^d^ :<^ .0" ^'^i m ^-f' MV^^^l .'«'*^ ^, V >^. :J: o ^ O5 . ^^-O. ^^ .0^ >-5 vn. >A. i^^^ % 4 o ^oV '^ ^1?<^^| 'o Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from The Library of Congress ■4 http://www.archive.org/details/discussionoffactOObrit l< ^0 BRITTAN AND RICHMOND'S DISCUSSION OF THE SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATIONS. Mr. Editor, Dear Sir — In forwarding this copy of Brittan and Richmond's Discussion to your address, we beg leave to offer the following suggestion : This is the only volume extant in which the facts and arguments for and against Spiritual- ism are presented by accredited advocates. For this reason, if for no other j we trust it will be carefully read and gene- rally noticed by the Press. 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 books, should we learn from this experiment that you are disposed to treat them fairly. THE PUBLISHERS. New York, Aug. 25th, 1853. Partridge and Brittan's Spiritual Library, DISCUSSION THE FACTS AND PHILOSOPHY AICIENT AID MODERN SPIRITUALISM. S. B BRITTAN. AND DR. B. W. RICHMOND. Wkosoerer is afraid of submitting any question, civil or religious, to the test of free Discussion, is more in love ■viith. his o'svn opinion than with Truth. — Bishop Watson. 'x,'rj <>l^^\"ip ' '.vt, ^ If •* ' ^¥* NEW YORK : PARTRIDGE & BRITTAN, PUBLISHERS. 3 BROADWAY". 185 3. V') fy Emteeed, according to act of Congress, in the year One Thousand Eight Hundred and Fifty-three, by FAETEIDG E & EEITTAN, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, for the Southern District of New York. DEDICATION. To Chaeles Pakteidge, Esq. : My Dearr Sio' — ^Permit me to acknowledge, in the man- ner of my choice, that in every circumstance of trial, I have found you willing and ready to battle for an honest conviction, in an undisguised and magnanimous spirit, and at your own cost. It is for this, especially, that I desire, on the present occasion, to testify my respect for your character. I am happy that wealth has neither corrupted the integrity of your natui-e, allured you to a Kfe of useless indolence, nor diminished your sympathy for the wayward and the destitute ; but that, on the contrary, it has prompted you to go out into the dusty highways of life, and the great thoroughfares of the world, to vindicate the Truth, and to reheve the poor. Therefore do I regard you as a consistent friend of Human Progress ; and I beg leave to dedicate my humble labors in the following Discussion, in a special manner, to yourself. With assurances of personal friendship and esteem, I am,. Yom^ truly, S. B. BKITTAN. New York, AK^g. 1st, 1853. TO THE PtEADER. About the first of June, 1852, I received a friendly note from Dr. B. TV". Eichniond, of Jefferson, Ohio, requesting me to em- body the facts and reasons in support of the alleged Spiritual origin of the Manifestations, which he proposed to accomjjany with a critical review and numerous facts and observations of his own, and expressing a desire that the whole might be published in a volume of several hundred pages. Dr, Richmond's letters in the Tribune had previously attracted very general attention, and he was regarded, at that time, as the most formidable op- ponent to the Spiritual theory in this country. Indeed, the editor of the Trilmne had expressed the opinion that he was the ablest man which the Spiritual phenomena had called into the field ; and it was manifest to all, that he had at least the candor to ac- knowledge the facts, if he had not the ability to explain them, on his favorite hypothesiSo All other opposing theories seemed childish or absurd, while the one suggested by my correspondent certainly demanded the most serious consideration. I had no wish to shun the proposed ordeal ; but having to perform, in ad- dition to numerous other .duties, the entire editorial labor of a weekly paper and a monthly magazine, I was quite too much occupied to accept the proposition of Dr. Richmond, which, for these reasons, was respectfully declined. But the private cor- respondence thus commenced was continued, and finally resulted in a mutual agreement respecting the terms and conditions for a public written discussion of the facts and philosophy of the TO THE READER. Spiritual mysteries. It was deemed expedient to give the ques- tion two forms, so that each party might in turn occupy both the affirmative and the negative. Accordingly the following prop- ositions were proposed and accepted, as comprehending, in gen- eral terms, the subject to be discussed: 1. Can the mystericas phenomena, now occurring in various parts of the United States and elsewhere, and known as the Spiritual Manifestations, be properly accounted for, without admitting the agency of Spirits m their pro- duction? 