious of purity and worth, We may with calm assurance wait The tardy recompense of earth : And e'en though justice come too late To soothe the spirit's homeward flight. Still heaven at last the wrong shall right." Psalms of Life. Rochester Science and Piety in 1849 — Law and Divinity Trying the Spirits — The Brave Followers of George Fox — Testimony of George WiLLETTs, Rev. C. Hammond, and A. H. Jervis — Dr. Benjamin Franklin AS A Spirit and Spiritual Electricity. The first public investigation into the possibility of communion between the world of spirits and the earth they once inhabited — between bereaved mourners and the mysterious dwellers of an unknown land, claiming identity with the beloved ones thus mourned — should, as it would seem, have inspired the whole community with feelings of the most profound interest and solemn reverence. The scene of inquiry should have been a place dedicated to the sacred offices of religion, and the inquisitors the men who, above all others, profess to teach the doctrine of the soul's immortality. Far otherwise, however, did the ignorance and bigotry of the times decree that the investigation should be conducted. The spirits, through the rap- pings, both in the presence of Margaretta Fox in Rochester, and Catharine in Auburn, simultaneoulsy spelled out the same urgent requests that the family would challenge public scrutiny and scientific investigation. The compliaiice which they finally yielded was not only made on the grounds mentioned m AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 43 the last chapter, but also on the promise of the spirits that they would take part in a public inquiry by rapping loud enough to be heard by an assembled audience. After several trials in private houses, it was conceded that the raps were loud enough to sound distinctly in a large hall, before a crowded auditory. The order of proceedings indicated by the spirits arranged that " Corin- thian Hall," the largest public place of meeting in Rochester, should be hired, and a lecture given, narrating in plain and terse language the origin and progress of the manifestations from their commencement to their present date. Afterwards it was directed that a committee should be chosen from the most respectable of the audience present, who should have charge on the following day to investigate the subject in private, and report to an audi- ence each evening on three successive occasions. It was promised that the sounds should be made during the progress of the proceedings with sufficient force to be heard throughout the hall ; a promise that was amply redeemed by the spirits in clear and distinct rappings. Mr. E. W. Capron, of Auburn, was selected "to deliver the address; Air. George Willetts and Mr. Isaac Post to attend to the business arrangements ; Mrs. Amy Post, a few other ladies, and the Rev. A. PI. Jervis, N. Draper, Lyman Granger, and other well- known citizens, to accompany the mediums on to the platform. Many of the parties thu? honored by the selection of the spirits were exceedingly unwilling to accept the equivocal and embarrassing positions assigned to them ; better feelings and the urgency of the communications at length prevailed, however, and the first meeting in the exact order prescribed by the spirits took place on the evening of November 14th, 1849. The address was given by Mr. Capron in a manner at once so truthful and inter- esting that it commanded the respectful attention of a numerous audience. The silence was only broken by the clear tones of the speaker, and the dis- tinctly audible, though muffled sounds of the raps, which constantly empha- sized the striking passages of the address. At its close, a committee to investigate the subject and report on the next evening was chosen by the audience, consisting of the following persons, all highly respectable and responsible citizens of Rochester : Messrs A. J. Combs, Daniel Marsh, Na- thaniel Clark, K. Judson, and Edwin Jones. From unquestionable authority we learn that in the office of the Rochester Democrat^ an elaborate article was prepared, announcing "the entire explosion of the rapping humbug;" but though the article in question, to save time, was actually set up in type, yet the editors, to save credit, deferred its publication after the report of the committee.was publicly rendered in the following terms : "That without the knowledge of the persons in whose pi-esence the manifestations are made, the committee selected the hall of the Sons of Temperance for investigation ; that the somids on the floor near where the two ladies stood were heard as distinctly as at other places, and that part of the committee heard the rapping on the wall behind them ; that a number of questions were asked, which were answered not altogether right nor altogether wrong ; that in the afternoon they went to the house of a private citizen, and while there the sounds Avere heard on the outside of the front door, after they had entered, and on the door of a closet. By placing the hand upon the door, there was a sensible jar felt when the rapping was heard. One of the committee placed one of his Iiands upon the feet of the ladies and the other on the floor, and though the feet were not moved there was a distinct jar on the floor. On \.\\s. pavement ■s.Vl^ on the grotmd ih.Q same sounds were heard. When the ladies were separated at a distance no sound was heard, but when a third person was interposed between them the sounds were heard. The ladies seemed to give every opportunity to the committee to investigate the cause fully, and would submit to a thorough investigation by a committee of ladies, if desired. They aU agreed that the sounds were heard, but they enti7-ely failed to discover any means by which it could bt done." 44 HISTORY OF MODERN This report was delivered to an eager and excited audience on the second pubhc night, and seemed to fall Hke a thunder-bolt on many of those assem- bled, who had obviously come in the expectation of receiving one of a very different and far less favorable character. After some discussion, which already pointed to a disapproval of the re- port, and a wish to find the mediums guilty of imposture, another committee was appointed by the audience, such persons being named as were least likely to be favorable to the spiritual hypothesis of the sounds. The gentlemen thus selected were Dr. H. H. Langworthy, Hon. Frederick [Counsellor] Whittlesey, D. C. McCallum, William Fisher, and Hon. A. P. Hascall, of LeRoy. The ladies had been subject to examinations by the former committee, the rigidity of which was not one of the statements brought before the public. Their feelings were often outraged, their statements doubted, and their pecu- liarly sensitive natures wounded to agony by the cold, severe, and often sneering scrutiny to which they were subjected. Happily for them the spirit friends behind the scenes encouraged and cheered them, often warning them of the disagreeable nature of what they would have to encounter, of the ."hard and angular characters" of some of their judges, and the amenable and spiritual natures of others. The little great men whose verdict was to render forever to mankind the truth or falsehood of man's relations with ministering spirits, had no idea what a shrewd and analytical spirit painting of themselves had already un- masked them to those they pretended to judge, ere they themselves entered on the farce of trying the spirits. Still these two committees were so far honest in their search, and candid enough in their report, as greatly to incense the audiences which each night assembled, not to hear the truth, but rather in expectation of a report which should proclaim the Fox family impostors. The second investigation was conducted, to avoid all possibility of decep- tion, at the office of Counsellor Whittlesey. The ladies were placed in va- rious positions, together and separate, but though the only avowed medium was Margaret, Mr. Fish not deeming she had the " power," and Catharine being absent at Auburn, the sounds were heard on the floor, chairs, table, walls, door, and, in fact, everywhere. Dr. Langworthy tested the possibility of their being ventriloquism by the use of the stethescope, and the joint re- port of the committee was that "the sounds were heard, and their thorough investigation had conclusively shown them to be produced neither by ma- chinery nor ventriloquism, though what the agent was, the}^ were unable to determine." It would be impossible to describe the indignation that was manifested at this second failure, and a third committee was immediately chosen, whose sneers and scoffing remarks seemed their chief recommendation to the office. As a specimen of the animus of these investigations, it may be mentioned that one of them — Mr. Lewis Burtis — declared, "the girls wouldn't have him on the committee for a hundred dollars." Another — Mr. L. Kenyon — " that if he could not find out the trick he would throw himself over Genes- see Falls." In addition to these persons were Drs. Langworthy and Gates, and William Fitzhugh. To the honor of this committee be it said, that despite the most severe and inquisitorial treatment, conducted with circumstances of severity that are quite as well omitted from the record, they reported entirely in the ladies' favor, although Mr. Burtis frankly owned himself beaten, and Mr. Kenyon did not either tlirow himself over the Falls or pretend that he AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 45 could "find out the trick." In addition to this final examination under pub- lic auspices, the committee appointed another to assist them in their investi- gation, composed of ladies, by whom the clothing of the mediums was thoroughly searched, and even their shoes, stockings, and under-garments minutely examined. The poor girls wept bitterly during this ordeal; still they submitted to it, though shame and indignation wrought up their feelings to so severe a pitch that their sobs and lamentations were heard by 'some of their friends who had been purposely excluded from the room. One of these, a sweet Quaker lady — Mrs. Amy Post — vdio throughout the whole of their bitter trials had lent them the aid of her gentle counsel and the strength of her irreproachable name, at last insisted upon forcing her way into the chamber where the poor girls were disrobed and undergoing examination. No sooner did the sight of her friendly face greet them than they threw themselves into her arms, and the favorable revulsion of feeling occasioned by her presence had the etfect of producing what the severe scrutiny of antagonism had neu- tralized, namely, a perfect shower of raps, from which point the sounds were loud and frequent, responding to questions, and rapping whilst they stood with bare feet on pillows, glass, and other substances \_siipposed to be non-coti- ducfors of electricity], or with their dresses tightly tied to their ankles. In all these positions the raps were distinctly heard on the floor and Avails, in proof of which we extract the following passage from the certificate of the Ladies Committee : " When they were standing on pillows, with a handkerchief tied aronnd the bottom of their dresses, tight to the ankles, we all heard the rapping on the wall and floor distinctly. [Signed] "Mrs. Stone, Mrs. J. Gates, Mrs. M. p. Lawrence." Notwithstanding the confidence wliich the poor family had in their own in- tegrity and the strength and fidelity of the spirits, the power of public opinion was so strong against them, and the reports from without Avere of so alarming a character, that they almost shrank from the linal trial that Avas demanded of them, namely, to present themselves for the fourth time on the platform, dur- ing the presentation of the last report. The two first committees had frankly declared to Miss Fox their opinions of her perfect honesty; but it AA^as evident they disliked the task of presenting themselves before the excited crowds that had threatened to assemble at Corinthian Hall that night, and "lynch the rappers and their advocates too," provided the report of the third committee should be in their favor. Al- though the feeling of those AA'ho had come prepared for mischief Avas unmis- takable, the committee, opposed as they had been to the mediums the night before, Avere honest in their statements. "They had heard the sounds," they said, "and failed iitte?-ly to discover their origi7i. They had proved that neither machinery nor imposture had been used, and their questions, many of them being mental, AA-ere ansAvered correctly." .... Each member of the committee reported separately, and fully corroborated the others ; and then it Avas that a scene of confusion ensued, equally impos- sible to describe and discreditable to record. Mrs. Fish and Amy Post, though, to use their ovra Avords, they AA^ere " no mediums," had accompanied the pale and shrinking Margaretta on the plat- form, ready to defend or share her danger. But the poor ladies Avere not alone ; Isaac Post, the Rev. A. H. Jei-vis, and a feAV other true men, and therefore gentlemen, Avere on guard, determined to 46 HISTORY OF MODERN protect, or if need be ''perish with the martyrs to this unpopular but unques- tionable truth," whilst George Willetts, whose peaceful religion as a Quaker lent peculiar emphasis to his words, declared " that the mob of ruffians who designed to lynch 'the girls,' should do so — if they attempted it — over his dead body." Sustained by this faithful little band, Margaretta Fox and her friends pre- sented themselves on the platform ; but immediately following the reports of the different members of the committee, Josiah Bissell, writing himself " Esq." and "gentleman," proceeded to distribute torpedoes amongst "the boys," and ,on every side the explosion of these noisy tormentors distracted the ears and stimulated the ribald jokes of the mob against the "rappers." A "gentle- man," who had recently filled the post of alderman, led another gang of disturbers ; whilst two more prominent citizens, by the name of Jerome, gentlemen, who, as attached to a daily American paper, were supposed to be leaders of pubUc opinion, together with a certain Major Packard, .undertook to state that the sounds were made by leaden balls fastened to the "females' " dresses. They then mounted the platform and invited up the "rowdies" for "investigation," until the police, perceiving the disgraceful turn the pro- ceedings were taking, urged the ladies and their friends to retire, and after carefully guarding them home, were compelled to disperse the meeting by threatening the principal gentlemen present to arrest them as authors and instigators of the disturbance. And thus ended an investigation into the sublime and occult mysteries of the communion between the natural and spiritual worlds, in which gentlemen, magistrates, editors, and professional men were the judges, and enlightened American citizens the jury ; and thus too ended the experiment of entrusting any truth that has not yet been endorsed with the label of popularity, to the censorship of the men who assume to be leaders of public opinion. Spiritual agencies Avere wiser in days of yore, and entrusted the promulgation of divine truth to fishermen and Galileans rather than to Scribes and Phari- sees ; nevertheless, though the elite of Rochester citizenship was " called but not chosen," the cause they attempted to disgrace rose triumphantly out of the ruins they strove to create. The aim of wide-spread publicity was attained. The very bitterness of the opposition provoked disscussion, and thousands heard of, wondered at, investigated, and finally believed in, spiritual communion who would never have dreamed of the subject but for the persecution and slander that was publicly directed against the " Rochester knockings." But the spirit of persecution did not cease at Corinthian Hall. A feeling of determined and relentless antagonism was excited against the subject by the very impos- sibility of finding it out or crushing it down. Believers began to multiply ; mediums sprang up in families whose wealth and position removed them from the least suspicion of imposture ; and since it was impossible to reach these, or strike the hydra-headed monster in its now hourly-increasing mag- nitude, the only resort of the unreasoning spirit of persecution, which seems to be an unaccountable element developed by the advent of all new move- ments, was to strike at the humble and obnoxious Fox family. Notwithstanding the fact that up to the date of the first manifestations they had lived in the enjoyment of respect and an unblemished name from all who knew them, from this time forth the malignant blows that were aimed against the cause of Spiritualism were first levelled at them, and even now, their fair fame is blurred in the city of Rochester by meaningless slanders that once lamiched upon the relentless billows of time drift on forever, and though they may ultimately be swept away by the tides of oblivion, yet AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 47 never return upon their track to render justice at the point from whence they started. Before taking leave of the fortunes of this remarkable family, it will be necessary to the clear understanding of the influence for good which Spirit- ualism from the first assumed towards mankind, that we should present some of the views of the earliest investigators into this subject, in the form of certain letters which they themselves wrote in private correspondence, but which the irresistible logic of events has converted into testimony, rendered invaluable from its unpremeditated character and the obvious disinterested- ness of its authors. The first letter which we shall present is from the pen of Mr. George Willetts, who was known to all his acquaintances as a man of the most un- impeachable integrity and truthfulness. , Mr. Willetts' s conviction of the spiritual origin of the rappings became strong enough to induce him to take the noble and prominent part in the Corinthian Hall inquisition above noticed. His letter is addressed to Mr. E. W. Capron, of Auburn, who publishes it in his work on " The Facts and Fanaticisms of Modern Spirit- ualism." Our extract is taken from Dr. Campbell's pamphlet on the Roches- ter knockings : " Dear Friend, E. W. Capron : — It is with some reluctance that I furnish you with the following statement ; not that I am afraid to tell you the truth, but that the world, as I conceive, is not ready to receive such truths yet. Ridicule, probably, will be heaped upon me ; but when I consider that it is the ignorant only who use that weapon, perhaps I can afford to stand up and say, ' let the storm come.' AU who know me can say whether I have been truthful from my youth up, yea or nay; and the strongest language that I can use is to say that the following statement is strictly and entirely true : " 'In the summer of 1848, I had concluded, from the best judgment that I could bring to my aid, that it was right for my family to remove somewhere amongst the wilds of the West. Accordingly I took a tour of observation, and finding some land in Michigan that suited me better than any other, belonging to a gentleman living in Rochester, I stopped there on my return, in order, if possible, to negotiate for it. I staid wth my friend and relative, Isaac Post, and while there he told me of certain sounds being heard in the city, and that they displayed intelligence and purported to be made by spirits, or persons invisible to us. I was really sceptical about any such things, but at his solicitation went to examine it. The person with whom these sounds seemed to be I had never seen or heard of before, and my friend was careful not to tell them v/ho I was or where I had been. It seems that the question was asked whether there was any communication for me, and the direction from the sounds was that three persons be magnetized ; tv/o of them were present, and one was sent for from a neighboring family. I did not know the name of any person present ; and I was also certain that no one knew me. After the three persons were put in the ' clair- voyant state,' one of them said, ' We have to go to Michigan.' They all agreed that they had to go there, and began to describe places and things which I had seen, and at length came to a piece of land which they said was the place they came to look at. They then described the land so accurately which I had stopped in Rochester to buy that I began to wonder 'who had told them.' They all with one accord then said, ' But he must not go there. His father says he had better not go.' As they said this, there came a loud sound close by my chair, and I sat some distance from any other person. They spoke much of iny father, and what his mind was, and at each time that same sound was heard and the jar distinctly felt close by myself. They then said, * His mother thinks it is not best.' As they spoke this a different sound, not quite so loud, was heard, still close by me. Then, ' that my sister said it was not best.' Another and different sound still was heard. Up to this time I had not spoken a word, but found the big drops of perspiration starting from my face. I gathered courage and thought I would dispel that illusion directly ; I said, ' As you assume to know iny father and what his mind is concerning me, perhaps you can tell his name.' They all seemed to look steadily for some time, then commenced and spoke slowly and deliberately these letters : William Willetts. At each letter the loud sound that I first heard was again heard and felt immediately under my feet. I never was so astonished in my life, and involuntarily said, ' What does all this mean ? ' The sounds then said, by the alphabet being called over, ' that they had better be awakened ; ' and the first loud soiuid 48 HISTORY OF MODERN said, * I will talk with George and tell him all about it.' The direction was for ]\Ir. Post, myself, and a little girl [Catharine Fox] thirteen years old, to go by ourselves. And here I wish it distinctly understood that all which I shall relate as obtained from these sounds was in the presence only of my friends Mr. and Mrs. Post, myself, and the little girl spoken of. As what follows all purported to be from my father, I will say that his name was William "Willetts, a member of the Society of Friends, widely known at Westbury, Long I?land, Avhere he lived until nearly sixty years of age, and subsequently at Skaneateles, Onandagua County, where he died in 1841. The communication by sounds then went on to say that it was my father that was present and talking with me, and three hours were consumed at the first interview. In saying to me what his counsel was it always assumed to counsel and advise, but never to dictate. He said that it was not best for us to go to Michigan, and gave various reasons, among which -were that we should not enjoy ourselves in a new country, and that my health would not be competent for the task of clearing up new land, and he foresaw, if we did go, we should come back again and would be less in numl^er than when we went. I then asked what was best to do. The answer was, 'Come to Rochester.' I replied that I knew of no business that I could do in Rochester. The sounds said, ' I will tell thee when thee comes.' I askecf if I might know now. The answer was, 'No, I did not need any business until I came, and then he would tell me.' The sounds then said that after a time it would be best for me to buy some land. I asked where. The sounds then spelled out the name of a man whom no one present knew, and said that he owned fifty acres of land on such a street adjoining the city, and such a distance from the centre of the city ; that he would sell any part. I asked the price that would be asked. The sounds v/ere heard and counted by three of us — one hundred and fifty times in succession — to tell us the number of dollars per acre that would be asked. The sounds said that we had better go the next day and see if this was so, and said that we should not see the man until ten o'clock, although we might look for him as early as we pleased. In the morning I looked in the Directory and there found the name spelled out to us, and went to his residence at seven o'clock, and was informed that he was gone to a distant part of . the city, and would not be home until twelve o'clock. We then went to find him, and had some difficulty to do so, but after talking with him five or six minutes looked at the time and it luas seveji mimites past ten ! This person said that he owned fifty acres on the street told us by the sounds, and said that he would sell any part. When I asked him the price he showed me a map with the price of each lot marked, and taking the number of acres said by the sounds to be best to buy, and averaging the price, it was just upon one hundred and fifty dollars per acre. I then Avent home to my family and pondered over these strange things. Many were the conflicts in my own mind, and I heard the cry from all quarters, 'humbug,' 'deception,' 'fraud,' but I could not believe that I wanted to de- ceive myself. Three months I thought of these things deeply, and / cottld not go to Michigan. I concluded if it was deception it would do the world some good to find it out. The first of December, 1848, I moved from Vv''aterloo to Rochester. A few days after getting here, the little girl spoken of came round to our house and said that the ' spirit ' had directed her to come, for v/hat purpose she did not knov/. We inquired what it was, and this was the communication : ' I told thee if thee would come to Rochester I would tell thee where thee could find employment ; in four days from this I will tell thee. In the meantime the anti-slavery folks are going to liold their Fair ; vrould it not be well for thee to help them? ' No one was present at this time except my wife, the little girl, and myself. The four days went by, and again, without solicitation and without .thinking the time was up, the little girl came again. The communication was, ' Apply to W^illiam Wiley, Super- intendent of the Auburn and Rochester Railroad, to-morrow at two o'olock, at his office, for a situation, and thee v/ill have one before this week is out.' This was Thursday. I was a stranger to Mr. Wiley, and I called on Mr. Post and told him the direction, and asked him if the next day he would go with me. That evening he, happening to be at the depot, inquired if Mr. Wiley was at home, and was told that he was in Boston, and by a letter just received would not be at home till Friday night. I was told by the sounds on Wednesday to apply on Thursday at two o'clock. Thursday at half-past one, instead of going to the railroad ofSce, I went round to where these sounds were heard, and said, ' How is this? I am told to apply to William Wiley, and he is in Boston.' The sounds said, ^Go to his office noio ; he is there.^ I called for Mr. Post and walked immediately there, 3.1x6. found Mr. Wiley in /lis office. lie said that he had returned sooner than he expected to v/hen he wrote the letter. Mr. Post said that I M-as a relative of his and wished employ- ment, and Mr. Wiley replied that they were all full, with abundant applications, and he could give no encouragement whatever. We walked back, thinking deeply, and I went where the sounds were heard again. I inquired, ' liow is this? Mr. Wiley has no place for me.' The answer was, 'Thee zvill have a place on the cars, and will knovj it before the week is out.'" AMERTCAN SPIRIl^UALISM. 49 "On Saturday night, at darlc, I met Mr. Post, and he ashed if I had heard anj'thing from Mr. Wiley, I replied, 'Not a word.' At eight o'clock on that same evening, Mr. Post called at my house, and said that Mr. Wiley had just been at his store and said that he had a place for me, and wished me to call at his office on Monday morning. As Mr. Wiley did not tell what place I v/as to fili, I again asked the sounds v/hat it was ; and they said ' that it was to go as baggage-master between this place and Auburn.' On Sunday morning I wrote to my friend James Trueman, of Waterloo, stating that I should pass through that place on Monday following — in the capacity above stated — before I knew from Mr. Wiley what place he wanted me to fill, and he can testifj' to that fact. One month after I had been running on the cars, I learned that the person Vt'hose place I took had done things worthy of a dismissal previous to my being directed to make application, and which did not come to Mr. Wiley's notice till the day on which I received the appointment. These things have only been known to a few friends; you and the world nov/ have them. I have many communications, penned down at the time they were received, purporting to be from my father, all of the most elevating character, inciting me to goodness, purity, and honesty of heart, and ever pointing to the endless progi^ession of man. In conclusion, I may say that I have e::amined the matter attentively for one year and a half, and have had abundant op- portunity to do so, and am prepared to say, although the sounds may cease to-day and never be heard again, they have displayed a remarkable degixe of intelligence, and were not made by any person visible to us. "George Willetts." The next letter we shall quote is from the Rev. C. Hammond, and though it contains no proofs of spirit identity of a very striking character, it is inserted in reference to the singular worth of the writer and the weight which is due to his respected testimony. Mr. Hammond, subsequent to tlie dicta- tion of this letter, became an excellent writing medium himself, and the publisher of a voluminous collection of "communications from the spirit- world," written through his mediumship. Considering that Mr. Hammond was content to sacrifice good name, fame, and livelihood in his defence of the unpopular cause he espoused, credence should be assigned to him for his sincerity, if denied on behalf of his moral worth. LETTER FROM THE REV. C. HAiMTiIGND. "Mr. D. M. Dewey: Dear Sir, — • In compliance with your solicitation, I will proceed to lay before you a brief statement of what has fallen under my observation, in regard to the 'mysterious sounds' and 'demonstrations,' purporting to be made by intelligent spirits, who once inhabited an earthly tabernacle. It is quite probable that many others may have had more convincing and satisfactory evidences of the real presence of their departed, or, as I should say, deceased friends, than myself; yet I am free to acknowledge my inability to account for these marvellous manifestations by any law recognized in science or philosophy ; nor am I awai'e of having an organization so extra-credulous as to admit theoretical propositions, without facts to sustain them. If, therefore, imposition and deception have 'humbugged' me,into a conviction that the 'sounds' and 'demonstrations' v>-hich I have witnessed originate in any cause other than those assigned in this narrative, the person who shall disclose the mystery and detect the fraud will receive my grateful acknowledgments. "In t'ne early part of January last, in company with other persons, I gained an introduc- ' tion to the family in this city in whose residence these sounds had been heard. They received us politely, and seemed ratlier more cheerful than what I had supposed would be natural for those who were hourly exchanging communications with the spirits of the dead. A company of tv/enty or more persons had assembled; the 'three sisters' came into the roona; the sounds were heard, and through the medium of the alphabet, they, and about half the com- pany, were directed to retire to another apartment. Our company in the absence of the 'three sisters,' whose presence is generally deemed essential to these spiritual communica- tions, were all seated closely around an ordinary dining table, when one of the ladies, bowing her head, inquired in rather a solemn tone, 'Will the spirit answer questions now?' No response being made, I felt the disappointment of the lady, and was half inclined to smile at the ludicrous scene, Vvdien the searching glance of her suspicious eye, falling upon me, bade me maintain my usual gravity and respect to^vard the company and the occasion which had called us there. After several ineffectual attempts to get responses, the soxmds were 4 50 HISTORY OF MODERN" heard, and the company generally were privileged •with answers to their respective interroga- tories. I availed myself of the opportmiity, but gained no other satisfaction than a prompt assurance that all my 'test questions' sliould be answered when I should come there again. I went away sceptical, though unable to account for the 'sounds' which caused tlie floor occasionally to vibrate under my feet. "On my next visit I was much more successful. During the interval, I had prepared my mind with certain questions touching events unknown to the family, and of a remote date. The sounds told me my age precisely, though my appearance is such as to indicate a difference of eight or ten years. The names of six of my nearest deceased relatives were given me. I then inquired, ' Will the spirit who now makes these sounds give me its name?' Five sounds directed me to the alphabet, which I repeated until the name of 'Charles' appeared, which answered to an infant child whom we consigned to the grave in March, 1S43. '^'o ^7 inquiries, it gave me a true answer in regard to the time it had been in the spirit land, and also the period since my eldest sister's death, which was nearly eighteen years ; the latter fact not being recollected then, I found true by dates on my return home. Many other test questions were correctly answered; and yet, notwitlistand- ing the origin of these sounds seemed inexplicable, I was inclined to impute them to mesmerism or clairvoyance. However, as the spirit promised to satisfy me by other demonstrations when I came again, I patiently awaited the opportunity. " On the third visit I was selected from half a dozen gentlemen, and directed by these sounds to retire to another apartment, in company with the 'three sisters' and their aged mother. It was about eight o'clock in the evening. A lighted candle was placed on a large table, and we seated ourselves around it. I occupied one side of the table, the mother and youngest daughter the right, and two of the sisters the left, leaving the oppo- site side of the table vacant. On taking our positions the sounds were heard, and con- tinued to multiply and become more violent until every part of the room trembled with their demonstrations. They were unlike any I had heard before. Suddenl)', as we were all resting on the table, I felt the side next to me to move upward. I pressed upon it heavily, but soon it passed out of the reach of us all — full six feet from me, and at least four from the nearest person to it. I saw distinctly its position — not a thread could have connected it with any of the company without my notice, for I had come to detect imposi- tion, if it could be found. In this position we were situated when the question was asked, 'Will the spirit move the table back where it was before?' And back it came, as though it were carried on the head of some one who had not suited his position to a perfect equipoise, the balance being sometimes in favor of one side, and then the other. But it regained its first position. In the meantime the 'demonstrations' grew louder and louder. The family commenced, and sung the 'spirit's' song,* and several other pieces of sacred music, during which accurate time was marked on the table, causing it to vibrate. A transparent hand, resembling a shadow, presented itself before my face. I felt fingers taking hold of a lock of hair on the left side of my head, causing an inclination of several inches; then a cold hand was drawn over my face; three gentle raps on my left knee ; my right limb forcibly pulled, against strong resistance, under the table ; a violent shaking, as though two hands were applied to my shoulders ; myself and chair uplifted and moved back a few inches, and several slaps, as with a hand, on the side of my head, which wei-e repeated on each one of the company, more rajDidly than I coidd count. During these manifestations, a piece of pasteboard, nearly a foot square, was swung v/ith such velocity before us as to throw a strong current of air in our faces ; a paper curtain at- tached to one of the M-dndows was rolled up and unrolled twice ; a lounge immediately behind me was shaken violently ; two small drawers in a bureau played back and forth with inconceivable rapidity; a sound resembling a man sawing boards, and planing them, was heard under the table ; a common spinning-wheel seemed to be in motion, malang a very natural buzz of the spindle; a reel articulated each knot wound upon it, while the sound of a rocking cradle indicated maternal care for the infant's slumbers. These were among many other demonstrations which I witnessed that evening, amid which I felt a perfect self-possession, and in no instance the slightest embarrassment, except a momen- tary chill when the cold hand was applied to my face, similar to a sensation I have realized when touching a dead body. That any of the company could have performed these things, under the circumstances in which we were situated, would require a greater stretch of credulity on my part than it would to believe it was the work of spudts. It could not, * "The Spirit's Song." At one of these circles the spirits rapped out bj' the alphabet a simple melody', which being given by letters to Mrs. Fish with instiiictions how to divide it into bars and rhythm, that lady being a musician, readily arranged the given letters into the air. The spirits then requested the circle to sing to those notes the words of Mrs. Heman's charming poem, "The Haunted Spring; " requiring the singers, however, to substitute the word sacred for haunted. AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 51 by any possibility, have been done by them, nor even attempted, without detection. And I may add, that near the close of the demonstrations at this visit, there was a vibration of the floor, as tliougli several tons in weight had been uplifted and suddenly fallen again upon it This caused everything in the room to shake most violently for several minutes, when the force was withdrawn. "I have also tested the intelligence of these spirits in every way my ingenuity could invent. On one occasion, I wrote a word on a slip of paper privately, placed it in my wallet, went there — and the sounds, through the alphabet, spelled that word correctly as I had written it. That word was 'Sibyl.' "On the 20th of February, the two youngest sisters made my family a visit. Here the sounds were heard; questions involving subjects wholly unknown to them, were answered; a large, heavy dining-table was moved several times ; and on expressing thanks at the table to the Giver of all Good, some six or eight sounds responded to every sentence I uttered, by making loud and distinct sounds in various parts of the room. "Yours, truly, "C. Hammond. "Rochester, Febncary 22, 1850." A great variety of other manifestations began to appear in families residing in and about Rochester, besides the rappings. Vokimes might be written on the extraordinary intehigence manifested by spirits in various ways, especially through clairvoyance, premonition, and mental telegraphy. A short but rather striking instance of the latter kind is inserted here, occurring in the family of the Rev. A. H. Jervis, a Methodist minister of Rochester, Avho was warmly interested in the Fox family, and who had the advantage of the same kind of medium power as theirs, produced in members of his ow'n household. It will sufiice to illustrate multitudes of similar cases that were now transpiring hourly. Writing to E. W. Capron, Mr. Jervis says : "There are many facts that have come under my obsei-vation equally convincing of the intelligence and utility of the communications from these unseen agents, who I believe are now continually about us, and more perfectly acquainted with all our ways and even our thoughts than we are with each other. But the fact in reference to our friend Pickard is what you require. He was at my house on Friday, April 6, 1849. None of the Fox family were present. While at the tea-table we had free communication on different subjects. Mr. Pickard was requested to ask questions. He desired to know who it was that would communicate, and was answered, 'I am your mother, Mary Pickard.' Pier name, or the fact of her death, was not kno-\\Ti to any of us. The next Monday evening Mr. Pickard was at Mr. G — 's, and tarried there over night. He then received a commu- nication purporting to be from his mother, saying, 'Your child is dead.' He came im- mediately to my place, and said he should take the stage for home [Lockport, sixty miles distant]; accordingly [and wholly on the faith of the spirit's communication, remember], he left in the stage at eight a. m. At twelve that same day I returned to my home, my wife meeting me with a telegi^aph envelope, which I first read mentally, and then breaking the seal, read out as follows : " 'Rochester, April 10, 1849. " ^By Telegraph from Lockport ^ to Rev. A. H. Jervis, No. 4 West Street: " ' Tell Mr. Pickard, if you can find him, his child died this morning. Answer. R. Mallory.' • • "I then added to my wife, 'God's telegraph has outdone Morse's altogether.' "Yours, truly, "To E. W. Capron, Auburn. A. H. Jervis." Several attempts were made by the spirits to reduce the communications to something like an orderly system of spiritual telegraphy. One of the most frequent names spelled out in the Rochester manifestations was that of "Benjamin Franklin," Avho claimed to be actively interested in promoting them; a claim not at all at variance with the pursuits of this renowned 52 HISTORY OF MODERN philosopher whilst an inhabitant of earth. Had the instructions of this v.ise and beneficent spirit been strictly followed out, there might possibly have long since resulted that order which was sadly lacking in the chaos of the earlier manifestations; but in the meetings which now began to take place in hundreds of families, the ignorance and superstition which had formerly prevailed on all subjects connected with the life beyond the grave, either continued to characterize the communications or became apparent in an excess of fanatical credulity. The seances of the Misses Fox were constantly broken up by inharmony, rudeness, and determined opposition, on the part of some of the visitors. The company were driven from room to room by incessant intrusions ; and the nervously excited state of the poor mediums' minds, together with their entire ignorance of the necessary conditions for scientific communion, ren- dered orderly experiments almost impossible. In some of the circles where entranced clairvoyant or impressional media presided, the wildest scenes of confusion would often prevail. Two or three of " the prophets " would be jabbering in unknown tongues at once, whilst others would be shouting the war-whoop of the red Indian. "Apostolic" letters, in miserable grammar and worse spelUng, were palmed off as genuine productions from the seventh sphere; and all the crudities of impressible minds, stimulated half to frenzy by the contagious excitement of the times, were set down as direct commu- nications from exalted ancients whose authoritative teachings no doubt emanated from the fantastic imaginings of self-psychologized persons. It would indeed have required a more re-creative pov/er than any that Divine wisdom has yet intrusted to spirits or mortals to fashion these elements into order, or to bring forth the wise dicta of science from such disturbed magnetic conditions. A few phenomenal evidences were from time to time developed out of the chaos, proving the power possessed by spirits to achieve mar- vellous results in mental science, could favorable conditions be afforded. One of these experiments has been so amply recorded by Mr. N. Draj^er, of Rochester, a very worthy gentleman and the husband of a most excellent magnetic clairvoyant, that we subjoin his statement in full: " Zi7 Messrs. yervis, Willetts, Jones, and others : "Gentlemen, — As we ai-e required by authority, that we think we have no right to disregard, to make public the extraordinary communications witnessed at my dwelling, it becomes necessary to give you, and through you the public, the facts which gave rise to the first interview, on Friday, the i6th inst. The novelty of the subject and the state of the public mind are such that I feel prompted to do this, not only correctly but as minutely as possible. Circumstances had placed me in a way to witness those remarkable communications called the 'mysterious rappings,' from the time of their origin in this city in the summer of 184S. After the severest tests, under a variety of circumstances and at various places, for about one year, ■ incontestible evidence addressed to my senses baffled my scepticism, and fully convinced me that they were the production of no lunnan agencies. And as they profess to emanate from invisible intelligences, called spirits, I had not allowed myself the liberty to attribute them to any other source, at least until some other origin could be detected. In hope of eliciting some further light on the mysterious subject, I proposed to a member of my family, who is susceptible to magnetic influence, to be put into a clairvoyant state, and see what might be presented in relation to it. She complied, and for this purpose was magnetized on the evening of the 12th inst. " The questions and answers were as follows: " Q. Do you see anything? A. I see a siranger who I never before saw. He is not pre- possessing in appearance, but is very elevated in his position, and is busily employed. Q. What is he doing? A. He is preparing work for you. Q. What is the nature of the work? A. He is establishing a line of communication. Q. Ask him 'Is it practicable to the communications between two distant points by means of these rappings ? ' A. ^ To be AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. SZ sure,' he says. Q. Can you ascertain v/lao this stjranger is? A. Benjamin [and after a pause] Franklin. Q. Will you ask him to give you some signal by which we may know it is really Benjamin Franklin? After a silence of one or two minutes, a violent shock of her parson induced me hastily to say, ' What is the matter ; are you waking up ? A. No ; you wanted a signal and I told him if it was Dr. Franklin he might electrize me, and he did it. Q. Has it injured you? A. No; I feel better; my head is clearer; I can see plainer. Q. Will you ask him where communications between distant points at the same time can be tested. A. He says at your own house. Q. Is there anything required of us in the matter ? A. He says, get two of these young ladies about whom there is so much excitement in your city, place them in extreme parts of two rooms, and you [ meaning herself] be put in the same state in which you now are, and I will communicate v/ith you. Q. Who else maybe in attendance? A. Mr. Jervis and a few others who have been acquainted with the subject. Q. Will he direct as to time ? A. He says consult the convenience of those concerned, and I shall be advised of it. Q. Are there any fm-ther directions to be given at this time ? A. That is the end of the chapter. "In compliance with the above, the interview on Friday, the i6th, was called, you and others notiiled, and the attendance of the two young ladies, Margaretta and Catharine Fox, secured ; from whom, for prudential reasons, the above facts and preliminaries were withheld, " Respectfully yours, N. Draper." *' To the Editor of the Daily Magnet: — " Pursuant to the notice as above stated, we, the undersigned, met at the house of Mr. Draper on Friday, the 15th inst., about four o'clock P. M. We inquired for directions, and were answered by alphabet, 'Let Mrs. Draper be magnetized.' Through her the two young ladies were directed to retire to another room. The directions then were for Mr. Jervis, Mrs. Fox, and Catharine Fox, to be placed in a room at the opposite end of the house, and for Mr. Jervis to take notes. Margaretta Fox should be with the company in the parlor, and Mr. Draper take notes. This was done. The sounds were then heard in botla rooms by either company, exactly similar to the sound heard in the telegi-aph office. " Question to the Clair oyant — What does that rapping mean, imlike any other sounds before heard by rapping? Ansiver — He is trying the batteries." The signal for the alpha- bet was heard, and on calling the letters it was spoiled, ' She must be waked in ten minutes.' A watch was placed on the table, after noting the time, and covered up, and the question asked, if we could have a signal by sounds at the exact time, and was answered affirma- tively. At the precise time the signal was heard. The question was then asked, ' Who shall v/ake her ? ' and she was instantly awalcened with an apparent electric shock. "At this point there was much interruption, by persons coming into both rooms. The question was asked for further directions, and the answer was by alphabet, ' Things are not as I directed ; therefore, you cannot proceed at this time. There should be but four in each room.' Mr. Jervis and company came into the parlor, and his notes read as follov,-s : ' Things are not as I directed them ; therefore, you cannot proceed at this time.' Q. Can we have another opportunity? A. If I set the time and name the company there shall be no fail. Q. Shall the appointment be now made ? Answered affirmatively. The following persons were then named by the alphabet : JNIr. Jervis, Mr. Jones, Mr. Draper, Mr. Wil- letts, Mrs. Jervis, Mrs. Draper, Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Fox, Margaretta Fox, and Catharine Fox. Q. May we know the time? A. Wednesday next, at four o'clock P. m. Q. The place? A, Here. On the day appointed, February 20th, the above-named persons convened; some of the company were late, and as soon as order was observed, the question was asked •What are the directions of Benjamin Franklin? A. Hurry, first magnetize Mrs. Dra- per.' This was done, she immediately saying : 'He says vv^e are behind the time, but he will forgive us this time; we must do better in future.' The company was divided as follows: Mr. Jervis, Mr. Jones, Mrs. Fox, Mrs. Brown, Catharine Fox, in a retired room, with two doors closed between them. Mrs. Draper, Mrs. Jervis, Mr. Draper, Mr. Wil- letts, and Margaretta Fox remained in the parlor. Sounds unusually loud were heard in each room by either company, as before, resembling the telegraphic sounds. They were so unusual that Miss Fox became alarmed and said, 'What does all this mean?' Mrs. Draper, while her countenance was irradiated with animation, replied, ' He is trying the batteries.' Soon there was the signal for the alphabet, and the following commimication was spelled to the company in the parlor : ' INow I am ready, my friends. Tliere will be great changes in the nineteenth century. Things that now look dark and mysterious to 54 HISTOR V OF MODERN you will be laid plain before your sight. Mysteries are going to be revealed. The world will be enlightened. I sign my name, Benjamin Franklin. Do not go into the othef room. ' " After waiting a few minutes, Mr. Jervis came into the parlor, saying that he was directed by the sounds to come and compare notes. They read as follows : Q. Are we all right? Answered affirmatively; signal for alphabet, and the following was spelled: ' There will be great changes in the nineteenth century. Things that now look dark and mys- terious to you will be laid plain before your sight. Mysteries are going to be revealed. The world will be enlightened. I cign my name, Benjamin Franklin. Go in the parlor and compare notes.'. Sir. Jervis returned to his company, and by alphabet was spelled: ' Now all go into the parlor.' The notes were then compared in presence of the whole company. Q. Is there anything more from Dr. Franklin? A. I think I have given tests enough for this day. Q. Will it not be better to keep this matter private ? ^. No ; it should be published. Q. In what paper ? A. In Democrat or Magnet. Q. Who sliall prepare it for publication ? A. George Willetts.' Time and place were then designated for the same coiiipany to meet again, with two other persons added to the number. " We sign our names as no parties, but as witnesses. If our testimony is incredible, impeach and reject it; if admissible, hand it over to the judge and jurors — the public — and charge them that we claim no interest aside from their own in their verdict. "Rev. a. H. Jervis, Nathaniel Draper, Edward Jones, George Willetts, Rachael Draper, Mary Jervis, Mary Brown, Margaret Fox. "Rochester, February 23, 1850." And here for the present we must close our account of douigs of the spirits in Rochester, and that rather from the pressure of other subjects than the lack of material, as the records of that city alane would amply suffice to fill up many volumes in connection with the early history of Spiritualism in America. Many highly interesting narratives are necessarily omitted, and above two hundred letters, printed and in MSS., in the author's possession, containing graphic accounts of first interviews with the spirits and subsequent con- viction of their truth, are withheld for want of space. Many gentlemen connected with the press of different cities joined in the Rochester investigations, and many reported in favor of the honesty and truth of the mediums. Frequent acknowledgments were made that the phenomena exhibited were marvellous, the intelligence unquestionable, generally correct, and out of the sphere of the mediums' knowledge, but admissions made thus far generally concluded by declaring that, while acquitting the media of any concocted plan in the production of said phenomena, "they were not prepared; or could not, would not, must not believe, etc., that it was the work of spirits." There were many others connected with the press, espe- cially the religious papers, who first refused scornfully to investigate "the thing," and after pluming themselves on their virtuous ignorance, proceeded in unmeasured terms to revile it, heap scandal and denunciation on the heads of all connected with' it, and fill their columns Avith unreasoning abuse of that which they " knew nothing at all about." Whole columns of the daily journals were filled with trash of this char- acter, which though temporarily injurious to the feelings of those concerned, served the purpose of giving the manifestations precisely that publicity which the spirits demanded, and for which, as it would seem, a great majority of the press actually became "mediums." And thus the fiery cross, carried by the hands of unseen messengers, sped from point to point ; the beacon fires lighted by invisible hands gleamed on every mountain-top, and the low muffled sound of the spirit-raps that first broke the slumbers of the peaceful AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 5 "5 inhabitants of the humble tenement at Hydesville, became the clarion peal that sounded out to the millions of the western hemisphere, the anthem of the soul's immortality, chorused by hosts of God's bright ministering angels. CHAPTER V. SPIRITUALISM IN AUBURN, NEW YORK. "The argument that nothing ever came From spirits or the spiritual world Is very ancient. The philosopher Said to the seer, 'AH that you see I know.' The seer in his deep wisdom made reply, 'All that you know I see.'" T. L. Harris. Progress of Spiritualism from 1849 to 1855 — Catharine Fox at Auburn — Mrs. Tamlin and Mrs. Benedict — Spirit Music — The Opposition — Troubles Within the Camp — The Apostolic Circle. It was in November, 1849, that the scenes were enacted in Corinthian Hall, Rochester, described in the last chapter. The immense geographical areas embraced in the thirty-six States of the Union, and the fact that no regular system of human propagandism issuing from a central source and ramifying through the country, or, indeed, anything analagous to such a procedure, has ever been attempted, to account for the spread of Spiritualism, embarrasses the historian in describing its progress. "Progress," in fact, it can scarcely be called; for, if modern Spiritualism had been promulgated as well as inaugurated by the Rochester mediums, its course might have been traced in their footprints ; but whilst we are con- sidering the effects upon some town or State which the visits of the Misses Fox produced, behold we find a great spiritual outpouring in sections of country vv"here the echoes of the Rochester vibrations could never even have reached. Spiritualism did not radiate from a definite centre, but sprang with a spon- taneous and irresistible life of its own, independent of human propagandism, the contagious force of public sentiment, or the psychological eftect of com- mon report. If the ends of the countless threads that with sudden and magical rapidity appeared to be inclosing the whole continent of America. in one vast woof of spirit-power, were not spun, held, and intelligently directed by the unseen people of the spirit country, then all theories of causa- tion must fail, and the marvellous groAvth and blossoming of Spiritualism, the germs of which no visible hands had planted, will forever remain one of the unfinished problems of the universe. Apart from the obviously supra- mundane character of its production in various sections of country at once, it is not difficult to trace the secondary causes of its rapid growth in the all- absorbing nature of its revealments and the passionate emotions of love and hatred which it excited in its friends and foes. In fact it would be difficult to determine which was the most effective form of propaganda for the spread of the belief, namely, the zealous enthusiasm of its admirers or the bitter persecution of its antagonists. 56 HISTORY OF MODERN To do iustice to the uprising of this mighty power, we must consider its manifestations in different States about the same period of time. Tlie first point which Ave shall notice is the State of New York, in which the com- munion between mortals and spirits first took the form of a scientific tele- graphy. In the city of Auburn, New York State, resided Mr. E. W. Capron, to whom allusion has already been made in connection with the earliest mani- festations and the Corinthian Hall investigation. To strengthen the convic- tions of a spiritual source for the phenomena, an opinion v/hich had irresistibly forced itself upon his reason, Mr. Capron induced Mrs. Fox to permit her youngest daughter, Catharine, to spend some time in his family. During the seances conducted through the mediumship of this young lady, inany of the principal inhabitants of Auburn had the opportunity of v/itnessing the most astounding phenomena under circumstances which precluded even the sus- picion of deception. Spirit music was produced ; hands were seen, felt, and even examined, forming and melting apparently in the clasp that held them ; messages of affection, timely warning, and prescient intelligence were con- stantly spelled out through the raps ; the furniture moved in supra-mundane feats of power, and almost every conceivable phase of intelligent spiritual phenomena was exhibited to all who chose to come and witness it. Two remarkable results followed the first introduction of "the power" into Auburn. The first was the fact that though the press were permitted free access to the circles, and the most abundant opportunity for investigation, yet the strength of the occult force, whose evidences they beheld, only seemed to arouse in the most of their number a vindictive and unreasoning spirit of an- tagonism, which broke forth in unqualified and often senseless slander. For example : The Auburn Daily Advertiser coolly stated that old Mr, Fox [a quiet, inoffensive farmer, chiefly remarkable for simple-minded devo- tion to the Wesleyan Church and his retired, peaceful habits] had by a cunning contrivance of springs and wires managed to produce all the marvels witnessed at Hydesville ! The fact that every plank, board, and brick, or inch of matter connected with the possessed house had been ransacked in vain by hundreds of persons in the attempt to detect any trickery, all went for noth- ing with this shrewd editor. The still more awkward fact that the i^henomena had continued to increase in strength and variety for upwards of a twelve- month, moving about from place t'o place, house to house, person to person, involving the action of above a hundred different mediums ; and that the poor old gentleman accused of its production had never, except in the first two or three months of the Hydesville excitement, been in the spirit circles or in any way connected with the movement — all this was with equal sense and candor utterly disregarded, and good Mr. Fox's " springs and v/ires," invisibly fixed into nothing, still continued to stretch from the cottage at Hydesville and to rap over hundreds of miles, sounding down to the valley of the Missis- sippi, along the vast seaboard of the New England States, and up to the northern regions of Lake Superior! Wonderful invention of a quiet little New York farmer ! and marvellous springs and wires, the intelligent action of which could reveal past, present, and future with an accuracy that would have put to shame Egyptian magic or Chaldean astrology ! We must here remark that if from time to time we insert the puerilities and baseless slanders which have been levelled against " the cause " and its adherents, it is not for their worth or efilicacy, but rather to show the utter futility and even despera- tion of that opposition which has been forced to create such childish fictions in order to discredit the spiritual hypothesis. AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 57 The second result of Miss Kate Fox's visit to Auburn seemed to be the unfoldment of medium powers not less remarkable than her own in many persons who attended her seances. The most prominent cases of this kind occurred in the persons of Mrs. Tamlin and Mrs. Benedict, mediums whose names have since become an integral part of the great American spiritual record. Several other ladies were also developed in the Auburn circles as mediums and clairvoyants. A great variety of gifts in the direction of physical, writing, healing, seeing, and trance mediumship also became rapidly manifest in various families of the highest respectability, and the great majority of these developments took place irrespective of Miss Fox's presence, although her visit first called the attention of the community to the subject, and induced the formation of the circles in which these powers in the various media be- came externalized. In Mr. Capron's work on the early Spiritualism of America are recorded some very interesting accounts of the manifestations at Auburn ; amongst others, the following incidents, which were also verified to the author by Mr. Henry C. Wright, an eye-witness of the scenes. Mr. C apron writes : " Mrs. Tamlin was, so far as I have been able to learn, the first medium through whom the guitar or other musical instruments were played, without visible contact, so as to recog- nize tunes. In her presence it was played with all the exactness of an experienced musician, although she is not acquainted with music, or herself able to play on any instrument. The tones varied from loud and vigorous to the most refined touches of the strings that could be imagined." At a circle held at Mrs. Tamlin' s, when about seven or eight persons were present, whose testimony was afterwards publicly tendered for the truth of what follows, Mr. Capron goes on to say : "I had magnetized the medium, and, after various manifestations of the spirits, she said that they were about to do something new which she could not understand. After sitting a few minutes, we heard a low sound like a distant locomotive whistle. Soon, however, the sound grew louder, and softened into the most exquisite music. One of the company was requested to sing and she did so ; the most beautiful music accompanied. It was like the notes of an exquisite ^olian harp, but any attempt to describe its beauty would fail. We frequently had the same kind of music in the presence of Mrs. Tamlin At times it would resemble the finest conceivable tones of the human voice, and almost seem to be dissolved into words. "Another phase of this musical manifestation was the imitation of 'Fabyan's' horn. This was first produced when Henry C. Wright was present. He called for the spirit of N. P. Rogers and asked him to sound the horn, when immediately a sound came like the sounding of a horn and its reverberation among distaiit hills, echoing and re-echoing for a long time. Mi". Wright had visited the White Mountains in company with N. P. Rogers some years before, and there had heard Fabyan, the hotel-keeper, wind his horn among the hills, and it was this sound that was so exactly imitated. Mr. Wright afterwards published a description of this scene in a pamphlet." So long as the manifestations continued to be of the character above nar- rated, their appearance in Auburn was hailed with delight by bereaved mourners, to whom conclusive evidences of the presence and watchful guardianship of beloved spirit friends was clearly proven. It excijed the interest of the scientific from the fact that wonderful phe- nomena of a novel and interesting character were produced. It startled the learned by the exhibition of ignorant adults and uninstructed children speak- ing in foreign languages, and often v/ith marvellous eloquence. Clairvoy- ance, psychometry, and healing by the laying on of hands or spiritual pre- scriptions, testified to the beneficent character of the intelligence and the vast range of uses which it included. 