2. Do those who have departed this life still continue to hold intercourse with those who yet remain on the earth ? Each of the foregoing propositions formed the subject of twelve affirmative letters, with an equal number in the negative, making in all forty-eight letters. This volume contains the entire cor- respondence, as originally published in the Spirituai, Telegraph, and doubtless presents a larger number of facts and reasons, in illustration of ancient and modern Spiritualism, than any book yet published. Further than this it would not become the pres- ent writer to express an opinion of its merits. As the work presents both sides of the question, which is now engaging the attention of the civilized world, it is confidently expected that it will find numerous readers, and especially that those who oppose the Spiritual idea, and desire to be fortified at all points, will make themselves familiar with the numerous facts which Dr. Richmond has furnished in this volume. The reader must bear in mind, while perusing the f/rst series of letters, that my correspondent has the affirmative, and that our relations to the question were such, that it was in order for him to prove the position assumed, while it was proper for me to confine myself strictly to an analysis of his facts, and a rep- lication to such observations as seemed pertinent to the question. The facts and arguments, in illustration of the Spiritual theory TO THE READER. were therefore reserved until tlie commencement of tlie discus- sion of the second proposition, AThen alone thej could be in- troduced in an orderly manner. Among the numerous facts cited in the following correspond- ence, to illustrate the Spiritual origin of the Manifestations, I learn that two examples, recorded in the eighth letter of my second series, have been called in question. The cases are those in which the name of J. H. TVhiting occurs. An anonymous informant of one of the Milwaulde papers has disputed some of the essential features of the statement there given, and which was made on the authority of Mr, Whiting himself. There are substantial reasons for regarding Mr. W. as a man of strict ve- racity ; but I deem it possible that he may have been misin- formed, in the particulars wherein he is disputed, though the unwillingness of the party in MilwauMe to openly assume the responsibility of his own statement may not seem to favor such a conclusion. But facts of a similar character are now multi- plying so rapidly, that the esamples referred to can very well be spared, if it shall finally appear that they are essentially untrue. "With these brief remarks, the whole is respectfully submitted to the verdict of the Public. For niyself, I ask no indulgence for the errors of this book, and anticipate no applause for the truth it may be found to contain. !N"othing is claimed, at least on my part, but an honest desire to promote the truth, and to quicken the aspirations of men after communion with the Divine. If what is here written shall subserve this purpose, even in the humblest manner, I shall be satisfied. S. B. BEITTAN. New York, Aug. itJi, 1853. RICHMOND AND BRITTAN^S DISCUSSION. SPIRIT-IMITATIONS. LETTER I. S. B. Brittan : Dear Sir : Having been repeatedly solicited to give my views of the " Spii'itual Manifestations," and the columns of the Telegraph having been liberally offered me for that purpose, I mil furnish two columns, or more, weekly, for tbe perusal of your readers. I attacb much, more importance to the " Manifestations " than most persons who oppose them ; and am fully persuaded in my own mind, tbat, if the various phases of the magnetic condition, into which the human mind, and body, may be thrown, were fully studied, and com- prehended, that all, or nearly all, that now appears mysteiy and wonder, would be dissipated ; and the public would go calmly to work to study this wonder, and try to c-omprehend more of the mysteriousness of our own natui'e. I regard it as the natural fruit of an abnormal magnetic state ; and the public, not knowing how to explain it, the first "rap- pings " were attributed to the " spirits," and the idea having been set afloat, it has been adopted ; and every person who has heretofore ob- served, or now witnesses, any of its multiplied singularities, does so under an impression, more or less distinct, that it is the work of departed spirits ; and, as soon as any thing is observed that is a little singular, the mind not succeeding in its attempts to unravel it, readily concludes that it must be " spirits." This, say most persons, is the easiest way of accounting for it, and your theory is so complex, that I can not stop to make myself acquainted with it. Suppose that reply to have been made to G-allUeo, when he put forth his theory of planetary motion — it would have rested with far more force against his system, than it can against the explanation I offer against the Spirit theory. Much is known, by the liberal-minded, in this country and in Em-ope, of the cu- rious phenomena often seen, connected with this abnormal magnetic state ; whUe nothing was known on the subject which he attempted to explain to the world. To the common mind, it was plain and easy 4 A DISCUSSION. that the Earth was flat, and rested on something — on the back of Atlas, and he stood on a