58 HISTORY OF MODERISr But the profound ignorance of all psychological phenomena in v/hich this material age has been steeped, soon operated to mar and deform the infant movement. The world had to learn that the spirit country is peopled from earth, and that spirit-life commences from the point where mortal existence ends. Un- conscious of this solemn truth, the early communicants with the unseen world were unprepared for the visitation of the da7'k spirits whom the sad experiences of earth had manufactured into criminals. UnaAvare that life, whether here or hereafter, is progress, not violent and unnatural change, investigators were appalled at the representations, produced through inedia, of the same vicious tendencies in spirits which they had beheld with indifference from the same spirits whilst inhabitants of earth ; in a word, they did not realize the fact that spirits were still human, and that the soul in many respects remained unchanged by the mere act of physical dissolution. In this state of perplexity and ignorance the return of earth's criminals was generally met, either by the superstitious and unavailing exercises of old Catholic rites, or submitted to blindly in the idea that all spirits must necessarily be author- itative, until the unwary medium became the subject of the distressing con- dition now known as " obsession." Still, though the first circles were con- ducted in a condition of mental blindness scandalous to the religious teachers who should long since have instructed mankind concerning "spiritual gifts" and spiritual existences, in course of time the investigators learned experi- mentally to realize the true character of the spirit-world, and that more con- clusively by their failures than they could have done by contemplating the sunlit side of the picture only. But whilst the philosophical Spiritualist be- gan to realize the true conditions of immortality from communion with the beings who were living in its experience, the egotist and fanatic appropriated as their share of the great spiritual outpouring, precisely those elements Avhich were best calculated to stimulate their vanity and pander to their supersti- tious imaginings. Amongst the Auburn Spiritualists were to be found several extremely ignorant but strongly bigoted persons of the Second Advent per- suasion. The phenomena of modern Spiritualism, interpreted through their own narrow credal views, appeared to them- to be the actual inauguration of the long-promised "millennium," whilst they^ — the "true believers" — must of course be the chosen ones through whom the millennial dynasty was to be established on earth. Quite early in the movement a circle had been formed, which at first had received the modest title of " The Auburn Circle ; " but no sooner did the "chosen few" of the millennial belief gain a foothold in this happy gathering than they bent themselves to the work of converting it to their OAvn purposes and using the manifestations as an endorsement of their peculiar opinions ; in fact, as an eye-witness of the scenes here enacted described to the author, "in return for their conversion to Spiritualism they strove to convert the spirits to Second Adventism." In pursuance of this notable idea they secured the services of Mrs. Bene- dict, an impressible rapping medium, through whom the influences mortal and immortal that operated in this circle, dictated plans of action designed to make " the universe rock," and that portion of it which they mod- estly called this little planet, a convert to their faith and a subject to the spiritual authority of John the Divine, Daniel the Prophet, Paul the Apostle, and other Biblical worthies whom they assumed to have become temporarily reincarnated in their medium ship. The title of the circle was changed from the "Auburn" to the "Apostohc Ciixle;" Mrs. Benedict, the AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 59 medium, Avas dispatched to New York, where, under spij-it direction, she summoned a certain Baptist preacher, named James D. Scott, to come to Auburn to minister in the work. A series of papers were published purport- ing to emanate from various distinguished personages of Jewish origin and of the Apostohc age. Some of these publications were well calculated to produce the results which their authors predicted for them, namely, a revolu- tion, though not exactly in the universe, or even in the "little planet" earth, but simply in the fortunes of the luckless publishers, who found the issue of the. said pamphlets exciting a veiy revolutionary effect upon their worldly prosperity. To the disbelievers in the Divine origin of these papers they certainly created no little feeling of indignation at the audacit}^ which could append the names of prophets and apostles to their absurd puerilities, whilst even the most credulous of the well-educated Spirituahsts had cause to mourn over the deterioration in grammar and orthography wliich befalls , the exalted dead by a long residence in the spirit-world. About the commencement of the year 1850 the "Apostolic Brotherhood" assumed a more respectable literary shape under the authority of the Rev. James Scott, and actually rose into eminence by the accession to their ranks of the renowned poet, preacher, and medium, the Rev. Thomas L. Harris, who was also spiritually called to " the work." With the leadership of these accomplished gentlemen, — who claimed to act under the highest spiritual guidance, — the movement gained in numbers and in importance until it seemed to absorb and control nearly all the Spiritualism in Auburn, reflect itself through the chief of the communications, crystallize into a numerously attended religious meeting, and finally to culminate in the famous " JNIountain Cove movement," of which a detailed description will be given in a later chapter. And here it may be asked whether these shadows, cast by human pride, presumption, and fanaticism, did not irrevocably quench the dawning light of the still embryotic spiritual movement ? We answer, most unques- tionably not; although many were the confident predictions of such a result; indeed certain jounialistic magnates who had hitherto been indefatigable in castigating the cause through their columns, now abandoned their efforts with the complaisant remark that "the Spiritualists themslves were performing the work of self-destruction, audit was only necessary to give them rope enough and they would inevitably hang themselves." In view of what has been already narrated, there is no doubt but that this enlightened policy would have had the desired effect had it so happened that all the Spiritualists of Auburn were included by the followers of Pope Han'is and Cardiiial Scott ; but besides a very considerable number outside of their ranks, even some of those who had been subject to their authority gained by their experience some veiy wise and useful lessons, and not a few of these deluded ones, instead of rush- ing to the destruction so liberally predicated for them, exchanged their lead- ership for Pope Judgme7it and Cardinal Reason, dignitaries who were hence- forth enshrined in plenary authority over the spiritualistic circles at Auburn. Amongst the lessons that these rulers taught was the very important one that no spirit, mortal or immortal, should stand between the creature and the Creator; that it was necessary to try the spirits etus which soon transcended the power of the press, pulpit or public to arrest, despite of eveiy force that was brought to bear against it. In January, 185 1, Judge Edmonds, whose potential influence on the pro- gress of Spiritualism is too widely known to need comment here, commenced a series of investigations which even in their earliest stage formed the nucleus of most important developments, extending far beyond the circle of even his wide-spread influence. Many other distinguished persons, strengthened by the example of the learned Judge, devoted themselves to the investigation of the stibject with the almost invariable results of conviction that follow. One of the most important conversions to Spiritualism that marks this period was that of Mr. Charles Partridge, a merchant of New York, whose probity and public spirit had already secured for him the highest considera- tion of his fellow-citizens. After the return of the Rochester mediums to their home, Mr. Partridge and wife, being on a tour in Western New York, took oc- casion to visit the Fox family at Rochester, and there pursued their inquiries into Spiritualism with more leisure and deliberation than the crowded seances in New York City afforded. Mr. Partridge was ap entire stranger to the mediums, and a man of keen AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 73 perception, and a^cute power of observation. These, together with his nsual habits of business-like preparation, he brought to bear upon his researches, and so astonishing were their results, both in respect to physical joower and m'ental intelligence, that the whole structure of his preconceived opinions Avas over- thrown, and an array of testimony presented which completely " rolled b&ck the stone from the door of the sepulchre" for him, and disclosed within it the gloritied forms of the white -robed angels of eternal life, instead of the corrupt- ible ashes of death's unfathomable mystery. To afford the most perfect opportunities for deliberate investigation to him- self and his circle of friends, Mr. Partridge procured the services of Kate and JMargaretta Fox at his residence in New York City, when the most extraor- dinary and varied fonns of intelligent phenomena became so common and abundant that to resist conviction on the part of those who were privileged to attend these circles became impossible. Although Mr. Partridge's conclusions were only arrived at through slow processes of rigid and exhaustive scrutiny, their results [when once his power- ful mind apprehended the fulness of the stupendous truth of sjoiiit commu- nion] were practical and important. In the summer of 185 1 Mr. Partridge became one of a society entitled the "New York Circle." It was the first organic movement that had yet been established in connection with spirit communion. The principal medium of the circle was Mr. Edward P. Fowler, then a student, but subsequently a distinguished member of the medical profession. Accompanied by many physical signs of a startling character, \lx. Fowler's mediumship was of the most varied and interesting kind. The spirits wrote manuscripts in difterent languages and Oriental charac- ters without the aid of human hands, and his communications, spoken or written in the trance condition, were often of the most exalted and scientific nature. Fortunate in securing from one of their own number the aid of a telegraphic operator whose position removed him beyond the suspicion of interested motives, the "New York Circle" continued for some years to meet together with delight and ^Drofit to themselves, and benefit to the world, which was occasionally favored with reports of their wonderful and instructive manifes- tations. Amongst the earliest members of this association were Hon. J. W. Edmonds, Dr. J. B. Gray and lady, Charles Partridge and lady. Dr. and Mrs. Warner, Dr. and Mrs. R. T. Hallock, Robert T. Shannon, W. J. Baner, Dr. Hull, Mr. Edward Fowler, Miss Fowler, Professor Bush, Rev. S. B. Britain, Almon Roff, etc. Besides these, many persons eminent for their talent or of distinguished public position, were from time to time invited to take part in the seances, and mediums of remarkable phenomenal gifts were not unfrequently de- veloped under their influence ; in fact it has been asserted that all the regular members of this interesting association were baptized A^dth the Pentecostal fire, and became in their own persons mediums for various forms of spirit communion. It was at one of these sittings that Mr. Henry Gordon, a medium from Springfield, Massachusetts, first exhibited "in Ncav York the astonishing feat of floating in the air. After the first manifestation of this kind, the marvel was frequently repeated in the perscni of this same medium, and his transit tlirough the air fur a distance of sbcty feet at the residence of Dr. Gray, in 74 HISTORY OF MODERN' Lafayette place, occurred in the presence of a large number of unimpeach able witnesses, including the venerable master of the house and Mr. Charles Partridge. But these new and grand fields of observation seemed to their deeply-interested participants to be misused when limited within the circle of private families, especially of the distinguished position occupied by most of Dr. Gray's visitors. It was resolved that a conference should be established where the expe- riences of all present could be freely exchanged, and to which strangers from a distance could be admitted without the formalities attending more exclusive gatherings. Mr. Partridge, whose wealth and standing shielded his motives from the least suspicion of interest, but whose genial, large-hearted, reform ator}^ nature was peculiarly attractive to the community, generously tendered a handsome suite of reception rooms in his own house for the accommodation of the pro- posed conference. As the initiatory step towards forming a basis for the future guidance of those attending the conference, a circular was issued of which the following is a copy : "Dear Sir, — Undei-standing that you entertain the following views, I cordially invite you to a social meeting of persons of like sentiments to be held at on, etc. " 1st. That the Divine Author of the Universe is a conscious Spiritual Being. "2d. That he has revealed somewhat of the spiritual world in ages long since passed, and especially that the Jewish people were a medium of such revelation. "3d. That in our ov^-n day and through our own American people, manifestations are being made from the spiritual into the natural world, whereby the immortality and unbroken con- tinuity of the personal existence of all men is being daily demonstrated. "4th. That an honest, frank, and tolerant interchange of views and conclusions will tend to promote a beneficial use and extension of such spiritual manifestations. "My purpose in inviting this meeting is furthermore, after due consideration, to ascertain whether anything, and wliat, can be done by associative action in reference to the advance- ment of harmonious and profitable intercourse with the world of spirits. "I am, etc., ." This unassuming little circular was not issued even under the authority of the gentleman whose house was the place of gathering, so careful were the real leaders of the spiritual movement to avoid any appearance of dicta- tion or assumption of a power which they justly felt was in the hands of higher and wiser beings than themselves. Astounded with the revealments which had been made to them, convinced, if the communion between this and higher worlds was a truth, it was one of the most solemn and important kind that humanity had ever been blessed with, and predicated future revelations of almost illimitable use and grandeur to mankind, the early pioneers of Spiritualism felt they had been entrusted with the discovery of mines of wealth which it would be sacrilege for them to reserve to themselves, yet blind and helpless as they were in the hands of a world almost unknown to them either in power or purpose, they were unable to acknowledge aught but the agency of intelligent spiritual beings, and the assurance that they were dealing with them, in a wisdom beyond their own, and a control vv'hich was as resistless as the breath of life that animated them. The first meeting of the New York Conference, took place on the 14th of November, 185 1, when several persons besides the members of the New York Circle were present. The views of the assemblage were kindly solicited, and their personal ex- periences listened to and discussed, and during their deliberations, the frequent AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 75 movements of the table and the sounds of rappings, etc., testified that the interest of the scene was shared in by a host of invisible witnesses. From that time the weekly conferences continued without interruption for more than two years in their original fomi ; that is, in the semi-private char- acter of social gatherings. Being obliged to seek another place of meeting in consequence of the repairs going on in j\Ir. Partridge's house, the confer- ence assumed a more public though somewhat heterogeneous character. In connection with the Sunday meetings of the Spii'itualists, or at halls hired foi the purpose, they have now continued \Aih. but little intermission for some eighteen years. It is not, however, from a casual visit to the New York Conference under its present aspect that the faintest idea can be gathered of its utility in pro- moting the dissemination and discussion of spiritual verities. The free and unconservative character of its present platform renders it hable to intrusion from all classes of mind, and all shades of opinion ; hence the meetings are now often inliarmonious, controversial, and even anti-spiritual ; but in its earlier sessions, it faithfully fulfilled the original design of its founders, and formed a rallying point for the believers, a source of instruction and informa- tion to the auditory, and a fountain of inspiration for those who, assembling together under the stimulus of high and often sublime thoughts, felt " the tongues of fire descending on their heads" in the unity of these accordant gatherings. ]\Iedia were often present at these meetings, and either by rappings or trance speaking, aftbrded the invisible projectors of the mighty spiritual movement an opportunity of representing their \-iews and offering wise counsel on the various plans of action that were suggested for the wider dissemination of spiritual truths. In the following chapter we shall present a few extracts from the minutes of the first conferences held in New York prior to the publication of the Spiritual Telegraph. A faithful record of these interesting meetings was made and preserved by the Secretary, Dr. R. T. Hallock, to whose courtesy we are indebted for the valuable testimony it aftbrds. It may seem a matter of surprise and even of indignation, that the early facts of modern Spiiitualism should have found no wide-spread or truthful field of representation until the publication of organs especially devoted to the subject could be accomplished. It is almost incredible that in America, where the newspaper is the neces- sity of the people's life, its columns should have left either unrepresented, or worse still, misrepresented, a subject of such vast and universal interest and phenomena so wonderful and well attested as Spiritualism abounds with. Yet the marvel of this treatment ceases when we attempt to compare the nature of the movement with our own preconceived opinions concerning the possibilities of spiiitual existence. Were not these of the most vague and undefined character ? and have not all our views of disembodied spiritual life been full either of the sepulchral awe which thrcAV over it the veil of mysti- cism and terror, or else we were taught to treat this most sublime and mo- mentous subject with the fool's argmiients — ridicule, unreasoning denial, and senseless satire. The immortal soul of man has either been imprisoned by dreary supersti- tion in the loathsome charnel house, or banished by ignorance to the nursery and ale house. There has been no midway in man's unphilosophical treat- ment of the great theme ; hence when Spiritualism came, with its common- sense realities, scientific methods of communion, and analytical philosophy, its form was so totally at variance with all preconceived notions of what a 76 HISTORY OF MODERN Spirit should do, or how a "ghost" should act, that the human soul was an unrecognized stranger in the land of its birth and the world of its kindred humanity. To the superstitious, its dignity was shorn of its shroud and the attend- ant horrors of the grave. To the pious, a spirit was a bodiless idea, a gnome, a sylph, an archangel or archfiend; anything, rather than the ripe fruit of a purified humanity ; and nothing, rather than aught that humanity could con- ceive of. To the bigot, all spiritual existence but that which was manifested in Judea eighteen centuries ago was "satanic" in its origin and "evil" in per- sonality. To the scoffer, the only idea of any existence that could not be pounded in a mortar or manipulated in a chemist's retort was "humbug," imposture, "old woman's fables, or nursery tales," and thus, as there is but a step from the sublime to the ridiculous, the demoniac theory on the one hand, and the illogical breath of ridicule on the other, was all that the world's repre- sentatives in press and pulpit could bring to bear on the subject. In fact they only knew enough to condemn the souls of their ancestors to the keep- ing of the evil one, or drive them back from their work of angelic ministry by the jibes of cold materialism. Whilst our sense of reverence for the exalted themes of immortality and our gratitude to the beloved immortals is shocked and offended by the denunciations of bigotry, and the painfully irrele- vant misconceptions of ignorance, let us with modest humility ask ourselves, with such teachings as the world has received on such subjects, what right we have to look for a more general spirit of enlightenment. The status of human opinion on the sublime questions of immortal life are precisely what priestcraft and indolent superstition have made it. If the spirits had come in accordance with the cherished fables of antiquity, or the shapes which this same superstition had devised for them, they would doubt- less have been received with more welcome and credit than in the simplicity of their risen humanity. But whilst the true believers had great cause to be thankful that the scales had fallen from their eyes, who could censure the multitude for "walking in gross darkness" so long as the people and their teachers were "the blind leading the blind?" CHAPTER VIIL SPIRITUALISM IN NEW YORK CITY AND STATE. " The weapons which your hands have found Are those which heaven hath wrought — Light, truth, and love ; your battle ground, The free, broad field of thought." J. G. Whittier. The Conference and its Influence — Spiritualism in Waterford, N. Y. — The Ecclesiastical Commission and what Came of it — Narratives Given at the Conference, New York — Mr. Hooper's Involuntary Mediumship — Edward Fowler and Warren Boynton — Excommunication. As the meetings of the New York Conference became more fully attended by strangers from a distance, the recital of the phenomenal facts transpiring in various sections of the country increased the interest of the gatherings and tended to disclose the universality of the movement. AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 77 During the first session of the conference in 185 1 Mr. Smith, of Nc)n^•ich, related many instances of fine test commimications received through various media residing in that city, who presented the then rare faculty of miitating the writing of deceased persons, and by pantomimic action graphically repre- senting their peculiarities, and identifying their names by symbolical pictures psychologically impressed upon the media. The Rev. R. P. Ambler, the editor of the Spiritual Messenger, already in successful operation in Springfield, Massachusetts, related many extraordinaiy facts of spiritual phenomena occurring in that city, where the number of mediums, public and j^rivate, was believed already to exceed two hundred. Drs. Brewer and Beebe testified to the extraordinary interest that was manifested in the cit)^ of Brooklyn, New York, on the subject of Spirituahsm. At circles held in their own families, many media had been rapidly developed, and within the range of their immediate acquaintance above fifty circles had been formed, at which rapping, writing, spirit-lights, movement of heavy bodies, and various other phases of "the power" were abundantly manifest. Rev. William Fishbough related still more striking and numerous proofs of the progress of the cause in Williamsburgh, New York, where he stated that hundreds of circles were being held nightly, and openly-avowed believers were multiplying on every side. Several other gentlemen gave similar reports from other sections of New York State, especially from Troy, Waterford, Utica, Central and Western New York. Although not in connection with the New York Conference, it belongs to our subject and period to relate the origin of Spiritualism in Vv'aterford, a village about four miles from Troy, where the manifestations had already taken strong hold of a large number of the com- munity. The reports from this city were so startling, and the effect of conviction was becoming so obvious and wide spread, that a reverend gentleman, one of the ofiiciating pastors of the large manufacturing village of Waterford, waited upon General BuUard, a distinguished lawyer of the place, and begged him, in company with four other of the most prominent men of the district, to institute inquiries into the " obnoxious thing," with a view to crashing its infi- delic and satanic tendencies. Without questioning as to how far the reverend gentleman's duty, as a minister to human souls, might have required \iv~, personal inquisition into the " dangerous delusion," the good-natured friend to whom he delegated the duty promised compliance with his request, and as himself and two others of the investigating party were famed for their legal -acumen, and the whole number were selected for the qualities which especially fitted them for the office of spiritual " detectives," it was confidently believed that if Spiritualism had not already been exploded — a consummation which each succeeding day was expected to produce — its annihilation at the hands of the Waterford investigators was so inevitable that their reverend employer already began to busy himself in preparations for celebrating its funeral obsequies in his ensuing Sabbath-day sermon. Having learned that "spirit rapping" was to be found in its most startling prominence in the person of a little daughter of Mr. Anson Attwood, of Troy, and that the parents of the child had generously opened their house free of charge to investigators, the party, headed by General BuUard, proceeded to fulfil their mission by calling at the house in question. They were freely admitted by Mrs. Attwood, who, without requesting even the formality of their names, introduced them to her little girl, who at the time was amusing herself with the toys proper to her age. 78 HISTORY OF MODERN" This total uraconcern, together with the childish appearance and occuj'jation of the young priestess, somewhat disconcerted the grave magisterial party who had come prepared to detect well-laid plans of imposture, or confront the impious craft of satanic agency, but "not to play doll games with children, or learn metaphysics from babes and sucklings." The little medium was " out of sorts," the mother said, and having been tortured into ill temper and impatience by " incessant attendance on circles," she had to be coaxed by a liberal supply of candy^ under the stimulus of Avhich she consented to " sit for the gentlemen." ^ At this crisis there was not one of the party but would have gladly retreated from a scene where they felt their dignity as " sensible men and magistrates" ridiculously compromised by the initiatory steps of their mission. They could well understand — and some of them even reverently accord their behef to — the idea that the Supreme Being, the Ruler of the Universe, had delegated to man the right to sell passports to a Roman Catholic heaven at so much a head, put a tariff on the liberty to commit sins at so much apiece, or that a Deity of infinite goodness and wisdom should commission two she-hears to come out of a wood and tear forty and tivo little children because they called Elisha the Prophet, bald head.'^' All this and volumes more of the same nature, " they could believe and still adore ; " but the idea of bribing a cliild with a piece of candy. to telegraph a message from a departed spirit ! The very bare thought was so full of impiety and absurdity that, but for the lady-like self-possession of Mrs. Attwood, the doughty champions of truth would have run away and hid themselves for sheer shame. A single quarter of an hour's experience of the marvels out\trought through this most undig- nified means, however, soon changed their views, rivetted their profoundest interest, and made them forget the agency of the unconcerned little one altogether. Seated on a high chair, vath her tiny feet resting on a footboard, the medium ail-unconsciously munched away at her sweetmeats whilst the spirits lifted her about and moved her from place to place Avith the ease of a feather blown by the winds. Meantime the heavy table around which the party were gathered rocked and rolled like a ship at sea ; the chairs of the gentlemen, with their occupants, were moved bodily, whilst loud raps sounding from various parts of the room spelled out names, dates, and messages, identical with numerous deceased friends of the astounded witnesses. The wonderful and occult science hidden in these mysterious forces, and the preternatural mass of intelligence spelled out in choice and characteristeric phrases, soon stamped the dignity of a stu- pendous revelation from the hitherto mysterious realms of immortality upon this phase of spiritual telegraphy. The sitters became the deeply-moved recipients of many an affecting token of a love that death cannot change and a mental fire that the grave cannot quench, and thus they soon forgot the youth and insignificance of the little telegraphic wire that the spirits, were using. The lonely and bereaved heart of one was cheered by the precious tokens of identity which proved the undying love of a still living friend. Another, who had long groped in the blindness of cold materialism, beheld the glorious sunlight of immortality proved in the continued life of a cherished parent. Others perceived the key which unlocked the dim mysteries of religion and the problem of miracles wrested from the skeleton hand of death and cast * Vide II. Kings, ii. 24. AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. ' 79 into the open lap of humanity. All felt that they stood on the threshold of the once-closed temple of immortal mind — that they were in the sublime presence of " the mighty dead," and, putting the shoes of their materiality from off" their feet, they felt that they were treading "on holy ground." This deeply interesting seance was prolonged to an unusual length, and just as it was about to terminate a spirit, identifying himself with a deceased brother of General Bullard's, expressed a desire to communicate. Up to this time the "detectives" had wholly forgotten that the purpose of their visit was to expose the manifestations and disprove their spiritual origin rather than to yield up their own convictions in the opposite direction. Struck v/ith a sudden sense of his duty towards his reverend friend, and with something of remorseful feehng for his breach of faith in the premises, the General determined to make one final eftbrt to prove the whole thing a delusion. His reason was strongly in favor of the communicating spirit's identity with that of his brother, but ere he Avould allow his judgment to pronounce in favor of his reason, he mentally framed this sentence : " If this be indeed the spirit of my brother, let him move that child in her chair towards me." General Bullard was sitting at the side of the table opposite to the medium, and as it was a very large one there was room between any of the party for the movement of a chair. His wish was that the child's chair should be moved a little towards the end of the table which was nearest to himself, but before he could conclude the sentence in his own mind which he was endea- voring to frame, the child, chair and all, was lifted, carried, or moved, none present could define how, completely round the table and set lightly down by the side of General Bullard. The whole party were so paralyzed b)^ the sudden action, the little girl herself Avas so unconscious of any force being exerted to cause this change of locale, involving the movement of the chair, without the least disturbance of her attitude, for a space of at least ten feet, that no one could utter even an ejaculation, until General Bullard, to whom alone the movement was peculiarly significant, started up with an irresistible impulse, exclaiming, " B}' Heaven, it is all true ! " When the investigating party at lengdi returned with their very unexpected report, the reverend gentleman in whose behalf they had undertaken it was so struck with consternation at the result that he concluded to continue the inquiry in his own person, and as the spirits had promised mediumistic gifts to some of the party if they would "sit for development," the worthy minister joined them, and actually became a fine writing medium, and ultimately a confirmed believer in the truths of Spiritualism. Our space does not allow us to follow up the interesting records of chcles which grew out of tliis first introduction of the subject to Waterford. Many remarkable mediums were developed soon aftervrards, amongst whom was Mr. Warren Boynton, a most excellent writing medium ; a lady who subsequently became the wife of General Bullard; Mr. John Proper, a celebrated and reliable test medium, and many others of equally remarkable mediumistic gifts. Miss Fanny Davis, a young lady residing at Lansingburg, about two miles from Waterford, also caught the afflatus and at a somewhat later period became the subject of a protracted trance, during which she lay motionless and unconscious for forty-five days. On awakening from this remarkable condition of coma. Miss Davis became a higlily-developed trance speaker, in which character her ministrations have instructed and delighted public audiences of many thousands of persons from that period to the present day. 8o HISTORY OF MODERN At Ballston Spa, Saratoga, Glenn's Falls, and especially in the capital city of New York — Albany — new and wonderful phases of spirit-power began to arise about this time. The rumor of the "opening of the gates" reached these places, and induced the members of various families to "sit round the table to see what would come of it." When the New York Conference were first holding their sessions in 185 1, and earnestly discussing the means of extending the knowledge and culti- vating the gifts of spiritual communion, thousands of circles were being held in ditferent sections of the State. Few if any experiments of this kind continued beyond the third sitting without unfolding mediumistic powers in one or more of the parties present, and the reports which were weekly rendered at that conference tended to show that there was at least one public medium for every toAvn, city, and hamlet in the Empire State of America, besides thousands of individuals in families whose names were denied to the public, though their gifts as spirit mediums were the subject of popular comment and notoriety. At a meeting of the conference early in the year 1852, Dr. Greaves, of Milwaukee, a gentleman eminent for his truthful character and success as a physician, related a new development of "the power," as it occurred under his own observation in the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As a scientific man, ever prosecuting his researches into nature's laws with the humility of a scholar. Dr. Greaves had investigated animal magnetism, and realized with considerable interest its singular results in clairvoyance and the cure of diseases. In the year 1850, and before he had more than heard a faint rumor of the "Rochester knockings," a clairvoyant of remarkable lucidity informed him in the magnetic sleep that the spiritual manifestations now so rife in the East would appear in that city in a few days, mentioning two individuals [patients of the Doctor's], who would become mediums. To the mother of one of these young ladies the Doctor soon after com- municated the singular prophecy, when the lady expressed herself greatly pleased with the intelligence, as being likely to account for certain strange noises which they had heard for several nights past, and which had caused them equal alarm and annoyance. At that time the family had never even heard of the "Rochester knockings;" but, acting under the advice of their trusted physician, they formed a circle, obtained loud rappings and intelligent responses, and within a few weeks afterwards, the father of the young lady informed Doctor Greaves with great emotion that "they had received, through Mary, communications from all their friends that had died, and that strangers visiting them could obtain equally satisfactory responses." In this, as in one or two other cases he detailed, Dr. Greaves could trace his own agency, and occasionally the influence of his magnetic operations, in evolving medium power in this city, but he added that it no sooner became known that he was interested in the subject than he was invited to attend circles in every part of Milwaukee, and witness the mediumistic gifts of at least thirty or forty families, who had but just caught the faint echo of the glad tidings of the communion, as it made its way thus far West, inducing them, as in New York, "to sit round the table" for mere curiosity, and arise from it startled by the conviction that the humble domestic board had become the family altar, at which the beloved immortals had been the ministering spirits. At one house the most astonishing feats of strength were performed AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 8 1 tlirough the inediumship of a fragile young girl. A sofa on which four full- grown persons were seated was rocked to and fro as violently as the strength of the sofa would permit. Odic lights of a deep red color floated around a darkened room, forming, melting, and being subjected to the closest scrutiny, affording to the narrator [a scientific chemist] the most conclusive assurance that they were not of mundane origin or composition. On several occasions a yoxy heavy dining-table was held suspended in the air with several persons seated on it whose feet did not even touch the floor. Mr. Train, of Kenosha, Wisconsin, detailed at the same conference many equally astonishing evidences of phenomenal Spiritualism, Avhich had arisen in his section of the State. Mr. Train seemed disposed to attribute the origin of the manifestations in part to the influence of magnetism. His own investigations, he stated, had conducted him from the study of Swedenborg to the writings of A. J. Davis, and from thence to the practice of animal magnetism, in the course of which his subjects not only became claii-voyant, but were often attended by loud rappings and strange movements of the furniture. Up to the time when the reports of spirit circles at the East reached them, they attributed these unusual sights and sounds to magnetism, or a peculiar action of electricity evolved by the condition of ma^etized subjects. After reading the experiences of others, they resolved to test by alphabetical signs the possibility of communing with spirits through these means; and in their success, numbers were induced to form circles, and thus, he added, during the last year [1S51] Spiritualism had extended over the ■ State, and into adjoining sections of country, with inconceivable rapidity and power. J\Ir. Nimthorne, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, related instances of the rapid development of medium powers in quite one half of any given number who would consent to sit in circles. He mentioned a striking case of phenomenal power that had been exliibited at a recent circle in Bridgeport, in which a spirit who had died by a railway accident produced the sounds of the whistle and locomotive, and besides imitating the sound of escaping steam, succeeded in imparting to more than a dozen people assembled the sense of strong currents of air rushing through the room. Early in February, 1852, Mr. Partridge, having returned from a visit to Massachusetts, gave a most encouraging account of the progress of the cause in that State. -About the beginning of the year 1850, a gentleman of Fitchburg, Massa- chusetts, Mr. Edward Hooper, whilst sitting writing at his desk, found his hand moved by a strange and irresistible influence to inscribe, without any volition of his own, these words on the page — - Your father is dead. Mr. Hooper's father at that time resided in England, and at the last account received from him' was in the enjoyment of perfect health; hence, the writing, strange as it seemed to be, originating from no impression on his mind, caused little anxiety until it was repeated imder precisely similar circum- stances a few hours later, and was confirmed in five days by the receipt of a letter from England, announcing his father's death. The singularity of this involuntary and prophetic act of mediumship stimulated Mr. Hooper and several of his friends to hold circles, from which had arisen a great variety of phenomenal facts, strong medium powers, and a remarkable degree of interest in the subject. Mr. Partridge, at the request of a large body of Spiritualists in Templeton, Massachusetts, gave a lecture on the subject, which was listened to by an immense auditory with the most profound interest. 6 82 HISTORY OF MODERN Many other places in Massachusetts and the rest of the New England States, were represented in the conference to be progressing with astonishing celerity in the knowledge of spiritual communion, and the unfoldment of now and powerful phases of mediumship. Tidings of this nature, however, were still more remarkable from the West, and even from California and the Pacific Islands. Visitors brought the assurance that circles for spirit communion were being held simultaneously with the meetings that were discussing the best means of reaching them in New York. Besides constituting a focal point, Avhere all the radiating lines of wide-spread interest could converge and be gathered up for future edification, several important modes of action were devised and executed by the good pioneers engaged in these New York Conferences. A circular was issued and sent to various parts of the country, calling for facts and requesting the narration of experiences in different States. The result of this wise measure was the accumulation of a vast amount of information, fonning an almost inexhaustible treasury for research in future time. A committee was drafted also to attend to the formation of circles in various parts of the city, which, being numbered and communicating v/ith the Conference or New York Circle as head centre, for a long time supplied a very satisfactory chain of telegraphic offices, whose records were full of in- teresting phenomena. The rapid progress of Spiritualism, and the privacy and reticence which has marked its reception in hundreds of families since the time of which we write, has completely outgrown the fostering care of a parent circle, the influence of which was only temporarily felt in the infancy of the movement. Another highly important step was taken when the conference came to the conclusion to represent their views in the most public and forcible manner possible through the rostrum. For this purpose the services of the Rev. S. B. Britain were secured, and a series of addresses commenced, the first of which was given at Hope Chapel, Broadway, on the evening of February 26th, 1852. From this time, with few interruptions. Spiritualism, its claims, facts, theories, and all its gen- eral features of interest, have been ably represented on New York platfonns on an average once in every Aveek, until regular Sunday services, morning and evening, and an afternoon conference, has placed it prominently before the New York public as a great religious no less than a reformatory and scientific movement. The most momentous result which the deliberations of the conference achieved, however, was the publication of a weekly journal, entitled the Spiritual Telegraph, which for a period of se-s^eral years formed one of the most complete and well-conducted records of the spiritual move- ment of which its literatTire can boast. It was started in the first place by the enterprise of Mr. Charles Partridge and Rev. S. B. Britain, who, with certain financial guarantees from many of the leadmg Spiritualists of the city, commenced their admirable and valuable serial on May 8th, 1852. The publication of this paper was an era in the history of New York Spiritualism from whence a stupendous impetus was derived. As its charac- ter and influence will be particularized in treating of the literature of Spirit- ualism, we need enter no further at present into the details of this important undertakmg. Several pamphlets of timely use and value in the early stages of the cause were published by aid of liberal subscriptions from the members of the conference. Amongst these was an excellent essay on circles by Mr. Flunt, and some ren:iarkabie communications from the spirit-world through AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 83 the mediumship of Mr. Edward Fowler. Large issues of this pamphlet were made for gratuitous circulation. The conference also made large contributions towards the publication of many printed communications, which, at that particular stage of knowledge, or rather ignorance, on the subject of spirit-life and communion, became of great importance. Amongst these, we find printed for gratuitous circula- tion a number of communications purporting to come from spirits whose exalted names on earth Avere freely used as authority for the instructions con- veyed. They were given through the mediumship of Mr. Warren Boynton, of Waterford, New York, of whom Mr. King, a gentleman of good standing from the same place, gives the following sketch : ** He [Mr. Boynton] , having sat in circles for spirit influence, found his hand automati- cally controlled to write whole pages of matter, the sentiment of which was often at total variance with his own opinions on religious subjects. Mr. Boynton was a devoted adherent to the tenets of the Wesleyan Methodists, and yet for many months he found himself im- pelled, under an influence he could not resist, to write sentiments whose broad liberality he knew to be inimical to the dogmas of his own creed, and, what was to him a still more perplexing act, to sign to many of the heretical papers he so bitterly condemned the honored name of the founder of Methodism, 'John Wesley' himself. Amongst these infidelic protests against his convictions was an essay, [which formed a part of the printed pamphlet above alluded to], commencing thus: ' Salvation is progression. Christ is a prin- ciple. Reason is a divine attribute of the soul. Nature is a book unfolding the wisdom and goodness- of the Deity,' etc. Before the publication of this pamphlet, however, Mr. Eoj'nton's convictions had become harmonized with those of his spiritual teachers, and to some extent in a feeling of disgust and revulsion produced by the action of his Christian instructors, who no sooner heard that he had become ' a spirit medium ' than they forth- with excommunicated him from their fellowship." It is proper here to remark that ecclesiastical thunder of this description was now becoming a very frequent resort for the purpose of quenching the spiritual lightning that preceded it ; but, as in the case of Mr. Boynton, it generally had the effect of stimulating the excommunicated to seek consola- tion in a more Christ-like, if not a Christian community, whilst its effect upon the world in general was precisely that which abuse or injustice ever pro- duces on the brave and true — namely, to arouse a spirit of indignant resist- ance which ended in making a hundred Spiritualists for every excommunicated Christian. CHAPTER IX. SPIRITUALISM IN NEW YORK CITY AND STATE — CO NTINUED . "The wind bloweth where it will, and thou hearest its voice, but knowest not whence it Cometh or whither it goeth. So is every one that is born of the Spirit." "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, we speak what we know and testify what we have seen, and ye receive not our testimony." Spirit Autographs — Spiritual Literature — Judge Edmonds — The Early Investigators and their Treatment — Reaction — Margaretta Fox and HER Assailants — Governor Tallmadge and his Noble Testimony — Y. C. Calhoun as a Spirit. Amongst the most remarkable manifestations which were preserved in the archives of the New York Conference, none are more interesting than those which relate to the mediumship of Mr. Edward Fowler, the medical student to whom allusion has already been made. 84 HISTORY OF MODERN" Besides the faculty of seeing and conversing intelligently with spirits, Mi. Powler's mind, being of a scientific cast, was frequently instructed through vivid pictorial imagery or direct communications with the methods adopted by spirits to effect their communion with mortals by means of raps, move- ments of bodies, entrancement, etc. Languages of the most unfamiUar nature, hyeroglyphical figures, and Oriental writings, were constantly found in his chamber inscribed on scraps of paper, vases, and other objects, under circumstances that rendered the action of human agency impossible. Many excellent and philosophical descriptions of spirit-life and teaching were written or spoken by him in the trance condition, some of which will be found under the head of " spiritual communications," but the one Avhich ex- cited the most interest at the time was a sentence of which a facsimile and brief account will be found in the subjoined extract from the Spiritual Tele- graph of 1852. It is proper to add that a number of the signatures were facsimiles of the hand-writing of private individuals of whose existence as spirits or mortals Mr. Fowler could have had no knowledge ; also that their relations — some of whom were members of the New York Circle — testified to the correct- ness of the signatures, and the perfect resemblance which each signature bore to that of the writers whilst on earth. The " sentiment " contained in the document was often referred to by Spiritualists during the late great American conflict, and its prophetic charac- ter as regards the issue of the war must not be overlooked : SPIRITUAL TELEGRAPH — 1852.— NEW YORK. " Autographs of the Spirits. — Many of our readers are perhaps aware that among the Spiritual manifestations in this city have been a number of 7nystical manuscripts, mostly in foreign and ancient languages, and other documents to which the names of numerous in- dividuals who have left the earth have been signed. "These we have had engraved at great expense, and for the satisfaction of our readers we shall publish them in the Telegraph. We submit the following brief history of its origin : " ' At a regular meeting of a circle convened for spiritual intercourse at the residence of Charles Partridge, in New York, December nth, 185 1, the subject of Kossuth's mission to this country having been incidentally referred to, the spirits addressed the medium, E. P. Fowler, as follows : ' Edward, put a paper on your table and we will write a sentiment and subscribe our names, then you may all sign it too.' " ' In accordance with the above directions Edward placed a paper on his table in his sleeping-room, which was duly written upon in the course of the night and signed by forty- three spirits. It was subsequently signed by the members of the circle, but owing to the omission of the history and the irregular mode of affixing the signatures of the members, the spirits made the following communication at the succeeding regular meeting : ' Burn that, and we will write upon another.' " 'Accordingly, the first paper was destroyed, and a parchment was procured and placed on Edward's table on his retiring for the night. On the morning of the 23d of December, when the medium arose, he found the sentiment, '■Peace, but not without freedom,^ and the signatures, as here published, inscribed on the parchment. " ' At the meeting of the circle held on the 25th of December Dr. Hull asked the spirits whether each spirit executed his or her own name as they occurred on the parchment, when the spirits answered emphatically, ' Yes ! ' " ' We, the undersigned, believing that these are the signatures of the spirits themselves, and fully concurring in the sentiment expressed, hereunto af&x our names this 25th day of December, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-one : "'John GRAY, Edward P. Fowler, John F. Gray, M.D., William J. Baner, S. T. Fowler, Miss Almira L. Fowler, F. F. Carey, Mrs. S. A. Partridge, Mrs. Charlotte F. Wells, Almon Roff, Robert T. Shannon, Ward Cheney, Daniel Minthorn, Dr. R. T. Hallock, Charles Partridge, Mrs. Martha H. F. Baner. ' " AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 85 About the year 185 1 New York Spiritualism received a great impulse from the fact that Mrs. Fish, the eldest of the Fox sisters, took up her resi- dence in the city, and opened rooms for public seances Avhich were ccnistantly thronged by eager and intelligent investigators. At this time also the Shckijiah, a fine literary monthly journal, devoted to the interests of Spirit- ualism, entered upon its second year of successful propagandism. Its talented editor, S. B. Britain, joined JNIr. Charles Partridge in the production of the Spiritual Telegraph, the first issue of which appeared ir^ JNIay, 1852. The Spiritual Afessenger, edited by R. P. Ambler and ApoUos Munn, of Springfield, Massachusetts, was already enjoying a wide circulation, and New England Spiritualism was further represented in Boston by the commencement of an excellent paper, conducted by the Rev. S. Crosby Hewitt, called the New Era. Even the far West was represented in this constellated mass of si^iritual journalism, as a large and ably-conducted paper was started in St. Louis, Alissouri, called Light from the Spirit World, which detailed the spread of "the cause" from the banks of the Hudson in the East, to the shores of the Mississippi in the Southwest. Besides the periodicals already named, there was a great-' mass of ephem- eral literature constantly issuing from the press, containing narratives of new and wonderful phenomena ; reports of lectures, circles, discussions, and also of conventions, the first of which, held at Cleveland, Ohio, was speedily followed by others in Boston, Worcester, and other parts of the country. Amongst the more important publications of this period were the works of A. J. Davis, which, besides "Nature's Divine Revelations" and tliree volumes of the " Great Hamronia," comprised a considerable number of tracts and widely-circulated pamphlets. A list of the spiritual publications in the New Era of November, 1852, announced as of recent date and American authorship, a volume of communications called " Light from the Spirit-World," received through the mediumship of Rev. C. Hammond, of Rochester; "The Spiritual Pilgrimage of Thomas Paine," from the same source; "Elements of Spiritual Philosophy," a finely-written and scholarly production by the Rev. R. P. Ambler, of Springfield, Massachusetts ; " Voices from the Spirit- World," by Isaac Post, medium, of Rochester; "The Clairvo)^ant Family Ph)'sician," by ]\Irs. Tuttle ; several pamphlets publi shed at Cincinnati, Rochester, and Auburn, giving a history of the manifestations up to that time ; " JNIodern Miracles," and other works, by S. B. Britain ; "The Spiritual Experiences of Mrs. Lorin L. Pl^tt, medium;" "Spirit Manifestations," by the Rev. Adin Ballou ; "The Microcosm and Macrocosm of the Universe," by the Rev. William Fishbough ; "Messages from the Superior State," by the Rev. John M. Spear; "The Spiritual Teacher," by the Rev. R. P. Ambler; "Supernal Theology," and "The Spiritual Instruc- tor," etc. All these works were produced during the first three years of the modern manifestations ; and that the shadowy side of the picture should not be wholly left to the uncandid coloring of the opposition, a publication, was issued, called The Mowitain Cove Journal, fuller notice of which will be given hereafter ; but as a specimen of human audacity, impiety, and egotism, this paper, though professedly indited by orders of " apostolic, angelic, and arch-angelic spirits," was only prevented from destroying Spirit- ualism by the transient nature of its existence and its very limited circulation. From the year 185 1, spiritual manifestations engaged the attention of Judge Edmonds, one of the ablest and most prominent legal men that has adorned the New York bar since America could boast of an hibcorical 86 HISTORY OF MODERN record. Miss Laura Edmonds, a daughter of the Judge, also pursued her researches in the same direction, and became developed as an exxellcnt medium for trance speaking, the discerning of spirits, the gift of tongues, including several dead and living languages utterly unknov/n to herself, the ability to travel clairvoyantly to distant places, and communicate with absent friends by the mental telegraph. All these gifts Miss Edmonds nobly devoted, without money or price, without distinction of rank or fortune, to the service of the world; and as her seances were held in her father's private residence, amidst those surroundings of wealth and refinement Avhich rendered the suspicion of .complicity or fraud impossible, her influence upon the mindo of her vast throng of visitors can never be fully appreciated, until her own transfigured spirit shall stand face to face with the glorious host of enfran- chised souls who have wrought out their mission of revelation through thp' ministrations of this estimable lady. It cannot be supposed that a man of Judge Edmonds's distinguished posi- tion, could be long permitted to throw his powerful advocacy into the scale of an unpopular cause, without becoming a target for all the shafts of ridicule and mendacity which were being levelled against Spiritualism and its friends. Keenly must those shafts have rankled, aimed as they were at the man whom public opinion had before lauded to the skies, and promoted to the highest places of trust and honor ; but though the Judge must have suft'ered with all the acuteness of those finel)^-strung sensibilities which are at once the bane and blessing of rare genius, no expression of contempt or anger testified to his disdain of his mean and inconsistent assailants, until some two years of settled conviction had given him that impregnable anchor of truth to lean upon, from which he could afford to bear witness against human injustice and falsehood without fear lest his superstructure of metaphysical philosophy, based upon physical facts, should be injured by the fierce storms of public discussion in which he soon found himself compelled to take an active share. The legal acumen which had heretofore commanded the highest meed of public admiration, and the same amount of carefully-sifted evidence which he had been wont to gather up in the public service, he now hurled in thunder- bolts of proof for the despised truths of Spiritualism. In company with other gentlemen who became distinguished as advocates of Spiritualism, Judge Edmonds was actually pointed at in the streets "as a crazy Spiritualist." As believers in Spiritualism, himself and various mem- bers of the bar and medical profession were treated with contumely, and shouldered out of practice, office, and the good opinion of their fellow-men. Wealthy merchants like Mr. Charles Partridge were compelled to assert their claims to be considered sane, and maintain their commercial rights, by the most firm and determined action. Professional men and tradesmen were often reduced to the very verge of ruin by the evil reputation that clung around the dreaded name of " Spiritualist," and a relentless persecution, originated by the press, maintained by the pulpit, and stimulated to frenzy by the rank and number of the powerful adherents that began to swell its ranks, directed the full flow of its evil tides against " the cause " and its representatives. Many of the houses where circles v;ere being held wxre disturbed by crowds, who would gather together after night-fall, and Avith yells, cries, whistles, and occasionally with the breaking of windows by stones and other missiles, endeavor to molest the quiet investigators in their " unholy work of waking the dead" as one of the Brooklyn papers piously denominated the act of seeking for the "Ministry of Angels." AMERICAN, SPIRITUALISM. 87 The principal leaders of the movement, no less than the mediums them- selves, were seriously obnoxious to this kind of rowdyism. The mediums, especially the ladies, were turned out of their offices and boarding-houses. Hotel-keepers often declined to receive them, and in the streets they were constantly subject to the most insulting and sometimes even threatening language. Their public meetings were disturbed, the char- acters of every person connected with the movement indiscriminately assailed ; the appearance of a Spiritualist in any public trial was the signal for immedi- ate decision against their side of the question, and their mere opinions in favor of the cause subjected them to inquisitorial persecutions, and the excomnumicating ban of the church to which they belonged. Those who have not endured the ordeal of this strange paroxysm of civil- ized barbarism could never imagine the pitch of injustice to which it was carried, nor the sufferings of the victims. It is a remarkable and significant token of "the retributive and compensa- tive power behind the throne," that nearly all who suffered in the first years of spiritual persecution, loss of fortune, practise, custom, or reputation, have experienced a reaction in their favor, which seems to proceed from an invol- untary appreciation, on the part of the public, of the superior intelligence wlrich some of the Spiritualists display. Thus, after Judge Edmonds, General Bullard, and other distinguished legal practitioners had been robbed of the well-earned laurels of an honored career at the bar, because, as Spiritualists, '■'■they must be insane;" whilst merchants who had long been esteemed as first on change and in the market were compelled to threaten legal prosecution, in order to obtain the erasure of the word " Spiritualist" labelled publicly against their names; after teachers had been ignominiously tlirust out of their places, operatives dismissed, and tradesmen almost reduced to ruin, a period of reaction came, when spirtual- v istic lawyers were found to be "possessed of sources of knowledge" which A rendered their services invaluable ; the most skilful doctors were found to 7 be " those wonderful magnetic physicians," and the word " Spiritualism" began to be interpreted as a challenge to the world to expect superior excel- lence in art and science, wisdom in judgment, or success in commerce. But this happy revulsion of feeling was still but ]Dartial, and only became manifest at a late period of the movement. Its first initiatory steps necessarily demanded and obtained its martyrs, like every other great reform, which has had to march to its success over the conquered legions of ignorance, prejudice, and superstition. Even the suf- ferings endured by the Rochester mediums were not ended with the public inquisition at Corinthian Hall. Absurd and far-fetched theories were still put forth by so-called scientific men in their useless attempts to kill the hydra-headed monster through the original promoters of its notoriety, and their failure in so doing seemed to incite the opponents to a bitterness which found vent in forms of persecu- tion not always stopping short of peril to life itself, as will be shown in the follov\'ing case, one out of many similar annoyances that tracked the footsteps of the unfortunate mediums. When Miss JNIargaretta Fox visited the city of Troy, New York, in 1850, an evidently organized attempt was made on her life by a party whose agents consisted chiefly of a set of rough men, said to be Irish Catholics. After dogging her footsteps, trying under various pretexts to get admission to the house where she was holding circles, and seriously endangering the peace and safety of the family she was visiting by hurling stones and other 88 HISTORY OF MODERN missiles against the windows, they proceeded to fire several shots at the house, which were no doubt aimed at Miss Fox. The circumstances of the case are best detailed in a letter written to a friend of the cause by Mr. Bouton, the gentleman at whose house Miss Fox was staying. A portion of that letter we subjoin, as follows : "West Troy, November 13, 1850. " We are endeavoring to make an arrangement for her [Margaretta] to go to another place. If she has mentioned the name to you, do not mention it to others, as you value her life. A deep plot is laid to destroy her. My house is beset every night by assassins after her, and we gviard her every moment. " We think, if we can place her where we wish to, she will be safe. I shall defend her and her reputation at the risk of my fortune and my life. I will advise you of our progi-ess. Suppress the name of the place if you can. I write with difficulty, not having rested for some nights. Five Irishmen, from some motive, are watching Margaretta. We have seen them all together. ' ' She has never left my family without being attended, which has given them no opportu- nity yet. "In returning from Troy, late the night before last, with my family and Margaretta, in a coach, we came to the river and found no boat. Five Irishmen ti'led to persuade our driver to go to the long 'Troy bridge,' a glorious place for murder. We did not go, but they fol- lowed us hom.e, and, after we had retired, they attempted to break into the room occupied by Margaretta and my sister-in-law. " Tliey were furious on being foiled, and threw stones against the house. I have i:)repared means of defence, and caimot sleep much, and my family less. I fear they will return again to-night, but they will meet with a warm reception. "Last ni^lit Mrs. B. and Margaretta went to the door of a shed together, and a stone was thrown at them. One man on the roof made an angiy exclamation on finding that the tv/o were together, instead of Margaretta alone. They were large, stout men. " , A postscript to this letter, dated the next day, the 14th, says : " A.S I feared, the Irishmen did return last night, and threw a stone through the window, and broke into the house ; but we were prepared for them, and they did not effect anything. We would like to have you come here immediately, if you can." .The small party of " Irishmen" continued to increase until at last Mr. Bou- ton' s house was surrounded by a mob, and when Mrs. Fish, the elder sister, arrived on an imperative telegraphic summons from Rochester, she had to be escorted to her hotel by a party of brave and well-tried friends, in disguise. The ladies were finally conducted in safety atid secrecy to Albany, where a better and more genial reception awaited them, and then it was found that Catholics and Irish did not make up the bulk of the rude and jibing mobs that surrounded Mr. Bouton' s house, fired the shots, and threw stones at the windows, uttering meanwhile threats and imprecations agamst the "unholy witch v/oman within." Yet these very demonstrations it was that ultimately caused a strong and irresistible spirit of investigation in Troy, and ended in confirming the belief in that place to an extent which time and the mutations of public opinion elsewhere have never shaken. • Troy, in fact, is now oiie of the spiritual fort- resses of New York State. Similar results, but of far more striking and important character, grew out of the malevolent attacks that were levelled against Judge Edmonds. Some of these being circulated in the National IntcUigc7icei\ of Wash- ington, attracted the attention of the members of the Legislature, many of whom were warm friends and admirers of the Judge, and caused an eager interest in Spiritualism to arise in the very heart and focus of national in- fluence. Many excellent mediums were developed in the progress of the investigations that follovv-ed, and the visit of the Fox family completed die triumph of the cause in "Washington. AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 89 Amongst those who protested most justly and indignantly against the vitu- perative spirit in which the remarks of the Washington National Intelligencer denounced Judge Edmonds and his belief, was the Hon. N. P. Tallmadge, a distinguished! Senator, ex-Governor of Wisconsin, and a wami personal friend and colleague of the Judge. In a letter equally fearless and judicially acute, Governor Tallmadge wrote to the National IntelHgencc7-, indignantly repudiating his denunciations of the Spiritualists, of whom he proclaims himself to be one. He adds : "And, let me assure you, there are throughout this widely-extended countr}', some of the brightest and most exalted intellects, who have, from a thorough investigation of the matter, come to the same conclusion." In writing of Judge Edmonds he says : "I had heard for a long time of the 'Rochester knocldngs,' but had paid no heed to them ; on tlie contrary, had considered them a delusion which would soon pass away. I continued under these impressions till some time last spring [1S52], when my attention was called to a newspaper attack on Judge Edmonds for being a believer in these spiritual mani- festations. I had kno^vn Judge Edmonds for thirty 3'ears, had practiced law in the same courts, had served in the Senate of New York, and been associated with him as a member of the Court for the Correction of Errors, the highest court in the State ; had kno\\Ti him since that time as a Justice of the Supreme Court, and more recently as a Judge of the Court of Appeals, where he holds a deservedly high and distinguished rank amongst the able judges of that court, the last resort in the State of New Yoi-k. I also knew him as a gen- tleman of finished classical education, and as a lawyer of acute mind and decided talent for investigation ; and, above all, I knew him to be a man of unimpeachable integi'ity. Know- ing all these things, I concluded that if he had become a believer in ' spiritual manifesta- tions,' it was at least a subject worthy of investigation. " In connection with this letter Governor Tallmadge published several others, addressed to some of the most distinguished persons in the country, who were numbered amongst his intimate friends. As all of these were replete with incidents of the mosf*astounding character, their perusal excited the utmost interest and astonishment, especially when the unquestionable nature of the authority is considered from whence they emanated. Our space will only allow us to reproduce one or two of these narrations, for which purpose v\'e select, in the first instance, a published letter of Governor Tallmadge' s addressed to Mrs. Helen N. Whitman, the celebrated poetess of Rliode Island. This letter has already been published in substance, but the author prefers to quote from the manuscripts supplied by the honored writer himself, as, though occasionally varying in language, it is possible that the memoranda, made immediately after the manifestations were produced, may contain a truer transcript of the writer's feelings at the time of their reception than the entire letter as it was subsequently prepared for publication. "Baltimore, Ap-il 12, 1853. "Hon. N. P. Tallmadge to Mrs. Helen N. Whitman: " Dear Madam, — I seize a few moments whilst detained here to give you a more ex- tended account of the physical manifestations alluded to in a former letter. " In this account I shall confine myself to those which purport to come from the spirit of John C. Calhoun. I have received numerous communications from him from the time of my commencing this investigation. They have been received through rapping, writing, and speal.ing mediums, and are of the most extraordinary character After the arrival of the Misses Fox in Washington, in February last, I called on them by ap- pointment, and at once received a communication purporting to come from Calhoim. I then propounded mentally the following question : 90 HISTORY OF MODERN' " ' Can you do anything to confirm me in the truth of these revelations, and remove fiom my mind all shadow of unbelief? ' ' ' To which I received the following answer : " ' I will give you a communication on Monday, at seven and a half o'clock. Do not fail to be here. I will then give you an explanation. John C. Calhoun.' "I must here remarlv that «// the communications referred to in this letter were made through the alphabet ; every letter being rapped out, letter by letter, and taken down by me as received, until they spelled out words and sentences. " I called on Monday, as appointed, and received the following communication : " ' My friend, the question is often put to you, ' What good can result from these mani- festations ? ' I will answer. ' It is to draw mankind together in harmony, and convince sceptics of the immortality of the soul.' "I will here interrupt my narrative to remark that when in Bridgeport, in 1850, I re- ceived a communication through other mediums from a spirit purportmg to be W. E. Channing, which strongly reminds me of the above sentence. " In answer to the cpestion, ' What do spirits propose to accomplish by these manifesta- tions,' it was spelled out, 'To vmite inankind, and convince sceptics of the immortality of the soul.' "During the above communication, at Washington, the table was moved first one way and then the other, and when we all moved back, so that no one was touching it or within two feet of it, it moved — wholly without contact — some three or four feet, and then re- turned to its original position. This was repeated on the other side, and then one side of it was raised for a few moments and was again rested on the floor. Desirous to test its weight, it being a heavy dining table capable of seating some dozen persons, I placed my hands under the leaf and endeavored to raise it, but without succeeding in stirring it an inch. I then stood up and exerted all the force I was master of in vain. I requested the tlii^ee ladies to take hold and try all together to lift it. We lifted upon it until the top began to crack, but without raising it a particle. Perceiving that a spiritual force was being exerted to keep it down, I said : ' Will the spirits permit me to raise the table ? ' " I then took hold of it alone and raised it without the least effort. After this the follow- ing dialogue ensued : " Q. Can you raise the table entirely from the floor with me on it? A. Yes; get me the square table. The square table required was of cherry, with four legs — a large-sized tea-table. "Being brought out and the leaves raised I took my seat in the centre, the three ladies sitting at the sides with their hands and arms resting on it and thus adding to the two hun- dred pounds weight already on it. Two legs were first raised from the floor, then the other two to a level with the first, until the whole table was held suspended in the air about six inches from the floor. While thus seated on it, I could feel a gentle vibrating movement as if floating in the air. After being thus suspended for a few moments the table was gently set down again to the floor. "At a subsequent meeting, the spirit claiming to be my friend Calhoun directed me to bring — for the purpose of exhibiting physical signs of spirit-power — three bells and a guitar. These were accordingly procured, the bells being of different sizes, the largest a dinner-bell. A drawer was to be put under the table upside down, and the bells placed on the drawer. ' ' The three ladies and myself then took our seats, leaning our hands and arms upon the table. The bells were played upon in a sort of melodious and rhythmical chime, whilst numerous raps were made, as if keeping time to a march. When the raps ceased the bells rang violently for several minutes ; they were also pressed on my feet and knocked most ve- hemently against the under side of the table, raising up the candlesticks by the concussion. "After the bells had ceased, I distinctly felt a hand gi'asping my foot, ankle, and knee, several times. I was then directed to place the guitar on the drawer. When all were seated as before, the guitar was at first touched softly and gently, giving forth sweet and delicious sounds like an accompaniment. Presently the tones grew louder and louder, and struck into a bold symphony. Then they diminished, becoming softer, sweeter, and almost dying away, as if at a long distance ; then they returned, increased in power, grew louder and nearer, and anon died away again in long, vibrating echoes of the most indescribable beauty and sweetness. "I have heard the guitar played by the most skilful and scientific hands, but I never could have conceived of that instrument being able to produce sounds of such marvellous and fascinating beauty, power, and even grandeur as this invisible performance that night executed. "After the music had ceased, it was spelled out by the raps, 'It was my hand that touched you aiid the guitar. Calhoun.' AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 91 " The following phenomena occun-ed at my next sitting with the Misses Fox, there being then present General Hamilton, General Waddy Thompson, of South Carolina, and myself. We were directed to place the Bible, closed, on a di-awer under the table. It was a small pocket Bible in very fine print. " For some time numerous raps were heard beating time to a march that had been sug- gested. These raps died away like receding feet, until the sound entirely ceased, when other loud raps gave the signal for the alphabet, by which was spelled out the single word, *I^ook. ' I took up the book most carefully, finding it was open, and desirous to preserve the place. It was then spelled out, ' Read ' ; and the verses of the open chapter which it was desired I should read were also spelled out. During the reading loud and vehement rappings seemed to indorse the sentiments rehearsed with a power that was fearfully start- ling, as coming from an invisible source. "The book was open at St. John's Gospel, third chapter, and the verses indicated to be read were the 8, 11, 19, 34, and were as follows : " ' 8. The wind bloweth where it will, and thou hearest its voice, but knowest not whence it cometh or whither it goeth ; so is every one that is born of the spirit.' " ' II. Verily, verily I say unto thee, we speak what we know and testify what we have seen, and ye receive not our testimony.' " ' 19. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil. ' " ' 34. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God ; for God giveth not the spirit by measure.' " After this I was directed to place several sheets of letter-paper, together with a pencil, on the drawer beneath the table. We soon heard the sound of the pencil on the paper ; when it was rapped out, ' Get the pencil and sharpen it.' I looked under the table, but at first could not find the pencil until, on continuing my search, I found it lying three or four feet from the table with the lead broken off within the wood. " I sharpened it as directed and replaced it again upon the drawer. Again I heard the sound of the pencil, but when directed by the raps to take up the paper, we found it marked on each side, but no intelligible writmg could be found. By the raps, however, it was speUed out, — " ' The power is not strong enough to write a sentence, but I wish to convince you I can write. If you meet on Friday exactly at seven, I will try a short sentence. "'John C. Calhoun.' "We met pursuant to appointment, took our seats as usual, all our hands and arms resting on the table. I placed my silver pencil-case on the drawer beneath the table, and being in communication with the spirit of Calhoun through the raps, I said, ' My friend, I wish the sentence to be in your own handwriting, so that your friends will recognize it.' He replied, ' You will know the writing.' We soon heard a rapid movement of the pencil on the paper, the rustling of the latter, and the movement of the drawer. I was then directed to look under the drawer. I found my pencil outside the drawer, and all the sheets I had placed on the top now underneath it ; they were disarranged, and on the out- side sheet was written, ' I'm with you still.' "I have shown that sentence to General Hamilton, former Governor of South Carolina, General Waddy Thompson, late Mexican Minister ; Genei-al Robert Campbell, of Havana, together with many other intimate friends of Mr. Calhoun. I also showed it to one of his sons, and he, as well as the rest, pronounced it to be a perfect facsimile of the hand- writing of John C. Calhotm. General Hamilton and Mrs. General Macomb — both of whom are in possession of many private letters from Calhoun — state as a fact of peculiar significance, that he Vv^as constantly in the habit of abbreviating 'I am' into 'I'm,' hence this sentence, short as it is — I'm with you still — is peculiarly characteristic of his expression no less than his singularly terse style. '• Very truly yours, "N. P. Tallmadge." On this, as on other and constantly-recurring occasions, it has been re- marked that a communication so brief, pointless, and therefore so inconsistent with the character of a statesman as dignified and eloquent as the late John C. Calhoun, was either at variance with his earthly career or unworthy of his exalted spirit. To such arguments, let us apply the responses so often rendered by spirits on similar occasions. " The power by which spirits can act upon matter at all is limited, ill understood even by themselves, and at present in a merely experimental state of control ; hence the quantity and 92 HISTORY OF MODERN power of the manifestations is determined by conditions too complex and subtle, and as yet too remote from the sphere of material science, for human comprehension. Moreover, every communication, howsoever transmitted through a human organism, partakes so closely of the idiosyncracies of the medium that whilst the idea may originate in the spirit-world, the form of the communication must assume the shape of the medium's mind and the measure of their force. Beyond the occasional introduction of a few words, sentences, or forms of writing and expression, it is almost impossible for the mightiest controlling spirit far to transcend these limits ; hence their ideas not only sink to the level of the medium's capacity in transmission, but often become so merged in their magnetism as to lose the stamp of their spiritual origin altogether. "The communion may grow into more-assured identity, and a better system of telegraphy may supervene when mortals industriously study the science of Spiritualism, and reverendly prepare themselves to honor it as a religio7i." CHAPTER X. SPIRITUALISM IN NEW YORK CITY AND STATE— CONTINUED. " Stand for the right ! though falsehood rail And proud lips coldly sneer, A poisoned arrow cannot wound A conscience pure and clear. " Stand for the right ! and with clean hands Exalt the truth on high, Thou'lt find warm, sympathizing hearts Among the passers-by." Psalms of Life. Spiritualism Explained by Chauncy C. Burr — S. Grimes — Mr. Joel Tiffany — Leo Miller — Saul and Paul — Judge Edmonds's "Appeal to the Public" — The Press and their Change of Tone — Dr. Dexter — "The Sacred Circle." From the time when the truth of spirit communion with the earth became a fact so fixed that investigators could venture to call public attention to the subject with the most perfect confidence in the results, an infatuation appeared to have possessed certain individuals with little or no reason for their action, determinately to array themselves for a war of opposition, which they conducted with singular bitterness and indiscriminate rashness. Thus at Buffalo, New York, three gentlemen, whose position as leaders of science should have deterred them from the committal of their names to a pubhshed verdict of which subsequent events should have made them hear- tily ashamed, gravely rendered their testimony to the effect that the mani- festations produced through the Fox sisters v/ere all the result of the snapping of their knee and ankle joints ! The details of the notable theory announced by "the Buffalo doctors," together with all the physiological definitions involved in their astounding discovery, will be found in a subsequent chapter. It is only necessary to state here that like all similar attempts to explain away a substantial truth on vis- ionary grounds, the discussion to ivhich the afi'air gave rise served as ex- ceedingly valuable propaganda for the cause of Spiritualism. AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 93 The resort to deliberate falsehood on the ^.art of the professed mesmerist, Grimes, has already been noticed, and soon after the sage Buffalo doctors had assigned to knee and ankle joints the new function of producing the whole range of varied and intelligent spiritual phenomena, the ex-Rev. [?] C. Chauncy Burr took the field to expose the whole "trick" in several public lectures delivered at Hope Chapel, New York, and other places, in which all the former exploded theories were re-hashed, with the addition of several grave and utterly unfounded falsehoods. It would scarcely be in keeping with the spirit of serious narrative to recur to these pitiful arts, Avere it not advisable to note the flimsy and desperate character of the opposition. ,^ After making a livmg, such as it was, for a few weeks out of platform "expositions" of Spiritualism in various places, where himself and his confed- erates cracked out by their toe Joints, etc., names and sentences previously agreed upon ; after disgusting and disappointing even their best friends by the shallow character of their imposture, and subjecting themselves to far more bitter and contemptuous remarks from the press than had ever been levelled against the cause they sought to defame, Messrs Burr & Co. were finally prosecuted for slander by Mrs. Fish [Leah Fox], and in the encounter with that lady's lawyer — Mr. Joel Tiffany — lost even the rags of pubhc credit, wherewith they had been striving to clothe themselves as antagonists of Spir- itualism. It may here be mentioned that Mr. Joel Tiftany became so deeply interested in the manifestations through the Fox family that he not only undertook their defence against the slanders of Burr, but devoted his talents as an orator and writer to the advocacy of the cause. His lectures at the Spiritualists' Sabbath meetings, his pungent replies to the attacks of, the clergy and secular press, and his able conduct of one of the most popu- lar periodicals of spiritualistic literature — namely, Tiffany's Monthly Maga- zine" — entitle him to a foremost place amongst the ranks of spiritual celebrities, and challenge our gratitude even to the venomous Chauncy Burr, for first prominently identifying Mr. Tiffany with Spiritualism, in Cleveland, Ohio. Antagonists of a similar character to the above were multiplying on every side, encouraged by the unchristian ardor with which their juggling attempts Avere received by the clergy, many of the press, and a large proportion of the community. A young lawyer named Leo IMiller, who Avas stud3ang for the bar and anxious to fit himself for forensic display, determined to exercise his talents in a course of lectures through Ncav York AA'hich should enlist public interest in his favor, and ■ for this purpose he found no theme so generally acceptable as the announcement that he Avould "expose the pretended spiritual manifes- tations." For many Aveeks Mr. Leo Miller ran a most successful career in this direc- tion. His lectures Avere croAA^ded, his addresses lauded to the sicies by the press, AA^iile notices of his meetings A\'ere read from many of the popular pul- pits, and his handbills industriously circulated by the clerg}^ As Mr. Miller Avas an eloquent and attractive speaker, his services in con- ducting "the attack" in Central Ncav York AA^ere gladly accepted in lieu of the broken fragment of the Grimes and Burr forlorn hope. Unfortunately, hoAvever, for the peace of mind of his Christian supporters, Mr. Miller sud- denly became a " speaking medium." A spiritual trance overshadoAved him in one of his most poAA'^erful flights of defamatory oratory^, and Baalam-like, he AA'ho came to curse Israel AA^as compelled Avith umvilling lips to pronounce a blessing instead, and to pour forth prophetic assurances of the unconquerable 94 HISTORY OF 3I0DERN triumphs of the power he had hitherto assailed. Returning from his truly improvised lecture scarcely less confounded and dismayed than his audience, he retired to his couch to find himself serenaded by " raps," and assailed by voices of invisible beings who tenderly rebuked his past perversity, assured ' him of the consoling presence of loved and loving spirit friends, and urged upon him the solemn duty of going forth to atone for the errors he had com- mitted by proclaiming the irresistible truths of Spiritualism to the ends of the earth. In the midst of the perplexity which this overwhelming change occa- sioned in his mind, he received from a man of whose very name and exist- ence he had had no previous knowledge, an exquisite drawing of a female head, v/hich the stranger informed him had been executed whilst in a trance and blmdfolded. He — the artist — declared that he had no knowledge what- ever of who the lady was, or why it should be given to Mr. Miller, beyond the request of the spirit, whose portrait it was. Mr. Miller inquired the name of the artist, and learned that he was a Mr. Rogers, of Columbus, Ohio, a tailor by trade ; totally unacquainted with drawing ; an involuntary automatic medium for the production of spirit por- traits, hundreds of which had been eagerly claimed and recognized as beloved departed ones by their astonished relatives. In some instances, as in Mr. Miller's case, Mr. Rogers was instructed by the spirits to whom he should send or give the pictures, and it was under a charge of this kind that he had presented to Mr. Miller a drawing which the latter instantly recognized as the most inimitably faithful portrait of a beloved sister of whom there Avas no other likeness extant. It was impos- sible to mistake the resemblance ; the friends of the young lady, as well as her brother, at once perceived the correctness of the portrait, whilst the most careful inquiry into the circumstances of its production only strengthened the facts as detailed by the artist. Scores of similar cases, many of them far more marvellous than the above, were brought to Mr. Miller's notice in connection with this same artist, and the result was that Mr. Rogers became celebrated for his success as a delineator of the forms of the beloved inhabitants of the spirit country, and Mr. Leo Miller a renowned and powerful champion of the truths of spiritual existence, and communion with mortals. One of the chief results to ]\Ir. Miller in his capacity as a public speaker was the remarkable fact that within a few weeks from the time of his "change of base," his audience fell off in numbers about the ratio of ninety per cent.; whilst his revenue from this source of course endured a proportionate decrease. All this was more than compensated for, however, by the enthusiasm of the young orator's purpose, the joy of his heart, the peace of his conscience, and the manifest improvement of his style ; still, no sooner was it discovered that around his pathway hovered an angel sister, who by her pure and glorified influence made him a better and wiser man, than the pious withdrew their coun- tenance ; the press no longer advertised his lectures, or devoted a column's admiring criticism to "his able expose of spirit rapping;" and saddest of all, the clergy either forgot to announce his meetings and distribute his notices, or only remembered him in their sermons to cry "Maranatha," and warn all follovv'ers of Christ to shun the daring infidel who presumed to give the signs which their master had promised should follow those who believed in him. It was in the year 1853 that a course of virulent and scandalous attacks made upon Judge Edm.onds through the public press, determined him to resign the high oflice of Judge, Vv-hich he had so nobly and honorably filled to the satisfaction cf his fellow-citizens and the benefit of the commuhit}'-. AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 95 The incitements to this course of action are briefly stated in the simple yet dignified "'Appeal to the Public," which the learned gentleman published on the occasion. The mental trials which forced this statement from Judge Edmonds must necessarily have been very severe, but it is impossible that any one can peruse it without coming to the conclusion that "in the suffer- ings of the just, the world is made wise unto salvation," and that whatever may have been the inducing motive, the cause of justice and truth v/ere greatly benefitted by the publication of so noble and manly a document, and such a clear and succinct account of the aspect and status of Spiritualism at the date of the following "appeal : " ^'To the Public: "On my recent return from an excursion into the countrj', I found that during my absence a decision lately pronounced by me had been seized upon as an occasion for an attaclc, in several quarters, on my religious belief. I was fully aware that that judgment, running counter as it would to popular sentiment, would subject my action to severe criti- cism ; but I confess, I did not anticipate that thence would flow an assault on my religious opinions. Were I a jDrivate citizen, I should content myself with merely claiming the right, which belongs to everyone in this country, of entertaining such faith on this — the most important of all topics — as my conscience might dictate. And as it is, I might perhaps rest satisfied with challenging those who assail me, to point out a single article in my creed that aims at aught else than exalted private worth and public virtue. But as the position v/liich I occupy renders the soundness as well as the integrity of my judgment a matter of public interest, I am bound to acknowledge the right of others to question my faith, and my own obligation to defend it. "I acknowledge a still further obligation. And inasmuch as I accepted my present position under the implied understanding, at least, that I believed in the Christian religion, and would administer our civil law according to the principles of the divine law, as it had been revealed to us, on which all our institutions were based, so I am bound to certify to those who have intrusted me with the divine attribute of administering justice among men, that my reverence for that revelation has not been shaken, nor my obedience to that moral law impaired. " I have not, however, waited for these assaults, to be impressed with these obligations, but have already so far felt them that I have prepared to publish a volume on the subject, which, but for my other avocations, Avould ere this have been in the printer's hands. To that I must refer for much in elucidation and proof of my belief, which the limits of this coiiimunication will not allow me to dwell upon, and content myself on this occasion with such general statements as may tend to give a correct idea of what it is that I believe or have done. Even this would not have been necessary if those who assail me had but done me the justice themselves to have published anything I have said or written on the subject. But hitherto I have been able to reach the public only through publications of very limited circulation ; and the wildest and most erroneous notions have therefore been imbibed as to my belief, and the mischief has been increased by the recklessness with v/hich • thosi erroneous statements have been fabricated by those who could not know them to be true, but who could easily have ascertained them to be false. " Thus one writer,* with a want of feeling not perhaps surprising, speaks of m}'- 'consult- ing my dead wife ' in making up my decisions. Another says, that it is ' rumored ' that I have consulted spirit manifestations in regard to my decisions. Another, that my belief is 'at irreconcilable variance with all divine revelation,' and is 'fit for no other system than devil worship ;' and still another, that ' it constitutes an abandonment of all self-control, and a surrender of the supremacy of reason, as informed and enlightened by the senses, to the most nonsensical jugglery.' "All these statements are as wide as they can be of truth, and I might with some justice complain at being subjected to such gidevous imputations, merely because I had made a decision which was unacceptable to a portion of the community. " But it is not for the purpose of complaining that I sit down to write. I am aware that it is not so much me as it is the faith v/hich I profess, which is the object of attack. " It is ' the mighty theme, and not the inconsiderable advocate,' which offends. I am also aware why it is that so much error exists in the public mind on that subject ; and my v/hole purpose is, so far as I am concerned, to coiTCct that error ; to state truly, as far as I can in * Daily C'ironicle, of New London. 96 HISTORY OF MODERN this connection, what it is that I do believe, and generally the grounds on which my belief is founded, that all who take interest in the matter to read what I may say, may liave tlie means of judging for themselves as to what I really do believe, rather than wiiat others erroneously impute to me as a belief. " I am sincerely gi-ateful to my assailants for not imputing to me any unworthy or selfish motives, for concedmg that as a private citizen I 'stand exempt from public criticism,' and that I am 'not a fool,' and for confining themselves to the mere imputatirn that I am laboring under a delusion. It is, therefore, to that point I shall confine myself in what I have now to say. "It was in January, 1851, that my attentions was first called to the subject of 'spiritual intercourse.' I was at the time withdrawn from general society. I was laboring under gi-eat depression of spirits. I was occupying all my leisure in reading on the subject of death and man's existence afterwards. " I had in the course of my life read and heard from the pulpit so many contradictory and conflicting doctrines on the subject, that I hardly knew what to believe. I could not, if I would, believe what I did not understand, and was anxiously seeking to know if after death we should again meet with those whom we had loved here, and mider what circum- stances. "I was invited by a friend to witness the ' Rochester knockings.' I complied, chiefly to oblige her and to while away a tedious hour. I thought a good deal on v/hat I witnessed, and I determined to investigate the matter and find out what it was. If it was a deception, or a delusion, I thought that I could detect it. For about four months I devoted at least two evenings in a week, and sometimes more, to witnessing the phenomena in all its phases. I kept careful records of all I witnessed, and from time to time compared them with each other, to detect inconsistencies and contradictions. I read all I could lay my hands on, on the subject, and especially all the professed 'exposures of the humbug.' "I went from place to place, seeing different mediums, meeting with different parties of persons ; often with persons whom I had never seen before, and sometimes where I was myself entirely unknown ; sometimes in the dark and sometimes in the light ; often with inveterate unbelievers, and more frequently with zealous believers. In fine, I availed my- self of every opportunity that was afforded, thoroughly to sift the matter to the bottom. I was all this time an unbeliever, and tried the patience of believers sorely by my scepticism, my captiousness, and my obdurate refusal to yield my belief. " I saw aroimd me some who yielded a ready faith on one or two sittings only ; others again under the same circumstances, avowing a determined unbelief; and some who refused to witness it at all, and yet were confirmed unbelievers. I could not imitate either of these parties, and refused to yield imless upon most irrefragible testimony. At length the evi- dence came, and in such force that no sane man could withhold his faith. ■ " Thus far the question I was investigating was, whether what I saw was produced by mere mortal means, or by some invisible, unknown agency ; in other words, whether it was a deception, an imposition, or what it professed to be — the product of some unknown, unseen cauSe. To detail what I witnessed would far exceed the limits of this communication, for my records of it for those four months alone fill at least one hundred and thirty closely written pages. I will, however, mention a few things, which will give a general idea of that which characterized interviews now numbering several hundred. Most of them have occur- red in the presence of others besides myself. I have preserved their names in my records, but do not give them to the world, because I do not desire to subject them to the obloquy which seems, most strangely, to be visited upon all who look into the matter with any other feeling than a resolute and obstinate incredulity, whatever the evidence. But these consider- ations grow out of this fact : first, that I haVe thus very many witnesses, whom I can invoke to establish the truth of my statements ; and second, that if 1 have been deluded and have not seen and heard what I think I liave, my delusion has been shared by many as shrewd, as intelligent, as honest, and as enlightened people, as are to be found anywhere among us. "My attention was first drawn to the intercourse by the rappings, then the most common, but now the most inconsiderable mode of communing. Of course I was on the look-out for deception, and at first relied upon my senses and the conclusions which my reason might draw from their evidence. But I Was at a loss to tell how the mediums could cause what I witnessed under these circumstances : the mediums walking the length of a suite of parlors forty or fifty feet, and the rappings being distinctly heard five or six feet behind them, the whole distance, backward and forward, several times ; being heard near the top of a mahog- any door, above where the mediums could reach, and as it struck hard with a fist ; being heard on the bottom of a car when travelling on a railroad, and on the floor and the table, when seated at lunch, at an eating-house, by the side of the road; being heard at different parts of the room, sometimes several feet distant from the medium and where she could not i-each; sometimes on the table and immediately after on the floor, and then at different parts AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 97 of the table, in rapid succession, enabling us to feel the vibration as well as hear the sounds ; sometimes, when the hands and feet of the medium were both firmly and carefully- held by some one of the party, and sometimes on a table when no one touched it. "After depending upon my senses as to these various phases of the phenomena, I invoked the aid of science, and with the assistance of an accomplished electrician and his machinery, and eight or ten intelligent, educated, shrewd persons, examined the matter. We pursued our inquiries many days, and established to our satisfaction two things : first, that the sounds were not produced by the agency of any person present or near us ; and, second, that they were not forthcoming at our will and pleasure. "In the meantime another feature attracted my attention, and that v/as 'physical mani- festations,' as they are termed. Thus, I have known a pine table with four legs lifted bodily up from the floor in the centre of a circle of six or eight persons, turned upside do-\vn and laid upon its top at our feet, then lifted up over our heads and put leaning against the back of the sofa on which we sat. I have knowai that same table to be lifted up on two legs, its top at an angle with the floor of forty-five degrees, when it neither fell over of itself, nor could any person present put it back on its four legs. I have seen a mahogany table, having only a centre leg, and with a lamp burning upon it, lifted from the floor at least a foot, in spite of the efforts of those present, and shaken backward and forward as one would shake a goblet in his hand, and the lamp retam its place though its glass pen- dants rang again. "I have seen the table tipped up with the lamp upon it so far that the lamp must have fallen off unless retained there by something else than its own gi-avity, yet it fell not, moved not. I have known a dinner-bell taken from a high shelf in a closet, rung over the heads of four or five persons in that closet, then rung around the room over the heads of twelve or fifteen persons in the back parlor, and then borne through the folding doors to the further end of the front parlor, and there dropped on the floor. I have frequently known persons pulled about with a force which it was impossible for them to resist, and once, when all my own strength was added in vain to that of the one thus affected. I have known a ma- hogany chair thrown on its side and moved swiftly back and forth on the floor, no one touching it, through a room where there were at least a dozen people sitting, yet no one was touched, and it Avas repeatedly stopped within a few inches of me, when it was coming with a violence which, if not arrested, must have broken my legs. " This is not a tithe — nay, not a hundredth part of what I have witnessed of the same character, but it is enough to show the general nature of what was before me. "At the same time I have heard from others, whose testimony would be credited in any human transaction, and which I could not permit myself to disregard, accounts of still more extraordinary transactions, for I have been by no means so much favored in this respect as some. ' ' While these things were going on there appeared in the newspapers various explana- tions and ' exposm-es of the humbug,' as they were tei'med. I read them with care, in the expectation of being assisted in my researches, and I could not but smile at once at the rashness and the futility of the explanations. For instance, while certain learned pro- fessors in Buffalo were congratulating themselves on having detected it in the toe and knee- joints, the manifestations in this city changed to ringing a bell placed under the table. They were like the solution lately given by a learned professor in England, who attributes the tipping of tables to a force in the hands which are laid upon it, overlooking the material fact that tables quite as frequently move when there is no hand upon them. " What I have tluis mentioned has happened in the presence of others as well as myself. I have not alluded to any of the things which have occurred to me when I have been alone, for as that would depend upon my testimony only, I have preferred not to subject my veracity to the i-ash and reckless contradictions of those who venture to denounce as an 'atrocious imposture' that of which they are profoundly ignorant, and which has been examined and is believed in by thousands and tens of thousands of their fellow-citizens, who are, to say the least, every whit as honest and as intelligent as they are ; nor am L very anxious to submit my faith to the judgment of those Avho would have persecuted. Galileo nigh unto death for discovering our planetary system, and have united in the cry of 'folly' at Fulton's steamboat, 'humbug' at Morse's telegraph, and 'insanity' at Gray's iron road. " Having thus by a long series of patient inquiries satisfied myself on this point, my next inquiry was. Whence comes the intelligence there is behind it all ? For that mtelligence was a remarkable feature of the phenomena. "Thus I have frequently known mental questions answered — that is, questions merely framed in the mind of the interrogator, and not revealed by him or known to others. Preparatory to meeting a circle I have sat dovra alone in my room and carefully prepared 7 98 HISTORY OF MODERN a series of questions to be propounded, and I have been surprised to find my questions aii- swered, and in the precise order in which I made them, without my even taking my mem- orandum out of my pocket, and when I knew that not a person present even knew that I had prepared questions, much less what they were. My most secret thoughts, those which I have never uttered to mortal man or woman, have been freely spoken, too, as if I had uttered them. Purposes which I have privily entertained have been publicly revealed ; and I have once and again been admonished that my every thought was known to and could be disclosed by the intelligence which was thus manifesting itself. " I have heard the mediums use Greek, Latin, Spanish, and French words, when I knew they had no knowledge of any language but their own ; and it is a fact that can be attested to by many, that often there has been speaking and writing in foreign languages and un- kno^vn tongues by those who were unacquainted with either. " Still the question occurred. May not all this have been, by some mysterious operation, the mere reflex of the mind of some one present ? The answer was that facts were com- municated which were unknown then, but afterwards found to be true ; like this, for in- stance : when I was absent last winter in Central America my friends in town heard of my whereabouts and of the state of my health seven times; and on my return, by comparing their information with the entries in my journal, it %vas found to be invariably correct. So in my recent visit to the West, my whereabouts and my condition were told to a medium in this city while I was travelling on the railroad between Cleveland and Toledo. So thoughts have been uttered on subjects not then in my mind, and utterly at variance with my o\vn notions. This has often happened to me and to others so as fully to establish the fact that it was not our minds that gave birth to or effected the communication. " Kindred to this are two well-authenticated cases of persons who can read the thoughts of others in their minds. One is an artist of this city, of high reputation ; and the other the editor of a newspaper in a neighboring city. The latter wrote me that in company with three friends he had tried the experiment, and for over forty successive attempts found he could read the secret tiioughts of his companions as soon as they were formed, and with- out their being uttered. So, too, there is the instance of two persons, one of them also resident in this city, who can give a faithful delineation of the character, and even the prevailing mood of mind of any person, however unknown to them, upon whom they fix their attention. "These are not apocryphal cases ; the parties are at hand, and in our very midst, and any person that pleases may make the investigation, as I have, and satisfy himself " But all this, and much, very much more of a cognate nature, went to show me that there was a high order of intelligence involved in this new phenomenon — an intelli- gence outside of, and beyond, mere mortal agency; for there was no other hypothesis which I could devise or hear of, that could at all explain that, whose reality is established by the testimony of tens of thousands, and can easily be ascertained by any one who will take the trouble to inquire. "If these two points were established — and there are now in these United States hundreds of thousands of sentient beings who have investigated and believe they are — then came this important question, cui bono — to what end is it all? For what purpose? With what object ? "To that inquiry I have dii-ected my earnest attention, devoting to the task, for over two years, all the leisure I could command, and increasing that leisure as far as I could by withdrawing myself from all my former recreations. I have gone from circle to circle, from medium to medium, seeking knowledge on the subject wherever I could obtain it, either from books or from observation, and bringing to bear upon it whatever of intelli- gence I have been gifted with by nature, sharpened and improved by over thirty years' practice at the bar, in the legislature, and on the bench. "I found there were very many ways in which this unseen intelligence communed with us, besides the rappings and table tippings, and that through those other modes there came very many communications distinguished for their eloquence, their high oi'dcr of intellect, and their pure and lofty moral tone. At the same time I discovered many incon- sistencies and contradictions that were calculated to mislead ; I ' saw many puerile and some very absurd statements, and many that were admirably calculated to make man better and happier, and I set to work to see if I could not, out of this chaos, gather some- thing that might be valuable. "I was satisfied that something more was intended than the gratification of an idle curiosity; something more than pandering to a diseased appetite for the marvellous; some- thing more than the promulgation of oracular platitudes; something more than upsetting material objects to the admiration of the wonder-lover; something more than telling the age of the living or the dead, etc. AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 99 " For tint something I have industriously searched. I thought that was wiser than to condemn without investigation, and denounce without knowledge. What I have dis- covered in that regard I have intended to give to the world, that all may judge for them- selves whether there is anything in it worthy the attention of intelligent beings. It would have been done ere this if my leisure would have allowed me time to prepare my manu- script for the press. Now I expect that my book will be published by the first of Sep- tember, and to that I refer, as I have already said, for particulars "I went into the investigation originally thinking it a deception, and intending to make public my exposure of it. Having, from my researches, come to a different conclusion, 1 feel that the obligation to make known the result is just as strong. Therefore it is, mainly, that I give the result to the world. I say mainly, because there is another consideration which influences me ; and that is the desire to extend to others a knowledge which 1 am conscious can not but make them happier and better. "If those who doubt this could but spend a few days with me in my library, and witness the calls I have from strangers from all parts of the country ; if they could but look over my portfolio, and read the letters which pour in upon me from all sections, and from persons whom I have never seen, and never may see, they would be able, from the evidence thus furnished of the good that has been done, to form some idea of what may yet be accomplished ; and they would not wonder that I find a compensation for the obloquy that is so freely heaped upon me by the ignorant, in the gi-ateful outpourings of hearts which have, by my means, been relieved. One of them says [and it is a fair specimen of the whole] 'you have acted the part of the good Samaritan, and poured oil into the wound of one like to die, and you will have rendered a death-bed, sooner or latei-, calm and hopeful, which might have been disturbed by doubts.' "This, then, is the offence for which I am arraigned at the bar of the public with so imsparing a condemnation, declared unworthy of my high office, falsely accused of con- sulting aught else than the law of the land and my owai reason in the judgments which I officially pronounce, and have had invoked against me ' the fires of Smithfield and the hangings of Salem.' From such a condemnation it is that I appeal to the calm, unbiased judgment of my countrymen, with a firm reliance upon its justice. "J. W. Edmonds. "New York, August i, 1S53." One result of Judge Edmonds's appearance in public as defe?idant against the reckless attacks of his adversaries, was a change of tone in th^ press, Avhich, though strongly confirmatory of his triumphant position, is nevertheless characteristic of the truth of an old proverb which suggests a close alliance between the bully and the coward. The following extracts will suffice to justify this insinuation : From the Neiv York Coicrier. " The letter from Judge Edmonds, published by us on Saturday, with regard to the so- called spiritual manifestations, coming as it did from an eminent jurist, a man remarkable for his clear common-sense in the practical affairs of life, and a gentleman of irreproachable character, arrested the attention of the community, and is regarded by many persons as one' of the most i^emarkable documents of the day. Judge Edmonds has at least shown that he does not shrink from a full mvestigation of his case ; and his error is, perhaps, upon the right side, under the circumstances "With regard to the extraordinary phenomena which Judge Edmonds testifies to, as having occurred in his presence, it is worthy of note that others far more incredible are tes- tified to by other persons equally eminent with himself. We have the word of a gentleman of acknowledged high social and professional position, one whose bare word on any other subject we would receive without question, that he saw a man carried through the air for seventy feet at the height of three yards, although no one touched him or brought any mechanical power to bear on him. The story is entitled to exactly the same faith which is due to those of Judge Edmonds; no less, and no more." The Evening Mb'ror remarks : "John W. Edmonds, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court for this District, is an able lawyer, an industrious judge, and a good citizen. For the last eight years, occupying with- out interruption the liightest judicial stations, whatever may be his faults, no one can loo HISTORY OF MODERN justly accuse him of a lack of ability, industry, honesty, or fearlessness. No one can doubt his general saneness, or can believe for a moment that the ordinary operations of his mind are not as rapid, accurate, and reliable as ever. Both by the practitioners and suitors at his bar, he is recognized as the head, in fact and in merit, of the Supreme Court for this District." After reviewing that portion of the letter in which Judge Edmonds records the experiences which led him to embrace the spiritual faith, the Mir?'or remarks : "Judge Edmonds, with characteristic energy, has not been silent on the subject of his recently-formed opinions. He has repeatedly published his experiences in some of the periodicals devoted to the new faith, and several of his articles were copied extensively by the daily press. Of course, these have furnished food for those editors who prowl about in search of a paragraph or a satire, and have afforded a target for many blunt but not inocuous arrows." It may be unjust to hold the individual members of the press responsible for the tone assumed by the majority, but the organization of that mighty body in America no more admits of these nice distinctions than the case of Judge Edmonds, and the circumstances cited above, can be considered apart from the gigantic movement of which this distinguished jurist was but an integral part. Judge Edmonds himself defines the truth of this position when he says, " I am aware that it is not so much me as the faith which I profess, which is the object of attack. It is the mighty theme, and not the inconsiderable ad- vocate, which offends." It has been the general tone of the press, as a body — not the opinion of its individual members, hundreds of whom are devoted Spiritualists — which makes its insolent, profane, and persistent persecution of Spiritualism a subject of equal surprise and discredit. In 1852, Judge Edmonds formed the acquaintance of Dr. Dexter, who with his' two young daughters of the respective ages of nine and fourteen, had become developed, by sitting in a family circle, as excellent mediums. In company with Dr. and Mrs. Dexter, Mr. Owen G. Warren, the author of "Supernal Theology," and Mr. and Mrs. Sweet, the latter a medium of the highest intellectual nature. Judge Edmonds formed a circle the result of which was a series of communications, chiefly written through the hand of Dr. Dexter, or spoken by Mrs. Sweet and written down by the Judge in short- hand, which he gave to the world in September, 1853, under the title of "Spiritualism, by Judge Edmonds and Dr. Dexter." A second volume, differing somewhat in character and style from the first, was published by Judge Edmonds and Dr. Dexter in the following year — namely, 1854. The changes manifest in this work are attributed by the Judge, in his preface, to the addition of Miss Laura Edmonds, and Miss Keyes, her cousin, to the circle of mediums, besides aid received from Mrs. A. T. Hall and Mrs. Helen Leeds, mediums of Boston. As these productions have been long and widely circulated amongst the American public, it is needless to make any other comment upon them than to record the profound impres- sions which their issue from such a distinguished source created, and to add the fact that the press and pulpit found in garbled extracts from their pages all the fresh food for ribaldry and insult which the literary and Christian spirit of these two potential leaders of public opinion could demand. AMERICA!