tortoise, and the tortoise, again, on something, of course— ht must stand on something — and the fact that no body could tell what, was not permitted to stumble any one, on the theory that the Earth was flat and rested on a foundation. Motion, space, attraction, and repulsion, were not understood, and the Philosopher came near losing his life, and did lose his liberty of person, and character for intel- ligence. When the world is as fully instructed in certain principles connected with our existence, as it is in the laws of the physical uni- verse, the " rappings," I think, will cease to be a wonder. The whole subject has been studied on the theory that it was " spirits," and but few persons have allowed themselves to ask the questions, ' Can these phenomena be explained on any other principle } Are they wholly caused hj forces., acting in our own bodies, hitherto not understood ? or are they the work of spirits of departed friends, returning to our sphere — ^to renew their acquaintance, and to quicken our souls into a higher longing after immortality and a future } Or, is it the work partly of spirits, and partly caused by our magnetic state, which enables them to approach us .?' I do not expect to convert any believer in its spiritual origin, to my notions ; their minds are made v/£ — the fact is clear to them — and their minds are unbalanced for investigation. And the opposers are in a similar mood : their minds are made up — they know it to be a '■'■ hiombug," and need no light to make the fact clearer. Of both parties I ask a candid hearing ; suspend, if possible, your pre- conceptions, and listen, and weigh what of fact I may give you. A friend, writing me on the subject, says my theory is as " marvelous as the Atheist's theory of creation, added to the Mosaic " ; but still urges me to give my views to the public. I have waited to see if my first effort impressed any one, as affording any rational clue to the cause of this marvel ; and, beyond one, I have not met a single person who can see any thing in what I wrote. And so I say to jonv readers, don't suppose that I have the vanity to believe, that I am going to upset the drift of feeling in favor of the cry of " spirits " that everywhere pre- vails. The press, generally, has scouted it as a cheat ; its friends have Mieved, readily, all that has been claimed for it ; and I know too well the perverse tendency in the human mind to be very sanguine, ^nt the facts the public are entitled to, and whatever judgment maybe ren- dered, I shall be prepared for it. Your faith has urged you to defend by reason, what you believed to be a truth, and in this I am cheered — there is hope of the mind that will reason ; but ignorance, and power, RICHilOXD AND BRITTAN. O prefer to coerce the belief of tlie human mind. I regard this phenom- enon of much importance ; it is taking deep hold of many miads, and the waves already in motion, will widen and spread, till the thing takes a definite shape, in the form of a religious organization. I mention as an axiom to be borne in mind, that the success of an idea in the world does not depend on its truthfulness ; truth does not always preyail ; the mysteriousness of any statement gives it far greater power than truth- fulness, especially when it pertains to the realms of helief. The causes which put in motion the " rappings," may operate for a century, on the human organization — and let not the public suppose we are done with them. With these preliminary remarks, let us commence our examiuation of facts, by attending first to the " Spii-it imitations." A marked exam- ple of this is found in your ''/ac simile'''' of the Declaration of Inde- pendence," written by the sphits. The first copy was made, during the sitting of a circle, through the hand of a medium ; the spuits not liking this, told hiin to burn the first copy, and place another paper where they could complete the document during the night. Parchment was placed on the table, in the sleeping-room of the medium, and in the morning the parchment was covered over with what can not be denied as being very good imitations of the hand-writing of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. The whole documient is highly marked by a nervous tremor^ and is as clearly the work of a single hand, as any document ever written. The hand of John Hancock is very near the original size ; but the hand trembled — and it will be remem- bered in the old Declaration the hand was smooth and lold. The only name on the Spirit Declaration wi'itten without trembling is Stephen Hopkins ; in this name the hand isfir/n, and in the original the hand •w&s pa7-ali/iic— so much so that it was a striking name on the old scroll. The account in the Telegraph leaves the reader to suppose, that the Declaration on parchment written dm'ing the night was wi'itten by the hand of the spirits, in person, without the intervention of the hand of the medium. This is the impression left on the mind of the public everywhere. If each spirit wrote his or her name there, without