^ SPIRITUALISM. loi CHAPTER XI. SPIRITUALISM IN NEW YORK CITY AND ST ATE — C ONTINUEH. "It is a fa!th sublime and pure. That ever round our head Are hovering on noiseless wing The spirits of the dead. "It is a beautiful belief. When ended our career That it will be our ministry To watch o'er others here." J. H. Perkins. Character of the Phenomena — Statistics of Spiritualism in 1853-4-5— Mediums in New York — Speaking with new Tongues — Spirit Portraits — Floating IN THE Air — Mrs. Mettler — Correspondence — Mrs. Whitman AND Senator Simmons — Rev. C. Hammond — The Ring Experiment in Washington, Before proceeding with the historical course of SpirituaHsm in New York it would be well to review the character of the manifestations which had during five years only, grown out of the first simple raps that awakened the inhabitants of the humble "spirit house" at Hydesville to the conscious presence of disembodied human souls. By a reference to the admirable compendium of Spiritualism in 1853, as detailed by Judge Edmonds in his "appeal," given in the last chapter, the character and standing of the personages interested in the cause may be understood, together with the nature of the phenomena which was most operative at that time. It was roughly estimated by Mr. N. P. Willis, editor of the Home Journal — himself an interested investigator — that the number of Spiritualists in New York City could not be less than forty thousand; the magnetic circles held at this time about three hundred; in Brooklyn and Williamsburgh at least twice that number ; whilst several thousand mediumistic persons, over twenty public test mediums, and at least a hundred clairvoyant and medical mediums could be found in and about the city through whom strangers could acquaint themselves with the phenomenal facts then transpiring. Besides the ordinary phases of rapping, the movement of conderable bodies, and the production of many varied and wonderful feats of power, spirits aflbrded the most striking proofs of supra-mundane intelligence. Hundreds of mediums were astounding the world by speaking fluently in many tongues, of which they had no previous knowledge. In New York, Miss Laura Edmonds conversed fluently, when under special influences of that kind, in Greek, Latin, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Hungarian, and several Indian dialects ; her only branches of lingual education having been English and French. Miss Jenny Keyes was influenced to sing in Italian and Spanish. Mrs. Shepherd, Mrs. Gilbert Sweet, Miss Inman, Mrs. Tucker, Miss Susan Lloyt, A. D. Ruggles, and several others whose names we are not privileged to give, all residents of New York, spoke frequently, under influence, in Spanish, Danish, Italian, Hebrew, Greek, Malay, Chinese, and Indian. Of Mr. Edward Fowler's writings in Oriental languages we have already spoken. They were often submitted to eminent scholars, amongst others to the learned Professor Bush, of New York, and pronounced to be pure Hebrew, Greek, Sanscrit, etc. ; Mr. Fowler being, according to the testimony of Iiis I02 HISTORY OF JMODERlSr friends and family, utterly incapable of writing, speaking, or comprehending any of the languages in which these communications were given. On one occasion Professor Bush being present with Mr. Fowler and desirous to test the possibiUty of communicating in Hebrew through the raps, called the alphabet in that language, and received highly satisfactory answers which he afterwards translated, bearing testimony to the indisputable test character of the communication, and its purity and correctness of orthography. The value of the gift of tongues may be estimated from the recital of an incident that occurred in the experience of the late celebrated agricultural chemist, Professor Mapes, who vouched for the verity of the statement. A medium of great phenomenal powers — whose name we are forbidden to mention — was one day influenced to go into the streets in company with Mr. Henry Vail, a pupil of Professor Mapes, when she was accosted by a miserable- looking woman, who addressed her in a foreign language. The medium, who was an uneducated person, was immediately controlled to answer the stranger intelligibly, and under an irresistible spirit influence, was led into a low quarter of the town, where she found fourteen Italians crowded together in one room, in a state of deplorable destitution and sickness, but unable, from their ignorance of the English language, to make their necessities known. The medium conversed with them fluently, administered to their relief, and prescribed clairvoyantly and in their own language for the sick amongst them. Governor Tallmadge, the Honorable J. M. Giddings, and many prominent New York Spiritualists, have testified to numerous cases of a similar nature, in v/hich the same medium, besides performing vv'onderful cures through clairvoyant agency, conversed with poor strangers in the streets in various foreign languages, she being, from defective education scarcely mistress of her own. The above incident will remind many New York Spiritualists of a person who for years Avas famous amongst them as one of the most remarkable mediums of the age, but whose name — on her oitm solemn charge — will find no record in these pages. We must here add that, actuated by different motives from the party above alluded to, and we regret to say, most com- monly from the unworthy one of fear of public, opinion thousands of the most striking proofs of spiritual communion are suppressed, because the parties concerned refuse their names or other tokens of authenticity absolutely indispensable to the plan of this work. Amongst other varieties of phenomena was the production of magnetized water, by which many sick persons v/ere cured, and the changing of the color of the water whilst enclosed in tightly-corked and sealed bottles. The following extract is a sj)ecimen of the latter phenomena : " Mr. S. B. Britain : Dear Sir, — The cause of Spiritualism in this vicinity is moving forward, regardless of the opposition which it meets on various hands, though mostly from the Church. We have all kinds of manifestations, such as are common in the East with you ; but the newest are the spirit lights and the coloring of water. The lights are seen by all present in different parts of the room. But lately the medium was directed to take a bottle and fill it half full of water, and cork the same tightly, when the spirits promised to appear in it. This has been done, and the light appeared so bright that objects in the room could be distinctly seen. The bottle was passed around the circle, and all saw and handled it. " The water is placed in a bottle and left on a table from five to fifteen minutes, when it is changed to any color desired. These things are being constantly witnessed in this vicin- ity. I saw them myself last evening in a crowded circle. They can be attested by humlreds. Water was changed to various colors; and when a sceptical lady present requested that it AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 103 be colored red, it was instantly done, and afterwards, by request, it was turned to a pale yellow. The orthodox folks have called it 'humbug,' 'collusion,' 'magnetism,' and various other things, till they are headed in them all, and now they cry, lastly, that it is ' the devil.'' " We have all kinds of media here, but these last manifestations are produced through a gentleman who is quite unlearned. He has submitted to the most rigid examination, and the people are satisfied that he is not in possession of any art by which to produce these things. "Yours for philosophical truth, "E. P. Wilson. "Farmington, Fulton County, Illinois." About this time the papers began to circulate tidings of the most astound- ing phenomena occurring in Athens County, Ohio, in the family of Mr. Koons, who had built a " spirit room" in the woods to facilitate the performances of " tlie invisibles." Without anticipating details which belong to a separate notice, it may be mentioned that the spirits commenced, through the mediumship of the Koons family, to perform upon many instruments in concert, and through a speaking trumpet actually dictated a small volume of communications, and drew dia- grams of the spheres and other remarkable details of the unknown country which they claimed to inhabit. • In Columbus, Ohio, Messrs. George Walocutt and Rogers — the medium who was instrumental in the conversion of Leo Miller — were convincing sceptics by hundreds through their astounding gifts of spirit painting, repro- ducing faithful portraitures of deceased persons wholly unknown to them, and often sending them to strangers at distant places under spirit direction. To increase the mar\-el of these productions, they were mostly drawn either in darkened apartments, or when the mediums were blindfolded and sur- rounded by crowds of carping sceptics. In Springfield and Boston, Massa- chusetts, D. D. Home — aftervvards renowned for his extraordinary mediumistic gifts throughout the courts of Europe — Henry C. Gordon, George Redman, and RoUin Squire, were all developed for physical manifestations of the most wonderful character. These young men were frequently lifted up in the air and floated over several feet of eround in the presence of hundreds of vvitnesses. Notices of these performances were freely circulated in the secular as well as the spiritual press, and because from such a source the statements are never in danger of erring on the side of credulity, we select the following from the New York Dispatch : " ' SUPER-MUNDANE,' WITH A VENGEANCE 'MEDIUM FLOATED IN THE AIR.' "Mr. Henry Gordon, a well-kno^vn medium for spiritual manifestations, being at a circle in this city one evening last week, was repeatedly raised from his seat and carried through the room, without any visible power touching him. The room was partially darkened, and the members of the circle could distinctly see him floating, with his lower extremities some two or three feet from the floor and some fifteen or twenty feet from the nearest person to him. The idea of any mechanical contrivance in this case is out of the question, as the circle was gotten up extemporaneously by persons too intelligent to deceive themselves and too honest to deceive others ; and the occun-ences took place at a house where Mr. Gordon was an invited guest only for the evening. Full particulars of the affair were related by eye- witnesses, at the spiritual conference in Bond street, on Tuesday evening last. Our friend Dr. Hallock was one of the party who witnessed this phenomenon, and perhaps may be induced to write ovX a more detailed account of it. " The same event took place mth Mr. Gordon in this city some two years ago, of which an account was published." I04 HISTORY OF MODERN In Buffalo, the most intense excitement was prevailing on the subject of the manifestations. Besides a number of mediums for the ordinary phases of spirit telegraphy, Miss Brooks, a young and interesting girl of a highly-respect- able family, became developed for the production of spirit music, which was performed in her presence in the most masterly and brilliant manner by an invisible piano-forte player, whose magnificent symphonies were produced when the instrument was turned with the keys to the wall, whilst one hand of the medium rested lightly on the cover and the other was held by a member of the circle. Hundreds of healing mediums were also exercising their beneficent gifts at this time. Amongst many who have since acquired a wide and deserved renown, none was more instrumental for the working of "miraculous" cures than Mrs. Mettler, of Hartford, Connecticut. The suffering and afflicted crowded her rooms from morning till night, whilst the records of the cures she performed under the avowed inlluence of spirits would fill a volume. The four daughters of Governor Tallmadge, of Wisconsin, became mediums, and by their influence and the exercise of their admirable gifts of seership, trance, musical improvisation, writing, and tongues, created an immense sensation in the fashionable circles in which they moved. Reports from the West and California were far more startling and abundant even than those at the East, and no day passed in which the spiritual journals v/ere not filled with narratives of the marvels that were transpiring on every part of the continent. The following extract, from the "Telegraph Papers" of 1853, is taken from the notes of the distinguished writer and tourist James Sargent, Esq., of Boston: "Mr. Sargent's route lay principally through tracts of country most remote from the influences of civilization. He was for a portion of the time surrounded ahnost exclu- sively by an Indian population in a state but little removed from barbarism. It need hardly be added that no vestige of literature, even to the establishment of a district post for the benefit of travellers, had ever penetrated these wilds. No means for the dissemi- nation of information existed, yet Mr. Sargent found that the rapplngs and all tiie other Spiritual manifestations were of common occii7'rence. "It was not by any means unusual, on entering a log cabin, to find the good, simple people seated round the rude table upon wliich raps were being made, and replying in the usual mode, to questions put by the auditory. There were to be found, moreover, both writing, talking, and seeing media, and these in considerable numbers. " The villagers themselves appeared to be in total ignorance of the nature and character of the phenomena ; only i^eplying, when questioned, that they ' did not understand it ; didn't know but that it might be the devil,' etc. "These sylvan rappings first occurred, it appears, when a number of people were sitting together in conversation, and created no small consternation. "Soon tables and chairs were moved, tipped over, and lifted, and many other Puck- like gambols performed. The idea that these wonders originated in some superhuman intelligence, seems to have occurred to these unsophisticated beings naturally, and without any kind of prompting or suggestion from persons already acquainted with the demonstra- tions ; and having arrived at this conclusion, and ascertained that the rappings could refly to them, they no longer hesitated to enter into conversation with them." Amongst records of incidental phenomena poured into the editorial sanct- ums of the New York spiritual journalists, the author selects, from o\qx five thousand similar paragraphs, a few that have been thoroughly well attested, as specimen signs of the times. The letter from which the following extract is taken was written for the Spwitual Telegraph by a thoroughly reliable correspondent. ^ \ AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 105 " Mr. Vinson Stockwell, in Thomson, Geauga County, Ohio, has in his family a little girl about twelve years old, who became fii"St a rapping, then a writmg, and lastly a clair- voyant medium. "She describes the nature of disease, tells the symptoms and feelings of the patient, prescribes for the same, and has performed wonderful cures. One case is as follows : A little girl nine j^ears old had been under the care of four very eminent medical gentlemen nearly two years, and during that time over one hundred pieces of bone had been taken from her limbs. The physicians finally gave her up as incurable, at which time she could only be moved from one bed to another on pillows. She is now entirely cured by a pre- scription made by spirits through this medium. "Another was a case of deafness of four years' standing. The patient is a lady, a neighbor of mine, and I knev/ her to be so deaf that it was with much difficulty that she could be made to understand by loudly speaking in her ear. This case, too, had baffled the skill of several physicians. She was entirely healed by spiritual agency through this meduun. "Another astonishing fact is as follows: Mr. Stockwell, father of the medium, left here for California; afterwards his family had news of him by spiritual agency almost daily, stating his whereabouts, and many little incidents occurring in his journey, which statements were found to correspond exactly with his letters afterward received. But the most aston- ishing fact of all was, that after being absent about one year, and the family not hearing from him for some time, they sat for spiritual communications, and to their surprise the spirit informed them that Mr* Stockwell was on his way home. This information was quite unlocked for, as Mr. Stockwell was not expected home until the year following. The question was asked, 'Is he on the water?' Answer, 'No he is on the Isthmus.' The spirit stated at the same time on what day of the month he would be at home ; and, strange as it may appear, he arrived on the very day foretold, and stated that he was on the Isthmus at the time stated m the communication. The Hartford Times, Connecticut, publishes in ]\Iarch, 1853, the account of a seance which one of its regular correspondents held Avith I\Ir. D. D. Home. After relating at length the extraordinary feats of marvel performed through tables, bell-ringing, j^laying on various instruments, and moving about of heavy pieces of furniture, etc., the writer goes on to relate an incident of such an interesting character that we quote the description entire, only premising that the editor vouches for the full faith and reliability of his correspondent's statements : "Later in the evening, when the company were preparing to retire, and after some of the party had gone from the room, the spirits requested us to wait ; and those that re- mained were permitted to see th.e most remarkable part of that evening's proceedings. The gas-light had been turned do\\m, but sufficient light remained in the room to render ourselves, and most objects, quite visible, and the hands of the party, Avhich rested on the table, could be distinctly seen. The spirits asked : "'How many hands are there on the table?' There were six of us in the party, and the answer, after counting, was 'twelve.' '■^ Reply — ' There are thirteen.^ "And there, sure enough, on that side of the table which was vacant, and opposite to the medium, appeared a thirteenth hand ! It faded as we gazed, but presently up it came agaivi — a hand and an arm, gleaming and apparently self-luminous; and it slowly moved onward toward the centre of the tal:)le ! To make sure that we were not deceived or laboring under a hallucination, we counted our own hands, which were all resting in sight upon the table. There it was, however, an ami and a hand, the arm extending back to the . elbow, and there fading into imperceptibility. We all saw it, and all spoke of it, to assure each other of the reality of the thing. It had the color and appearance oi silver, but with this difference — it seemed to be, to a certain extent, self-luminous; it emitted a faint but perceptible light. Presently it vanished, but we were soon permitted to see not only the same thing again, but the process of its formation. It began at the elbow, and formed rapidly and steadily, until the arm and hand again rested on the table before us. It was so plainly seen that I readily observed it to be a left hand. I inquired : " 'Can you ivrite with that hand, in plain sight?' "Anszuer (by raps) — ' Perhaps.' Io6 HISTORY OF MODERN' "A sheet of paper and a pencil were placed in the centre of the table, the hand receded meanwhile from view. In a moment it came up again [always appearing from the vacant side of the table] and slowly moved forward to the paper, which it grasped and drew back to the edge, and there shook and rattled it for some moments, but failed to write anything legible. It then disappeared, and the next moment the bell was taken from beneath the table, carried from the circle some six feet toward the centre of the room, and there rung by invisible means, and so distinctly that persons in another room, beyond an mterveniug wall or passage-way, plainly heard it. " Presently it was brought back and dropped upon the table — and this while each of us sat quietly, without moving. The hand again appeared, was seen to take the bell from the table and place it in the hands, first of one, and then of another of the party. At length it vi^as placed in mine; but, slipping my hand over the bell, I grasped the hand that held it, desiring some more tangible knowledge of its character than that afforded by sight. It was a real hand — it had knuckles, fingers, and finger-nails; and what was yet more curious[if possible], it was soft and warm, feeling much like the hand of an infant, in every respect but that of size. But the most singular part of this [to me] strange occurrence is yet to be told — the hand melted in my grasp ! dissolved, dissipated, became annihilated, so far as the sense of feeling extended. It subsequently reappeared on the table and again vanished, after a statement [by the raps] to the effect that this hand had been produced by a near relative of some of those in the circle, who had been in the interior life a number of years. This question was then spelled out : " ' Woidd you like to see the hand of a colored person ? ' "In a moment more there appeared a rather dull-looking ^rfl'jj/ hand, somewhat shadowy, and not quite so clearly defined as the first, but it was unmistakably there, and its gray hue coiild be clearly seen. " But this account grows lengthy, and must close. Occurrences yet more astounding than any here related remain untold. Perhaps in another chapter I may give some of them, and also a glance at one theory concerning the philosophy of the production of these startling realities. Fact. "Hartfoki>, March 18, 1853." "SPIRITS IN CALIFORNIA — 1852. ' "Jesse Hutchinson vsrites from California that the spirit rappings are quite prevalent in the land of gold. There are now said to be some twenty good mediums in San Francisco. They have seized upon the editors and conductors of the public press. The Herald is now the only sheet as yet unblest by their presence. One of the editors of the Alta has become a medium ; also the principal editor of the Whig, and one of the editors of the Placet Times is an enthusiastic believer and medium." Spiritual Telegraph. In a very interesting article written by Hon. Horace Greeley for Putnanis Monthly Magazine the talented author gives several striking narratives of the spiritual experiences of some of his friends, together with his own keenly acute though non-committal comments thereon. Amongst others, the following recital, though it has frequently been repub- lished, will not be out of place, as illustrative of the character of early phenomenal facts, vouched for on the authority of Mrs. S. Helen Whitmar the celebrated poetess of Rhode Island. The narrative is given in part of a letter addressed by Mrs. Whitman to Mr. Greeley, who introduces it with strong affirmations of the unimpeachable character of the testimony he cites, also with the following postscript added to his letter in Puttiani s Magazine : "P. S. — Since the foregoing was in type, the writer has received the following letter from Mrs. Sarah H. Whitman, of Providence, R. I., in reply to one of inquiry from him as to her own experiences in Spiritualism, and especially with regard to a remarkable experience currently reported as having occurred to Hon. James F. Simmons, late U. S. Ser.ator from Rhode Island, and widely known as one of the keenest and clearest of observers, most imlikely to be the dupe of mystery or the slave of hallucination.' " The most material portion is as follows: AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. ' TO 7 " ' Dear Sir, — I have had no conversation with Mr. Simmons on the subject of your note until to-day. I toolc an early opportunity of acquainting him with the contents, and this morning he called on me to say that he was perfectly willing to impart to you the particu- lars of his experience in relation to the vi\-^%tossi/>/y do the work with which I have long been acquainted. IJut the ordeal has been so terrible that I have tried to account for it in some other way than it has ever claimed to originate "I commend myself into the Father's hands, and to your Christian charity and brotherl;^ love. " B. S. HOBDS. "Webster, New York, Jj>ri7 zj." We shall conclude this chapter by a few extracts from the digest of corres- pondence received by the editors of the Spiritual Telegraph. The cases selected are neither phenomenally strange, nor will our space allow us to insert more than about one per cent, of the number that one year alone could furnish ; they are chosen simply for what their title signifies, namely: a "digest of correspondence," also as specimens of the progress of the movement ; but above all, they are records, the entire authenticity of which the author is personally cognizant of "DIGEST OF CORRESPONDENCE. ' •' We have received a long communication from G. H. Baker, of Demming, Indiana, de- tailing some curious spiritual proceedings in that place. We have not room for the com- munication entire, but the leading facts which it details are, that the writer and others were on one occasion directed by the spirit to meet at a particular house and take a fiddler with them, and they were promised some demonsti^ations that would astonish them. The assembly having taken place, as soon as the fiddler commenced playing a number of persons became entranced, and commenced dancing in the most graceful m.anner, though several of them had been brought up Quakers and were entirely unused to that kind of exercise. A young girl of fifteen being also entranced was made to assume the position of moderator ; and when some sceptical persons had for sport intruded themselves into the circle of dancers, she would seize them and lead them to the door. " By mutual consent of the Spiritualists and Methodists a meeting was subsequently called with the understanding that the Methodist clergyman should preach a discourse against Spiritualism, and that Mr. D. Mong, a speaking medium who then happened to be in the place, should reply to him. The evening of the appointed meeting having arrived, the band of dancing mediums, some fifteen or twenty in number, were the first to enter the house. They commenced their g}'ratory operations to the no-small scandal of the Method- ists, one of whom, being the moderator of the church, commanded them to take their seats. " The only response he received was a blow upon the mouth, inflicted with the palm of the hand by the medium who was the moderator of the dancing circle, and the spirits in- sisted on taking their own time to finish the dance. " A long discourse from the clergjanan ensued, which was replied toby the spirit, through Mr. Mong ; and during the proceedings a Methodist lady, the proprietor of the house where the meeting was holden, came under spiritual influence and bade adieu to the church ; and an impression decidedly favorable to the spiritual cause appeared to be left upon the minds of the generality of the audience. " Upon the question whether these spirits acted an orderly or disorderly part we have nothing to say ; but if they were disorderly spirits, and those Methodist friends were really Christians, it does seem strange to us that they had not the power to rebuke them and cast them out — a power which, in the olden times, was considered as one. of the necessary marks of true Christian discipleship. [See Mark xvi: 17. — Ed. Tclegraph.'\ " The editor of the Piedmont Whig, published at Warrenton, Virginia, who is not a convert to Spiritualism, says, in answer to the cry that the manifestations are all a juggle and humbug : " ' Here are many thousands of ' mediums,' many of them children four or five years old, exhibiting these things daily and nightly in the presence of hundreds of thousands of specta- tors, many of whom are shrewd, intelligent sceptics. Supposing the thing to be a trick, all these mediums, men, women, and children, must be respectis'ely provided with a set of AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 1 13 juggling apparatus of the most delicate and complicated character, sufficient to produce re- sults which have all the outward appearance of miracles, but which must nevertheless be so easily managed and luiderstood that a child can operate with it, and yet be so carefully and artfully concealed that thousands of eager, prying eyes cannot lind it out. All these thou- sands of juggling machines in operation, and controlled often by young children, for four or five years, in the presence of hundreds of thousands of spectators, and not one solitary case of detection occurring in all that time ! We cannot believe it. It seems to us as great an absurdity as the Vv^ildest theories of those who believe in the spirits. And if the thing is not a contrivance — a trick of the mediums — what is it? That's just what we want to know.' "SPIRITS AND MEDIUMS IN TROY, " Mr. W. H Vosburgh, of West Troy, writes us concerning some interesting develop- ments which are occurring in that place, the essential particulars of which we condense as follows, not having room for the communication in full : A brother of Mr. Vosburgh, a lad of some sixteen years, becom.es possessed by the spirits, who use him for various pur- poses, and among others for the purpose of diagnosing disease and prescribing its remedies. If while he is under spirit-influence, a stranger enters the room who is in any way diseased, the spirit who controls and speaks through him will detect the disease instantly, v.ithout a word being spoken by any person in the form, and will proceed to describe it without fail- ure, proving thus that he has access to a source of knowledge which is beyond the reach of ordinary physicians in the body. Through another medium the spirits are giving lectures upon a variety of high subjects pertaining to natural and spiritual philosophy. The medium's education embraces the knowledge of no language besides the English, and yet his hand has been used to write different languages, and further, both hands have been zised at the same time, one writing on one subject and the other on another.'' These latter facts afford a knotty question for sceptics to solve consistently with the denial of spirit presence and influence. " — 7 ele graph Papers. The following is an incident occurring in the mediumship of a very gifted and well-known family of the highest respectability in Washington : SPIRITUALISM IN WASHINGTON. "The Ring Experiment — A Great Test — Spirit Lights — New York Spiritual Telegraph [1853.] "Dear Sir, — On Sunday, January 8, the spirits manifested their presence and their power in the following beautiful manner. The phenomenon occurred at the residence of Mr. C. Laurie in broad daylight and in the presence of several persons, among whom was the writer : "Mr. Laurie's daughter, under spirit-influence, was directed to go to the piano, and place thereon a heavy gold ring. Llaving done so, her hand was brought up and placed over the ring in such a position that the fingers pointed downward toward it at a distance of about four inches. Presently the ring began to rise. The medium's hand was then moved still higher, and the ring followed it, approaching witliin some two inches of the tips of the fingers. It then slowly fell down toward the piano; when, having fallen some six inches, it gradually rose to its former position. It soon fell again, in the same gi-adual manner, but this time to a greater distance, a foot or more. As it once more slowly rose, the medium was made to bend backward, her head being thrown back, while her hand was raised and carried over her head, imtil the fingers pointed downward to the floor. The ring followed the hand, describing an arc in its passage over the medium's head, and dropped down some six inches from the tips of the fingers behind her, where it hung suspended in air. After remaining in this position a few mom^ents, it dropped nearly to the floor, so slowly and beautifully as to satisfy every one present that physical jnagnetism was not the agent employed in producing its movements. Then it gradually rose again some fourteen inches or more. In this manner it kept rising and falling for some time, as if to convince each beholder that a power outside of and beyond any physical law con- trolled its motions. " The hand was next moved slowly back, followed by the ring, and as the medium's body slowly regained its upright position, her hand was carried toward the wall, to v.'hich it approached within about three inches. The ring then commenced striking against the wall with a clear, ringing sound, like that of a glass beU. The hand at no time touched the 114 HISTORY OF MODERN wall, nor came nearer to it than the distance above stated ; but the ring would leave the tips of the fingers, dart against the wall, return, and then repeat the act. It then followed the hand while it came back to its first position over the piano, where it again went through with the motions of falling and rising. "The above beautiful experiment was plainly seen by all in the room, and the circum- stances were such as to exclude all possibility of deception, if the medium had been disposed to deceive. But the persons present were only those of her o'wti family, and one other besides myself; and the character of Mr. Laurie and his family would forlaid the idea of trickery, even had the circumstances been otherwise. " On one evening subsequently, the ring experiment was again given, but not quite so perfectly. It rose, however, some feet from the table, and followed the medium's hand again over her head, dropping down from behind her as before. Among the spectators on the latter occasion was the Hon. Joshua R. Giddings. Mi\ E. W. Capron and a Senate reporter were also witnesses of the sight. " In remarking on the above experiment to Mr. Giddings, I observed that it was a most beautiful one. The medium, who was then in a trance, soon after wrote as follows : "' Well may you say how beautiful is the communion of the spirits with those of the lower sphere ! And far more beautiful it will be as the cause progresses. Joy, peace, and Heaven, — all, all, shall be yours, and all connected with you in this holy cause. Glory to God the Most High ! '"Ben. Franiclin.' " The following 'clincher' of a test occurred, I think, on the same day; but I will not be positive as to the precise time. Mr. Laurie, while quietly seated by the fire, was suddenly impressed with the presence and the name of the Rev. Mr. Wardlaw, of Glasgow, Scotland. So strong was the impression that he was forced to speak the name, and say, 'I am here.' In a moment more, on coming to himself, Mr. Laurie recollected that he had not heard of Mr. Wardlaw's death, and so remarked to his family. [Mr. Wardlaw had been an intimate friend of his father, the late Rev. James Laurie, who was long and well known to the people of Washington, and who in early life lived in Scotland.] " The next week's steamer brought the news of Mr. Wardlaw's death, which had occurred at a date shortly previous to that of the visitation received by Mr. Laurie. Although Mr. Wardlaw was an eminent divine, and well known in Scotland and in this country, no one was further from the thoughts of Mr. Laurie at that particular time than he was, and his death was not then known in this country. " On Sunday afternoon, January 22d, the little daughter of Mr. Laurie [in the spheres] manifested herself to her parents in the form of a large, bright star, which appeared on the wall. It was seen by all the family, and was so luminous as to light the otherwise darkened room to a high degree. It appeared as large as a saucer at first, but gradually contracted until it finally disappeared. One of the most remarkable things connected with this manifestation was the outline of a tiny htt»ian form — resembling the figin-e of a little girl — which was distinctly seen inside of the radiant star. The kiie of the star is described by those who saw it to have been apparently like that of the most brilliant colors of the rainbow combined. It was seen by all the family who were present, which fact proves that it was no psychological effect, but a positive presence of spiritual elements and forces, presented in this most beautiful form of manifestation. The curtains were lifted from the windows, and the sunlight allowed to stream into the room and upon the wall where the star was fixed, but the latter still remained, and its "super-solar blaze" paled the ineffectual fires of the god of day. At length, upon the mother's involuntary approach toward the vision with outstretched arms, in an instinctive desire to retain the presence of her child, it vanished altogether. "Yours, B." AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 1 1 5 CHAPTER XII. THE PHENOMENA OF SPIRITUALISM IN THE EASTERN STATES. " So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed." "And when they heard these sayings, they were full of %vrath, and cried out saying, ' Great is Diana of the Ephesians.'" Dr. Robert Hare, his Methods of Investigation, Conversion and Tes- timony — The American Scientific Association and its Aims — Dis- tinguished Opponents — Rogers, Mahan, Elliott, Dodds, and Beecher — " Depravity of the Times " — Richmond and Britain's Controversy. Amongst the distinguished savans who became interested in the cause of Spirituahsm was Dr. Robert Hare, Professor of Chemistry in the Pennsyl- vania University, and a gentleman whose successful researches into the oc- cult branches of science had procured a world-A\ade celebrity for his name. He first became an investigator in 1853, when, to use his own words, he " felt called upon, as an act of duty to his fellow creatures, to bring whatever influence he possessed to the attempt to stem the tide of " popular mad- ness," which in defiance of reason and science, was fast setting in favor of the gross delusion called Spiritualism." In pursuance of this humanitary impulse, the venerable professor, noticing that the said delusion was running a particularly rampart course in the city of his residence — Philadelphia — and in answer to a scientific inquirer on the subject of electricty, published a scathing letter in which, on " electrical grounds, he propounded a theory calculated to destroy even to annihilation the whole phenomena of Spiritualism, ending by the emphatic declaration that he "entirely coincided with Farraday's theory of table-turning." Whether Spiritualism Avas not in itself based on " electrical grounds," or that it might suffer decapitation a thousand times, and yet cry " I still live," it boots not now to inquire. Certain it is that tables would continue to turn, floors to rap, and ponderable bodies to float in space, though Professor Farraday had demonstrated so clearly that it was not in their nature to do so ; and what was yet more remarkable, these sort of performances would keep on increas- ing in power and number, even after the American Fa)^'aday had added his dictum to that of his English confrere against the legality of these erratic physical proceedings. To give all possible facility for outworking the Philadelphia professor's humane purpose of restoring bewitched humanity to its senses, the secular press throughout the country republished his letter with triumphant comments of their own ; whilst two distinguished divines in New York, several in Boston, Philadelphia, Providence, Buffalo, and various cities of the West, actually made an electrical theory the subject of elaborate Sabbath-day dis- courses, and for the first time in the history of ecclesiasticism, rehgion joined issue with science in the pious attempts to prove either that we had no souls at all, or that they were more ignorant and powerless without their bodies than with them. Whilst the whole religious world were rejoicing over the destructive dictum of English and American science, combined in the persons of Farraday and Hare, a quiet under-current of influence was setting 1 1 6 HIS TOR Y OF MODERN in an o]Dposite direction, the result of which proved the glorification of Amer can Christendom to have been somewhat premature. The first action of this counter current will be better understood by the perusal of the following letter, the nature and authorship of which tells its own story : "SouTHWiCK, 'Ma?,s., November ij, i%i,T^. " Prof. Hare : Dear Sir, — I had the pleasure of a slight acquaintance M'ith you something less than twenty years ago, when I exhibited telescopes in Philadelphia. You will, I trust, excuse the liberty I take in writing to you now. I have seen your letter in the Philadelphia Inquirer upon table moving. I never believed it was caused by electricity or galvanism, but is it not as likely to be these as muscular force ? You agi-ee with Pro- fessor Farraday that the table is moved by the hands that are on it. Now, I know as certainly as I can know anything, that this is not true in general, if it is in any instance. There is as much evidence that tables sometimes move without any person near them, as that they sometimes move with hands upon them. I cannot in this case doubt the evidence of my senses. I have seen tables move and heard tunes beat on them when no person was within several feet of them. This fact is proof positive that the force or power is not muscular. If any further evidence was necessary to set aside Professor Farra- day's theory it is found in abundance in the great variety of other facts taking place through the country, such as musical instruments being played upon without any hands touching them, and a gi'eat variety of other heavy articles being moved without any visible cause. If tables never moved except when hands were on them, and if table turning constituted all instead of the least part of Spiritualism, the case would be different, but as they do move both with and without hands, it is plain that the true cause yet remains to be dis- covered. " I wish, sir, you had time and opportunity to witness some other phases of this matter which seem not to have fallen under your notice, and I think you would be satisfied that there is less 'hallucination' and ' self-deception' about it than you have imagined. " The intelligence connected with these movements yet remains to be accounted for. "If these things can be accounted for on scientific principles, would it not be a gi-eat acquisition to science to discover what those principles are? If, however, science cannot discover them, the public are deeply interested in knowing the fact. "No cause has yet been assigned that does not imply a gi^eater absurdity than even to believe, as many do, that it is caused by spirits either good or bad, or both. "Yours, respectfully, "Asa Holcombe." This letter, which will be found in Professor Hare's elaborate work on " Spiritualism Scientifically Demonstrated," together Avith other inducements oifered by personal friends of the professor's, at length resulted in his visit to a medium, then to another, and still others, until his investigations, stimulated by the fresh marvels that accumulated around him, put to flight all his scien- tific imaginings on the subject, and brought forth the gigantic array of testi- mony which was afterwards given to the world in the work on "Spiritualism," above alluded to, which was published in 1856. To a mind like the professor's, imbued with all the principles of that materialistic system, which so many scientists determine must cover all men- tal as well as physical phenomena, the process of convertion was very slow — in fact, a battle in which the learned savant fought over every step of ground which the spirits gained. Besides testing the intelligence of the communica- ting power through an immense number of media, and in every conceivable form, Professor Hare invented all sorts of machinery tlirough which he pro- posed to detect "tricky spirits." Even the description of these ingenious contrivances would fill a volume ; we must therefore limit ourselves to a brief account which Mr. S. B. Britain published, of one of his " spirit traps," and an extract from the statement of the doctor himself, made to the New York Conference in 1S54. Writing of Professor Hare's experiments with prepared machinery, Mr. Britain says : AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 1 1 7 " First, to satisfy himself that the movements were not the works of mortals, he took brass billiard balls, placed them on zinc plates, and placed the hands of the mediums on the balls, and to his very great a.stonishment the tables moved. He next arranged a table to slide backward and forward, to which attachments were made, causing a disc to revolve containing the alphabet, hidden from the view of the inediums. The letters were variously arranged, out of their regular consecutive order, and the spirit was required to place tiiem consecutively, or in their regular places. And behold, it was done ! Then followed intelligent sentences, which the medium could not see or loiow the import of tUl they were told him. " Again he tried another capital test. The long end of a lever was placed on spiral scales with an index attached, and the weight marked ; the medium's hand rested on the short end of the beam, where it was impossible to give pressure do%vnward, but if pressed it would have a contrary effect, and raise the long end ; and yet, most astounding, the weight was increased several pounds on the scale. These v.ere all novel and very excellent contrivances, and will forever settle this question ; and they should be published in every paper in the Union. Proceeding {xov:\.sicch ati author, all little quibblers will of course hide their puny heads forever." NEW YORK CONFERENCE — SESSION OF SEPTEMBER, 1854. " The conference assembled at the usual hour, with a pretty full attendance. After the business matters were disposed of, Mr. Partridge stated that as Professor Hare, of the Penn- sylvania University, was present, it would, perhaps, be interesting to the assembly, if he would rehearse some of his wonderful experiences in regard to the evidences of spirit pres- ence and power. "Dr. Hare arose, went forward to the platform, and said, that 'perhaps there was nothing more astonishing in the history of science than that which was presented to the human mind in the fact that the presence of a frail boy or girl supplied the conditions for the exhibition of an invisible power, physical and intelligent, far transcending their normal capacities.' He said, that 'although all men had the power to witness these manifestations, yet there was, undoubtedly, something in the sphere or presence of a rigid sceptic, which interfered with the conditions, and stiflsd the outcoming of the phenomena.' "In illustration of this, he stated that he once went into a room appropriated ioseanccs ; saw an ordinary dining table ; examined it thoroughly, and could ascertain nothing unusual or extraordinary about it. A medium was present, and the table was repeatedly moved, without any apparently physical contact, and made to beat time to music. " lie then got upon the table, with his limbs hanging over the side, but without touching the floor, and it was raised repeatedly from the floor, with his superincumbent weight upon it, and made to beat time to a variety of tunes that were sung, the quavers and semi-qua- vers all being accurately touched off by it, all of which it was impossible for one in the form to accomplish. "On a subsequent occasion, he took a gentleman — the editor of the Dally Courier — to the same place v/ith him, when the phenomena were repeated, the table again beating time to the music with the gentleman upon it, and other equally extraordinary exhibitions of spirit-power. But afterward, he took a Professor of Dickenson College, who was a con- firmed sceptic and opposer of the manifestations, to the same medium, and although the external conditions v/ere apparently alike favorable, they failed to get the least manifesta- tion of spirit-power. He told him to call again, and perhaps they would succeed better. After he was gone, the manifestations were produced as usual, and upon asking the spirits why they did not manifest in his presence, they said — ' Tell him we could not do so, because he was himself a counter or antagonist tnedluvi, and that his presence annulled the power of the medium. ' " Subsequently he came again, and brought v/ith him another gentleman. Dr. Bird, who was favorable to Spiritualism, and they all sat down together for the manifestations. The medium T\'as forthwith entranced, and took the hand of Dr. Bird, when the nianifestata- were, as usual, produced. The favorable influence of Dr. Bird had evidently countervailed the opposing sphere of the Dickenson Professor. He believed that the spirits had told the truth, when they stated that the sphere of some persons, and especially sceptics, was counter to that of the medium, and destroyed the power of the spirits to operate. Inasmuch as there were degrees of mediumship, it v/as natural to suppose that they shaded ofl", until they presented in some persons, and especially sceptics, a positive and antipodal power, whiclj balanced and overcame that of the spirit through the medium. "A friend of his in Philadelphia had a boy v.'ho was an excellent medium. He was often alone v/ith him in his lecture-room, and witnessed a number of most extraordinary test man- ifestations. On one occasion, the spirit of his brother came and communicated. Said that 1 1 8 HIS TOR V OF MODERN he had died of dropsy, in intense pain, which was occasioned by the water oozing through the skin. He had died si.xty-four years ago. The doctor said he was now seventy-six years of age — had survived all his family, and no one living knew the circumstances of that brother's death but himself. " On another occasion, a spirit came, moved the spirit-scope, without any physical con- tact whatever, and spelt out the name of C. H. Hare, and upon being asked who it was, he replied, 'Your cousin from New Brunswick. ' This was, in fact, a second-cousin of his, with whom he had but little acquaintance while he resided on earth. He had a basket, filled with a number of small glass and metallic balls, and the spirits would, without any visible contact, throw these balls about the room until the basket was emptied, and then again collect them in the basket. The boy-medium never took any money for his time or the exercise of his mediumship. His father, upon request, consented to let him accompany him on his recent trip to attend the session of the ' American Association for the Advancement of Science,' at Montreal. One evening, on their way to Canada, they were having a «'(7;/f^, with the boy for a medium, at Dr. Gray's, of this city. After the usual exhibition of the spirit phenomena, the boy could not find his cap. They searched high and low, through the room and house for it, but without success. The spirits told him to go without his cap ; but, not liking to be seen in the streets without it, another was procured for him. After they had gone about a hundred yards from the house, the cap fell upon the table, in the presence of those who i-emained. "Next morning, while yet in their state-room on board the boat, they found the door locked, and the key missing. They searched for a long time unsuccessfully, when the spirits said it was in the bottom of the carpet-bag. But the key of the carpet-bag was also gone, when the spirits sa,id it was at the bottom of the trunk, and on taking out the bag- gage they found it and then found the key of the door at the bottom of the carpet-bag. " When they arrived at Montreal, and j)ut up at their hotel, he hunted his baggage for his toilet-case, but could not find it. The spirits told him it Avas under the bolster of his bed. He raised the bolster and searched, but could not find it. He had his eye upon the boy all the time. The spirits told him to look again ; and upon raising the bolster again, precisely where he had looked before, he found it. It was impossible, he said, that the boy could have done this, for he stood in the same place all the time, and could not have moved without his seeing him. "The next evening they went to a large party, at the house of a lady, to hold a circle. They had packed the spirit-scope, balls, and other apparatus in the carpet-bag. There were many sceptics and disagreeable persons present ; many counter-mediums, as he supposed. When they came to open the carpet-bag they could not find the key. They went to the table, but could not get any communications. They entered into another room with the boy, and the spirit spelled out, by means of raps, that he would get the key before he got home. Whilst he was riding along the streets of Montreal on his way home, the key came down upon his breast ! " On another occasion, while alone with the boy in their room, and after they had just locked up the balls, spirit-scope, shaving-case, etc., in his carpet-bag, the balls were in some inscrutable way, taken from the carpet-bag, and fell upon him in a shower. Then came the box, razor-strap, etc., all falling, apparently from above, on and around him. "Upon entering his room one evening, he discovered his spirit-scope, which he had previously locked in his carpet-bag, hanging high upon the frame of the bar of his bedstead. It was so high that the boy could not reach it without procuring something to stand upon much higher than the bed. He then called the chambermaid and interrogated her in regard to it, but she replied that she could not account for it. While they were still together talking about it, the spirit-scope came down beside him on the floor. This, he said, could not have been performed by either the boy or the girl, because he saw that they did not doit. " The doctor related many similar instances of the exhibition of spirit power which took place during his recent journey. He said that he had been engaged in scientific pursuits for upwards of half a century, and his accuracy and precision had never been questioned until he had become a Spiritualist, whilst his integrity as a man had never in his life been assailed until the Harvard Professors fulminated their report against that which he knew to be true, and which they did not know to be false." These meagre details of simple facts by no means constitute the whole or even a tithe of the phenomena with which Professor Hare's experiences abound. The high reputation of this gentleman for scientific attainment, his invinci- ble love of truth and unimpeachable integrity, no less than the ingenuity AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 119 which he displayed in his early investigations, and the keen acumen which he brought to bear upon all phenomena of a supra-mundane character, from the trilling facts above narrated to experiments involving the most serious consequences to fortune and reputation, made his accession to the cause ot Spiritualism a subject of as much importance to its friends as it was the theme of bitter vituperation, insult, and calumny, from its opponents. For instance, the Hazard Professors, of whom the learned doctor had long been an admired colleague and friend, denounced his " insane adherence to the gigantic humbug" with an insolence which our sense of decency forbids us to reprint ; but the culminating point of insult which the venerable gentle- man was doomed to experience, because he would persist in recording facts as he found them and defending the truth which he had proved, was dealt by the hands of the body with whom for many years he had been associated, and whom the commonest usages of civilization should have restrained from heaping affronts on the white hairs of him who had heretofore been their shining light and distinguished ornament. The transaction to which we allude was the impertinent action of one of the members of the "American Scientific Association," sanctioned by the majority of that distinguished body, and subsequently endorsed by all of them in their proceedings. In the Telegraph's very mild yet significant account of the meeting, no details are given of the coarse and ungentleraanlike tone of the discussion which bullied Professor Hare into silence; still, as the subject of Spiritualism was not deemed a "proper one" for that grave and learned body to discuss, and the Telegraph clearly sets forth what, in the same session, was found to be a proper subject for discussion, we shall give the report verba- tim, leaving the world to judge of the fitness of "the American Scientific Association" to comprehend, even if they were willing to discuss the sublime truths of Spiritualism. TELEGRAPH PAPERS. "The American Scientific Association has just closed its annual session in this city [Washington, D. C] The meetings were held in the lecture room of the Smithsonian Institute. Before the close of the session, Professor Hare, of Philadelphia, read to the convention an invitation, made on the part of the Spiritualists of Washington by a com- mittee, to attend the lecture of Rev. T. L. Harris, on Spiritualism, on Saturday evening, April 29th. In the midst of the reading of this paper, Professor Henry entered the hall, and upon hearing the subject of ' Spiritualism ' mentioned, he turned red in the face and interrupted Professor Hare by this inquiry : ' I would be glad to know, Mr. President, if tJiis subject is in order ? Professor Plare remarked, that whether the subject were in order or not, it was hardly in order to interrupt a member of the convention in that manner before he had finished reading his communication. Professor Plenry replied that this was ' a dangerous subject to be introduced into this convention ;' that it had better be let alone, and he moved that it be laid upon the table. The invitation was finally laid upon the table. " It would seem that a subject like this was one which would lie peculiarly within the domain of 'science.' But the ' American Association for the Promotion of Science' decided that it was either unworthy of their attention or dangerous for them to meddle with, and so they voted to put the invitation on the table. "We cannot omit in this connection to mention that the 'American Association for the Promotion of Science' held a very learned, extended, grave, and profound discussion at the same session, ttpon the cause why ^roosters'' crow bet-ween twelve and one o'' clock at night ! Several very ingenious explanations were, we believe, adduced to account for this remarkable phenomenon, which the 'American Association for the Promotion of Science' justly regarded as a question naturally challenging their most serious investigation, and to the task of accounting for which they resolved to bring to bear the combined force of their highest energies. It was finally decided by the association that t'ne important fact that roosters crow at half-past twelve o'clock at night is to be only accounted for on the sup- position — strongly sustamed, however, by well-ascertained collateral facts in science — that I20 HISTORY OF MODERN at that particular hour a wave of electricity passes over the earth's surface, from north to south, v/hich disturbs the fowls in their slumbers, and being naturally of a croiuiiig disposition they all, on being thus Avakened and aroused, with one accord set lustily at work a-crowing ! We think the 'American Association for the Promotion of Science' have hit the mark at last. They deserve well of their country for having made tlie above important acquisition to the discoveries of science, and the members who were chiefly instrumental in bringing the subject up and arriving at the conclusion v/hich was adopted should be voted a medallion by Congress. The obverse side of the medal miglit appropri- ately bear the image of a barn-yard cock in the attitude of crowing, with inii inscription beneath, ' Eureka ! ' while the reverse could with propriety represent a cluster of clucking old hens." One thing was certain, Dr. Robert Hare had become a Spiritualist ; and as a l(3cturer, writer, teacher, and investigator, the youngest soldier in the cause grew tired by his side. His revered name and the long and brilliant siege which his tenacious opinions endured before he yielded full credence to the spiritual character of his besiegers ; the insults which he meekly suffered for the cause of truth, and the rich legacy of spiritual experiences Avhich he has left to the world, render his name a bulwark in "the Spiritual City" and his conversion a memorable era in the history of the cause. The Rev. Adin Ballou, of the respected ministerial family of that name, had long professed his firm faith in the manifestations, and by writing and public lectures nobly sustained his opinions. The Rev. Allan Putnam, of Roxbury, Massachusetts, and the distinguished poet, scholar, divine, and orator, Rev. John Pierpont, of the same State, also entered the ranks, and performed valuable service for the faith, of which fuller notices will be found in the record of New England Spiritualism ; indeed, the shining list of names, great in Ameriaan annals, if not made prominent with the toy dignities called titles, T/ere extending to a formidable length in every State of the Union. And now once more let us inquire into the nature of the opposition that was broiight to bear against Spiritualism, without, however, in a single instance retarding its progress, or winning back its converts from their faith. Of the character of the itinerants professing to lecture against it, or give "public demonstrations of the modes in which the raps, etc., were made^'' Messrs. Grimes and Burr form a fair specimen. Trickery, collusion, and a set of dangerous manipulations with the joints, which every physiologist declared could not be continued for three months without developing diseases of the most ruinous character, with a plentiful mixture of libellous falsehoods and defamatory mis-statements, made up the stock in trade of this set of mountebanks. Still a lower, and more unprincipled class Avere represented by one Anderson, a professed juggler, who, presuming on the interest which attached to the subject of Spiritualism, attempted to make capital out of it by adver- tising immense sums to be given by way of challenge to the Spiritualists, etc. All who have ever had the patience to listen to or read the reports of this man's gasconading, v/ill confess that Grimes and Burr were respectable, compared to him. Yet in despair at the lack of better v/eapons, there have not been wanting those who, when out of the. presence of Spiritualists, and speaking with bated breath, would protest that '■'■Professor [?J Anderson had explained all about the raps, and killed Spiritualism right out" Leaving all the small fry of this character to the ignominy which has long since svrept over their names, let us glance briefly at the efforts of those v^'hose position in society entitled the world to expect from them something at least worthy of their names. AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 1 2 1 To commence with those who assume to be the highest literary and scien- tific authorities on this subject, let us notice the work of Dr. C. C. Rogers, of Boston, who filled a volume with what he called, " The Philosophy of myj- terious Agents, Human and Mundane." In strict accordance with the title of his work, Dr. Rogers has favored us with a treatise so eminently mystci'ioiis that the only comprehensible idea we can glean from it is, that though the manifestations do actually occur, nevertheless they are not the work of spirits. Still, as somebody or something must be answerable for that power which had proceeded from the turning of a table to the turning upside down of an entire continent, the Doctor gravely enunciates a theory which lays the whole burden of the manifestations on the cerebrum, which is supposed someJww to act somewhat in the way described by one of Dr. Rogers's newspaper eulo- gists in a criticism on his work which reads as follows: "He said that he thought the revelations were not spiritual, but a cerebral automatic move- ment, depending for its development upon the idiosyncratic temperament of each individual, inspired through the spinal centres by a mundane process of electrized vitality acting upon every molecule of the system." As this sentence includes a quotation from Dr. Rogers's book — in fact, claims to be a compendious definition of its meaning — it implies on the part of the v/riter a condition of lucidity to which few persons besides the Boston editor could arrive after attentively perusing the book. As an example of the effect produced by this occult work on less enlightened journalists, we quote a second criticism, vdrich appeared in the columns of the Cincinnati Commercial, and which though obviously written in the spirit of satire, is not an inapt description of more learned stuff than that of Dr. Rogers's on the subject of the manifestations. The extract reads as follows : The only true and legitimate manner of accounting for the taps is the physiological de- fect of the membraneous system. The obtuseness of the abdominal indicator causes the car- tilaginous compressor to coagulate into the diaphragm, and depresses the duodenum into the flandango. Now, if the taps were caused by the vogation of the electricity from the extremi- ties, the tympanum would also dissolve into spiritual sinctum, and the olfactory ossihcator would ferment, and become identical with the pigmentum. "A friend of ours, who graduated with 'distinguished honors' at one of the Northern miiversities, says that he must dissent in toto from the idea that the 'depression of the duodenum into the flandango' could, by any possibility, cause the 'olfactory ossihcator to ferment, and become _identical with the pigmentum.' He says the thing cannot be clone; and after quoting several learned authorities on the subject, winds up his argimient by the remark, that : " ' The vibratory motion communicated to the tunica albugenia by the parturition of the alveola process, effectually disintegrates the cerebellum, and predisposes the patient to pre- ternatural distension of the auricular membraneous orifice ; in which case, the rappings become painfully and distinctly audible ! ' "Now, whether this is, or is not so, we will not undertake to say, but will leave the whole matter in the hands of the learned savans, in the full confidence that little can be added to the above triumphant and incontrovertible exposition." As if to compensate for the undue share v/hich Dr. Rogers assigned to the cerebrum in turning the world upside down, Dr. Dodds, another learned phil- osopher, came to the rescue, with a theory of equal lucidity, which accounted for all the mischief, by the "automatic action of the cerebellum"; both gen- tlemen agreed that the nerve centres had something to do with it, but the particular way in which they acted, v/hether in conjunction vvfith the cerebrum 12 2 HIS TOR Y OF MODERN or the cerebellum, was precisely Avhat constituted the cream of the mystery^ and what neither of the learned doctors would or could explain. Unfortunately for the success of the back-brain theory of Dr. Dodds, just as it was midway in its career, and seemed likely to divide tlie honors with the front-brain theory of Dr. Rogers, the cerebellum advocate himself became a convert to Spiritualism, and by aid of his accomplished daughter. Miss Jen- nie Dodds, a medium of fine oratorical capacity, carried into the fold of the spiritual church, a much larger number of converts than his "back-brain" theory had ever found readers. Soon after the first issue of the Spiritual Telegraph in 1852, Dr. Richmond, of Ohio, a gentleman of profound learning and research, commenced a series of papers, which were published in the New York Tribune, antagonistic to the claims of Spiritualism. At the suggestion of Mr. Greeley, chief editor of the Tribune, Dr. Rich- mond consented to engage in a friendly discussion with Mr. S. B. Britain, the arguments, pro and con, being published in the Spiritual Telegraph, and con- tinuing to instruct and entertain a rapidly-increasing circle of readers for over seven months. The learning and abiHty displayed on both sides by these able disputants not only contributed vastly to the enlightenment of the public, but aided, to a great extent, the circulation of the Spiritual Telegraph, in which they were published. To answer the increasing demand for these valuable articles, they were sub- sequently reprinted, in pamphlet form, and passed through many editions, every one of which was rapidly exhausted. The arguments of Mr. Britain were, for the most part, based upon reasons derived from an immense array of pertinent facts ; those of Dr. Richmond were chieliy attempts to make the facts fit his peculiar theories. According to these, the manifestations were the production of disease, hysteria, halluci- nation, excessive excitement, etc. Dr. Richmond brought an immense num- ber of cases forward in illustration of his theories, and concluded a very inter- esting, though far-fetched resume of his arguments, by the following state- ment : " All intense, long-continued excitement, political, religious, or men- tal, will induce this state of mind. I pronounce it to be a diseased condition, and all spirit manifestations to be the work of spirits in the body." Not in the spirit of retaliation, but in simple justice to the truths of history, and as a specimen of the kind of warfare through which Spiritualism has marched onward to its present triumphant position, we feel bound to reprint the criticism of the New York Times on the Richmond and Britain Discussion pamphlet, which the publishers had courteously forwarded to the office of that journal for review. The first notice which appeared in the New York Times was as follows — "Discussion of the Facts and Philosophy of Ancient and Modern Spiritual- ism ; by S. B. BRITAIN and Dr. B. W. Richmond. New York : Partridge and Britain : "Appended to the fly-leaf of the copy of this work with which we were honored, was a printed notice from the publishers, drawing our attention especially to the book, and con- cluding with these words : " ' We are now rapidly extending our list of publications, and shall be pleased to send you, from time to time, the better class of our bocks, should we learn, from this experiment that you are disposed to treat them fairly.' We are very much oliliged to Messrs. Partridge and Britain for their consideration ; but could none of their spirits inform them (is not Mr. Britain himself a medium?) that we should certainly treat the present book most unfairly? For, of course, treating it fairly means praising the book, the medium, and the spirits. AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 1 23 Now, we can do neither ; we have, on the contrary, very harsh things to say of all parties concerned, and the book into the bargain. Messrs. Partridge and Britain will not thank u? for oiu^ opinion of the ' better class' of their publications, if the present work is to be con- sidered a specimen. They must understand that we look upon the spirit-rajjping question as a most detestable swindle ; while we believe that many of the mediums are poor, deluded creatures, we are convinced that the projectors and promoters of the affair are knaves, as infamous as ever served out a life sentence in a State-prison. "Of this particular work, which purports to be the record of a controversy between a believer and a sceptic, we can only say that, if it were not saved from our loathing by its stupidity, the evident collusion between the pretended disputants would disgust us. A more dishonest book has surely never been published in any country. We do not, after this judg- ment, expect to be favored with any more of Messrs. Partridge and Britain's publications." On the publication of this audacious article, Mr. Britain addressed the editor of the Times in the following letter : ^^ Editors of the Times : "Gentlemen, — My attention has been called to your notice of my recent discussion with Dr. Richmond, of Ohio, wherein I find a simple remark, which must serve to excuse what you might otherwise regard as an unnecessary obtrusion. "It is not my purpose to controvert your opinions, nor to meddle with the ■ question which involves the facts and philosophy of the present spiritual movement. Respecting the supposed delusion of the media, and the alleged knavery of the prominent Spiritualists, I have nothing whatever to say. Time and the succession of human events will determine whether their claims are well or ill founded. " The single remark in your criticism, which gives me a claim to your indulgence, in the present instance, is the following : " ' Of this particular work, which purports to be the record of a controversy between a believer and a sceptic, we can only say, that if it were not saved froin our loathing by its stupidity, the evident collusion between the pretended disputants would disgust us. A more dishonest book surely never appeared in any country.' "As the above language charges the respective parties in the aforesaid discussion with man- ifest collusion and unmitigated dishonesty, I must be allowed to repel the charge, and to insist that the circumstances of the case are utterly irreconcilable with that assumption, in proof of which I submit the following brief statement of facts : "First, The writer of this never even heard of Dr. Richmond wntil his articles against Spiritualism appeared in the daily papers. Moreover, it is impossible to disguise the fact that the Doctor's letters to the Tribune were extensively copied ^iwdwiilQly endorsed hy t\\Q secular press, as affording a complete refutation of the spiritual theory. At that time, no one doubted Dr. Richmond's disposition, and few, except Spiritualists, questioned his ai5///^ to demolish the whole fabric of spiiitual philosophy. "Second, The invitation to engage in a critical examination of the facts and philosophy of the manifestations emanated from Dr. Riclimond himself, who insisted that he could account for all the phenomena on purely natural principles or physical laws. "Third, Personally, Dr. Richmond, eveji to this very hour, is a stranger to me. I do not know that we were ever within five hundred miles of each other. "Fourth, Our mutual correspondence has been limited to the published controversy, and the few brief -epistles necessary in the arrangement of preliminaries and the transaction of business. " Such, gentlemen, are the facts; and your readers will judge whether they afford any evi- dence of collusion, or of the slightest disposition, on our part, to deal unfairly with the public. "Allow me to add, in conclusion, that while I have hitherto invited no man to a discus- sion of this subject, I have never shunned a public interview with an intelligent opponent. Any ordeal which recognizes authentic facts and logical deductions as the legitimate means of trial, will still find me ready ; and, should you, gentlemen, after the perusal of this letter, be disposed to entertain your first impressions that the discussion already published xoas not entered into and conducted in good faith, and with a view to elicit the truth, perhaps it may be within your province to propose some advocate of the material hypothesis, m whose fidelity and ability you have confidence. " Should you find it convenient to designate such a man, I shall readily accord to his per- sonal claims, and those of the subject of our inquiry, the respect and attention which they shall seem to require. " Yoiu's respectfully, " New York, September 21, 1853. S. B. Britain." 124 HISTORY OF MODERN' Mr. Brittain goes on to remark : — " Our accusers did not deem it proper to allow us a hearing in our o\vn defence. " The foregoing letter was suppressed without a word of apology from t\\e editor of the Times, whose shameless abandonment of the principles of honorable dealing may be justly inferred from the subjoined editorial remarks, which appeared in their next issue." "'SPIRIT RAPPINGS. " 'Mr. S. B. Britain, who asserts, we believe, the spiritual nature of the rappings, table movings, etc., about which so much noise has been made, writes to us, denying tliat there was any ' collusion ' between him and Dr. Richmond in tlieir recent controversy upon this subject. He gives sundry reasons in support of his assertion, which, however, is just as good without them as with them. Mr. Britain invites us to designate some person to hold a further controversy with him upon this subject. We do not happen to owe any of our acquaintances so deadly a spite as to lead us to recommend that he should engage in such a task. There are, probably, many ways in which more positive evil may be done, than by studying, writing, or reading upon this subject ; but we know none in which time can be more utterly wasted, or from which less good can possibly be derived. It is the easiest thing in the world for a fluent writer to cover reams of paper with interminable disquisitions upon this topic, and it is not very difficult, as things go, to procure their publication. But we can conceive no task more dreary or unprofitable than that of reading them. Every now and then we hear of some poor creature, whose brains have been addled by their devotion to such studies ; and the only reason why we do not hear of more is because the majority of those who enter upon such pursuits are either destitute of brains altogether, or else, they are hopelessly addled in advance. " ' We think Mr. Britain would have shown a much stronger faith in his spiritual gymnas- tics if he had accepted the offer, recently published in our columns, of one hundred dollars to any medium who would move the tables, or answer the questions of the gentleman who made the offer. The money was in our hands, and the offer was repeatedly published in our columns ; but as no medium came forward, we were compelled to return the money. If Mr. Britain, however, chooses to accept it now, we presume the offer would be renewed. This would be a much more decisive and satisfactory mode of settling this question than by such a controversy as Mr. B. proposes. What does he say to it ? ' " Again Mr. Britain writes-: "To give the Times a chance to redeem its credit by some show of moral courage, if any such latent element remained in its nature, we forwarded the following communication to the T7'ibime: "'READY FOR TRIAL. " ' To the Editor of the New York Tribune : " 'Sir, — Some days since, the Daily Times charged Messrs. Britain and Richmond, the parties to the late discussion of Spiritualism, with ' evident collusion' and dishonest dealing with the public. Whereupon the writer of this addressed a civil letter to the editors of that journal, denying the charge, and specifying certain facts and reasons which from their nature utterly preclude the existence of such alleged collusion and dishonesty. "'Instead of publishing the letter, the Times renewed its assault in the peculiar spirit which has already given it a mean distinction, and concluded by proposing wliat it was pleased to regard as a 'decisive and satisfactory mode of settling this question' — the claims of Spiritualism. " ' One of its correspondents had previously offered one hundred dollars for the production of certain phenomena, and the Times, to conceal the cowardice of its unprovoked and unprincipled attack on Britain and Richmond, and the leading Spiritualists, who were all characterized as 'knaves as infamous as ever served out a life sentence in a State prison,' calls on the writer to accept the offer of its correspondent. " 'Tlie object of this communication is to signify that the party whose name is subscribed below will accept the challenge, zvith or xuithont the accovipanyiiig offer of one hundred dollars, provided the first can be so modified that the Times and its correspondent wiU enter into the following fair and equitable arrangement : " 'First, The undersigned will designate two distinguished citizens of New York, who are known to the public and are above the suspiciou of personal or other unproper motives ; the AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 1 25 Times shall appoint two of like reputation for candor and honesty, and the four thus se- lected shall name a fifth. The parties so chosen shall constitute a committee to investigate any phenomena that may occur in the presence of such mediums as the undersigned shall select. " ' Second. The committee shall have twelve sittings, or a gi-eater number if the majority of the same shall so decide ; and at the close of the investigation it shall report the result. " 'Third. The committee shall be privileged to select the place of meeting, which maybe changed, if preferred, at each succeeding session. '"i'^ourth. Tlae Times and the Spiritual Teleg7-aph shall each publish whatever the committee shall be pleased to submit as its report of the essential facts elicited by the pro- posed investigation. '"As it does not comport with the illiberal and unjust policy of the Times to give publicity to any reply to its unfoimded accusations, I am forced to depend on your more liberal and widely-circulated journal, to enable me to reach the general public before which I am accused. '"Very truly yours, '"S. B. Britain. "* New York, September, 23, 1853.' " How did the Times treat this proposition? Why, after the manner which has charac- terized all of its class — it did not notice it at all. It was silent. We have ever been ready to submit the whole subject of spiritual manifestations to any just ordeal, however severe. We have expressed and othei'wise manifested that disposition on numerous occa- sions, through these columns, before public assemblies, and in social circles. "When Professor Mattison assailed Spiritualism, and we were sent for to vindicate its claims, we neglected other duties and went to New England to answer the call. The Spiritualists at West Winsted offered to pay Mr. Mattison's expenses and to give him twenty dollars to come back and support his unwarrantable assumption in presence of the ' ■writer. But our astronomical friend had already reached his aphelion, and owing to the distance of that part of his orbit, he could not return in season. "The prince of jugglers, Anderson, on one occasion gave a vaunting challenge and offered five hundred dollars to any person in the United States who would produce the spiritual phenomena at Metropolitan Hall. jNIr. Charles Partridge presented himself at the liall, and proposed to make an effort to obtain the required results, on condition that Professor Anderson would consent to abide the decision of an impartial committee. "Notwithstanding Mr. Partridge positively declined to accept the money, in any event, the Professor would not hazard a fair trial. He, however, became greatly excited and abused Mr. Partridge and the mediums. In his confusion he called on the Lord and the New York Volunteers, and, of course, disgiTSted the sensible portion of his audience. " Mr. Partridge has elsewere made a similar offer, and on one occasion through the col- umns of the Tribune. The believers in Spiritualism have never declined any fair trial; but how has it been with the opposition ? Many of our valiant opposers have kept them- selves out of sight, while they have hurled their missiles in the form of challenges and denunciations. They have assumed various disguises that they might stab in secret at the most vital interests of truth and humanity. Whenever we have offered to meet them openly and in a scientific spirit, they have uniformly insisted on imposing unjust conditions and unnatural restraints. They claim that the manifestations, if they occur, must obey the laws of material nature, and insist that they shall be tested by such modes and formula as are alone applicable to the domain of physics. " When, occasionally, we have driven hypocrisy to its last resort, by proposing terms which sophistry can neither cavil at nor evade, these conscientious opposers became sud- denly taciturn. "Now we desire our readers and the public to observe and remember that Wi? ar^ /« C07istai2t readiness for a fair trial ; but our judges must be honorable men. "We do not propose to go to the Times office to turn over the editor's table with or without human hands, and leave him to tell the story, for the reason that we can not depend on the accuracy of liis statements. Men who dispute the most obvious facts and principles are in no case the most reliable witnesses, and whoever will falsely accuse and slander even the humblest disciple of the truth, for nothing, may not scruple to defame truth itself for ' 07ie hundred dollars.'' " Such was the conduct of one of the most authoritative of the New York journals, for no other apparent motive than because Dr. Richmond, from whose known abiUty and personal antagonism to Spiritualism so much had 126 HISTORY OF MODERN' been expected, failed signally in overthrowing the arguments of Mr. Britain in the discussion. It is but justice to add that the venomous character of this poison worked its own antidote, calling forth several manly and gener- ous protests from different New York journals against the atrocious conduct of the Times. Amongst these, Avas a frank statement from Mr. Greeley of the Tribune, declaring the entire absence of any collusion or even a personal acquaintance between the disputants, concluding as follows : " These facts bear their o\vn comment on their face. Whatever may be the truth respecting what is called ' Spiritualism,' we know that Messrs. Partridge and Britain are not scoundrels; that there was no 'collusion' between them and Dr. Richmond; and that the Times has acted in these premises exactly like the Times.'''' Besides the agitation which was excited by the narrow-minded selfishness and severity of the pulpit and press, three powers, more just, severe, and authoritative than all the world beside, have been sitting at the bar of judg- ment to decide on the claims of Spiritualism. These are Time, Progress, and Public Opinion. Their verdict has been rendered in during the twenty years that modern Spiritualism has been on trial before them, and their sen- tence is, " Spiritualism is a truth, and will live forever." These same unimpeachable judges have also been dealing with the New York Times ; and though the opinions of its editors on the subject of Spirit- ualism now are entirely unknov/n to the author, the tone of its columns is of such a nature as to justify the belief that its editorship is in the hands of gentlemen, who, however they may be personally opposed to the spirituaUs- tic belief, could not now, as formerly, be found attacking it with the weapons of falsehood and vulgar abuse. The next of the valiant crusaders against Spiritualism whom our limits will allow us to notice is a Mr. Charles Elliott. This gentleman was the author of a book, Avhich he was rash enough to publish in 1852, a period too early to furnish him with much more available material thau was to be found in all the then-extant slanders against the Fox family, and the queries as to whether the phenomena claimed by the Rev. Dr. Phelps, of Stratford, to be performed by spirits were not actually the work of the venerable ge7itler,ian himself, or that of some of his family. Had Mr. Charles Elliott's treatise on "mysteries," or "glimpses of the supernatural," fortunately fallen into the hands of a discerning editor, he might have been spared the expense of publishing a whole volume by the condensation of its material into the following pithy sentences, which will be found to embody all that the author has labored to prove in two hundred pages, namely : All the ma?iifestations recorded in the Bible are trice all others are the work of shallow imposture. Next came a volume of about the same size as Elliott's, written by the Rev. PI. Mattison, A.M., Professor of Natural Philosophy and Astronomy, and member of the same distinguished body that treated the venerable Dr. Hare with the courtesies referred to in the former portion of this chapter. The title of this book — "Spirit Rapping Unveiled, an expose," etc. — xAW sufficiently explain the basis of his argument. Suffice it to say, that, although his ground, like that of Mr. Elliott's, was wholly occupied with slanderous stories and newspaper libels against the Spiritualists, still, as he wisely took advantage of these three years later for their accumulation, his book possessed that additional claim at least to public notice. Next comes a book from which the community, whether of spiritual or materialistic tendencies, had a just right to expect some revelations which AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 127 shoiiM help them to unravel the modern " mystery of mysteries." For was it not written by Professor Mahan, President of Cleveland University, and did it not undertake, in nearly five hundred closely-printed pages, to show that it was "modern mysteries explained and exposed?" But alas for the mystery, and still more for the explanation promised ! the best that the Pro- fessor could do was to deepen the mystery past all finding out, and this he accomplished by actually attributing the production of "Nature's Divine Revelations," "The Great Harmonia," "Penetralia," etc., together with all the rappings, tippings, visions, cures, apparitions, disclosures, clairvoj^aiit revelations, spirit lights, floatings, heavings, dancings, writings, and con- tents generally of twenty or more large journals, and several hundreds of vol- umes and pamphlets, to the work of odyle. Wonderful odyle in Professor Mahan' s eyes! Unhappily, however, for the credit of the Cleveland University's president, the odylic theory found no favor even with the bitterest antagonists of Spiritualism. The press generally were dissatisfied with the learned gentleman's shallow addition to the mysti- cism of the subject, and even the New York Times was ashamed of him, concluding a pathetic lamentation over his failure with admitting that, "We sigh for some means of explaining the explanation, and we do not attempt criticism on a book which we find it impossible to understand." To conclude the list of learned and pious foes who brought their battering- rams to bear against this impregnable fortress, and like the Prince de Conde after his twenty-one days' siege of the Bastile, were forced to retreat, leaving the walls as they found them, " only a little stronger." It but remains for us to record the attack of a certain " theological giant," by whose onslaught it was confidently believed, if never before, the demon of Spiritualism must yield up the ghost. The method of attack in this instance was on this wise : At a regular meeting of the Congregational Association of New York and Brooklyn, the Rev. Charles Beecher was appointed to prepare a report on the spiritual manifestations. This was faithfully executed and read before the association at its session of April, 1853. In his entire treatment of the sub- ject Mr. Beecher certainly maintained, both with the friends and opponents of the cause, the character of a gentleman, a scholar, and a Christian. Mr. Beecher assumed that spirits could only obtain access through prepared cdylic conditions ; he maintained that "this was the method by which the spirit com- municated through the ancient prophets and apostles," and added that " to substitute any other theory cuts up by the roots large portions of the prophetic Scriptures." "Whenever," he says, "odylic conditions are right, spirits can no more be repressed from communicating than waters from jetting through the crevices of a dyl-LC." And again: " Whatever physiological law accounts for odylic phenomena in all ages, will in the end inevitably carry itself through the Bible, where it deals with the phenomena of soul and body as mutually related, acting and reacting. If a theory be adopted everywhere else but in the Bible, excluding spiritual intervention by odylic channels iit toto and account- ing for everything physically, then ■will the covets of the Bible prove but pasteboard bar- riers. Such a theory tuill szueep its way through the Bible and its authority ; its plenary inspirations will be annihilated.'''' If Mr. Beecher had rested here, permitted each one to prove the spirits, tiy them, or, in fact, suffered each one to draw their own conclusions con- cerning the nature and value of the communications according to the rights of private judgment and conscience, Iiis report would have redeemed the whole ocean of slander, folly, and ignorance that disgraced the age in the 128 HIS TOR V OF MODERN language of the opposition ; but instead of that, the reverend scholar, finding that his clear perception of fact, science, and reason compelled him to acknowledge the manifestations, and furnished him with a plausible and scientific origin for their production, suddenly became alarmed on the score of his religion. Deeming, possibly, that the new Bible might stand in the way of the old — that a priesthood of laymen, boys, girls, and unconsecrated persons generally, might interfere with the proscriptive rights of the consecrated ones particularly, he changed his tone, and declared that the ancient spirits did come " accord- ing to the law and the testimony," but the modern ones did not. That the ancient mediums — including, of course, Balaam, Samson, David, Solomon, etc.,- — were all men of God ; whilst the modern — including, of course, A. J. Davis, Kate Fox, Daniel Home, Linton, etc., — were children of the other party. That all the ancient manifestations — including, of course, the destruction of forty and two little children by bears for calling Elisha "bald head," and the sending of a lying spirit into the mouths of Ahab's four hun- dred prophets, etc., — were all performed by angels ; whilst the modern manifestations — including, of course, the thousands of souls converted to the belief of immortality from atheism and the seventeen hundred marvellous cures of blind, lame, deaf, and otherwise afflicted living persons, reported on unimpeachable authority by Messrs. Partridge and Britain — were all per- formed by the adversary and his imps ; in a word, that the Spiritualism of Judea two thousand years ago was all of God, and the Spiritualism of America, eighteen centuries later, was all of the Devil, and that — because he, the Rev. Charles Beecher, said so. *' Great is Diana of the Ephesians ! " CHAPTER XIII. THE SPIRITUALISTS' MEMORIAL TO CONGRESS. "Judas, betraj'est thou the Son of Man with a kiss?" " Speak, Lord, for thy sen'ant heareth." The Memorial — General Shields's Immortal Speech — The Society at 553 Broadway, New York — The "Christian Spiritualist." It was in the year 1854, that a memorial was presented to Congi-ess pray- ing that honorable body to appoint a commission of investigation into the subject of modern Spiritualism. As the grounds of the petitioners' request, and a very fair summary of the aspect of the cause, is presented in the language of the memorial, we shall claim the privilege of placing it on record here, as much for the reasons assigned above as for the propriety of giving that document its legitimate place in these pages. The memorial was signed by fifteen thousand persons, the name of ex- Governor Tallmadge, of Wisconsin, United States Senator, etc., standing at the head of the list. Rev. S. B. Britain was intmsted with the difficult task of drawing it up, and at the request of Governor Tallmadge, General Shields, U. S. Senator, agreed to present it, with a view of lu^ging the nomination of a select com mittee to consider the subject. AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 1 29 "A MEMORIAL. ** To tlie honorable, the Members of the Senate and Hottse of Represetitatives of the United States, in Congress assembled : "Your Memorialists, citizens of the Republic of the United States of America, most respectfully beg leave to represent before your honorable Body, that certain physical and mental phenomena, of questionable origin and mysterious import, have of late occurred in this country, and in almost all parts of Europe, and that the same are now so prevalent, especially in the Northern, Middle, and Western sections of the Union, as to engi-oss a large share of the public attention. The peculiar nature of the subject to which the Me- moi"ialists desire to solicit the attention of your honorable Body, may be inferred from a partial analysis of its phenomenal aspects which are imperfectly comprehended in the fol- lowing brief generalization : " First. An occult force exhibited in sliding, raising, arresting, holding, suspending, and otherwise disturbing numerous ponderable bodies, apparently in direct opposition to the acknowledged laws of matter, and altogether transcending the accredited powers of the human mind, is manifested to thousands of intelligent and discriminating persons, while the human senses have hitherto failed to detect to the satisfaction of the public, either the pri- mary or proximate causes of these phenomena. " Second. Lights of various forms and colors, and of different degi'ees of intensity, appear in dark rooms, where no substances exist which are liable to develop chemical action or phosphorescent illumination, and in the absence of all the means and instruments whereby electricity is generated or combustion produced. " Third. Another general class of the phenomenawhich we desire to bring to the notice of your august Body, is presented in the variety of sounds which ai-e now extremely frequent in their occurrence, widely diversified in their character, and more or less significant in their import. These consist, in part, of certain mysterious rappings which appear to indi- cate the presence of an invisible intelligence ; sounds such as are occasioned by the prosecu- tion of several mechanical and other occupations, are often heard ; there are others which resemble the hoarse voices of the winds and waves, with which, occasionally, harsh, creak- ing sounds are mingled, similar to those produced by the masts and rigging of a ship whUe it is laboring in a rough sea. " At times powerful concussions occur, not imlike distant thunder or the discharge of artil- lery, accompanied by an oscillatory movement of surrounding objects, and in some instances by a vibratory or tremulous motion of the floor of the apartment ; or it may be, of the whole house wherein the phenomena occur. "On other occasions harmonic sounds are heard as of human voices, but more frequently resembling the tones of various musical instruments, among which those of the fife, drum, trumpet, guitar, harp and piano have been mysteriously and successfully represented, both with and without the instruments ; and in either case, without any apparent human or other visible agency. " These phenomena appear to depend, so far as regards the process of their production, on the acknowledged principles of acoustics. " There is obviously a distinction of the sensational medium of the auditory nerves, occa- sioned by an undulating movement of the air, though by what means these atmospheric undulations are produced does not appear to the satisfaction of acute observers. ' ' Fourth. All the functions of the human body and mind are often and strangely influenced in what appear to be certain abnormal states of the system, and by causes which are neither adequately defined nor understood. The invisible power frequently interrupts what we are accustomed to denominate the normal operation of the faculties, suspending sensation and the capacity for voluntary motion, checking the circulation of the animal fluids, and reduc- ing the temperature of the limbs and portions of the body to a death-like coldness and rig- idity. Indeed, in some instances respiration is enthely suspended for a season — it may be 9 I30 HISTORY OF MODERN' for hours or days together — after which the faculties of the mind and functions of the body are fully restored. "It is, moreover, confidently asserted that these phenomena have been succeeded, in nu- merous cases, by permanent mental and physical derangement, and it is positively affirmed and believed that many persons who were suffering from organic defects, or from protracted and apparently incurable diseases, have been suddenly relieved or entirely renovated by the same mysterious agency. "It may not be improper to obsei-ve, in this connection, that two general hypotheses obtain with respect to the origin of these remarkable phenomena. " The one ascribes them to the power and intelligence of departed spiints, operating on and through the subtile and imponderable elements which pervade and permeate all material forms ; and this, it should be observed, accords with the ostensible claims and pretensions of the manifestations themselves. "Among those who accept this hypothesis will be found a large number of our fellow-citi- zens who are alike distinguished for their moral worth, intellectual powers and attainments, as well as for their eminent social position and political influence. " Others, not less distinguished in all the relations of life, reject this conclusion, and en- tertain the opinion that the acknowledged principles of physics and metaphysics will enable scientific inquirers to account for all the facts in a rational and satisfactoiy manner. While your memorialists cannot agree on this question, but have honestly arrived at widely different conclusions respecting the probable causes of the phenomena herein described, they beg leave, most respectfully, to assure your honorable Body, they nevertheless most cordially concur in the opinion that the alleged phenomena do really occur, and that their mysterious origin, peculiar nature, and important bearing on the interests of mankind de- mand for them a patient, thorough, and scientific investigation. " It cannot reasonably be denied that the various phenomena to which the memorial refers are likely to produce important and lasting results, permanently affecting the physi- cal condition, mental development, and moral character of a large number of the American people. "It is obvious that these occult powers do influence the essential principles of health and life, of thought and action, and hence they may be destined to modify the conditions of our being, the faith and philosophy of the age, and the government of the world. " Moreover, deeming it to be intrinsically proper, and at the same time strictly compatible with the cardinal objects and essential spirit of our institutions, to address the representa- tives of the people, concei-ning any and every subject which may be fairly presumed 'to involve the discovery of new principles, which must or may issue in momentous conse- quences to mankind, we, your fellow-citizens, whose names are appended to this memorial, earnestly desire to be heard on this occasion. "In pursuance, therefore, of the objects contemplated by the present memorialists, and ur view of the facts and reasons herein contained or referred to, your fellow-citizens most respectfully petition your honorable Body for the appointment of a scientific commission to which this subject shall be referred, and for such an appropriation as shall enable the com- missioners to prosecute their inquiries to a successful termination. Believing that the pro- gress of science and the true interests of mankind will be gixatly promoted by the proposed investigation, the undersigned venture to indulge the hope that their requests wUl be approved and sanctioned by the wisdom of your honorable Body. " And to this end the petitioners will ever pray." General Shields having cheerfully undertaken to comply with Governor Tallmadge's request, proceeded to execute his commission in the following speech, which is a verbatim report from the National Intelligencer of Washington, bearing date April, 1854. Hon. James Shields said : AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 131 c< ( ' ' I beg leave to present to the Senate a petition with some fifteen thousand names appended, to it upon a very singular and novel subject. " ' The petitioners i-epresent that certain physical and mental phenomena of mysterious import have become so prevalent in this country and Europe as to engross a large share of public attention." "[General Shields then proceeded to give a summary of the principal features of the memorial, the reiteration of which would be unnecessary in this place. At the conclusion of that portion of his address he proceeded as follows :] " ' I have now given a faithful synopsis of this petition, which, however xmprecedented in itself, has been prepared with singular ability, presenting the subject with great delicacy and moderation. " ' I make it a rule to present any petition to the Senate which is respectful in its terms ; but having discharged this duty I may be permitted to say that the prevalence of this delu- sion at this age of the world among any considerable portion of our citizens must originate, in my opinion, in a defective system of education, or in a partial derangement of the mental faculties, produced by a diseased condition of the physical organization. I cannot, therefore, believe that it exists to the extent indicated in this petition. " ' Different ages of the world have had their peculiar delusions. Alchemy occupied the Attention of eminent men for several centuries, but there was something sublime in alchemy. The philosopher's stone or the transmutation of metals into gold ; the elixir vit(2 which would preserve youth and beauty, and prevent old age, decay and death, were blessings which poor humanity ardently desired and which alchemy sought to discover by perseverance and piety. Roger Bacon, one of the greatest alchemists and greatest men of the thirteenth century, while searching for the philosopher's stone, discovered the telescope, burning-glasses, and gunpowder. " ' The prosecution of that delusion, therefore, led to a number of useful discoveries. In the sixteenth century flourished Cornelius Agrippa, alchemist, astrologer, and magician, one of the greatest professors of the hermetic philosophy that ever lived. He had all the spirits of the air and demons of the earth under his command. " ' Paulus Jovius says ' that the devil, in the shape of a large black dog, attended Agidppa wherever he went.' Thomas Nash says, at the request of Lord Surrey, Agrippa called up from the grave several of the great philosophers of antiquity, amongst others, TuUy, who he caused to re-deliver his celebrated oration for Roscius. To please the Emperor Charles the Fourth, he summoned King David and King Solomon from the tomb, and the Emperor conversed with them long upon the science of government. " ' This was a glorious exhibition of spiritual power compared with the significant manifes- tations of the present day. I will pass over the celebrated Paracelsus for the purpose of making allusion to an Englishman, with whose veracious history every one ought to make himself acquainted. " 'In the sixteenth century, Dr. Dee made such progress in the talismanic art that he acquired ample power to hold familiar conversation with the spirits and angels, and to learn from them all the secrets of the universe. On one occasion the angel Uriel gave him a black crystal of a convex form, wliich he had only to gaze on intently, and by a strong effort of will, he could summon any spirit he wished, to reveal to him the secrets of futurity. " ' Dee, in his veracious diary, says, 'that one day while he was sitting with Albertus Las- kin, a Polish nobleman, there seemed to come out of the oratory a spiritual creature like a pretty girl of seven or nine years old, with her hair rolled up before and hanging down behind, with a gown of changeable red and green, and a train. She seemed to play in and out of the books and up and down, and as she went, the books displaced themselves to make way for her. " ' This I call spiritual manifestations of the most fascinating kind. Even the books felt the influence of this fascinating creature. " ' Edward Kelly, an Irishman, who was present and witnessed this beautiful apparition, verifies the Doctor's statements therefore it would be unreasonable to doubt a story of which the witness was an Irishman. (Laughter). Doctor Dee was the distinguished favorite of kings and queens — a proof that spiritual science was held in high repute in the days of good Queen Elizabeth. " ' But of all the professors of occult science the Rosicrucians were the most exalted and refined. With them the philosopher's stone implied the possession of health and happiness, command over the service of superior beings, control of the elements, and the most intimate knowledge of all the secrets of the universe. These were objects worth striving for. The Rosicrucians were disgusted with the gross sensual spirits who had communed with man previous to their day, so they decreed their annihilation and substituted in their stead 132 HISTORY OF MODERN a race of mild, beautiful, and beneficent beings. The spirits of the olden times were malignant and mischievous, but the new generation is mild and benignant. " ' These spirits, as this petition asserts, indulge in the most innocent amusements, as slid- ing, raising, tipping tables, producing pleasant sounds and variegated lights ; sometimes curing diseases ; and for the existence of this simple and benignant race, our petitioners are justlj indebted to the brethern of the ' Rosy Cross.' " ' Amongst the modern professors of spiritualistic art, Cagliostro was the most celebrated. In Paris his saloons were thronged with the rich and noble, and his charming countess gained immense wealth by gi^anting attending sylphs to such ladies as were rich enough to pay for their service. " ' The ' Biographic des Contempores,' a work which our present mediums ought to con- sult with care, says, 'there was hardly a fine lady in Paris who would not sup with the shade of Lucretius in the apartments of Cagliostro. There was not a military officer who would not discuss the art of war with Ccesar, nor a counsellor who would not argue points of law with Cicero.'" '"These were spiritual manifestations worth paying for, and our degenerate mediums would have to hide their diminished heads in the presence of Cagliostro. " ' It would be a curious inquiry to follow this occult science through all its phases of min- eral and animal magnetism, etc., until we reach the present and slowest phase of all, spirit-, ual iTianifestations ; but I have said enough to show the truth of Buckles's beautiful aphor- isru, 'The credulity of dupes is as inexhaustible as the invention of knaves. ' " This speech was received with considerable attention, but was frequently interrupted by laughter. " Mr. Weller — AVhat does the Senator propose to do with the petition? "Mr. Petit — I,et it be referred to three thousand clergymen. (Laughter.) "Mr. Weller--! suggest that it be referred to the committee on foreign relations. (Laughter. ) "Mr. Shields — I am willing to agree to the reference. "Mr. Weller — It may be that we may have to enter into foreign relations with these spirits. (Laughter.) If so, it is a proper subject for the consideration of that committee. It may be necessary for Americans to inquire if they lose their citizenship when they leave this world. It may be expedient that all these grave questions should be considered by the committee on foreign relations, of which I am an humble member. I move its reference to that committee. "Mr. Mason — I really think it has been made manifest by the honorable Senator who has presented the petition, that he has gone further into the subject than any of us. I would, there- fore, suggest that it should either go to a select committee on his motion, or be referred to the military committee, of which he is chairman. Certainly the committee on foreign relations has nothing to do with it. Perhaps it would be better to let the petition lie upon the table. " Mi\ Shields — This is an important subject, and should not be sneered away in this manner. (Loud laughter.) I was willing to agree to the motion of the Senator from Cali- fornia, but I do not wish the petition to go to the committee on foreign relations unless the chairman of that committee is perfectly satisfied that he can do the subject justice. (Laugh- ter.) "I had thought of proposing to refer the matter to the committee on post rffices and post roads, because there may be a possibility of establishing a spiritual telegi-aph between the material and the spiritual world. (Laughter.) " Mr. Mason — I move that the petition lie upon the table. Agi^eed to." It is almost unnecessary to state that the conduct of General Shields, in following, up the memorial which he had undertaken to present by a speech which was calculated to destroy every vestige of interest or importance con- tained in that document, excited the just indignation of the memorialists, and called forth a scathing protest from Governor Tallmadge. To this Gen- eral Shields replied by a few lines of defence on the strictly Congressional character of his proceedings. Courtesy, honor, sincerity, a love of science or respect for religion, making no part in his conduct on the occasion, of course found no place in his defence ; he had acted within the rules and priv- ileges of the Seriate, and so the matter terminated. The memorial was, as ordered, " laid upon the table ; " but according to the law in such cases provided, it is still preserved in the national archives, AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 1 33 where It remains as an evidence that in those days there were at least fifteen thousand persons in the land who were better informed on the philosophy of mental science and the high interests of immortality than their elected representatives. Anotlier movement of important though more local interest to the cause of Spiritualism, was the formation of a society in New York City, which was chartered under the title of "The Society for the Diftusion of Spiritual Knowl- edge." The members hired a building at 553 Broadway, where they designed to hold circles, conferences, and discussions, and establish a printing press, library, and all the apparatus necessary' for the carrying out of the purposes signified in their title. The list of names appended to the first year's report includes, as will be seen, many of the most distinguished citizens of various States besides New York. It must also be noted that several of the more prominent Spiritualists of that city did not figure in this list at all. For the year 1854, the follow- ing oflicers were appointed : PRESIDENT. Governor Nathaniel P. Tallmadge, Wisconsin. VICE-PRESIDENTS. Chief Justice Joseph Williams, Iowa. Gen. Edward F. Bullard, New Yorlc, Judge Willie P. Fowler, Kentucky. Hon. Richard D. Davis, New Yorlc Judge R. P. Spauldi.n'g, Ohio. Dr. George T. Dexter, New Yorlc. Judge Chas. H. Larrabee, Wisconsin. Maj. George W. Raixes, U. S. A. Horace H. Day, New York. E. W. Bailey, Pennsylvania. Hon. Warren Chase, Wisconsin. Phineas E. Gay, Massachusetts. Dr. David Corey, Illinois. SECRETARIES. Owen. G. Warren, Architect, New York. Charles C. Woodman, Editor, New York. Selah G. Perkins, M.D., Vermont. treasurer. Nathaniel E. Wood, Chemist, New York, Besides these officers, Trustees, Advisory, Executive, and Corresponding Committees were formed, including the names of the most prominent and respectable citizens in America. The society inaugurated their commence- ment by an address, from which the follo\ving extracts will serve as examples : ADDRESS OF THE SOCIETY FOR THE DIFFUSION OF SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE TO THE CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES. " But a few short years ago, in an obscure locality, and under circumstances which seemed to warrant the belief in an early termination of the so-called dream, Spiiutualism, in its present form, was born. Its few advocates, in the early days of its life, wei^e looked upon as lunatics — ^were despised for their faith ; and men of respectability and standing in society could hardly be found who were willing to examine into the facts connected with the alleged phenomena, for fear of the reproach of the entire imbelieving community. Since that period. Spiritualism has extended with a rapidity unprecedented in the annals of the world, until, to-day, it has become a respectable power in society. Men whose education and genius have fitted them for occupying the highest stations, either in politics or in tlie churcli, have sacrificed all positions of earthly aggrandizement for the sake of what they believe to be the enjoyment of high and holy truth. . . " Citizens of the United States, we feel authority for saying that the day for raising the cry of humbug, chicanery, or delusion, has passed away forever. You know, all of you who have reflective minds, that the application of these terms to this sub' ect can no 134 HISTORY OF MODERN longer produce results ; but that rather these invectives, launched at }'our supposed enemies, will rebound upon yourselves, and cover you with shame. Your professed teachers, your men in high places, the learned of your universities, the eloquent of your pulpits, have dealt in them long enough. And what results have they achieved ? The tlieories which the iniiversitlcs sent forth to account for the alleged phenomena, as they were pleased to term them, liave not only rendered their authors, but the universities, ridiculous in the minds of intelligent men. " Your pulpits — and we mean kindly when we speak of them, for they have a holy office, whether they perform that office or no — your pulpits have launched forth invectives. The cry of delusion and chicanery has been heard all over the land. It produced no effect, ex- cept upon the churches themselves ; and that course was abandoned. Policy was now adopted; another plan was accepted as the true one for accounting for the spiritual mani- festations, and which has been promulgated, not only from the pulpits, but by the religious press of this country — namely, that evil spirits have visited the earth, still further to delude deluded mortals. "It is very strange, if they believe that evil spirits can come to do evil on this earth, that good spirits will not be permitted by the good God also to come to effect good purposes ! We profess to believe both these propositions. We leave you to examine the subject for yourselves, aiid we tell you, if you will render your minds receptive to the truth, and engage in the investigation of this subject, it will appear that spirits, botli good and evil, do come here upon the earth, among their friends and relatives, and teach them good thmgs and bad." From causes which we deem it umiecessary to discuss here, this society proved but one of numerous illustrations that there is something in the genius of Spirituahsm, wliich up to the present time at least, has proved radically op- posed to organization. In various sections of the country spiritual organ- izations had been tried, and uniformly ended in disappointment and failure ; these movements will be more particularly noticed hereafter, but in reference to the one under consideration, it is enough to say, its career of a little over three years forms no exception to the rule alluded to. The society at 553 Broadway can scarcely lay claim to have carried out, as a body, any of the propositions with whicli they started ; although some very valuable utilitarian results were achieved, yet it is but justice to say that such results did not pro- ceed from the society, but rather from one of its members, Mr. Horace H. Day, a distinguished merchant of the city, whose name was at the head of the list of the executive committee. Soon after the opening of the building, it assumed a character entirely different to that which had been anticipated in its inauguration. A feeling of prejudice against the undertaking had been cherished by some of the NeAV York Spiritualists, who found themselves excluded from the initiatory councils, and " after having borne the heat and burden of the day in the early pioneer work of the city," deemed themselves slighted by those who had " come into the vineyard at comparatively the eleventh hour." These and similar statements were made to the prejudice of the society in its first sessions, but after the usual experimental period had elapsed, and es pecially after it was proved that as an association the movement could not be considered a success, its promoters and opposers, each alike returned to the fulfilment of the special work their hands found to do, and the undertak- ing bravely and faithfully sustained, as before hinted, by Mr. Horace H. Day, put into action the following instrumentalities : A paper was started, entitled The Christian Spiritualist. A limited subscription list, but a very large gra- tuitous circulation, enabled this paper for three years to become a missionary for a wide-spread field of usefulness. Miss Kate Fox was engaged at a liberal salary to hold daily seances through rapping, writing, and the phases of mcdi- umship peculiar to her, at which the pubhc were admitted free each morning from ten till one. AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 13S A library of all the spiritual works, foreign and native, that could be pro- cured was kept for sale and circulation, under the charge of Mr. Munson. A printing office was also established on the premises, and the use of a hand- some room was generously presented to Mrs. Emma Hardinge, who had become converted to Spiritualism shortly after her arrival from England, and in zeal for the cause of her new faith had resolved to devote her powers as a test medium, gratuitously to the service of the public. In this building, then, two test mediums Avere to be found, at the command of all who sought them, without money or without price. It is not too much to assert that thousands who brought with them guilty consciences, broken hearts, and darkened minds, entered the rooms of Kate Fox and Emma Har- dinge to quit them with renewed purposes for good, strengthened and con- soled by the ministry of angels, and convinced of the sublime truths of immortality. The fact that this bread of life, too, was dispensed without the usual sordid incentives to action which necessity too often compels the poor spirit medium to resort to, in exchange for time, which is bread, made a pro- found impression on those who thronged these circle rooms, and induced a natural feeling of confidence in the disinterestedness of the source from whence the power came. It seems here essential to the thread of the history to record a few ciixum- stances in the mediumship of one who has since played a prominent part in the spiritual movement, and therefore as much for the sake of fidelity in his- tory as in response to the repeated solicitations of her friends and fellow- workers, the author will introduce a few extracts from her own life, or " Au- tobiographical Sketches by Emma Hardinge," spiritual lecturer, and the me- dium above alluded to. "At this juncture [1S55], to beguile the tedium and monot- ony of my life, I suffered myself to be taken to a strange, unheard-of thing or person — I hardly "tcnew which — called a "medium.' I wanted amusement, which was one reason for my investigation ; I wanted to carry back to Europe with me subjects for racy articles on America, for the benefit of certain journals to which I was a contributor, and this was a second reason ; and nothing I had heard of since my residence m America [all of which I of course deemed could be comprehended in six months of New York experi- ence] struck me as so eminently ridiculous, and illustrative of the technical phrase, ' Yan- kee notions,' as the daring hmnbug which pretended to give communications from heaven itself. "Let any of my readers educated in strict orthodox faith, recall their early theologic opin- ions concerning ghosts, death, resurrection, heaven, hell, spirits, and angels, and even then they will form but a faint conception of a rather piously-inclined young English girl's hor- ror when informed that souls in bliss descended from their bright abodes to make tables dance ; and that angels left ' the throne of God' to say their alphabets to earth, and tell its inhabitants the price of stocks and the best time to buy and sell ! " At first I heard of ' the thing' with unmitigated horror and indignation. " Becoming familiarized with what they said about ' the spirits,' much of which I heard from some persons with whom I boarded and certain of my professional visitors, I subsided from religious horror into the certainty of its being some gross and clumsy species of magic and though I still felt indignant at the pretense of associating this with anything so sacred as an immortal soul, I thought I might learn some characteristics of the people from the so-called Spiritualists, even more daringly impudent in trick and folly than Barnum and his 'What Is It: "It was in such a frame of mind, and with such views as these, that I consented to investigate the subject of Spu-itualism. "Under such a stimulus to search, I accompanied one of my fellow-boarders to the rooms of Mr. J. B. Conklin. A large party was assembled there, every one of whom was — in singular contrast to a similar assemblage of English people — very pale, ard, as I deeme 1, from that circumstance, rather ghost-like. " This was a good beginning, and suggested ideas of mystics wan and worn with midnight 136 HISTORY OF MODERN vigils amongst the dead. Presently I heard some of those sitting at the table talkS:g familiarly with iiotliing, and responded to by very rnde and clumsy gyrations of llic table. Amused at tliis proceeding, which really looked as if those deluded ones were in earnest, I quietly directed my attention to the table, and, though unable at the time to discover the machinery by which it was moved, I knew it was there. I knew it just as certainly as did Mr. Farraday, Sir David Brewster, and the Harvard Professors, in their investigations with tables, and from the same reliable source, too — a source common to us all — namely, our own insufferable self-conceit and untractable prejudices. "All passed off well, however, until a sentence was 'spelled out,' which seemed to me to comment irreverently on the Bible. This was enough. I don't know now, even what the sentence was. I did not know then, whether the sentence was true or false. It was sufficient for me, that the ' Ploly Word of God' was lightly spoken of in that company of 'ghouls,' and that I impiously sat by to hear it. The next moment I was in the street, and that night, with tearful petitions to Heaven for forgiveness in daring to hear — I did not know what — and solemn promises never again to listen to anything about the Bible but the book itself, I dropped to sleep, fervently resolving never again to visit so blasphemous a place as a ' spirit circle ;' a promise I kept for the space of a whole week. And so ends the first chapter in my spiritual experience." Mrs. Hardinge was already a natural medium, and endowed with the fa- culties essential to the control of spirits. Her "resolution" was her own, her destiny under the influence of the unseen power that had led her across the ocean, to the Continent of America, and up through the most marvellous vicissitudes of life and fortune to this hour. Here, then, the hold was not relaxed. An actress at the Broadway Theatre, she became acquainted with Mr. Augustus Fenno, vv'ho, like many other members of the theatrical profession, was a warm Spiritualist and an excel- lent trance and writing medium. At his suggestion, Mrs. Hardinge consented to visit Mrs. Coan, a young married lady, who had lately arrived in New York and established herself as a test, rapping, writing, and clairvoyant medium. At the time of Mrs. Hardinge' s first visit, Mrs. Coan was giving seances to the public of New York, and was only introduced to her visitor by Mr. Fenno, as '■'■Miss Emma Hardinge [so known in public], from England." [Here follows a brief description of this seance, the insertion of which will illustrate the charcter of what was then known as " test mediumship."] " My friend Mr. Augustus Fenno, so captivated me with the promise of revelations through ' the raps,' and assurances that spirit-rappings were rarely of a theological charac- ter, that I consented to accompany him to visit the novz-celebrated Miss Ada Hoyt.* "Dire were the misgivings with which I set out on this second investigation, and intense the disgust with which the cool indifference of Miss Hoyt's manner inspired me. A me- dium for departed spirits, I thought, should be, if not saintly, witch-like in appearance ; if not ecstatic in gesture and speech, weird-like and fantastic ; and so the perfectly plaua matter-of-fact characteristics of this live medium threw me fairly hors dn combat. " Arrived there, however, I scorned to retreat ; and yet if dislike and determined scepticism could have an invariably neutralizing effect on spiritual manifestations, I could not at this day be writing my spiritual experiences. "I have too often marvelled at the foolish verbosity which induces people to rehearse over the tests they have received, and read whole pages of purely personal communications to others entirely uninterested, to inflict the same penalty on my readers; let it suffice, then, to state that I rose up after a two hours' seance with Miss Hoyt, having received all the or- dinary tests of name, age, death, etc., from almost every relative and i'ricnd. I had in the spirit-world. And those obstinate, clear raps came, not only on the table and under it, but on the walls, my chair, following my footsteps around the room, and in every conceivable way that could assure me they were not produced by machinery connected either with the table or the person of the medium. Thus far I was satislied— that is to say, of the entire * Mrs. Coan. This lady has shice been more generally known by her maiden name of Ada Iloyt. AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 137 absence of any imposture or delusion. Miss Hoyt, to my inexpressible disgust, assured me that I was myself 'a gi'eat medium,' an expression reiterated through the raps by the in- visibles; hence, she asserted, the manifestations were more than usually clear and abundant; certain it is that the chief of my questions were unspoken, and, therefore, responded to by some intelligence capable of reading my mind. "Tills, together wi:h the number of names and trivial circumstances of identity that were volunteered by the rappers, deprived me of the remotest chance of attributing the communications to the minds of any one present, including my own. This saance termi- nated with instructions for me 'to sit for communications' through myself, a proposition as startling to me as it was embarrassing, since the idea of my puttmg myself in an attitude of preparation for the performances of ghosts, opened up to me a train of proba- bilities beginning with the Witch of Endor, and concluding with the Devil and Dr. Faustus. " Returned home, the confession of my second visit to a medium drew from my mother a mild but emphatic declaration that, although she had hitherto followed my erratic footsteps over the wide world, and was still ready to shelter me, even in disgrace, or accompany me, if needs were, to the gi'ave, yet for this horrible and blasphemous subject she had no sym- pathy, and should I still persist in its investigation, I might prepare to see her depart for England by the next ship ; for beneath the roof where such abominations were practiced, she never would consent to stay. "Finding that I was far more disposed to echo her sentiments than oppose them, my mother next inquired of me the result of the weird interview I had come from. In answer, I read her, without comment, the questions and answers that formed the seance, together with the notes, in full, of the whole scene, and then it was that plain common sense tri- umphed over bigotry and prejudice. The latter amiable qualities with which, I believe, I was liberally endowed, blinded my eyes to the reasonableness of attributing all the mass of intelligence my notes revealed to its true source ; but when my unprejudiced, common-sense mother luard precious little sentences read, and tests rehearsed, too clearly identical with her son, husband, father, and dearest. relatives, to be by any possibility mistaken for others, and when by plain straight-forward questions she succeeded in eliciting from me a perfect detail of the wliole scene, her reason recognized the spiritual truth as the only solution of the problem, and after making nle go over and over again the instructions I had received as to sitting at a table for development, she closed this cliapter of my spiritual experience by placing a small table before me, and Irerself and a young lady, at that time visiting us, on the opposite side, with our three pairs of hands solemnly spread out on its surface, and there, in awful silence, we sat 'waiting for the spirits.'" "For many succeeding days at every available leisure moment we continued this mystical arrangement, sometimes with our simple trio, and occasionally joined by other marvel- seekers of our own stamp. We were 'waiting for the spirits,' and as I imagined the only mode of obtaining spiritual communications was by raps or tips, and neither of these forms v/ere manifested, so I deemed we v>'aited in vain. IVIeantime I was perplexed and my friends alarmed by the singular effect of these sittings on myself If the table did not move of it- self, it kept up a perpetual St. Vitus's dance in vibration to my own involuntary inovements, especially of my resistless, constantly twitching hands, poundings, jerkings, grimacings and all the formuL-e of physical development, succeeding each other with such violence and ra- pidity that I should soon have come to the conclusion that I was completely bewitched, had I not fortunately received a visit from a gentleman well versed in these preliminary medi- umistic eccentricities. "From him I learned that there were many other spiritual gifts besides those I had wit- nessed, and in a course of exercises which this high priest put me through, he pronounced me to be a fine 'magnetic, psychologic, sympathetic, clairvoyant, clairaudicnt,' and every other kind of fine subject generally, concluding with the promise to take- me to a celebrat- ed public medium, through whose influence, he felt confident, I should be 'developed right away.' "In proof of the excessive distrust that possessed my mind at this time, I replied to this latter offer, that I would go, provided he would take me then and there, without, as I thought, allowing any time or opportunity for collusion ; for, uncertain what the process of 'development' might be, or what fearful changes I might suffer by becoming a medium, I at least resolved to march to the sacrifice with my eyes open. My friend, no doubt appre- hending the nature of my very flattering distrust of himself, good-naturedly repHed that he would just step over to his store and return at once and fetch me. But I would go with him, and go with him I did, carefully watching him to see that he did not write some secret paper to be slipped into some one's hand with mysterious instructions to do some unknown thing with me ; and so carefully did I scrutinize every look, word, and movement, t'nat I could have testified on oath that 1 never lost sight of my conductor for one smgle instant, 138 HISTORY OF MODERN' until I stood with him in an upper room in Broadway, where a large party were already gathered together to hold a circle with Mrs. Kellogg, one of the best test mediums I ever had the good fortune to meet, and withal an accomplished and interesting lady." [The lady here referred to as Mrs. Kellogg was one of the best public mediums in the city. She had rooms in Broadway where visitors were received at stated periods, and from whence sceptics by thousands went away convinced through her inimitable gifts as a clair- voyant, writing, seeing, and speaking medium. Her interview with Emma liardinge exer- cised so marked an effect upon the author's subsequent career in the cause of Spiritualism, that it is deemed in place to insert the extract in full from her "Autobiographical Sketches."] "Let the reader who followed me to the house of this lady, where, according to my friend's promise I was to be 'developed right away,' imagine a person totally ignorant of the meaning of this phrase, finding herself in a room full of strangers, in vague anticipation of some mild kind of surgical operation, by which a rational being in a perfectly natural state of existence was suddenly to be converted into a modern prototype of the woman of Endor. Awaiting my mysterious fate with direful misgivings, 1 was suddenly addressed by the lady medium — to whom, by my own request, I had no introduction, and from whose notice I had sedulously shrunk away — -with the words 'Come here and sit with me; you are a great medium.' Obedient to her commanding gestures, I seated myself at the magic ta- ble, when the lady began rubbing my hand with considerable energy, but complaining all the while that I wore a silk dress. Why I should not do so was more than I could divine ; but before I could even arrange a question in words to this effect, a strange, misty sensation came over me, which so completely obscured my faculties that an endeavor to recall who I was, and where, only ended in convincing me that I was a highly-respectable old gentleman, in which character I gave what I was afterwards informed were some remarkable person- ating tests of spirit identity to several strangers in the room. To recapitulate the events and sensations of that evening — the first of my test mediumistic experience — would be neither possible nor. profitable. It is enough to record that the touch of Mrs. Kellogg's hand appeared like a magician's wand, illuminating the latent fires of magnetic power, which, once enkindled, ever after burned in the steady light of mediumistic gifts. " During the three-hours seance of that evening, it was found that I could give tests of spirit identity by personations, impressions, writing, and automatic movements of my fingers over the alphabet. All present seemed much more interested in this sudden and unexpected development than myself, its subject, who, to confess the truth, was so bewildered with my own marvellous performances, besides being half the time lost in the identity of the spirits who were influencing me, that I was far more disposed to question my own identity than that of any of the spirits I was said to represent. " The experience of most investigators in the spiritual philosophy has sho^\m that no tests are thoroughly convincing to individual minds, which are not addressed to the individual's own knowledge and reason ; hence, all I did by way of convincing others that night would have failed to impress myself with any other belief than that of an unnatural and foreign influence upon me, had not some of the tests been addressed to myself in automatic writing, which, though produced by my own hand — being written upside down, and requiring to be held up to the light for perusal— convinced me my own mind was not the originator of the sentences. " One of these contained simply these words — ' TOM — Find a great sea-snake ! ' "The name of an only and idolized brother was here written, and with it, the last words I ever heard him utter on earth ; namely, a charge that I — a singer — would find for him the words of an old sea-song, of which he was passionately fond, and which he had begged me to learn to sing for his gratification. He spoke this sentence as he was departing on his last earthly voyage, from which he never came bade again. " These utterances of the lost sailor-boy were forgotten, in the whirlwind of grief for his death, far, far, at sea, which swallowed up all minor details, until, after an absence of ten years, what I had been taught to believe the impassable gulf of eternity stood revealed before me, as a bridge, on which stood my beloved and lost, smilingly repeating that sentence, — too trifling to have been preserved in the solemn archives of death-memories, but too surely iden- tical with the precious dead to be repeated by any but liis own very self. "In scornful unbelief of the power I was investigating, I had said to my conductor, before entering the circle room, ' If all you tell me of SpirituaUsm be true, and they succeed in making me one of these wonderful mediums, I will return to England and make my for- tune. ' " Late in the evening, automatic writing, through my own hand, purporting to come from my spirit father, assm^ed me I was a fine medium ; that I must use my gifts, as such, for the AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 139 \ brnefit of the world, but — repeating my o■^^^l careless words — that, so far from using thosa gifts to make my fortune, I was never to take fee or reward for mediumship, nor would the spirit communicating release me from the strong control in which I was held, until I made pledges before the witnesses then present, first, that I would devote my gifts to the service of others ; and next, that I would not take fee or reward for the same. As this was not the custom of my Irostess, who was a professional medium — neither was it my own views in the matter — this charge could have been no emanation from either her mind or mine. And, in justice to the many self-sacrificing mediums, who have resigned other and more lucrative employments to give their services to the public in return for fees so modest that they, too often, fail to supply the wants of those who demand them, I must here add that the objection of my spirit friends to taking pay for mediumship was special to my own-case. " It seemed they perceived in me the capacity to exercise many forms of medumship, all of which they desired should simply be used as means to prepare me for being a lecturer — a destiny which I should then have contemplated with so much disgust that, if apprised of it, I should, in all probability, have ceased my investigations at once. But, though the reasons were not then given me, I have since learned to appreciate the excellence and wisdom of the advice. " By not becoming a professional medium, I neither felt anxiety to please my sitters nor temptation to impose when the power failed me. Besides this, I passed through many phases too rapidly to be available as a stereotyped test medium for any special gift, and thus I had the happiness of doing good and conferring spiritual light upon those who sought me, beside gaining a vast range of experience and unfettered practice, which has been, and stlH is, of incalculable use to me as a teacher of the spiritual philosophy. " All this I can now perceive ' face to face ; ' tliough then, I may truly say, I could only 'see as in a glass, darkly.' " [As many contradictory statements have been circulated respecting the first mediumistic prophecies of the loss of the ship Pacific, which excited much indignation from the owner when first hazarded, but were as carefully as possible stifled after the prophecy was found to be correct, we shall here insert the narrative, as originally recorded by the author :] " I mentioned in a former paper that I had come to this country in the steamship Pacific, one of the Collins line. Ever since my arrival in America I had maintained a kindly inter- course with some of the officials of the ship, between whom and myself little offices of friend- ship were exchanged every time she came into port. The ship Pacific was due on the mem- orable day when I became developed as a medium. "On Wednesday I went down to the wharf in the hope of receiving a little package that was to be sent me from England in charge of the storekeeper, an officer between whom, my mother, and myself, the most kindly acquaintance had been kept up ever since our landing. "The ship had not arrived, and no tidings were received of her ; but as she was only due some thirty hours [the season rendered it likely that winter storms would occasion the delay of even some days] no anxiety was felt in consequence. I mentioned the circum- stance to my mother, but beyond a slight expression of regret, neither of us commented on the matter. " That evening, just as my mother and myself were about to retire for the night, a sud- den and unusual chill crept over me, and an irresistible impression possessed my mind that a spirit had come into our presence. A sensation as if water was streaming over me ac- companied the icy chilliness I experienced, and a feeling of indescribable terror possessed my whole being. I begged my mother to light up every lamp we had at hand ; then to open the door that the proximity of people in the house outside our room might aid to dis- sipate the horror that seemed to pervade the very air. At last, at my mother's suggestion, I consented to sit at the table, with the alphabet we had provided turned from me and to- ward her, so tliat she could follow the involuntary movements of my finger, which some power seemed to guide in pointmg out the letters. In this way was rapidly spelled out, <■ Philip Smith : Ship Pacific' "As that was the name of the storekeeper for whom I had been only that day inquiring, our curiosity and interest were now considerably excited. For a few moments this mode of manifestation ceased, and to my horror, I distinctly felt an icy cold hand lay hold of my arm ; then distinctly, and visibly to my mother's eyes, something pulled my hair, which was hanging in long curls ; all the while the coldness of the air increasing so painfully that the apartment seemed pervaded by Arctic breezes. After a while my own convulsed hand was moved tremblingly but very rapidly to spell out, ' My dear Emma, I have come to tell you I am dead. Tlie ship Pacific is lost, and all on board have perished ; she and her crew will never be heard from more.' "I need not remind my readers that this statement, though made witliin too short a time l(l.o ' HISTORY OF MODERN f;"oni tlie day when slie was due, to permit of the least anxiety to be felt on her account, V7as strictly verified by subsequent results. The ship Pacific and her ill-fated cre^v were never heard from more ; and despite the indignant threats of prosecution that the owners made against the 'impostors' who dared to predict lier loss on the faith of spiritual com- munications, which both myself and others to whom I named tlie facts did not scruple to re- peat, Phillip Smitli and some few of his fellow-sufferers, in their messages from tlie harbor which happily sheltered their enfranchised spirits, were the only revclators tliat ever lifted the awful veil of doom from their ocean grave. From this time, and during a period of eigh- teen months, I sat constantly for all who sought my services as a test medium for a great variety of manifestations. These followed in rapid succession, each one practicing my whole frame in a striking and powerful manner. I frequently saw spirits with great distinctness, describing them with accuracy, and conversing with them as I did Avith my fellow-mortals. I wrote in various ways, automatically and by impression, spoke in various conditions of trance and semi-consciousness ; became a psychometrist, partly clairvoyant, and occasion- ally a physician: in fact, with the exception of boisterous physical manifestations, or that which I coveted beyond all else — the raps— it is impossible to name a phase of mediumship through which I did not pass, and in which I was not fully and powerfully exercised." . . In the first issues of the new paper — the Christian Spiritualist — Professor Toohey was the editor, and it was conducted by him with a talent and ability which secured a high and well-deserved reputation for its pages. On I\Ir. Toohey' s withdrawal, the chief duty of filling its columns with editorial matter and the spiritualistic tidings of the day devolved upon Mr. Munson, Emma Hardinge, and a few voluntary contributors, by whom the work was sustained until its termination. The building was still publicly associated with the pretentious array of names which constituted " the society," but, with the exception of the per- sons designated above and Mr. Horace Day, who nobly defrayed from his own private purse the heavy burden attending the publication of the paper, the rent of the building and payment of the officials, the society had viritually ceased to exist. Still the work that its inauguration accomplished can scarcely be estimated. The office at 553 formed a nucleus where friends and strangers could as- semble together, interchange ideas and greetings, read the papers, buy or borrow all the spiritual literature of the day, and attend the circles lield in different apartments of the building. During one of the most exciting presi- dential elections that had marked the country's history, circles were held in that house whose influence went forth and pervaded every State in the Union. The influence which the spiritual world exerts over the natural can never be properly understood and appreciated until the intimate relations subsisting between them are fully comprehended ; meantime, the communion of spirits with mortals discloses the nature and operation of those relations, and in this respect, the revelations that have been made concerning the political destiny of the country, the plans that have been foreshadowed, the prophetic visions that have been mapped out with minutest precision, the predestined scheme of the untried ftiture, and the action that spirits have in some instances re- qiured of and through their mediums for the outworking of the Divine plan, would, if it were prudent to reveal it, throw a marvellous and truly supra-mun- dane illumination over the wild and terrible drama that has been enacted on the American continent during the last ten years, and stfll more on the events of deep and universal interest that are yet to overrule the destinies of the great New World. Beyond entailing odium and suspicion on those wliose efforts would be most injuriously affected thereby, such revelations would be of compara- tively more detriment tlian benefit. Yet it is essential to the full assertion of the claims of Spuituahsm that we should allude to a subject, the purport of AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 141 which many of our readers will understand. Many and many are those who know how for long months prior to their public issue, State documents, and Congressio7ial ordinances existed in the secret archives of an tcnconsidered spirit circle. Many are the eyes that will glance over these pages, that have seen the wires of the national machinery pulled by invisible hands, and some few there are who know that a mightier Congress than that ^^iiich sits at Washington has helped to lay the foundations of the New World's destiny in the spirit- circle rooms of 553 Broadway. It was in May, 1857, that the Spiritual Telegraph announced the close of the career of the CJiristian Spiritualist, and with it, of the ofhces and spiritual functions which had been performed in connection with it at 553 Broadway. The notice which records the termination of this mission is embodied in the following simple sentence : "CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALIST DISCONTINUED. " The closing number of the third volume of the Christian Spirihialist, published on the 2d inst., comes to us with the announcement that its course is now finished. Its publication, as it states, ' commenced with the Society for the Diffusion of Spiritual Knowledge, and ends with it.' We are sorry that we shall hereafter be deprived of its weekly visits. During the last year more particularly, we have regarded the Spiritualist as among the most valu- able of our spiritual publications. "It has been supported chiefly by the munificence of one individual, who, during the last three years, has expended no less than $25,000 upon it and other matters pertaining to the cause, connected with the office of its publication, thus displaying a zeal worthy of all com- mendation. " Tlie movement of which this paper was but the least part, has set in motion a living chain of influences which will continue to girdle the western continent until America shall cease to be." CHAPTER XIV. SPIRITUALISM IN NEW Y O RK — C ONTI NUED. "How pure in heart and sound in head. With what divine affections bold. Should be the man whose thoughts would hold An hour's communion with the dead." Tennyson. Professor Mapes and nis Methods of Investigatiox — Reverend C. H. Harvey — Close of the "Spiritual Telegraph." As the experiences of remarkable personages form the most instructive of items in spiritual histoiy, we shall here insert a few memoranda supplied to the Banner of Light by the late Professor Mapes, a gentleman scarcely less dis- tinguished in the world of science as an agricultural chemist than was Professor Hare in the department of electricity. Professor Mapes was a friend and contemporary of Dr. Hare's, and like him was strongly in favor of rendering for all phenomena, whether of the visible or invisible universe, a simply material explanation. The professor's attention having been directed tOAvards the spiritual manifestations, he at first treated them with the scathing rebuke which was so often administered by those who had not investigated the sub- ject ; but when he found that many of his associates in science as well as social life were deeply immersed in this "modern magic," he determined to bring his acute mind to bear upon the matter sufficiently to redeem his 142 • HISTORY OF MODERN" friends, who, " though otherwise respectable men," were on this point, he de- clared, " fast running to mental seed and imbecility." The experiences into which this benevolent purpose led him, would not be sufficiently remarkable to justify their reproduction in these pages, were it not that they present a striking instance of patience and conformity to re- quired conditions in seeking phenomena through the spirit circle. In these respects, a glance at the diary of the learned professor will amply repay the trouble of perusal. The following extracts are taken from the Banner of Light, the Spiritual Telegraph, and New York Conference, wherein Profes- sor Mapes is reported under the cognomen either of "Phoenix" or "An Old Spiritualist." The first of his printed articles simply contains a sketch, in the third per- son, of his sceptical opinions, and materialistic philosophy on the subject of " Spiritualism." The second extract is as follows : BANNER OF LIGHT.— NEW YORK, MARCH 12, 1859. AN OLD SPIRITUALIST — NUMBER II. " In our last article of this series, we gave some account of our friend Phcenix, and now propose to fulfil the promises there made. He had heard of Spiritualism and had attended many circles, in most of which he found persons predisposed to belief; mediums who practiced deceit, and minds so fond of the marvellous as to translate the clumsy dreamings of visionaries into divine aspirations. Night after night passed away without anything having occurred that was calculated to convince him that mediums v/ere con- trolled by spirits. The manifestations which seem to have been satisfactory to many others were not so to him. Still, occasionally he met friends who recited manifestations, which seemed to be above dispute, of a character far beyond what he himself had witnessed, and thus he was tempted to continue to meet with circles, notwithstanding his own want of suc- cess. On one particular evening, however, when seated at the opposite end of the table with a medium and some friends whom he had brought with him, he plainly felt the touch of hands upon his knees and feet. His unexpressed thoughts were answered in the affirma- tive by three touches of the spirit hand, one touch for no, and five for the alphabet. Upon repeating this inaudibly to the audience, letters were selected by the spirit hand, which, upon being written down by himself, spelt out consecutive sentences containing facts only known to himself and to the supposed commimicator. Indeed, on this particular evening every question and answer from all parties present seemed to be consecutive and full of in- telligence. He therefore held the following dialogue with the spirits, they answering by raps : Q. How shall I be able to satisfy myself as to the truth of Spiritualism ? A. Form a circle of twelve individuals ; employ the best medium you can get, and continue your sit- tings until you can procure information of a character that will not be distasteful to you. Have six positive and six negative minds. Q. What do you mean by positive and negative minds ? A. Six male and six female minds. Q. Do you mean six ladies and six gentle- men? A. No; by a positive or male mind we mean such an one as your friend O., who is eccentric, and decides upon the propriety of his own acts without advising with his friends. If he wished to buy a house, he would do so without your approval. If advised by his physician, he would follow such advice only to the extent that he could comprehend it. This is what we call a male or positive mind. A female or negative mind is such as requires the advice of its friends before action of any kind ; it is not self-sufficient, is want- ing in executive power, and readily swayed by conventionalisms. Both these classes of mind ai^e necessary for an effective circle. When you have met twenty nights, you will have no further difficulty in inducing your friends to continue their sittings. " Phcenix determined to follow these directions, and as the spirits had told him that the negative minds might be believers or not, just as he chose, he had no difficulty in forming this half of his circle. It was recommended, however, that the positive minds should not be believers, and with these he had much difficulty. The first party to whom he applied was his friend F. Mc.C, who flatly refused, and said, 'You'll disgrace yourself with this nonsense.' Phcenix m-ged that, to oblige him, he would spend twenty nights in any way, and eventually F. McC. agreed to stand the torture every Monday night for twenty weeks. When O. was applied to he laughed outright, but eventuaUy compromised the AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 143 affair for the twenty nights, assuring Phoenix that on the twenty-first Monday he shoiild be absent. With gi-eat difficulty the six positive minds were found. Mrs. Brown was selected as the medium, and the circle commenced. "For the first eighteen nights both questions and answers were extremely stupid. The only curious phenomenon was the raps, and with all the theories of snapping of toe and laiee joints, rubbing the ball of the toe on the sole of the boot, electricity, and all the other theories which had been from time to time advanced, the six positive minds were divided ; but with the negatives it was affirmed there was a marvellous fitness in many of the replies, although the positive minds did not admit it. " On the nineteenth night the tables were somewhat turned. Phoenix had been lam- pooned by his associates, and when they came together on this evening, both himself and positive friends agi^eed that, after one more night of mummery, they would drop the whole affair. The inquiry about the raps had lost its interest, and although the replies had been somewhat consecutive, they had given no indication of talent commensurate with the deske of at least six of the circle. The medium had not yet entered the room, when, in a sort of "lark," five sheets of paper were placed on the floor, and one or two lead-pencils laid on each. The medium entered and took her seat ; the circle was organized as usual. In a few moments the pencils were all heard distinctly writing. One of the positive members looked below the table-cloth, and insisted that he saw all the pencils standing upright, and that they fell as soon as he had seen them. The sheets were lifted from the floor, and were found to contain many names, clearly written. The party for whom these names were intended was selected by the spirits, through the raps, and in every case the positive friends were compelled to admit that these names were truly correct as those of their gi'andfathers, fathers, mothers, etc., who were in the spirit-world. Phoenix was selected by the spirits to ask questions on that evening, and the answers were all pertinent and in- structive. On the twentieth evening [the following Monday], every member of the circle had their chairs slightly pulled from the table while sitting on them. Raps occurred every- where. A guitar placed under the table was played upon, while resting alternately on the knees of every member of the circle. A harmonicon placed under the table, at a point furthest from the medium, was beautifully played, only two of the members knowing it was under the table, they being the first who- came into the room, and brought the instrument and placed it there. A tumbler had been placed on the floor at the same time. Late in the evening a handful of coin was thrown on the floor, and then piled up inside the tumbler, without noise. The room was well lighted with gas, and the hands of the circle were placed on the top of the table. Even the positive members agreed to continue their sit- tings, and the same circle sat for more than four years, once each week." Manifestations of a far more astounding character than any recorded in this initiatory investigation were afterwards witnessed by Professor Mapes, through a great number of mediums, amongst whom the author has fre- quently been invited to sit for the learned "savant," and has partaken with him of the most elevating and convincing evidence of the direct presence and control of a vast number and variety of spirits ; indeed it seemed as if the noblest minds of the invisible Avorld delighted to answer the appeals of tliis powerful yet captious investigator with all sorts of convincing methods of proving their presence. Honest, fearless, and unremitting in his search into this wondrous realm of untrodden science, the professor was constantly rewarded by brilliant suggestions which, to his quick apprehension, formed threads leading him into paths of new discovery, both in mental and physical science. None can bear more grateful testimony to this fact than the author, who was frequently selected by the professor for investigations of a highly occult or scientific character, when the results invariably attested the truth of the homely proverb that " like attracts like ;" and whereas his inquiring mind sought for the highest ideality to match his own, he obtained such responses as were worthy the spirit of his inquiry. The circle alluded to in the preceding extracts continued its session, aj we have stated, for several years. Nearly all its members were men of science and public influence; all of them, including Professor Mapes • 144 HISTORY OF MODERN became converts to, and powerful advocates of Spiritualism. Added to this, the wife of Professor Mapes, a lady advanced in life, became suddenly developed as a most wonderful drawing medium. Without any previous knowledge of the art, Mrs. Mapes executed, in a raai-vellously rapid manner, and under cir- cumstances of the most abnormal character, several tJiousand water-color draw- ings, which, for originality of design and beauty of execution, stand unrivalled as works of art, a gallery in themselves, on vdiich the most fastidious and highly instructed artists of the day have pronounced the verdict of faultless. Amongst the strange occurrences which gave tokens of the presence and influence of spirits, the following incident may be taken as an illustration of a number of similar cases, transpiring in different parts of the country. SPIRITUAL ADVERTISER — NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 12, 1857. "A strange, and somewhat startling demonstration of spirit power occurred at the Stuy- vesant Institute, in this city, on Wednesday evening of last week, at the commencement of an attempt to dehver a lecture by Rev. C. H. Harvey. It should be premised that this is the same Mr. Harvey who, several years ago, wrote a valuable pamphlet, entitled "The Millennial Dawn," in proof of spiritual manifestations, and who, in consequence of his advocacy of spiritualistic views, was much persecuted, and finally suspended from the exer- cise of his functions as a minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church. Since then, Mr. H. has been quietly pursuing his investigations in the department that was so obnoxious to his former associates, but latterly he has become dissatisfied — very conscientiously, no doubt — with certain theological aspects of the spiritualistic development, and deemed it his duty to propose a series of lectures, which he announced in the following advertisement in the morn- ing papers : " 'A Plea for the Bible. — The Rev. C. H. Harvey will deliver a short series of lectures in defence of the Bible against modern Spiritualism, and in exposition of its phenomena ; the first on Wednesday evening, September 2, in Stuyvesant Institute, No. 659 Broadway. Mediums and advocates of Spiritualism are invited to attend, and fuU liberty will be awarded them to defend their 'new philosophy.' " At the appointed time, Mr. Harvey appeared at the desk, at the Stuyves- ant Institute, with a small audience assembled before him. After offering a prayer, he commenced his discourse, immediatlygiving the audience to under- stand that while his position would be in defence of the Bible, it would be one of general hostility to modern Spiritualism, on account of what was alleged to be its demoniac character. But while proceeding more fully to defend his i^osition in regard to these points, his utterance became obstructed; he stood for a moment, as if trans- fixed, and then dropped to the floor, as if smitten down with a heavy bludgeon. His friends were immediately at his side on the platform. They found him pale and corpse-like. One man, a stranger to those present, who seemed to be a physician, felt for his pulse, and found that it had entirely ceased. Cold water was sprinkled upon his face ; brandy was poured down his throat, and every available means of restoration was applied, but without the slightest apparent effect ; and the physician, who was not a Spiritualist, pronounced him " dead 1''^ But after he had lain in this way for some eight or ten minutes, a gentle- man, who was a Spiritualist, and who understood the nature of the attack, got access to him, made a few upward passes over him, when he immediately opened his eyes, and soon was so far recovered as to arise and converse with those surrounding him. He declared that he had never been in better health in his life than he was then ; that his attack did not proceed from any physical cause, but that it was from a spirit — from the "Devil," as he termed it — and AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. I45 expressed a wonder that God had not, in this instance, defended him, as he had defended him against similar attacks before. It was said to be apparent to all persons there, who had any knowledge of philosophy, that Mr. H.'s attack Avas not of the nature of apoplexy, or a rush of blood to the head — neither faintness, paralysis, nor anything of the kind — but that it v/as clearly produced by some strange and ultra-physical cause, and was paralleled only by what, in other instances, has been known as adverse spiritual inlluences. * Quietude being restored, Mr. H. attempted to proceed with his lecture, but his utterance was again mysteriously stopped in the same way, and it was thought by those present that if he had persisted in his efforts, he would again have been smitten down as before. Again he made the attempt, and again failed in like manner ; and linally he announced to his auditors that their money would be returned to them if they would apply to the door-keeper, but that it was useless for him to attempt to proceed with his lecture under the circumstances. But few comments on this remarkable case are necessary. Mr. Harvey had at one time felt the force and beauty of Spiritualism, yet obviously was unable to shake off the trammels of his ancient spirit of sectarian bigotry. He attempted to vindicate the claims of revealed religion at the expense of Spiritualism^ without remembering, or perhaps ignorant of the fact, that Spir- itualism included in its ranks numbers of believers who were as reverential admirers of the Bible as himself. The crusade implied in his lecture, there- fore, was as unnecessary as it was evidently undertaken in a misconception of his subject. How far spirits may have been justified in silencing his erro- neous doctrines by using his mediumistic organization in the manner above described, we do not pretend to decide. That a spiritual power inimical to his purposes overshadowed him, there can be no question. His peculiar organism was susceptible to such an influence ; and it was obviously exerted to give Mr. Harvey a powerful warning, and the world an evidence that our perversions of Divine truth do not always pass unnoticed by invisible powers. During the eventful ten years between 1850 and i860, the Sabbath meet- ings in New York continued to attract thousands of earnest listeners to the religious phase of Spiritualism. i'resh and interesting media were being rapidly developed in every grade of society. The circles held nightly might be numbered by thousands, whilst the press and the pulpit continued to contribute their share of vituperation and denun- ciation to the notoriety of the subject. Many changes had necessarily transpired in the external order " of the line of march." The partnership between Messrs. Partridge and Britain in the Spiritual Telegraph had dissolved, and that invaluable and ably-conducted journal had closed its career of usefulness on the appearance of a new paper, edited by A. J. Davis, entitled the Herald of Progress. As the Spiritual Telegraph had obtained the first generally wide circu- lation of any of the numerous journals devoted to the cause, and been sus- tained for nearly ten years with an ability and liberality Which can never be over-estimated, reflecting undying honor on its spirited projector, Mr. Charles Partridge, it is but just that we should insert a few extracts from the valedic- tory which concludes the last issue of his paper : 146 HISTORY OF MODERN '"TIME UP!' — SPIRITUAL TELEGPvAPH, NEW YORK, FECRUARY 25, 1860. "These ominous" words 'Time up !' are not unfamiliar to our patrons. We have written them, from time to time, on the margin of the paper, to signify to our subscribers that the period for which they had paid for the Telegraph had expired, and also to signify to them our solicitations for their further remittance and continued support. " But as time rolls on, human needs and relations change, and the most familiar words even, change their positions, relations, and meaning. So now, instead of v/riting these words, ' Time up !' on the mai'gin of the paper as an invitation for the renewal of subscriptions, we place them at the head of the editorial columns to signify that the prophecy we made, and the hope we have often expressed, that a man better calculated to unfold this great subject — Spiritualism — and introduce it practically to the people, would ere this appear to take our place, is, we trust, about to be i-ealized. "The spectre, 'Time up!' and the man, seemingly, has appeared. Mr. Andrew Jackson Davis has commenced the publication of a weekly paper called the Herald of Progress, and arrangements between him and ourselves have been made to transfer the Spiritual Telegrapk to the Herald of Progress, which commences its regular weekly issue next Saturday, the 3d of March " No pecuniaiy considerations induced us to commence the publication of the Spiritual Telegraph, and no such considerations enter into our present determination to transfer it. In our introductory address in the first issue of this paper, under date of May 8, 1852, may be found the following : "'I have not undertaken this enterprise with the hope or expectation of pecuniary profit, and I shall be entirely satisfied if it shall meet the wishes of those most deeply in- terested, and at the same time subserve the great interest of human progi-ess. I shall publish the paper weekly for one year, whether it pays or not.' " We ought, however, to say that the ^jecuniary earnings of the Telegraph never bore a more favorable relation to its expenses than during the last few months ; and it never seemed to be so well appreciated, or to stand so favorably before the public, as at present, which our private letters and the voluntary notices of the press and pulpit abundantly testify. Neither has there ever been a more substantial increase of patronage than of late ; and had it not been for a long-cherished hope and a settled determination, as we have often intimated in these columns, to withdraw from our present position of conducting the Telegraph at the earliest opportunity which looked promising for a carrying forward by other hands the work we had begun, we should not now have made this transfer. But other business of our own, and the charitable institutions in which we delight to labor, have absorbed nearly all our attention and time in the day, and we have been obliged to do all our writing for this paper while other people have slept, which has, we believe, short- ened our life on earth some years, aa begins to appear by declining health ; and our duty to ourselves, our gi'owing family, our friends, and to humanity, demands that we transfer different branches of our business whenever favorable opportunities occur. "It seems appropriate that we should say something on this occasion respecting the inception, progress, 'irrepressible conflicts,' and the success, of the Spiritual Telegraph. " First, then, the Spiritual Telegraph was projected out of existing spirit manifesta- tions, a knowledge of which was deemed important to the happiness of all mankind ; and a paper seemed to be the usual and the best method of disseminating the glad tidings from that world from which it was said and sung that 'no traveller returns.' We did not at first expect to issue more than a few numbers, and these vv'ere intended to contain merely state- ments of the facts which should from time to time appear. Accordingly, a few tracts were issued in the year 1851 and the early part of 1852, entitled '■ K New Leaf.' "But the manifestations of spirits so increased that we found more space and a regular issue would be required to make a record of them. Accordingly, on the Sth of May, 1S52, we published the first number of the Spiritual Telegraph, and have since continued it regularly each week to the present number, which is but eight copies short of eight com- plete yearly volumes " The Spiritual Telegraph has been eminently successful in all the purposes for which it was established. It was designed for a record of the communications and manifestations of spirits, and for an earnest, candid criterion of the same ; also as an organ for a respect- ful and free interchange of experiences and thoughts, pro and con, on all subjects ; and especially those subjects which were new, instructive, and elevating to mankind. In these respects it forms an encyclopedia of new phenomena and of the best thoughts, _^^f and con, on the profoundest subjects which ever engaged the minds of men " The Telegraph was not established for pecimiary gains, and in this also it has been successful, and vre have the satisfaction of having contributed the best years of our life. AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 147 and largely of our means, to so worthy an object ; and, finally, v/e have to say that the Telegraph was never so well appreciated, and never exerted a more wide and healthy influence than at present, and never was more successful in all its purposes and intere^-vs than at the moment of its change " We by no means arrogate to ourselves the credit of all the brilliant successes of the Teh'grap/i. Much of this is due to influences wliich have surrounded us ; to the able contributors to its columns, and to Brother Fishbough, who has been our indefatigable co- laborer. We now resign our position to Friend Davis, in hope that he will reap some of the benefits of our labors, and will be able to do more and better for the happiness and elevation of mankind than ourselves." Believing that all, and far more, of successful and untiring effort than the modesty of the proprietor has permitted him to aflirm in these extracts, will be cordially acknowledged in behalf of this invaluable paper by all classes of Spiritualists, we deem this brief tribute to its inestimable service will be found as acceptable to our readers as it is well-merited. Amongst other changes of a progressive character, the conversion of the Messrs Owen, father and son, to the cause of Spiritualism must not pass unnoticed. Of Mr. Robert Owen, the elder, the great philantliropist, and originator of a humanitary scheme of socialism, it is needless to speak, except to remark that his obstinate adherence to a purely materialistic belief, and the injury which his inlluential opinions were supposed to exert on the cause of religion, made his conversion to Spiritualism, through the test mediumship of Mrs. Hayden, of Boston, a subject of A\dde-spread interest, and umversa.1 astonishment. One of England's most prominent statesmen declared " that Mrs. Hayden deserved a monument, if only for the conversion of Robert Owen." Meantime the influence of the great socialist leader drew to a careful examination of the subject, hundreds of minds who were ready to follow in the clear footprints of so great a man, although they did not feel strong enough to stand alone, even for the sake of truth and immortality. About the close of the year 1S59, Hon. Robert Dale Ov.-en, late American IMinister to Naples, and one of the most esteemed literar}'- and accomplished statesmen of the day, published, in Philadelphia, his popular work, "Footfalls on the Boundary of Another World." This volume, which is an admirable digest of the Spiritualism of many lands and periods, coming from so authoritative a source, and known to embody much of the author's personal observations, created a new interest in the subject, and increased the demand for Mr. Owen's work almost beyond the publisher's capacity to supply. Another missionarj', of equal interest to those who can only receive opinions from high quarters, was the volume of "Life Incidents," indited by the celebrated medium, D. D. Home, whose wonderful spirit seances and cordial reception in nearly all the courts of Em"ope and by the highest magnates, cast a remarkable illiunination over the assumed " unpopularit}'" of Spiritualism in the eyes of wiai'istocratic Americans. By these two volumes alone. Spiritualism, whilst numbering its five millions in America, was discovered to hold its irresistible sway over the minds of princes, potentates, and powers, as well as peoples. Nothing in the history of the movement, however, excites such profound astonishment in retrospec- tion as the silent and mysterious methods of its propagandism. 148 HISTORY OF MODERN' CHAPTER XV. SPIRITUALISM IN NEW YORK CONCLUDED. "And tliey were all amazed and marvelled, saying, one to another, 'Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans?' "Others, mocking, said, 'These men are full of new wine.' " The New York Spiritual Rostrum — Speaking Mediums — Test Mediums in New York— New York Prominent Spiritualists — Linton, the Medium — The great Tabernacle Meeting — Investigations at the New York Me- chanics' Institute — The Buffalo Doctors — Stephen Alero — Miss Brooks AND Cora Scott — Buffalo Spiritualists. From the year 1853 the SpirituaHsts of New York succeeded in festabHsh- ing regular Sunday meetings, which were held at first in the Stuyvesant Institute, afterwards in Hope Chapel, and finally in Dodworth Hall, where with but little or no interruption, they have continued for above fourteen years. The services consisted generally of select readings, extemporaneous prayers, and a lecture delivered, morning and evening, by the most accom- plished speakers that the spiritual ranks could afford. The musical services, which were interspersed with the readings, were originally organized and conducted by Mrs. Emma Hardinge and a choir of from twenty to thirty volunteer singers. As the young performers were nearly all mediums, and the anthems, hymns, etc., were composed for them by their directress, the musical exercises formed a highly attractive feature of the meetings. For the most part they were attended by a large and eager throng of listeners, and when the favorite speakers of the spiritual ranks filled the rostnim, the fine hall was invariably crowded to overflowing, and the New York papers vented their usual comple- ment of vituperation and insult by way of satisfaction to the wounded feelings of rival sects and to the manifest increase of the Spiritualists' popularity. After the establishment of the Spiritualists in Dodworth Hall, the New York Conference held its sittings there on the Sunday afternoons, when strangers were admitted, and though they might possess totally opposite views, were always courteously permitted to share in the discussions. To give an idea of the meetings that were held in New York about this time, it will be in order to mention the names and characteristics of some of the speakers who officiated, most of whom were engaged by the committee for a course. of several successive Sabbaths. Occupying a deservedly foremost rank in this distinguished array were A. J. Davis, and his amiable and talented wife, Mrs. Mary Davis, who in point of pleasing oratory, was even more acceptable on the rostrum than the great "Poughkeepsie Seer," her husband. S. B. Britain, Charles Partridge, Dr. Hallock, Joel Tiffany, and Rev. William Fishbouglij all too well known and appreciated to need description, contributed often, by their talents and eloquence, to the clear exposition of Spiritualism. John Bovee Dodds, formerly one of the distinguished opponents of the cause, was now one of its able advocates on the New York platform. Rev. R. P. Ambler, and Rev. Thomas L. Harris, were also amongst the most popular of the speakers. Dr. J. Orton, VV. S. Courtney, a highly distinguished law}'^er; Rev. Thomas Benning, a most exemplary and accomplished gentleman, formerly a Wes- AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 149 leyan minister; J. H. Toohe}^, a fine logical speaker, late editor of the Christian Spiritualist ; Dr. Wellington, a successful medical practitioner; Professor Hare; L. Judd Pardee, a fine trance speaker; Professor Denton- an eminent geologist and admirable lecturer ; Hon. Warren Chase, ex-Con- gressman and one of the most logical and philosophical lecturers in the field ; S. J. Finney an inspirational speaker of extraordinary ability; and Thomas Gates Forster, a gentleman of literary talent, whose discourses, for eloquence, power, and wide range of thought, have never been surpassed on any pulpit or platform, formed the chief male portion of the lecturers engaged to dis- course to the New York audiences. Besides these, the array of female talent was equally strong and remarkable. One of the earliest of this class of lecturers was Miss C. M. Beebe, a lady whose written essays form as fine specimens of modern literature as any that the language contains. Deservedly preeminent in spiritual and personal attrac- tions, also, was Mrs. Cora Hatch, a young lady of scarce seventeen summers, but who, after several years of wonderful phenomenal mediumship, was con- trolled to dehver discourses whose marvellous beauty of diction and style of oratory was their least attraction. Mrs. Hatch lectured on almost every science with equal facility and correctness. Her discourses were always de- livered in a profound trance, were most commonly selected by a committee chosen from the audience at the time of their delivery, and were succeeded by the answering of questions propounded on the spot, the apt and felicitous nature of which presented evidence of the highest and most intellectual con- trol that could be brought to bear upon a merely mortal medium. Of a similar character, both in the matter and fascinating manner of deliyery, were the trance discourses of INIrs. Emma Jay Bullene, with whom the additional charm of delightful singing was added to her extemporaneous oratory. Miss Sprague, a young lady of scarcely inferior attractions, was another of this gift- ed band. Mrs. Charlotte Tuttle, a charming and vivacious trance speaker, Mrs. Hattie Huntley, JMrs. Frances H3^zer, and Mrs. M. S. Townsend, were also distinguished favorites of the New York rostrum. The largest and most appreciative audiences that ever sustained with generous sympathy the sensi- tive natures of those abnormal oratresses, were kindly accorded to Emma Hardinge, the choir leader, who had also, under the control of her spirit guides, become a trance or inspirational speaker; and when to these is added an occasional visit from one or other of the hundreds of speakers who v/ere scattered through various parts of the States, the quality of the spiritual plat- form at Dodworth Hall, New York, may be fairly estimated. Besides this meeting, several others were held in different parts of the city; amongst these there was one for many years conducted at Lamartine Hall by the learned Dr. Horace Dresser. In the Bowery, Sixth avenue, Brook- lyn, Williamsburgh, and Morrisania, regular Sunday meetings were sustained. Besides the free circles of Miss Laura Edmonds, J. B. Conklin, Kate Fox, and Emma Hardinge, upwards of three hundred private circles were known to be held in New York about this time, at which admirable and accom- plished mediums presided. Amongst the more distinguished professional or public mediums were Mrs. Coan, the excellent test rapping medium ; George Redman, a rapping, writing, and test medium of the most astounding physical endowments; Mrs. Cora Brown, Miss Middlebrook, and Miss Sarah Irish, admirable mediums for testo by rapping, seeing, writing, trance, etc. ; Mrs. Bradley and Mrs. Town- send, remarkable mediums for the production of spirit chawings ; Mrs. Kel- log, one of the best claii-voyant, personating, seeing, and writing mediums in I50 HISTORY OF MODERN the country ; Mrs. Harriet Porter, a most v/onderful prophetic speaking and seeing test medium ; Miss Seabring, an excellent test tipping medium ; Miss Mildred Cole, a child scarcely twelve years of age, but whose endowments as a test medium in every variety of development were almost unequalled ; and the still famous Mrs. Leah Fish, of the Fox family [afterwards the wife of Mr. Calvin Brown], whose crowded seances attested the undiminished force of her wonderful phenomenal powers. With such facilities for investigating the science, discussing the philosophy, and enjoying the consoling religion of Spiritualism, can it be wondered at that Spiritualists began to number their thousands and tens of thousands in New York, and that, as a science and religion both, it at last compelled re- spectful recognition from the public. A few more notices of the prominent features of the cause in New York, and our record in that direction must be brought to a close. Besides opening his house for receptions, circles, conferences, and hospi- tality of the most profuse and noble kind, Mr. Charles Partridge, in varieties of ways, continued to benefit the cause of Spiritualism with purse, person, and character. Organizing circles, hiring mediums from distant parts of the country, and bearing his part in the financial and executive departments of the meetings with unsparing liberality, this gentleman's unflagging zeal also carried him on to the rostrum, where his plain, straightforward candor invariably secured Ibr him a respectful and appreciative auditory. On several occasions he was invited to address the " Young Men's Chris- tian Association" of New York, and in a series of logical yet perfectly plain arguments he brought his strong sense and vast experience to a successful issue in inducing members of that body to investigate the claims of Spiritual- ism. Judge Edmonds and Dr. Warner also opened their splendid residences for weekly receptions of Spiritualists, thus promoting a social feeling and kindly interchange of sentiment between different classes of the believers that oper- ated very favorably upon all. Mrs. Hatch frequently held investigating circles, where the philosophy of the communion was discussed v/ith the most distinguished savans of the country, the spirits controlling the young medium with a display of ability that was acknowledged to be perfectly supra-mundane. Mrs. Brown and Emma Flardinge held investigating circles for the purpose of testing the more rare and occult phenomena by which the physical manifestations v.'ere made. These meetings often resulted in the most astonishing displays of spirit-power, and it is to be regretted that their details cannot be given to the public, as they would make the recorded phenomena appear insignificant by their side. Emma Hardinge and two or three of the prominent New York mediums also entered into a set of experiments on mental telegraphy, from which the most interesting results were obtained. In 1855 "the Society for the Diffusion of Spiritual Knowledge" published a large volume of 530 pages, entitled " The Healing of the Nations." It is a collection of aphorisms on every imaginable subject and condition of life, arranged in short, poetic prose verses, the beauty of Avhich, Avhether in senti- ment, imager}.', or purity of diction, makes it a work of unrivalled excellence and spiritual elevation. The production of this book was diie to the mediumship of Mr. Charles Linton, a young man developed into the spiritual ranks from the humble sphere of a blacksmith, where Iris opportunities for intellectual culture were AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 151 of course very limited. Notwithstanding this disadvantage, Mr. Linton be- came a -w-riting medium of such extraordinary capacity that he attracted the attention of Governor TaUmadge, under whose able editorship the " Healing of the Nations " was published. Governor Tallmadge gives the following account of this work and its origin in his editorial introduction : " About a year ago Mr. Linton was directed to write no more miscellaneous communica- tions, but to give his attention to \vi-iting a book which would be dictated to hun through spiritual influence. "He procured, according to direction, a thick, bound, blank volume, of the largest ruled letter sheet, and in that commenced writing. This book itself is almost a miracle. The chirography is beautiful. The handwriting of the medium herein is entirely different from his own, and can be read as easily as print. It is written with an accuracy and neatness that could not be surpassed by the most expert copyist. There are four hundred and thirty pages in the volume and not a word of importance erased or interUned throughout the whole. A large portion of it has been written in my presence "During the time I was with Linton he wrote from five to ten pages a day. He wTote rapidly whilst the influence was on him " l\Iany literary and scientific gentlemen have examined the original volume, and pronounce portions of it beyond human conception. " The style is simply faultless, and adapted to every capacity. The most astute critic cannot strike out a word in a single sentence and substitute another wliich he can truthfully say wUl improve it in style or sentiment." Tn 1855 an immense spiritual meeting was held in a great building, since pulled down, called " the Tabernacle." The house, though capable of holding upwards of four thousand persons, was crowded to suffocation and hundreds went away unable to obtain ad- mission. The following notice of this meeting appears in one of the New York papers. "GREAT SPIRITUAL MEETING— ADDRESSES BY GOVERNOR TALLMADGE, REV. T. L, HARRIS, AND JUDGE EDMONDS. "New York, February 24, 1S55. " According to the published notices in the daily papers of this city, a meeting of the Spiritualists was convened at the Broadway Tabernacle, on Friday evening, February 16. Long before the time for the commencement of the services, the house was filled by an immense audience, which must have numbered over five thousand persons. " The following statement of the Daily Sim may be taken as the general estimate : "'Spiritual Mass iNIeeting. — The largest meeting of the season was held last evening at the Broadway Tabernacle by the Spiritualists. The galleries and every available spot in the house were densely packed, and the greatest possible interest was kept up during the whole proceedings. " ' The meeting will prove, no doubt, a season long to be remembered, for while it is a significant answer to the assertion that Spiritualism is 'passing away,' the impression left on the minds of those who attended must be the best evidence that Spiritualism was inter- nal and sympathetic as well as external and numerous. " ' If we needed confirmation on the subject of spiritual progress in this city, it would be found in the fact that Spiritualism was allowed a hearing in the Tabernacle, for two years ago, when the Rev. Mr. Madison got up a theological farce in the same place, the friends of Spiritualism wished the use of the Tabernacle to say what ' is and what is not Spiritual- ism ; ' but then it could not be had for that purpose. There may have been good reasons for the refusal, but be that as it may, one thing is plain, either Spiritualism is better under- stood, or else it is more popular — the present meeting being the authority.' "It would be unnecessary to notice the addresses which were made on the occasion, except to say that they were listened to with deep interest by the secular portion of tha audience, and reported in an unusually respectful tone by the press." 152 HISTORY OF MODERN Amongst the numerous literary, scientiiic, and even religious societies that began to realize the growing popularity of Spiritualism and the necessity for investigating its claims, was " the New York Philosophical Society of the Mechanics' Institute." At three of the meetings of this society, Mrs. Coan, J. B. Conklin, and Mr. Charles Partridge v/ere invited to be present. The investigations through the tv/o first-named mediums consisted of regular seances, in which the vari- ous members of the association tested the raps and movements of the table in the usual way — writing names of spirit friends, ages, places of death, diseases, and eveiy conceivable token of identity on several slips of paper, and then rolling them up in tight pellets and throv/ing them pell-mell upon the table. Each pellet was picked out and arranged by the raps or tips in corresponding series ; the questions or tests suggested in them Avere then all correctly spelled out by the controlling spirits, and as each pellet was opened it was found to correspond, whilst every answer to test questions was given correctly. Many of the questions were propounded in mystic ways, and some in the German language, but the answers to all invariably indicated the personality of the spirit, his or her perfect understanding of the questioner's meaning, besides conveying in many ways an amount of spontaneous intelligence that was not asked for. The impression produced upon the minds of the shrewd inquisitors was deep and earnest. All agreed in the report which was subsequently issued, namely, that no evidence whatever of fraud or deception could be traced on the part of the medium ; that the intelligence rendered was correct, and in view of its supra-mundane character, truly astounding, and could not have been the result of chance, accident, or, in many cases, even psychological impression. On the third evening, Mr. Charles Partridge addressed the meeting in terms so clear and logical that he was listened to with the most profound attention and interest, and the seajices closed widi a unanimous vote of the society to continue their investigations during the ensuing winter session. It would scarcely be possible to close our notice of Spiritualism in New York without making special reference to the manifestations which have occurred in the extreme western city of the State, Buffalo. In spiritualistic annals Buffalo has been less celebrated than notorious, as the scene of the famous exposition of the learned "Buffalo Doctors," Messrs. Flint, Lee, and Coventry. As this transaction stands almost unrivalled for folly and even psychologi- cal absurdity, it becomes necessary to assign to it the prominent place which its remarkable features deserve ; we shall therefore give the expose in all its details, by inserting the letter written by the said " Buffalo Doctors " to the Commercial Advertiser. It must be stated that the circumstances referred to took place during tlie visit of the Misses Fox to Buffalo, in 185 1. In February of that year, Mrs. Fish and her sister, Margaretta Fox, commenced giving seances at the Phelps House, which were thronged with all the elite of the city, amongst whom were the Professor of Physiology, the Professor of Materia Medica, and a Professor of the Practice of Medicine, of the University of Buffalo. In virtue, it may be presumed, of the positions occupied by the gentlemen, they deemed that their authority would carry great weight upon any subject coming within the range of their observation ; it was doubtless with a full sense, then, of the AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 1 53 effects they expected to produce on the puWic mind, that they penned the following unsought-for communication, "EXPOSITION OF THE ROCHESTER KNOCKINGS — BUFFALO COMMERCIAL ADVERTISER. " To the Editor of the Coimnercial Advertiser : "Curiosity having led us to visit the room at the Phelps House in which two females from Rochester [Mrs. Fish and Miss Fox] profess to exhibit striking manifestations of the spiritual world, by means of which communion may be held with deceased friends, etc., and having arrived at a physiological explanation of the phenomena, the correctness of which has been demonstrated in an instance that has since fallen under observation, we have felt that a public statement is called for, which may perhaps serve to prevent further waste of time, money, and credulity, to say nothing of sentiment and philosophy, in connection with this so long successful imposition. " The explanation is reached almost by logical necessity, on the application of a method of reasoning much resorted to in the diagnoses of diseases, viz. : reasoning by way of exclu- sion. It was reached by this method prior to the demonstration which has subsequently occurred. " It is to be assumed, first, that the manifestations are not to be regarded as spiritual, provided they can be physically or physiologically accounted for. Immaterial agencies are not to be invoked until material agencies fail. We are thus to exclude spiritual causation ill this stage of the investigation. " Next it is to be taken for granted that the rappings are not produced by artificial con- trivances about the persons of the females, which may bs concealed by the dress. This Iiypothesis is excluded, because it is understood that the females have been repeatedly and carefully examined by lady committees. " It is obvious that the rappings are not caused by machineiy attached to tables, doors, etc., for they are heard in different rooms, and different parts of the same room, if the females are present, but always near the spot where the females are stationed. This mechanical hypothesis is then to be excluded. " So much for negative evidence, and now for what positively relates to the subject. "On carefully observing the countenances of the two females, it was evident that the sounds were due to the agency of the younger sister, and that they involved an effort of the will. She evidently attempted to conceal any indications of voluntary effort, but in this she did not succeed. A voluntary effort was manifest, and it was plain that it could not be continued very long without fatigue. "Assuming, then, this positive fact, the inquiry arises how can the will be exerted to pro- duce sounds [rappings] without obvious movements of the body? The voluntary muscles are the only organs [save those which belong to the mind itself] over which volition can exert any direct control. But the contractions of the muscles do not, in the muscles them- selves, occasion obvious sounds. The muscles, therefore, to develop audible vibrations, must act upon parts with which they are connected. Now, it was sufficiently clear that the rappings were not vocal sounds ; these could not be produced without movements of the respiratory muscles, which would at once lead to detection. Hence, excluding vocal sounds, the only possible source of the noises in question, produced, as we have seen they must be, by voluntary muscular contractions, is in one or more of the moveable articulations of the skeleton. From the anatomical connections of the voluntary muscles, this explanation remains as the only alternative. " By an analysis prosecuted in this manner, we arrive at the conviction that the rappings — assuming that they are not spiritual— are produced by the action of the will, through voluntary muscles, upon the joints. " Various facts may be cited to show that the motion of joints, under certain circum- stances, is adequate to produce the phenomena of the rapping ; but we need not now refer to these. By a curious coincidence, after arriving at the above conclusion respecting the source of the sounds, an instance has fallen under our observation which demonstrates the fact that noises precisely identical with the spiritual rappings may be produced in the knee joint. "A highly respectable lady of this city possesses the ability to develop sounds similar, both in character and degree to those professedly elicited by the Rochester impostors from the spiritual world. " We li-^ve witnessed the production of the sounds by the lady referred to, and have been permitted to examine the mechanism by which they are produced. Without entering, at 154 HISTORY OF MODERN this time, into a very minute anatomical and physiological explanation, it is sufficient to state chat the muscles inserted into the upper and inner side of the large bone of the leg [the tibid\ near the knee joint, are brought into action so as to move the upper surface of the bone just named, laterally upon the lower surface of the thigh bone [theyt'/wwr], giving rise, in fact, to a partial lateral dislocation. This is effected by an act of the will, without any obvious movement of the limb, occasioning a loud noise, and the return of the bone to its place is attended by a second sound. Most of the Rochester rappings are also double. It is practicable, however, to produce a single sound, by moving the bone out of place with the requisite quickness and force, and allowing it to slide slowly back, in which case it is noiseless. " The visible vibrations of articles in the room situated near the operator, occur if the limb, or any portion of the body, is in contact with them at the time the sounds are pro- duced. The force of the semi-dislocation of the bone is sufficient to occasion distinct jarringsof doors, tables, etc., if in contact. The intensity of the sound may be varied in jDroportion to the force of the muscular contractions, and this wiU render the apparent source of the rappings more or less distinct. " We have witnessed repetitions of experiments in the case just referred to, sufficient to exhibit to us all the phenomena of sounds belonging to the Rochester rappings, and without further explanation at this time, we append our names in testimony of the facts contained in the foregoing hastily-penned exposition. 'University of Buffalo, February 17, 1S51." "Austin Flint, M.D. Charles A. Lee, M.D. C. B, Coventry, M.D. The publication of this article produced a perfect legion of paper warriors, who did battle on both sides of the question with equal hardihood but doubtful success. Amongst the most interesting results of the expose, how- ever, was a letter from the "females" themselves, in which they simply and modestly demanded a more thorough investigation before they would consent to be branded as "impostors" on the faith of a mere anatomical theory. The challenge thus publicly made could not be evaded. Another meeting took place, at which the savans were permitted to place the unfortunate sisters in various cramped and painful positions, with a view of rendering the joints "tense" etc. It would be simply waste of time now to reprint the contradictor}^, garbled, but almost incomprehensible "stuff" that the learned professors again put forth by way of report on this second meeting, the gist of which was that "when the sounds" were not heard, it was not because there was any sus- pension of the electric currents necessary to produce them by the cramped position of the mediums, or the neutralizing, effect of the antagonistic mag- netism of the minds that were watching them like tigers ready to spring upon their prey, "but because they [the doctors] had placed them in such a posi- tion that the knee joints could not work." Again when the sounds were pro- duced, it was not attributed to the fact that the scientific clutch was removed or had been partially relaxed, but that they [the females] took sudden advan- tage of their freedom when the investigators were off their guard, whilst any raps that were heard in parts of the room removed from the mediums, the learned doctors undertook to affirm were not heard there, only appeared to be so heard, and that by listeners who were imacquainted with the law of acoustics, which made some sounds under some circumstances seem to pro- ceed from a distance, vvhen they were in reality made quite near, etc. Dr. Lee wrote a concise statement of his great discovery for the New York Tribune, which was published accordingly, but with an editorial note appended to it, suggesting that as the Buffalo doctors had confessedly pre- judged the cause before they had tried it, and determined that the Rochester AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 155 ladies were humbugging "females" before they saw them, it might have been as well to have intrusted the trial to somewhat more impart'al judges. As usual, the Buffalo University lights only threw a publicity over the subject of the rappings, which resulted in a perfect torrent of investigation, and filled the public prints with reports of seances whose highly favorable and often astounding character — witnessed by many of the most distinguished citizens of Buffalo — culminated in the conversion of more investigators to the belief in Spiritualism than had been known in the space of so short a time in any other city of the Union. Among the investigators provoked into research by the flimsy misrepresen- tations of the Buffalo doctors, was Mr. Stephen Albro, an old and highly-re- spectable citizen, whose inquiries into Spiritualism, starting from this simple point, led him into the very thick of the ranks, and procured the pov/erful advocacy of his pen and purse for the cause, to which for years he lent his aid in Buffalo, besides undertaking the publication of an exceedingly well- written paper, edited by himself, entitled The Age of Progress. It is un- necessary to remark further on these transactions except to point to the invaluable results that grew out of the poor medium's martyrdom in the advancement of the cause. The mere publication of The Age of Progress, and the noble champi- onship of its editor, Mr. Stephen Albro, formed a Macedonian phalanx in SpirituaUsm, for which it owes the Buffalo doctors an incalculable debt of gratitude. Amongst other remakable results of the excitement which fol- lowed the visit of the Misses Fox were many new developments of medium power, amongst which we must revert to the case of A'liss Sarah Brooks, already alluded to as the wonderful medium for an invisible piano-forte player, and also for a number of philosophical spirits who, through the simple raps, alphabetically spelled out several hundred able lectures, which were each week printed in The Age of Progress for more than two years. It was in the city of Buffalo that the Davenport Brothers first became the wonder and astonishment of their time. Those who have only witnessed their cabinet perfonnances in the midst of a heterogeneous and often bitterly-antagonistic mob, cannot form the slight- est conception of the marvellous character of the phenomena which first startled the simple and unsophisticated parents of the two young lads, before either of them had reached his fourteenth year. Besides the heavy poundmgs and violent disturbances of the furniture which ordinarily occur with what is called "physical force mediums," spectral figures were frequently seen by the whole family, whilst voices were heard giving them instruction, advice, and encouragement. Another striking phenonienon of the young Davenports' mediumship was the firing of pistols, rifles, etc., in the dark, against a mark, which, however minute, was always hit v/ith marv^ellous precision. Very frequently the flash of the piece would disclose apparitions guiding or receiving the bullets, and monstrous arms and hands were constantly seen flashing through the dark- ness, or even in an obscure light, by members of the family, under the most startling circumstances. At times the children would be lifted up several feet in the air, and kept suspended there for one or two minutes. The manifestations accompanied them everywhere ; in the streets or stores ; at their play or in bed, and were always of the wildest and most preternatural character. As a more extended notice of these vv'onderful mediums will be given else- 156 HISTORY OF MODERN where, we shall only furtlier add that their residence, like tliat of Miss Brooks, was continually thronged by eager and astounded witnesses. Other spiritual manifestations of a far more elevating character were fre- quently afforded to the earnest seekers for the truth and beauty of Spiritual- ism, through the joint mediumship of Miss Sarah Brooks and Miss Cora Scott [afterwards Mrs. Hatch, the celebrated lecturer]. These young ladies, both of them mere children in age, shortly after the visit of the Misses Fox, became mediums and frequently held trance seances, at whicli one would be controlled to speak in foreign tongues, whilst the other interpreted the mys- tic utterances. These, together with the public lectures of Thomas Gales Forster, one of the most eloquent and powerful trance speakers of America, supplied the good people of Buffalo with food for the highest intellectual thought, whilst the more startling phenomena noticed above, fully testified that the work was of a supra-mundane character. Many other mediums of singular power and excellence became prominent in the spiritual uprising of this city. Mrs. Swain, Mr. Sangster, and Mr. Reed, contributed their share to the marvels by the most astounding physical manifestations. Dr. Griswold commenced, in Buffalo, the publication of The Siaibeaui, a. spiritual paper of an eminently religious tone, and contributed by his remark- able mediumship as a seer, artist, and writer, to the elevation of the mighty cause ; in short, no city has been more abundantly blessed with an outx^our- ing of the Pentecostal ih-e than Buffalo. Many changes have thinned the ranks and decimated the strength of the spiritual army whose bright phalanx once shone so resplendently in this great Western emporium. The once-crowded Sabbath meetings have, we believe, languished into occasional gatherings only, whilst the phenomenal men and women who once made the very name of Buffalo synonymous with a Pentecostal out- pouring, are scattered far and wide in broader fields of labor. Stephen Albro, Dr. Griswold, and Mr. A. C. Maynard, tliree of the m.ost devoted, brave, and unselfish laborers that the spiritual cause has ever num- bered, have themselves passed to their spheres of bright and nobly-earned recompense. But Stephen Albro's Age of Progress has not been inaugurated in vain. The mighty flood sweeps on, which his strong hand helped to direct into the channels of human usefulness. The bright little Sunbeam which the de- votion and self-sacrifice of good Dr. Griswold reflected upon earth's gross darkness, has lighted up the pathway for many and many a pilgrim foot on the highways of immortality, and the ever-open door with which the lavish hospitality of good Mr. Maynard welcomed the spirits and their wayworn mediums, has drawn angel hosts to earth, who Vv^ill never forsake it more. The physical forms of the two noble editors, and the well-beloved and generous friend of the medium, have disappeared from the mortal eyes of those amongst whom they so freely broke the bread of immortal life, but we know that their works do follow them ; and are gathered up in the light of those sunbeams that will never be quenched in death or forgetfulness, whilst their cherished memory will ever be green in the heart of every true Spiritualist. AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 157 CHAPTER XVI. SPIRITUALISM IN NEW ENGLAND. —MAS SACHUSETTS WITCHCRAFl IN 1849. "Dogberry — Oh that he were here to ^vrite me down an ass ! But, masters, remember that I am an ass ; though it be not written do^vii, yet forget not that I am an ass. . . . Oh that I had been writ down an ass !" Much ado about Nothimg. An attempt to arrive at the origin of the spiritual movement, proves first, its vast universality, and next, its unbroken continuity with all preceding out- pourings of a similar kind. Even if we were disposed to trace the beginning of New England Spiritual- ism to Salem Witchcraft, we should find that the victims of that reign of ig- norance and superstition inherited their occult gifts in legitimate succession from mediumistic progenitors. In the accounts of special phenomena which we are compelled to reserve for a second volume, will be found the nan-ative of art apparition whose manifestations by s])eech, voice, appearance, and direct communion, far transcend any of the other marv-els of modern times, yet this occurrence preceded the Rochester knockings by forty-seven years ; in fact, although it seems necessary, for the sake of perspicuity, to select a special date for the opening of our history, it is almost impossible to note any period unmarked by spiritual phenomena, which if less prominently heralded forth to the Avorld than the Hydesville disturbances, are still proved to be of a kindred nature, and obviously related to a general and unbroken thread of intercommunion between the natural and spiritual v/orlds. The following narrative is strikingly illustrative of these remarks, and had it been more extensively published abroad, would doubtless have been regarded as the true starting point of modern Spiritualism in New England. --- About the year 1837, a Dr. Larkin, practicing physician in Wrentham, Massachusetts, became interested in the phenomena evoked by animal mag- netism. Observing that it might be made instnunental in the cure of dis- eases, and finding himself possessed of the requisite power to become an operator, he conducted a series of experiments so successfully as to convince himself of the use of magnetism as a curative agent, also of its value in the development of clairvoyance, which he found to be a very general result of magnetic operations. In 1844 he tried the effect of animal magnetism upon a servant-girl employed in his family, Avho was afflicted with fits. At first the patient exhibited only a modification in her physical symptoms, but after a time clairvoyance of a most remarkable character supervened; she was enabled during the mystic sleep to describe her own state, and that of numbers of the doctor's patients, of whom she had never heard. Wlien any difficult case was presented to Dr. Larkin, he had only, by a few passes, to place the girl [jMary Ja-ne] in a magnetic sleep, to insure her giving a remarkable diagnosis of the disease he. v.ashed to inquire about, and often, in addition, a valuable and effective prescription. Although Dr. Larkin was unable precisely to determine what were the best conditions for the prosecution of his magnetic researches with this clairvoyant, there were certain results growing out of them which were to him — at that time — as unaccountable as they were spontaneous and unlooked-for. The first of these was the production of loud knockings, which generally seemed to accompany the girl's trances, but in what connection, Dr. Larkin was unable to divine. They seemed to resound on some article of furniture 158 HISTORY OF MODERN too far removed from the entranced subject to be produced by her, and were never accompanied by any movement of her body which could indicate their source in her voUtion. Another feature of perplexing novelty to her opera- tor was the constantly-repeated assertion that in these states — which she called "her sleep" — she was attended by a ^^ fairy" whom she named " Katy," and whom she described as a female of " rare beauty and exceeding goodness." Sometimes, she alleged, she was surrounded by "fairies" like Katy, but none of them equalled her in loveliness or power, and Katy it was who de- scribed diseases and prescribed for their cure. She said the "fairies" came from Germany and v/ere very good, but " Katy" was her "guardian angel," and when she came the rest were subordinate to her. It seemed that other influences besides good ones were permitted to mani- fest themselves in this singular manner. Under the control of "Katy" and the "fairies" the clairvoyant was gentle, skilful, and sometimes philosophical and exalted, but occasionally an influence seemed to possess her of the most profane and mischievous character. Her entranced lips, as if moved by automatic action over which she had no con- trol, gave utterance to the most blasphemous oaths and rude speeches ; at the same time the furniture was often moved about violently by unseen hands, and heavy weights were lifted from place to place. On one occasion, the whole family being assembled round the couch of the magnetized sleeper, and every door being shut, a heavy flat-iron, last seen in the kitchen — quite distant off- — ^was suddenly placed in their midst, and, at the request of Mrs. Larkin, as suddenly disappeared, and was next found in the kitchen, every door of communication having remained closed. These and many similar manifestations were made, as the girl stated, by " a sailor boy," whom she saw and who compelled her to utter the oaths and profane speeches in which [as he alleged through her lips] he had been wont to indulge on earth. Meantime the power, whatever it might be, seemed locomotive, and followed the doctor occasionally in his professional visits. On one occasion, he was attending a patient whose house was situated alone, on the top of a high hill commanding a view of every object for miles round. During his visit heavy poundings were heard on the front door of the house, but on examining the entrance no one could be seen, and although not the slightest chance for escape or concealment was afforded, the knocking con- tinued as long as the doctor remained. As some serious misfortunes occurred to the owners of the house shortly afterwards, the mysterious knockings were regarded as " supernatural warnings " of their approach, but from their frequent occurrence in other scenes, Dr. Larkin naturally attributed them to an occult force originating in himself or his surroundings. On another occasion Dr. Larkin attended a public dinner given to himself and several members of the medical profession, about thirty miles distant from his home. On returning late at night, his wife requested him, before retiring, to visit Mary Jane, who was entranced and desirous to see him. On entering her chamber, he was greeted with uproarious laughter from what purported to be the spirit of the sailor boy, who recounted to him all the principal events of the evening, even to his trifling vexation at the salmon being underdone at dinner, and the roast pig being eaten up before his turn came to be helped. Besides Katy and the sailor boy, a number of spirits came through this girl and seemed to take pleasure in rehearsing their histories, giving names, places of birth and death, ages, and many particulars of their lives. AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 159 In this way, Dr. Larkin, who was a ready waiter, transcribed in a book procured for this purpose, the histories of over two hundi-ed and seventy spirits, many of whose statements he took exceeding pains to prove, and in every instance found the descriptions invariably correct in the minutest details. In her normal state Maiy Jane was exceedingly illiterate and unimagina- tive, but under the influence of these mysterious beings, her discourse was instructive, and occasionally scientific. The communicating inteUigences varied much in style and tone, but all seemed to urge the doctor to make these remarkable manifestations public, call in witnesses, and challenge from them the most searching investigation. They all prophesied, too, of a coming time, when the intercourse of spirits with mortals should be known and practiced openly all over the world. About 1846, a most singular and distressing phase of these phenomena was superadded to the rest, under what claimed to be the influence of the profane sailor. The girl's limbs in several directions would be thrown out of joint, and that with apparent ease, in a moment, and without pain. To replace them, however, seemed to be either beyond the power or the will of her invisible tormentor, and Dr. Tarkin, though an experienced surgeon, was often obliged to call in the aid of his professional brethren and two or three strong assistants. On one occasion the knees and wrists of the girl were thrown out of joint twice in a single day. These painful feats were always accompanied by loud laughter, hoarse and profane jokes, and expressions of exultant delight, pur- porting to come from the spirit sailor, whilst the girl herself seemed wholly unconscious of the danger of her awkward situation. The preternatural feats of agility and strength exhibited on these occasions could scarcely be credited, and the frightfully unnatural contortions of the limbs, with which she became tied up into knots and coils, baffles all physiological explanation, or attempts at description. One day, a very dangerous dislocation had been effected twice in the same morning, when the medical practitioner whom Dr. Larkin had summoned to his assistance expressed a hope that his services would not be required again, as he Avas much pressed for time. Uttering the usual fearful oaths that pur- ported to proceed from the spirit of the sailor, the entranced girl bid him stay then, and do his Avork at once, upon which the limb was again and instantly thrown out of joint, before the eyes of the astonished assistant. Although Dr. Larkin and his amiable lady had become familiar with these astounding manifestations by their frequency during many succeeding months, they were exceedingly reluctant to comply with the desires of their invisible communicants by making the facts known and courting public investigation. When, however, it became necessary to introduce other practitioners into the house to help in reducing the girl's dislocated limbs, and all the abnormal sights, sounds, and intelligence attendant upon such a case became a matter of notoriety, further concealment was impossible, and the whole country rang with rumors of the Aveird phenomena transpiring in Dr. Larkin' s family. As usual in such cases, the most exaggerated fictions were substituted for reali- ties, but AAiiat the current reports lacked in truth, they gained in scandalous misrepresentations; and stories Avere set afloat, as injurious to the honor of the harassed family as to any scientific value Avhich the manifestations might have had under fair and impartial scrutiny. In the fall of 1847, nine men, headed by a minister of Wrentham, called on Dr. Larkin ; a self-constituted committee to inquire into the evil rumors l6o HISTORY OF MODERN that were in circulation respecting him. The doctor, without questioning the validity of their claim to intrude into the privacy of his family, quietly narrated to them the circumstances of the case, without offering any other explanation than such as the details suggested. The committee were not satisfied. TIrey reverted to the outrageous scan- dals rife in the community, and urged the doctor to plead guilty to the charges. These he indignantly denied, but offered to admit any two or three persons whom the committee or the community at large should select, as inmates of his family for at least one week. He promised to provide them with board free of all expense, entertain them as honored guests, and afford them the most unlimited opportunities for observation, and agreed to abide by their ultimate report, as to the status which he had the right to hold amongst his fellow-men. Instead of at once accepting his reasonable and candid offer, this commit- tee, and others of the same stamp, insisted upon intruding themselves into the doctor's house at all times and seasons, and made the condition, of their reporting to the world in his favor the production of phenomena upon the instant, just as they called for it. For months the unfortunate girl was tortured with all sorts of absurd and impertinent inquiries and solicitations to call up the spirits, dislocate her limbs, make "furniture jump about," etc. The quiet of the household was constantly broken into, their occupations disturbed, and their reputation seriously damaged ; at last the good, but too- 5delding doctor insisted upon a more orderly investigation or none at all, and then his first proposition was accepted, and an orthodox minister of the strict- est denomination, with his wife, was invited by the Wrentham select men, mag- istrates, and ministers to take up their residence for some days in Dr. Larkin's family, for the express purpose of overseeing the doings of the spirits. The choice of the Wrentham magnates was made without consulting the wishes of Dr. Larkin, and fell upon the Rev. Mr. Thatcher and his lady, both of whom it v/as supposed, from their profession of highly orthodox principles, strict piety, and similar requisites for passing judgment, would prove themselves more than commonly inimical to the deeds of darkness assumed to be trans- piring in the possessed house. The first evening of the Rev. Mr. Thatcher's visit to Dr. Larkin, he pro- posed to pray by the side of the invalid girl ; when in the very middle of his pious invocations, the victim became suddenly entranced, and offered prayers for herself with a fervor and beauty that melted the whole party into sympa- thetic tears. Concerning the result of the clerical inquisition it is only necessary to sa};- that both Mr. and Mrs. Thatcher had abundant opportunity for observing and closely scrutinizing all and much more than has been related above, and that both declare themselves " entirely convinced of the sincerity and purity of life and intention of Dr. Larkin and his family, and the veritable nature of the occult phenomena transpiring in the person of the girl." On one occasion Mr. and Mrs. Thatcher, with Dr. Larkin and his wife, were standing around her bed, where she lay entranced and answering their questions, when the handkerchief which Mr. Thatcher was using was suddenly snatched out of his hand by an invisible power and instantly disappeared, Not a creature in the room had moved, and Mr. Thatcher's eyes were at the time steadily fixed on Mary Jane, so that he could have detected her slightest action. Remarking that any circumstance, however small, upon which a preternatu- AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. l6l lal character could be fixed, would answer the purpose of an investigation as well as more important phenomena, he retired with Dr. Larkin, and left the two ladies to examine the bed, the girl, every inch of her clothing, and the furniture of the room in every conceivable direction. The girl was then removed by the ladies to another room, and the gentle- men renewed the search, locking the doors and not suffering a pin to escape them. When all was done, they found Mary Jane entranced by the swearing sailor, who roared with delight at their confusion, and protested that he had " carried off the handkerchief to Germany." They then summoned the spirit Katy, who generally succeeded in regula- ting the disorders of the house. On questioning her, however, she declared she was unable to help them, and advised that if they really wished for the return of the handkerchief, they should ask it from the spirit sailor. Curious to pursue the investigation in all its bearings, Mr. Thatcher in- sisted on following her advice. The sailor was recalled, and after much inso- lence, promised to return the handkerchief at half-past one o'clock that night. And here it may be remarked that, though this spirit always kept his word and was wonderfully faithful to time, he invariably made his appointments at the most unseasonable hours and inconvenient places possible, seemingly de- sirous to impose all the trouble he could upon the family. From the time when this promise was made up to the hour of its fulfilment, the girl was never left alone for one single moment. Her bed, clothing, and person, were again searched, and either Mr. or Mrs. Thatcher, in company with other persons, were in her presence constantly. Mr. Thatcher, Dr. Larkin, and their wives, finally disposed themselves to rest, round the bed of the girl, on chairs and couches. About one in the morning, she spoke under the influence of Katy, and de- sired that they should all be awakened, as the spirits were preparing to return the handkerchief The ladies then sat the girl upright in the bed, placed her hands before her on the quilt, and drawing a sheet under her arms, held it firmly so as to prevent her moving a muscle. Mr. and Mrs. Thatcher and Dr. Larkin then ranged themselves around the bed, Mr. Thatcher facing and intently observing her. It was in this position that, as he stretched out his hand to call her attention to a question he was about to put, the missing handkerchief in an instant became visible, crumpled up in his open palm. The girl then, with a fierce oath, said hoarsely, "There's your old handker- chief for you, d n you ! " It was the work of an instant. One second, and the hand was empty ; the next, with not a movement of a creature within two feet of him, not the motion of a muscle from himself or any other visible being in the brightly- lighted room, the handkerchief was in his hand ^ how, or from whence, he never knew. The gentlemen looked at their watches — it was half-past one to a second. Mr. and Mrs. Thatcher quitted Dr. Larkin' s house after a week of the most open and thorough investigation, and within a few days afterwards, the reverend gentleman addi'essed a circular to every brother minister v/ithin a circuit of twenty miles, in Avhich he expressed his " entire conviction of the supra-mundane character of the events he had witnessed." He acquitted all parties concerned of intentional fraud, deception, or con- nivance ; pronounced his belief that the phenomena he had witnessed were worthy of the " most serious and candid investigation ; " declared it was the duty of every minister of religion to come to the work of inquiry in an earnest and unprejudiced spirit, and implored his coiTCspondents and their wives to 11 l62 HISTORY OF MODERN hasten to the scene, and combine in the most serious and practical investiga- tion of the whole subject. To this letter no attention whatever was paid, but a few days after it was issued, the Rev. Horace James [immortal be his name !], one of the ministers of Wrentham, and an unceasing persecutor and slanderer of Dr. Larkin, summoned three magistrates, who, together with a few persons of the place inimical to the manifestations, constituted a judicial court, before which Dr. Larkin was cited to appear, and on the authority of which the unfortunate sick girl was dragged from her bed and arrested on the charge of " necro- mancy" ! In this notable trial the Rev. Horace James appeared as complainant, chief witness, and even judge ; for when Dr. Larkin tried to address the court, Mr. James rudely interrupted him, and asked the justices if they "were prepared to believe anything that man had to say." The vase officials, thus prompted, replied, to a man, " Of course not; no- body could believe him." Dr. Larkin, realizing that spirits lived and could communicate with earth, and perceiving at once that the spirits of Dogberry and Verges had full pos- session of the Wrentham justices, sat down with the simple remark that "they were wasting time in trying a case which they had prejudged already." If the details of this unheard-of court of justice should seem to draw too largely on the credulity of nineteenth-century readers ; if it seems impossible to believe that in 1849 ^ poor sick girl could be dragged from her bed on the charge of "necromancy," and a respectable physician hailed before a court of his own neighbors on a charge of sorcery, — let the sequel speak for itself. Mary Jane was convicted on this charge, and actually sentenced to sixty days' imprisonment in solitary confinement in Dedliam jail : witness the Dedham jail records in the State of Massachusetts. As no judicial sentence could be tortured out against Dr. Larkin, a moral one of still more weighty results was pronounced, which doomed him to ex- pulsion from the church of which he was a member and the Rev. Horace James the pastor, unless he made a full and complete acknowledgment and recantation of his unholy participancy in Mary Jane's crime. In America, where a system of church membership sanctions church tyranny strangely anomalous with the institutions of a so-called "free coun- try," expulsion from church membership, or even an equivocal standing within its awful pale, maybe regarded as "anathema maranatha" on all commercial, artistic, or professional interests. ■ The ban of the church is as potent in a New England town or village, as was the Pope's bull of excommunication in the tenth century. Dr. Larkin loved his church, and had always enjoyed and prided himself upon his good standing within her pale. Of a gentle, kindly, and genial nature, he had maintained for many years the regard and esteem of all his fellow parishioners, and the continuance of these pleasing relations was essential to his peace of mind, no less than to his professional standing and the welfare of his family. But the exigency of his position was in the highest degree embarrassing. He had no errors to recant, no evil practices to acknowledge, and yet the demand to do so was constant and reiterated, and upon his compliance alone, a restoration to his unwittingly-forfeited good standing depended. He determined he would at least endeavor to conciliate his ecclesiastical tyrants, and for this purpose he wrote several letters marked with the most friendly and Christian s[)irit : but all would not do ; nothing short of self-accusations, rife with the grossest folly and falsehood, would satisfy his persecutors. ]\Ieanwhile his impending AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 163 ruin was fast hastening to its consummation. Domestic cares and harassing vexations, thickening around the unfortunate doctor, kept himself and his tor- tured wife on the rack for more than a year after the conviction of the hap- less Mary Jane, when, unable to endure the unequal struggle longer, he bid his persecutors write such a statement as would satisfy them, and he, on his part, promised to sign it. One after the other, he had met his accusers, disposed of and disproved every charge that folly, malice, or slander had brought against him, save the one of " necromancy," which, so far as it included in- voluntary communications with the so-called " dead," he could not without a gross untruth deny. Finally, the Rev. Horace James called on him with the report which he deemed v/ould be satisfactoiy to the church of which he was the pastor. Be- fore appending his name to the document, the doctor read it aloud and found it required of him to declare that he " did not believe that spirits could communicate by signs, sounds, voices, entrancement, or otherwise," and that the whole of the testimony which he — Dr. Larkin — had from time to time given on this subject was false, and hereby declared to be so. As he finished the perusal of this tissue of falsehoods. Dr. Larkin, addressing his reverend visitor ; declared in the most emphatic terms that he did believe in the conwut- 7iion of spirits ; did realize that they could, and had through the organism of the unfortunate Mary Jane again and again communicated with him ; that he reiterated and repeated the truth of all he had ever said on the sub- ject ; and he then asked if Mr. Horace James, after such a statement, could require of him to append his name to a document which would proclaim him a liar and utterly unworthy of the name of a Cliristian man? Mr. James coldly replied that his signature to that document was the only condition on which he could be received back into the church ; whereupon Dr. Larkin signed his name, handed the report to Mr. James, and declaring that it was the greatest lie that ever was written, and that he [Mr. James], as a Chris- tian minister, ought to be ashamed to admit such a liar into his church, burst into a passion of tears, Avhilst the Rev. Horace James departed, exulting in his triumph, and proclaiming to all his parishioners that Dr. Larkin was once more a member of his church in good standing ! No comment on this trans- action is necessary. Its principal details were received by the author from the lips of Dr. Larkin himself, who never made the least attempt to extenu- ate his own perfidy in the signature of the disgraceful document above alluded to, except by reaffirming the sufferings he had undergone, the ruin- ous issues to his family if he persisted in refusing, and the impossibility of his believing in his own mind that a Christian minister would degrade his sacred office to push him to the last fearful extremity, and then admit into his church a man who had \vritten himself unworthy of credit in any direction. The subsequent career of Dr. Larkin, though containing a vast array of deeply-interesting phenomena, does not belong to this history. It is as much as our space will allow, to advert to the fact that fresh suc- cessions of spiritual outpourings rendered the famous report of the Rev. Horace James worthless as testimony against Spiritualism. Dr. Larkin' s estimable companion passed away, soon after the last-named events, to the spirit-world ; and besides departing in the full and triumphant faith of being cheered in her dying hour by the presence of hosts of the beloved dead, and that the ministry of her spirit relatives sped her parting soul to the bright homes of eternity, this glorified spirit, soon after her transition, commenced a series of manifestations, which brought conviction to numbers of his friends and neighbors that the doctor's wife was with liim still, and guided, cheered, 1 64 HISTORY OF MODERN- and sustained him, through Hfe's rough pilgrimage, during every hour of the passing day and night. On several occasions of imminent danger this bright spirit saved her hus- band's life and that of certain others from railway accidents, and finally succeeded in bringing conviction of the immortality of her purified soul, and its continued communion with earth, to many who had formerly been his bitterest and most active persecutors. These results, however, were not achieved without a system of opposition and superstitious folly, little short of what has already been narrated. The narrow-minded bigots of Wrentham and adjoining villages strove to legislate against the onward sweep of the tide of progress, and dictate laws and boun- dary lines to the dwellers of the unknown spiritual country. They might as well have passed resolutions against the intiux of sunlight or star beams — Spiritualism "broke out" in Boston, and every hamlet, town or city in its vicinity, whilst at least one-third of the inhabitants, including those who had been most active in the crusade against Dr. Larkin and the hapless Mary Jane, contributed to swell the vast and overwhelming annies wliich now make up the hosts of Spiritualism in New England. CHAPTER XVII. SPIRITUALISM IN NEW ENGLAND CONTINUED — BOSTON. " Oh the spacious grand plantation Over there, Shining like a constellation Over there. Holy with a consecration From all tears and tribulation. From all crime, and grief, and care To all uses good and fair. Over there ! " The Spiritual Philosopher — Mediums in Boston — Rev. Allen Putnam and Natty, a Spirit — Spirit Manhood and Earthly Childhood Explained — Banner of Light — Dr. Gardner in California — His "Mission" — The Boston Spiritual Rostrum — Miss- Burbank's "Circles" — Correspondence. The public progress of Spiritualism in Boston, " the Athens of America" and centre of New England thought, was far less marked and distinctive in its earlier phases than that of New York. This is due, no doubt, in part to the peculiar reticence of the New England character, since we have abun- dance of evidence that phenomena Avere as frequent and powerful in various families in Boston as they were in any other "part of the States; yet it is not even now our privilege to speak of many of these manifestations, occurring as they did in great numbers, though entirely within the privacy of the domestic circle. The first public evidences that were given of " the power" in Boston, came through the mediumship of Mrs. Margaretta Cooper, the daughter of the eminent writer and lecturer, LeRoy Sunderland. Besides his married daughter, Mrs. Cooper, other members of Mr. Sunderland's family were gifted in a remarkable degree with mediumistic powers, and Dr. Larkin, the physician mentioned in the last chapter, together with many other reliable witnesses, affirm that they could obtain satisfactory responses, by raps and AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 165 movements of a cradle, through the mediumship of Mrs. Cooper's infant, only seven months of age. When Mr. Sunderland first discovered that his family were endowed with these remarkable gifts, his enthusiastic delight knew no bounds. He threw open his house to the public and courted general inves- tigation through his mediums. In ii?-itualist, was given to Mr. Putman tlirough one of the most reliable test mediums of the city. "Dear Father, — Do let me call you thus, for you are indeed my spirit father. To- wards you first did my spirit experience filial feelings. "My stay in the body was too short for me to learn on earth what those feelings were, I nevei knew an earthly father. When first vvc met at the medium's table " [when Natty was communicating with his brother and Mr. Putnam happened to be present] "your words and tones awakened in me feelings that I had never known before. " Upon describing those feelings to spirits of more experience than myself, they told me that such were filial emotions — the sentiments which an affectionate cbUd on earth cherishes towards its earthly parent. " Having first experienced those feelings towards you, you are my father more truly than you had supposed. l68 HISTORY OF MODERN" "I Lave come to you as the laughing, playful child, while in reality I am a full-gro^vT^ spirit ; but in earth's ways I am still but a child, and so the child's form becomes me best for the purpose of your recognizing my true state, and the accomplishment of the aims for which I come to earth "yVs a spirit, I am full grown ; as a child of earth I am little more than an infant, ignor- ant of earth's experiences and trials. In these, you are my teacher, while in spiritual mat- ters I can help you I need much aid which you can give Strange as it may seem, those who leave the form in early life must return and come in close alliance with the world before they can learn some lessons which are essential to the highest elevation in the spheres. " None of us can lay the foundation of an all-embracing charity unless we learn by con- tact with man on earth, his weakness, sorrows, and temptations By your example, help, and associations, I can learn best those life lessons which teach charity for all, without which I cannot ascend nearer and ever nearer to the common Father of us all. Spirits in the spheres do not usually learn their need of accurate knowl- edge of earth-life until they are thirty years old or more. Sympathy, affection for pa- rents, or other motives of attraction, draw the childish spirit back to its home and relatives. But before the age of thirty it seldom returns to study thoroughly human conditions, and learn those lessons of deepest wisdom which are essential to the human soul's highest devel- opment. It is for these purposes I now come In the close connection which you permit between myself and you, I am, as it were, experiencing earth-life — living your life, experiencing j'our external and internal struggles, and somewhat sorrowing and rejoicing with you. Measurably, my progress is Imked with yours; whatever is for your good helps me; your harm is mine also." Much more to the same effect was given on this occasion, and here it may be remarked that this singular statement is confirmed by a vast array of testi- mony in similar spirittial communications. Children's spirits, even from the most rudimental periods of life, are always represented as growing to a glo- rious spiritual maturity, during which, or after its attainment, they are com- pelled for the purposes of full development, to acquire an intimate knowledge of that life from which they are physically but not spiritually removed. The experiences from which they are cut off by early death are essential, as it would appear, to their spiritual perfection, and hence, have to be acquired through a set of conditions vague and incomprehensible to us, but dimly shad- owed forth in the ideas relating to "familiar" and "guardian spirits," also in the philosophy of " medium spirits," of which more will be said in our second volume. Quite early in the spiritual movement, Mr. Bela Marsh opened a publish- ing office in Boston, which, up to the day of his departure for a better world, some few months since, continued to be a source of incalculable use to the cause, by putting into circulation a mass of spiritual literature, every page of v/hich has performed its work of missionary labor to the world. For the last few years, mediumistic seances, conferences, and Sunday meet- ings have been held in the same building Avith Marsh's book store ; so in the quiet seclusion of 14 Bromfield street, the written thoughts and spoken words of this great movement have always found a fitting and continuous representation. In Boston was, and still is published one of the most invaluable mission- aries the cause of Spiritualism has ever enjoyed, namely, the Banner of Light, acknowledged to be amongst the ablest and most liberally conducted papers in America. As we shall have occasion to make frequent mention of this excellent periodical in the course of our history, of which, indeed, the Banner of Light forms an integral part, we shall reserve a detailed descrip- tion of its origin and status for another occasion. As the history of Spiritualism in Boston is peculiarly the biography of individuals, it would be as ungrateful as almost impossible to omit men- AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 169 tioning the name of Dr. Gardner, formerly of Springfield, Massachusetts, who was one of the earliest, as he has been one of the bravest and most devoted champions of the cause, from its commencement to its present status. Within a few months after the Rochester knockings had become a matter of general comment. Dr. Gardner, then a physician in large practice in Springfield and a successful operator in animal magnetism, became interested in the rappings, and in connection with Mr. Rufus Elmer, a highly-respected citizen and now a prominent Spiritualist, held circles for development, at which several of the most astounding phases of the phenomena were wit- nessed. Floatings in the air — occurring in the mediumship of Messrs. D. D. Home and H. Gordon — raps, clairvoyance, and extraordinary cases of heal- ing, became so common in Springfield that even the usual animosity of the secular press could make no headway against the facts, and the Springfield Repicblican, a local, though very widely-circulated journal, became crowded with records of marvellous and well-attested phenomena. As they do not now present any feature of novelty, it is needless to repeat them ; suffice it to say that their effect upon the inhabitants of Springfield was to make thou- sands of converts in the first five years of the movement, amongst whom was Dr. Gardner. At the urgent solicitation of spirit friends. Dr. Gardner, about 1849, undertook to accompany a relative who sailed his own ship to Cali- fornia. The exact nature of his "mission" in this voyage, beyond the benefit of his health, he was entirely at a loss to divine, for humanly speaking he had no motiv(? whatever to prompt him, except the urgent appeal of spirits and a con- catenation of circumstances which seemed to force him into the undertakinof. During the voyage, his benevolent desu-e to heal the afflicted prompted him to try the effect of magnetism on one of the crew, a poor Chinaman, who lay sick, in mortal agony and danger of immediate dissolution. Dr. Gardner not only succeeded in relieving the sufferer and restoring him to health by mag- netic passes, but he also evolved medium pov/ers in his patient, through whose gift of rapping the doctor could communicate freely with his friends in the spirit-world. By a chain of circumstances seemingly fortuitous, this Chinaman was left ashore at Hong Kong, from whence subsequent accounts brought the tidings that "the rappings had broken out" in that place through a Chinese sailor, and that the "power" was spreading like a contagion, until spirit circles and spirit mediums became as popular and fashionable in the Celestial Empire as opium and souchong. , Landing for a few days at San Francisco, and still unable to discover any other purpose in his long voyage than his restoration to health and the medi- umistic development of the Chinese sailor, Dr. Gardner determined to return with his relation in the ship which had brought him out, when, only the day before they were to sail, he was accosted by a total stranger, who met him on the wharf, and with some awkward apology for his intrusion, suddenly, and for no cause that he could assign, addressed him and asked him if he knew any- thing about these "new spirit rappings." Astonished as he was at being thus accosted, Dr. Gardner courteously replied in the affirmative, when the stranger acknowledged that he felt impressed beyond his power of resistance to put the question, adding that the rappings and other strange phenomena had transpired in his family, and that himself and friends were much alarmed, yet wholly ignorant of the best meth- ods of procedure. lyo HISTORY OF MODERN He added that it had been communicated to them through this mysterious inteihgence that a stranger would shortly arrive at San Francisco, ivho luoidd direct them how to proceed and clear up the doubt and uncertainties undei which they then labored. Both Dr. Gardner and his new friend were powerfully impressed with the belief that this meeting was not merely accidental, and accompanying the stranger to his home, Dr. Gardner visited, counselled, and instructed the per- plexed mediums, gave them the advantage of his valuable experience, encour- aging some, strengthening and magnetizing others, settling many difficul- ties, and wisely organizing the scattered forces into well-regulated circles. He also distributed amongst them a goodly pile of spiritual literature with which he had suj^plied himself, and took leave of his grateful new acquaint- ances happy in the conviction that his mission was now fulfilled in planting Spiritualism on the remote shores of China in the East, and California in the far West. We must here add, we have the best authority for stating that Dr. Gardner's obedience to spiritual monitions has been fruitful of good and blessing in more ways than those detailed above, and besides sowing seeds of immortal light and beauty in distant lands, it has been productive of changes in the good missionary's own condition, essential to the outworking of his momentous life -history. On his return home. Dr. Gardner took up his resi- dence in Boston, where he became the sole and indefatigable entrepreneur of the great Sunday gatherings which for twelve years have instructed thou- sands of astonished and delighted auditors in the sublime and soul-stirring truths of " Natural theology" taught by spirits. Thomas Gales Forster, Mrs. Henderson, now Mrs. Middlebrook [one of the sweetest and most eloquent trance speakers of the day], Mrs. Cora Hatch, Miss Fannie Davies, Emma Hardinge, and Rosa Amedey, were amongst the first and most popular of the trance speakers who filled the rostrum at the old Melodeon, Boston, where from a thousand to fifteen hundred persons assembled each Sabbath afternoon and evening, to hear their teachings, and listen to the apt and felicitous answers that were rendered, through their en- tranced lips, to the most difficult questions propounded by strangers in the audience. All the speakers above named were not only extemporaneous, but most commonly gave discourses selected for them by a committee chosen from the audience after they had taken their seats on the platform. Even the bitterest of the opposition accorded to these orations the merit of being unsurpassed in style, diction, and oratory, while they were often profound in logic, learning, historical research, and science. Miss Rosa Amedey, a charm- ing trance speaker, since translated to the bright realms of which she so elo- quently discoursed, together with Mr. A. B. Whiting, a young man of fair natural abilities, but marvellous intellectual powers under the spiritual aflla- tus, generally followed their discourses by poems improvised upon the spot, upon any subject the audience might select through committees. Many other speakers besides those named above were invited to fill the rostrum ; all were more or less attractive. The severe New England climate often militated against attendance at the meetings, and the most powerful opposi- tion that ever was levelled against any portion of the spiritual movement was directed against these obnoxious but deeply momentous gatherings. All was in vain, however. They were often thronged to overflowing, whilst the week evening meetings which were always given when Cora Flatch or Emma Ilar- dmge lectured in Boston were literally crowded to suffocation. These gath- erings, the admission for which was the trifling charge of one dime, woxo. conducted and sustained with all their fluctuations of occasional financial AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. . 171 losses by Dr. Gardner, whose zeal and enterprise in this, as in eveiy other spiritualistic movement, was unflagging and disinterested. Delightful picnic parties and grove-meetings, often attended by rnany thousands of persons, were also organized by this gentleman. Conventions, conferences, and debates, ever found him in his place, and being a clear and sensible speaker, his services were frequently in request to fill the desk at various New England meetings. His championship of this unpopular cause, no less than the fact of his being the noted entrepreneur of the principal public meetings held in Bos- ton, frequently brought him into collision with the press, clergy, lyceum, and finally with the creme de la creine of science, learning, and religion combined, to wit, the professors of Harvard University, whose position on this globe may be defined as follows: "America is the greatest country of the earth — Boston is the greatest city of America — Cambridge is the brain of Bos- ton — Harvard College is Cambridge, and the Harvard professors are the world!" but as an easier definition than the above is rendered by Bostoni- ans themselves, when they declare that "Boston is the 'Hub' of the uni- verse," so the position of the Harvard professors in reference to the universe may ht better understood than expressed. In the following chapter will be found an account of the famous Harvard investigation, in which the profes- sors of that distinguished seat of learning undertook to explain to mankind, now and forevermore, what Spiritualism was not ; but as the entrance of these mighty magnates on the scene indicates the commencement of a new act in the living drama of which we write, we shall reserve theii" experiences for an- other chapter, and drop the curtain on this by a few extracts from the Spiritual Telegraph's correspondence on the status of Spiritualism in Boston from 1850 to 1857. '"SPIRITUALISM IN BOSTON.'— FROM OUR BOSTON CORRESPONDENT. "Dear Telegraph, — The spiritual movement in Boston has some interesting features which your readers may desire to become intimate with. I will tlierefore endeavor to give them a glimpse of some of the phases the present exhibits, assuring them that at no time since the dawn of the spiritual advent has there been so varied and so intense a devotion here to the investigation of this important subject. Doctors, lawyers, clergymen, merchants, city officers, judges, ect., as well as the 'common people,' who anciently 'heard Jesus gladly,' are all 'with one accord,' engaged in making earnest inquiries as to the truth of Spiritualism, and the facilities for the investigations are now quite numerous and perfect as compared with any former state of the movement, with a good prospect of still gi"eater perfection and usefulness in the future. So you see there is now very little chance of this matter ' dying out,' as some ' wise ones' have flattered themselves, from time to time, would soon be the case." "SPIRITUAL CIRCLES. " Our spiritual circles here are quite numerous and very varied. I attended one lately of which Miss Burbank is — humanly speaking — the presiding spirit. Miss B. is a trance medium of the first order, and gives evidence of superior spirit control and inspiration. She holds four circles every week, each of which is different from the others in the specific objects it has in view. One of these circles is called the ' Benevolent Circle,' whose purpose is to elevate persons in the spirit-life who need to come again into contact with earth so as to get such instruction and magnetism as will in some measure compensate for their lack of basic developments in this life. Some time ago I was present at this circle, when idiots, criminals, and others of like condition, presented themselves through the medium, in con- nection with beings of superior intelligence, and it was very curious to witness the exhibi- tions of the various degrees of mentality which were made manifest. "I remember that, on the occasion referred to, Washington Goode, 'One-Eyed Thomp- son,' and others of the same stamp, were permitted to communicate, which they did in perfect character, abating, of course, anything criminal. Thompson, it seemed, being very much advanced because of a superior iiitellect and veiy warm domestic affections, was per- 172 . HISTORY OF MODERN mitted to have the charge of Goode, for the purpose of raising him to a higher condition. This he could do more readily than those much more elevated, because of his affinity with Goode's condition, which, of course, brought them nearer together and enabled Thompson to work more effectually for the other's welfare "Idiots, too, were brought to this circle for education; and it was very pleasing to see how, as they came, from time to time they were Manifestly improved by the communion. At each successive visit they would get some new idea, and gave evidence of decided im- provement in mental development. They were always brought by some benevolent spirits, whose delight it was to be thus engaged, and who would have the full charge of unfolding the powers of the previously blank intellect " STRIKING TESTS. "Among the many tests of the presence and identity of spirits, perhaps none are more remai'kable than those which have lately transpired at the Fountain House, in this city. I recently met a noted medium there, who, I was previously informed, never made a tingle mistake in his tests. His method of giving tests is for the inquiring party to fix the mind distinctly on some question, without uttering a word, and say to the spirit, in the same mental way, ' If the answer be affirmative, please signify it by touching some article in the room; if negative, some other article' — in either case ;«i?«^a//)/ naming the article in ques- tion. Being previously informed of the method, I sat one day by the medium's side, took his hand, and mentally said, 'If my giiiding spirit be present, will he take the medium to a writing which hangs in the room; and touch a certain name, among seven names Vv'hich are attached to it?' When I had fairly formed this question in my thoughts, the medium sud- denly stood upon his feet, led me into the middle of the room, turned quickly round, facing the writing referred to in my mental question, v/alked up to it without hesitation, and then drew his index finger three times across the name referred to ! To me, at least, this was a very fair proof of some ability to read thought. Whether that ability was the man's own mind, or a mind foreign to his, is a legitimate question to ask, and one which should be ansAvered as well by the psychologist as by the Spiritualist. But however this may be, it is certain that the medium was tested in this way several times, and always with similar results. "Another test medium, much more remarkable, has lately been stopping at the Fountain House, who has given very great satisfaction to all who have met her. I refer. to Miss Coggswell, of Vermont.- The peculiarity of her mediumship consists in the fact that, in answer to any mental questions, writings are readily made upon her arms and forehead in raised letters, the color of blood ! The questioner sits near the medium, in company with several other persons, all in broad daylight, asks any mental questions he chooses, and the answer soon appears as described. These words are raised upon the arm or forehead, and made in somewhat large characters. I had the privilege lately of seeing the words ' Dr. Woodward ' standing out in bold relief, and in the color of blood, on the forehead of the medium, in response to a mental question from Dr. Gardner, the present keeper of the Fountain House. The medium was sitting in a circle of several persons at the time, in broad daylight, her hands resting upon her lap, and the party were watching her arms to see the writing appear there; but after looking in that direction some time in vain, some one happened to look into her face, and saw the above name standing out boldly before the eyes of the company. Dr. Woodward — the former superintendent of the Insane Hospital at Worcester, Massachusetts — was, in this life, an intimate friendof Di-. Gardner's and pro- fesses iiow to be his guardian spirit. " A short time ago some person who had lost a friend by being shot in the heart, desired a test, through this medium, of the presence of that friend. Several persons watched her arms very closely, expecting every minute to see some writing of the name, date of death, age, cause of departure, etc., but much to their disappointment, nothing was seen. After wondering much at this negative result, and regretting it in no small degree, some one took hold of one of the medium's arms and turned it over, when, strange and most incredible as it may seem, there stood out boldly, raised above the ordinary surface of the arm, the figiu-e of a human heart, clearly defined and painted in blood ! But what was most remark- able of all was the very distinct appearance of a wound in the heart, as if made by a bullet! This medium has no disagreeable sensations in the production of these writings; and, if I mistake not, she has no peculiar sensations at all. She is very passive in her temperament and general condition, which no doubt greatly favors the production of these tests. She is truly a wonder to all who have witnessed these unique exhibitions, among whom have been several highly scientific persons of this city, Dr. Bell, of Cambridge, being among the num- ber. Thus the external evidences of Spiritualism accumulate with increasing force, and promise, at no distant day, the conversion of all who need them." AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 173 CHAPTER XVIII. SPRITUALISM IN NEW ENGLAND — BOSTON AND THE HAR- VARD PROFESSORS. "Base of heart ! They vilely barter Honor's wreath for worldly place ; Step by step on Heaven's charter Leaving footprints of disgrace. "Know we notour dead are looking Downward, with a sad surprise, All our strife of words rebuking With their mild and loving eyes." J. G. Whittier. Harvard College — Frederick Willis, the Divinity Student — The Traf Circle — The People's Teachers — The "Faculty" and Spiritualism — Rev. Theodore Higginson, Time has conclusively proved that the action of individuals has had little or no influence on the progress of the vast and ever-onward march of Spirit- ualism ; yet assuming that there may arise very important changes between the then and now, and the now and hereafter, in human opinions, whether of persons or communities, it may be a matter of historical interest to know what were the opinions of the learned professors of Harvard College, on the subject of Spiritualism, in 1857. The following narrative will be found to contain one of the most marked evidences of this nature that the history of Spiritualism affords. Numerous instances occur in the experiences of mediums, wherein certain of the Harvard professors have severally and singly investigated the subject, and even become openly avowed advocates of its sublime realities ; but in the following incidents the actors assume an amount of representative authority which lays the burden of their conduct on the college, rather than on the individual members thereof, and as it is to the church and lyceum as institutions, that the people have the right to look for teaching and guidance in mooted points of religion and science, it affords us an instructive lesson to contemplate the aspect of the Cambridge University towards Spiritualism in 1857. It was some time in the fall of 1855 that Mr. Frederick Willis, a divinity student, of Harvard College, became the subject of certain wonderful phe- nomenal experiences, which ultimately confirmed him and his friends in the belief that he was a " medium " for communion with departed spirits. The power which fell upon Mr. Willis was entirely unsought for and unwelcome, but the phenomena were abundant and wholly spontaneous. They consisted of visions, trances, premonitions, clear sight, impressions, raps and powerful movements of jponderable bodies, and when, at the earnest solicitation of friends, he was induced to sit for manifestations in circles, it was found that musical instruments could be played upon by spirits, direct writing be pro- duced, and extraordinary test revelations communicated through a variety of physical as well as intellectual methods. Mr. Willis's position procured him access to the first circles in Massachu- setts, whilst his wonderful phenomenal endowments and high moral character rendered him an attractive and honored visitor wherever he went. 174 HISTORY OF MODERN His exceedingly fragile health, melancholy and studious temperament, and certain religious scruples peculiar to his views and educational preju- dices, rendered him conscientiously slow to admit the possibility of spirit communion. When, at length, his reason and judgment were convinced, his natural re- serve and extreme sensitiveness disposed him to shrink Avith painful reticence from the incessant publicity which the curiosity of his friends drew upon him. A gentle and yielding disposition more than balanced his reserve, and at length forced him into constantly-widening circles, where his astonishing gifts of mediumship became the means of convincing hundreds of the best informed and most influential persons of the State. In the spring of 1857, and just as Mr. Willis was about to proceed to his " recitations," a lady sought admission to his chamber, announcing herself as Mrs. H , a person deeply interested in Spiritualism, and a member of a family with whom Mr. Willis had some acquaintance. Besides her plea of intimacy with mutual friends, and their common faith, Mrs. H. urged her desire to convert her son-in-law, Mr. Eustis, a well-known professor of Harvard College, and, as Mr. Willis was aware, an openly avowed sceptic and bitter opponent of the new spiritualistic movement. Mrs. H. stated that herself and many of her friends, sincerely interested in Spiritualism, were most anxious to secure the services of Mr. Willis at a seance with Professor Eustis, whose convictions, however obstinate, they were quite sure "must yield before the astounding proofs of spirit communion which Mr. Willis could afford." The lady pleaded her cause with almost irresistible logic. Mr. Willis's "high standing, and unimpeachable integrity, his entire disinterestedness and the utter absence of motive for imposture — all this combined with his con- vincing gifts of mediumship, were precisely the conditions required to affect such a mind as that of Professor Eustis." The importance of such an adlierent to their cause was also urged, and all the motives which could influence the earnest and devout mind of the young divinity student were put into force to second her arguments. Against all this, Mr. Willis had only two causes of objection to urge ; the first Avas an irresistible impression of aversion to the proposed circle, and the other, the prudence which his peculiar circumstances seemed to call for. Not only Mr. Eustis, but several other of the professors as well as the president him- self, were known to be inimical to Spiritualism, and Mr. Willis had already reason to fear that his too-ready compliance with the urgent demands that were made upon him for his services as a medium had been injurious to his standing in the college. But to all this, his importunate visitant answered that the present opportunity would be precisely the opening for universal conviction which the circumstances of the case demanded ; in fact, under the solemn promise that he [Mr. Willis] should receive " the most candid and courteous treatment" from all parties invited to meet him, he at length con- sented to hold a seance at Mrs. H.'s residence, on an evening appointed for the purpose. The circle consisted of the lady of the house. Professor Eustis, and some twelve or fourteen persons who were friends or connections of the family. The company sat, as usual, around a table from which a leaf in the centre had been withdrawn, leaving a space for the avowed purpose of permitting the spirits to hand up any articles that might be placed below. The room v/as brilliantly lighted, and the manifestations consisted of loud AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 1 75 raps, movements of the furniture, rocking the table, shaking the room, and beating a drum that had been placed beneath the table. Bells also were rung, and handed up through the open space in the table, and an accordion was played whilst held by one of Mr. Willis's hands only, the other being free and in sight of the whole party. It is proper also to remark that several of the tunes were played on the accordion in answer to mental requests of different members of the circle. When the hour of parting arrived, the whole of the company expressed themselves highly gratified, whilst Professor Eustis, with apparent sincerity, echoed their words. After this meeting Mr. Willis found his studies so seriously broken in upon and his health so much impaired by the practice of his mediumship, that he resolved to suspend his seances until the next vacation. Several weeks elapsed, when he was once more interrupted by a visit from Mrs. H. with an earnest request for another circle. On this occasion Mr. Willis urged his objections more strenuously than ever, and was met by still more irresistible importunities on the part of the lady. As before, her pertinacity overcame his intense dislike, and with the same emphatic promise of " most courteous and candid treatment," she fairly wor- ried the harassed student into compliance. The same party, including Professor Eustis, had assembled to meet Mr. Wihis, but just as they were about to take seats around the table, Mrs. H. stated that though of course they could not entertain the slightest suspicion of their guests, yet they had all previously agreed, on their own parts, each one to sit with their feet drawn back beneath their chairs; "Would Mr. Willis be so good as to comply with this aiTangement ?" Mr. Willis replied, with some surprise, that, as he had always sat with and for friends, the idea of imposing conditions upon him had never before been suggested; tha.t the manifestations were invariably of such a character as to preclude the pos- sibility of his interference ; nevertheless, if it was their wish, he Avould certainly comply with the requisition ; he only urged, with a smile, that he was then in such a restless and nervous condition of health that in all probability he might forget, and transgress the restriction, but added, still in half-jesting earnestness, that no manifestations had yet been given through him which the position of his feet could affect. Again the party grouped themselves around the table in a room brilliantly illuminated. The instruments, inclu- ding a small drum and two sticks, several bells, an accordion, a glassichord and its two sticks, were all arranged by the party, under the table, and IMr. Willis, though still entirely devoid of suspicion concerning their motives, observed that they placed them so far from him that, had he been disposed to touch them, it would have been quite impossible to have done so. The company arranged themselves, and their disposition brought Professor Eustis next to Mr. Willis. For nearly half an hour no manifestations occurred, nor will this surprise any investigator of spiritual phenomena, when they remember that Mr. Willis's extremely sensitive nature was sharpened to agonizing perception by excessive debility, and that he was placed next to one whom subsequent disclosures proved had come there remorselessly bent upon his detection and exposure as an impostor. Beyond the strange mental suffering which he endured, and which Mr. Willis himself describes as "unspeakable torture," no phenomena of any kind transpired, until the raps gave the signal for the alphabet, and directed that the position of the parties should be so altered as to bring Mr. Willis on ciae side of the table, a lady of the party next to him, and Professor Eustis at 176 HISTORY OF MODERN the end of the table, with only a lady intervening between himself and the medium. After this change had been effected, the manifestations proceeded with their usual force and freedom. Amongst other phenomena, let it be remembered that the glassichord and the drum were skilfully played upon with both sticks. On the latter, a certain point of war was executed with great precision and force, upon which one of the ladies present asked, with singular emphasis, whether it was not certain that hotJi sticks must have been tised to produce that effect ? The whole party seemed to agree in the affirmative, when Mr. Willis felt the accordion, which had been placed far out of the reach of even his ex- tended feet, pressing up against his leg. He intimated this fact to the party, and showed them that to enable the spirits to play the instnmient, it became necessary that he should hold it in one hand, with the keys downwards. This position he accordingly took, placing his left hand on the table fully in sight of the whole party. The accordion resting its whole weight on Mr. Willis's right hand fatigued him, and involuntarily he drew his foot from be- neath the chair, and extended his leg for the instrument to rest against. The action under any circumstances was a natural, even a necessary one, and was executed by Mr. Willis not only upon the customary impulse of such occasions, but also in utter forgetfulness of the charge he had received not to extend his feet. Free as he had ever been from all intention or necessity to practice impos- ture, the idea had never entered his head, hence the charge he had received entirely escaped his memory. "Under any restrictions," says Mr. Willis himself, "it is morally certain that, whether I could have kept the idea of its necessity in mind or not, I never could long have main- tained any condition of restraint. Nei-vous and restless as I always am, the possibility of continuing in any cramped position would be with me a physical impossibility. I could not even at this time undertake to say that I had not changed my position many times uncon- sciously and involuntarily, but under the natural impulse of supporting the accordion I in- evitably drew my foot forward. Had I remembered the restriction I should have called attention to my movement, but it had long since passed from my mind." Following on this change of position, let it be remembered that several tunes v/ere well played in answer to mental requests by the company, Mr. WilHs holding the instrument in one hand, with the other visible to all, re- posing on the table. During the perfomiance of the music Mr. Willis frequently reahzed a strange touch about his limbs. He had on several occasions been drawn under the table bodily by the spirits and rather roughly handled. Feeling nervously anxious lest such an unpleasant dilemma was now about to befal him, he moved once or twice in his chair, but at length he distinctly felt a foot placed beneath his leg, and raising it up, pinned it to the under side of the table. For a moment he fancied it was, as usual, the vagaries of the spirits who were operating upon him, but the next he was undeceived by Professor Eustis, who, rising from the table, proceeded in the most insulting and violent manner to denounce him as " an impostor," and the whole of the manifestations as the result of the most unmitigated fraud and deception. At first astonishment rendered Mr. Willis speechless, but when he had suf- ficiently recovered his composure, he mildly yet firmly expostulated with his accuser, attempted to explain the incident as above stated, and appealed to the nature of all the manifestations produced in evidence of the utter impos- sibiUty of his assumed complicity. Fie cited the skilful performances or AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 1 77 the dnims and glassichord, clearly requiring for their execution two sticks, whilst his hands were both on the table ; the tunes played on the accordion in answer to mental questions whilst one hand was in full view to every one : the obvious and simple explanation of his foot being raised in the endeavor to avoid the manifestations whereby Professor Eustis had been for some time annoying him : all this he calmly urged, and insisted that they proved the absurdity of any attempt to implicate him. The professor Avould not even hear him, and his intolerable violence in- creased in proportion to his victim's agitation. Feeling his strength rapidly failing, Mr. Willis pleaded that he should be allowed an opportunity of prov- ing the genuine character of his manifestations by holding another circle with Professor Eustis, in which he would cheerfully submit to any conditions that might be demanded. To this the professor only replied by scornfully refusing to " degrade him- self by any further intercourse with such an impostor." At this point the lady of the house interfered, and it being now fully under- stood that the whole circle and the preconcerted arrangements had been planned with her connivance as a trap for Mr. Willis, she insisted that it was due to herself that Mr. Willis should be allowed a fair opportunity of vin- dicating himself in a future sitting. As all the rest of the party joined in this requisition. Professor Eustis, with a veiy bad grace, yielded a reluctant assent, when it Avas determined that Mr. Willis should call at the professor's rooms the next day at four o'clock, the hour following the students' recitations, and there arrange to hold a circle with Professor Eustis, at such time and place, with such persons, and under such test conditions as should be agreed upon, Mr. Willis only claiming on his behalf that Professor Eustis should suspend his judgment and take no steps, either by word of mouth or pen, to reiterate the still unproved charges of the night until the investigations of the proposed circle should confirm or disprove them. To these teniis also the professor was urged by his friends to accede as being "simple justice" to one against whom none could fail to perceive an accusation, wholl}^ unsustained by the facts of the case, rested. When these hasty arrangements had been concluded the overstrung nerves of the suffering medium utterly failed him ; a constitutional tendency to syn- cope, induced by an affection of the heart, overcame him, and he remained unconscious and almost lifeless for a considerable time before he could be removed to a carriage and conveyed back to his lodgings. Fever, delirium, and the most alamiing s}anptoms, supervened. In this state he was found by his classmates in the morning, unable to quit his bed. He retained sufficient memory, however, to think of his appointment with Professor Eustis, and sent one of his fellow-students to report his con- dition, and assure the professor that he would wait upon him to carry out the proposed arrangement, at the very earliest period his health would permit. From this point congestion of the brain set in, and in a condition of fever, delirium, and intense suffering, Mr. Willis remained powerless and unable to quit his bed for a fortnight. W^ien at length he became convalescent, and appeared, still enfeebled and greatly broken in health, amongst his classmates again, he heard with equal astonishment and indignation that on the very pay succeeding the circle, though fully informed of the extremely dangerous condition of Mr. Willis's health. Professor Eustis had deliberately violated the terms of their parting agreement by spendmg the hour that should have been devoted to instructing his class in denouncing Mr. Willis as an impostor, and 12 178 HISTORY OF MODERN SO violent and unscrupulous had been the language used, that Mr. WilHs found himself the common talk and reprobation of die whole college, and the subject of the most injurious newspaper paragraphs. The full force of this dishonorable treatment, however, was not fully realized until the occasion of his next attendance upon recitation, when at the close of the exercises, he was requested by Professor Noyes to remain, and by him was informed that Professor Eustis had preferred against him charges of so grave a nature that it was deemed necessary the Faculty should consider them in an ofticial ex- amination. Mr. Willis replied that the injurious reports which Professor Eustis had circulated had led him to expect this, and in answer to the request of Professor Noyes that he would prepare himself to meet the Faculty, he expressed his entire willingness to do so " at once," when it was resolved that the investigation should take place on the following Friday, namely, March 27, 1857. On the morning of the appointed day, Mr. Willis received an informal note from Professor Noyes, to the effect that as Professor Eustis had asked the privilege of bringing a "friend" with him to the investigation, he, Mr. Willis, was at liberty to do the same. Nothing of the function or office which such "fi-iends" were to fill, was, however, suggested. In this dilemma, Mr. Willis, unable to procure the attendance of the parties he most desired, was advised to solicit the presence of the Rev. H. F. Har- rington, a request that was at once cheerfully acceded to by this gentleman, a Unitarian minister of high standing and most estimable character. On arriving at the appointed place, Mr. Willis — who had at first been in- formed by the president that his judges would only be the professors with whom he was acquainted ^recognized in Professor Eustis's "friend," a Dr. Morrell Wyman, notoriously known to Mr. Willis as an open and bitter antagonist of Spiritualism, and an intimate of one of his own relations, with whom Mr. Willis was unfortunately on very unfriendly terms. Besides these obvious predispositions against him, Mr. Willis was at no loss to perceive that Professor Eustis's "friend" had been wisely selected as exactly the non- professional counsel best qualified to dispose of a case wherein the defendant was a sick, debilitated, and almost friendless invalid. From the very opening of his case, Mr. Willis felt no hope or expectation of a successful issue. He loved and honored his professors before whom he stood, but the unaccountable bitterness which seemed to possess the mind of his accuser, and the vindictive spirit-in which his charge was made, almost determined him to utter no plea or enter into no contest with him. Still, the statements of Professor Eustis might have carried their own con- viction against himself before any tribunal that had not deemed it their duty or predilection to prejudge the case. Professor Eustis could not avoid mentioning the fact that several tunes were played in answer to mental requests ; that the drum and other instru- ments were manipulated with a skill and power that could only be accom- plished by a pair of hands at least, and that one of Mr. Willis's was always in sight during these performances ; furthermore, he admitted that Avhen the drum was executing a most vigorous tatoo, and the glassichord was beat by two sticks, with marvellous agility, that both Mr. Willis's hands were not only lying on the table in full view of the party, but that his whole body was in a state of unmoved repose, and not a muscle could be observed in motion. The professors looked puzzled, and once or twice shrewdly questioned how a l^air of feet could play such an instrument in such a manner at all, and still AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. 1 7 9 more, ho\v they could be in inconceivably violent motion below the table, whilst the rest of the body was in perfect passivity above it. " Did Professor Eustis notice the least movement of Mr. Willis's body at such times?" The professor could not say he did. " Granted that the accordion could be skilfully played upon by the feet and the rest of the body maintained in perfect repose — how could the said feet, or the said organism at all, play tunes called for by mental request of certain parties present ? " At this awkward juncture the real use of Dr. Wyman's presence became triumphantly manifest. Rudely breaking in upon the examination, he ex- claimed, " Ask Mr. Willis how all that was done ; he can tell you." Then turning to the defendant, he cried, in the same rough, authoritative strain, " Come, Mr. Willis, tell us how you did that trick ? " Mr. Willis mildly replied, "The Faculty have not yet called upon me for an answer; when they do, I will tell them all I know of the production of the manifestations." "But why not now?" reiterated the friend. "Are you afraid?" Again Mr. Willis replied, he deferred answering only to the Faculty. But the Fac- ulty were silent, and Dr. Wyman was permitted to continue his system of browbeating, until Mr. Harrington interfered, and insisted that Mr. Willis, sick and defenceless as he was, should not be subject to such uncalled-for insults. Whether the Harvard professors were suddenly moved by the spirit to a sense of their utter incapacity to judge of spiritual things, or the struggle be- tween their consciences and their prejudices was becoming unmanageable, it boots not now to inquire ; suffice it to say, the happy thought broke in upon them that they were not "the proper persons to decide upon such a case;" they believed they had "no power to pronounce upon it," etc., and having voted themselves into office as Mr. Willis's judges, they voted themselves out on the same authority, "concluded the case must be referred to a selected committee," and — adjourned sine die. Soon after this meeting, Mr. Willis received a summons to Avait upon the president of the college, who, in smooth and courteous phrase, reminded him of the "grave charges" that had been made against him, and that, under all the circumstances, he [the president] deemed it most expedient that Mr. Wil- lis should quietly retire from the college, after which in due course of time a select committee would be appointed to consider his case, when, "after a time, no doubt, all difficulties would be finally cleared away, and no doubt Mr. Willis might be at liberty to resume his studies as usual." To this specious proposition, Mr. Willis replied that the poorest criminal must be held innocent until his guilt could be proved ; that he, Mr. Willis, accused as he was, insisted upon maintaining all the privileges and immunities of innocence, until his guilt had been proved, or declared by a competent tri- bunal ; hence he declined to assume the position of guilt which his voluntary retirement would imply. The president was urgent, evidently desiring that the case should not oc- cupy an official place in the college records ; Mr. Willis, however, was fimi, and they parted on the understanding that Mr. Willis should reconsider the president's proposition, and communicate his decision in writing, wliich was done in the following letter. I So HISTORY OF MODERN "April 2., 1857. *' To the Rev. James Walker, D.D., President of the Faculty of the Ca7)ibridge DiviU' ity School: "Dear Sir, — I have given the proposition which you communicated to me on Tuesday as tlie decision of the Faculty in reference to the charges made against me by Professor Eustis, the most careful and mature consideration ; and I respectfully decline to initiate any action tending to establish my innocence, for such a course would be an utter subversion of all moral as well as legal propriety. "I stand before God and man upon my innocence, until my accusers shall have proved my guilt ; and I also respectfully decline to withdraw from the school pending the requisite investigation. I maintain there is nothing in the mere fact that such charges have been preferred, justly to prejudice my character or my position in the school. "It is the /;-(3<7/ of misconduct that should l^e allowed to affect me, and I feel that I may rightly claim as well as anticipate the countenance and support of the Faculty until I shall be tluis convicted of imposture. " I therefore take occasion to inform you that, at the earliest opportunity convenient with my health, I deem it my duty to rejoin my class. " I am respectfully yours, " F, L. H. Willis." To this letter Mr. Willis received the following reply : "Cambridge, April £,, 1S57. "Dear Sir, — By direction of the Faculty I communicate to you the record of the pro- ceedings in your case. "At a meeting of the Theological Faculty on Friday, March 27, 1857, a statement of facts alleged to have taken place at two exhibitions of what are called spiritual ?iianifesta- ticns was made by Professor Eustis, with the understanding that it involved the charge of deception and imix)sture against Mr. Frederick L. H. Willis, of the Divinity School. "Mr. Willis was heard in reply and denial of this charge. At an adjourned meetmg of the Theological Faculty, on Monday, March 30, the subject under consideration at the last meeting was taken up, none but members of the Faculty being present. After a long and serious deliberation, the Faculty came to the following conclusion : * ' First. That Mr. Willis had mcurred serious and grave charges coming from a respectable source which, unless he vindicates himself from them, will materially affect his character and usefulness. " Second. That the hearing of both parties at the last meeting did not amount to an in- vestigation of such a nature as would authorize this Faculty publicly to pronounce upon the truth or falsity of the charges in question. "Third. That this Faculty must decline the investigation required, on the ground that it would be an unsuitable tribunal for the settlement of the matter in dispute. "Fourth. That until the question is settled by a competent tribunal, it is proper that Mr. Willis's connection with the Divinity School be suspended. "Fifth. Whereupon, it was unanimously voted that the president be instructed to com- municate to Mr. Willis the above-mentioned results of the deliberation of the Faculty, with the understanding that Mr. Willis be allowed to withdraw from the school of his own ac- cord if he sees fit. "At a meeting of the Theological Faculty, on Friday, April 3, the president communi- cated a letter from Mr. Willis, from which it appeared that he declined to withdraw from the school as proposed : whereupon it was voted unanimously, that in cGiiformity \vith the conclusions arrived at by the Faculty at the last meeting, the connection of Mr. Willis with the Divinity School be suspended until further order of the Board. "By direction of the Faculty, " George R. Noyes, Secretary. "Mr. F. L. Willis," Let us not be deceived by high-sounding titles, nor even a popular inter- pretation of their meaning. "The Theological Faculty" of the Divinity School, Cambridge, meant a set of ministers of the gospel of love, charity, and truth — men who were specially qualified by their station and attainments not only to inculcate such principles but to teach and prepare others for their practice. AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM, l8l If meant the highest authority in the land for the enforcement of the divine love which forgives an erring brother seventy times seven times, justifies pub- licans and sinners, prays for forgiveness to murderers, and teaches men only to expect forgiveness of their trespasses as they forgive each other. To teach such doctrines was what the Cambridge Theological Faculty were supported and paid to do. Yet this was the body of men that branded a young, feeble, friendless man with a stain so infamous in the act of expulsion, that it was cal- culated to ruin his prospects iiTetrievably in this world, and perhaps, by the infliction of such a penalty, to drive him into acts of criminality equally fatal to his hopes in the hereafter ; and all for what ? By their own resolutions, quoted above, they declare themselves incompe- tent as well as unaiLtJiorized to pronounce any judgment against Mr. Willis; hence they inflicted their remorseless penalty against one on whom, by their own acknowledgment, no verdict of guilt had been found, and in addition to this, every member of that Faculty must have known that the crime alleged by Professor Eustis was an impossible one. No reiteration of the evidence is necessary to justify this assertion, the charge, as made under the circum- stances, involving simply a set of impossible actions. Thus, on the ground of mere suspicion, the apostolic divines of Cambridge University determined to brand a helpless and unoffending being confided to their care with the doom which almighty justice inflicted upon the first murderer, for it is not too much to say that, in the present state of society, expulsion from such a scene under such peculiar circumstances and notorious publicity, was equivalent to send- ing Air. Willis forth to the world as '■'■an outcast and a vagabond^ As Mr. Willis's subsequent career will be found more fully detailed in the biographical notices of our forthcoming volume, it is only necessary to add that his career has not suffered by the tyranny of his ecclesiastical persecutors ; on the contrary, that its monstrous injustice produced a reaction in the commu- nity which procured for its victim warm and powerful friends, through Avhose influence, combined with that of the ever-faithful invisible hosts who had their medium in charge, he has been conducted along a pathway of honorable use- fullness, every step of which has been an advance in public opinion and pri- vate estimation, whilst the immediate consequence of Harvard intolerance and bigotry to the cause of Spiritualism was the publication of floods of evi- dence in favor of the truth of the phenomena. Our space will only allow us to present three extracts, all of which are pertinent to this case. The first is from the Boston Traveller and contains the protest of the distinguished cler- gyman who accompanied Mr. Willis to the sham trial of the Cambridge Fac- ulty, and when it is remembered that the Rev. H. F. Hanington was no Spiritualist, and not even on terms of personal intimacy with Mr. Willis, his testimony becomes the more important. "PROTEST OF REV. INIR. HARRINGTON. " To the Reverend Factdty of the Divinity School of Harvard College: " Gentlemen, — As counsel of Mr. F. L. H. Willis, and in his behalf, I respectfully submit the following in reference to the inquiry before you on Friday evening last. "I earnestly protest against the use of the 'inquiry' as a basis of judgment upon Mr. Willis in any manner and to any extent whatever, for the following reasons : " First, It was vitiated throughout by a course of procedure on the part of the accuser and his counsel, eminently partial and usjust. Instead of confining themselves to their proof of the allegations they had made, they shifted the burden upon Mr. Willis's shoulders to substantiate his own innocence. They sharply and perseveringly cross-questioned him, as though he were a witness instead of the accused party, and evidently endeavored to entrap LLai in his speech. They made many virtual and some positive charges against his hon- l82 HISTORY OF MODERN esty of procedLire, in connections as to which they had offered no shadow of proof. They brought forward suppositions of possible trickery equally disconnected from any proofs, and boldly assiTmed these possibilities to be conclusive of fraud. In fine, they took for granted, from beginning to end, the very point in question, to the utter overthrow of the whole inquiry as a fair and reliable ground for judgment. I most pointedly and emphatically exonerate the Faculty from the slightest intentional bias or partiality. But I submit that the position of j\lr. Willis was one demanding the most serious consideration ; that his character, hitherto unim- peached, should have proved hisshieldagainst unsupported imputations; and that the bearing of the investigation on his prospects and his peace, should have secured a restriction of the line of inquiry, and arguments to the points expressly at issue, as defined by the existence of posi- tive testimony. It may be suggested that it was in the power of Mr. Willis to object to the course of procedure at any moment, and that, as he did not avail himself of his oppor- tunity to do so, he cannot now, with propriety, review the proceedings. To this I reply, that under the informal circumstances attending the inquiry — taking also into view the strong bias of the accuser and his counsel — it would have exposed Mr. Willis to severe misapprehension if he had endeavored to narrow down the investigation by insisting on his legal rights. It was emphatically the part of the Faculty to have protected him, had they appreciated the singular one-sidedness of the whole procedure. "In the second place, I protest against the use of the inquiry of Friday evening as a basis of judgment upon Mr. Willis, because the sole testimony offered on that occasion was that of the accuser, and I impeach that testimony as unworthy of confidence in the premises, on the following grounds : " First, It maybe proved that Professor Eustis has long been noted for an intense and im- placable prejudice against the whole subject of Spiritualism, so called ; that he has often denounced its alleged phenomena to be deceptions, and its mediums to be impostors, and therefore was utterly precluded from that candor and impartiality of mind which would enable him to investigate, without fatal bias, the modus operandi of Mr. Willis on tire occasions when the deceptions he charges upon him are alleged to have been practiced. " Second, It may be proved that in the interval between the time of filing his accusations against Mr. Willis with the Faculty, and the period appointed for a hearing thereupon, Professor Eustis occupied the season of one of his regular lectures before the Scientific School with the subject-matter of the said accusation ; that he exultingly declared his pre- conceived opinions to have been triumphantly vindicated, and that he openly and passion- ately branded Mr. Willis, by name, as a deceiver and a cheat. "And I insist that a person who could thus violate the proprieties of his position, as the preferrer of charges yet unproved and uninvestigated, and use the opportunities and influ- ence of his office to pre-occupy public opinion and forestall your decision, has evinced an animosity against the person of Mr. Willis, sufficient to fatally color whatever evidence he might have to offer you. "At the best, it would be only the assertion of a single person, against which, until it should be corroborated by other evidence, the explanation of Mr. Willis constitutes a complete legal offset. And in view of this extreme bias of feelmg it is entirely unworthy to be taken into account. " I do therefore solemnly and earnestly protest against the acceptance of Mr. Eustis's testimony, unless corroborated, and against the use of the inquiry of Friday evening last as the basis of a judgment upon Mr. Willis. AU which is respectfully submitted. "(Signed) Henry F. Harrington." The tone of some of the most respectable portions of the press may be gathered from the following brief extract from the Boston Traveller. The article is selected chief!)' on accomit of the prominent position which that journal occupies in the periodical literature of Massachusetts. "The personal controversy between Professor Eustis and Mr. Willis is of little moment. We have formed no opinion of Mr. Willis's guilt or innocence. Our position, so far as he is concerned, is merely that the charge against him is not sustained by the evidence. On the general question of what is called ' Spiritualism,' we have been led by observation of our own, and by the testimony of others, to the belief that the phenomena called spiritual- istic do really occur. We believe that tables and other articles have been moved, and musical instruments played upon, without the agency of any ordinary physical force. We are satisfied that these phenomena have occurred not merely in the dark, but in open day- light, under the eyes of accurate and trustworthy observers, who had no pecuniary or other interest in their production. They have occurred not once or twice, nor twenty times, but AMERICAN SPIRITUALISM. \2>2, in hundreds of thousands of instances, stretching through a series of years, and in the pres- ence, not of professed and mercenary mediums, but in the bosom of respectable households in all parts of the country. They are attested by hundreds of thousands of witnesses, in- cluding many persons of the highest character and intelligence, some of whom are themselves 'mediums,' and cannot therefore be the mere dupes of skilful jugglery. In numerous well- authenticated instances the phenomena have occurred under such circumstances that decep- tion or delusion was utterly impossible. "No satisfactory or conclusive explanation of these phenomena has ever been given. The various theories which have been propounded of 'odic force,' 'new powers m nature,' and the like, are mere conjectures, none of which have borne examination. Our neighbors of the Courier, and some of the gentlemen of the University at Cambridge, solve the problem by attributing the manifestations to trickery and juggling. We are certain that this position is entirely untenable, and that to millions of people in this country, it will only render those who hold it objects of contempt and derision. It has been to us, and still is, a cause of regret that gentlemen, in whose reputation for knowledge and sagacity the com- munity has so deep an interest, should have compromised themselves by rashly, without due investigation, taking a position from which they must assuredly, at no distant period, igno- miniously retreat." In the circles of the theological literati, no independent clergjTuan has taken a higher rank than the Rev. Thomas Wentworth Higginson. As a scholar, writer, and orator, this gentleman has long maintained the respect and adrahation of the best intellects in New England. It is with pecuHar pleasiire, then, that we find that the insensate bigotry of the Harvard profes- sors at last attracted the attention of Mr. Higginson and induced him to investigate the subject, and finally to come out of the inquiry in the spirit of the annexed communication, the last which we can select from hundreds of similar statements, to the genuine character of Mr. Willis's mediumship. The extact is taken from one of the Hartford papers, and is as follows : — "PHENOMENA IN THE PRESENCE OF MR. WILLIS. •* The case of Mr. Willis, the ' suspended' divinity student of Har\-ard College, is, as we anticipated, attracting much attention in various cjuarters. We learn from the Worcester Spy that the Rev. T. W. Higginson, an independent clergjinan of that city, referred to it in his pulpit a Sunday or two since, in connection with a lecture on Spiritualism, and com- mented, in appropriate terms, on the hasty inferences of Professor Eustis, and the unjust action of the Faculty in the case. We shall probably be able next week to lay before our readers the particulars of this action, when they may look for something for which it would be difficult to find a precedent among the doings of sane men. Rev. Mr. Higginson has also published in the Spy, the following affidavit of his o-wn observations in the presence of Mr. Willis: " 'A STATEMENT OF FACTS. " ' To WHOM IT JIAY CONCERN, — The public attention has recently been attracted by the alleged powers, as a 'medium,' of Mr. F. L. H. Willis, of Cambridge, and by the singular proceedings connected with his 'suspension' from the Divinity School of Harvard Univer- sity. In justice to Mr. \Villi3, and to an extraordinary class of yet unexplained scientific facts, I wish to state some phenomena, observed by me during two evenings spent with him at a private residence in this city. There were from nine to twelve present, all, ex- cept Mr. Willis, being citizens of this place, including one of our most experienced physi- cians. Dr. Heywood of Worcester, INIassachusetts. We sat around a long dining-table. The room was not brilliantly but sufficiently lighted, so that every movement of every per- son could be distmctly watched; and I, at least, watched them very closely. " ' I shall omit the details of the phenomena, and give only the general heads : "'First, The musical instruments which had been previously placed by the company beneath the table — a guitar, a small drum, an accordion, and two bells — were moved about from place to place, lifted and knocked against the under side of the table, and re- peatedly and loudly played upon. Two were several tim.es played in unison, at opposite ends of the table and entirely beyond the reach of the medium. During this proceeding, the whole table was several times raised, and one slab of it — being an extension table ^ was lifted altogether from its support, and vibrated in the air without contact of hands. 1 84 HISTORY OF MODERN " ' Second, The accordion was raised into Mr. Willis's lap, and being held by him, with one hand, between his knees, was played very skilfully, and executed a variety of tunes selected by us, and evem in answer to the mental requests of some of the company. Excel- lent imitations of the oboe, violoncello, and double-bass were also given. It is well known that the accordion requires, in playing, the use of two hands. '"Third, Upon our extinguishing the lamp, for the sake of experiment, faint lights appeared upon the table near Mr. Willis, two or three at a time, moving about like glow- worms, which they resembled. Other lights flickered in the air with a more rapid motion, like fire-flies. Upon my obtaining and opening a phial of phosphorus the lights increased in intensity, gradually diminishing, when I re-corked it, to their original amount. Everybody in the room perceived them distinctly. "'Fonrth, The room being still dark, the accordion M'as held on the table by Mr. Willis, and as it played in the manner before described, faint lights flickered around the keys of the instrument. During the darkness, all the phenomena were more intense, but it seemed very disagreeable to the neiwes of Mr. Willis, and he begged to have the lamps restored. "'Fifth, The room being again lighted, I proceeded to try some closer experiments. Taking the accordion in my owm hand, between my knees, and guarding with my feet against the possibility of contact, I found, to my surprise, that the other end was seized by an invisible force, and the different keys audibly handled, producing, at last, musical sounds, but quite imperfectly. Before long, however, it was pulled away from me with very great force, and dropped on the floor. Others afterwards took the instrument, but i