a me- dium, then are we to conclude that spirits, generally, in the next sphere, are troubled with palsy — ^for almost every name on the scroll shows a palsied hand, with the exception of the name before mentioned ; and Hopkins died with paralysis, or had it while writing his name to the old Declaration. He, it appears, has recovered his steady nerves, whUe the whole meeting of spirits that signed that paper, are now able to write A DISCUSSION. only with a trembling hand. During the winter, John Q. Adams^who died of palsy, and wrote a paralytic hand for years before his death — in communicating with his friends in this place, not only wrote, but signed his name, in a pai-alytic hand. When asked if he could not write a,Jir?)i hand, he replied that he could not yet control the hand of the medium ; and, on further questioning, he afl&rmed that he had not yet recovered from his paralytic state, and was obliged to write as he did at his death. When the propriety of believing such a statement was brought up, he affirmed that he was imitating his old hand, and that it was so '•'• painful " for him to control the medium, so as to ma.ke him write in the hand he used to write, that when besought to write, he, in kindness quite characteristic^ said to his friends, " Please don't ask me to write — it is very painful." Those who believe in a spirit-future may believe, if they choose, that the spirits are paralytic — from ten to fifty years after entering that state — I do not choose to admit such a statement That spirits, who approach mediums so as to move articles of furniture of great heft, can not control a pen so as to write a firm hand, is preposterous — whether they write with or without a medium. The spirits who wrote the Dec- laration either were all paralytic, or they could not control the medi- um's hand so as to make a steady mark. We ask you to state candidly to the public, whether the niediibni wrote the declaration by the aid of the spirits ; or, whether the spirits wrote it without azV/, while he was locked in the arms of balmy sleep. If the medium wrote the names on the parchment, then the nervoiis tremhling of the hand may be explained ; for most mediums who i??ii- tate handwritings with any accuracy, are very nervous, and are the most impressible class of mediums ; but, if we are to fall back on the impression left on the public mind, that the spirits did not use the hand of the medium — you wiU find it difiicult, I think, to convince sane men, that spirits wrote that parchment without the aid of a human hand ; — as in that case, you will at once be obliged to admit, that they all had a subsultus tendinum — (twitching of the nerves.) In discussing this point, I shall assume that it is all the work of the medium, conscious or unconscious — I care not which — spirits had nothing to do with it, and the whole is the result of the imitative mechanic power of the me- dium, brought out by the abnormal magnetic state, which exists while he is wilting. I will now attempt to prove, that such powers do exist, and that persons in this state, do imitate, both handwriting, style of speaking. RICHMOND AND BRITTAN. 7 and gestui'ing — and in numerous cases have been known to execute meclianical and artistic feats, of wliich they were wholly incapable in the normal state. A medium of my acquaintance, who was seized with a desu-e to " do good," and was perplexed about the means of support- ing his family, while he should go forth into the field to reap the har- vest that seemed already ripe for the sickle, says, the spu'it of Sweden- borg informed him that he should be provided for, and enabled to do the will of the Lord. By interior impression, the old philosopher and theologian taught the medium the construction of a " shingle ma- chine ;" the model of which was duly executed by the medium, and I am informed has been sold by him for a good farm, on to which he has moved his family. I have never seen the machine and can say nothing of its value, only that it must be a very convincing '' physical demon- stration" to the medium. The inventor has never been noted for me- chanical powers— and his head indicates anything but a mechanical genius — in fact, his life has been a tissue of intellecPual and moral illu- sions and fancies ; and in some respects he has a superior mental or- ganization. The idea, that Swedenborg has been busy in cramming into this gentleman's head a " shingle machine " for his especial be- hoof and benefit, is too ludicrous to be mentioned ; but that his excited mental state enabled him to comprehend mechanics, so as to construct what he desired, is to my mind, a settled fact.* Some years since, a poor man in Western New-York, became much excited on the subject of his poverty, and took to reading the Bible, and stumbled across the 10th chapter of Ezekiel, in which the prophet, while in a vision by the river Chebar, saw a strange machine, described as having a " wheel in a wheel." This arrested the old man's atten- tion, and prefigured to him, that Grod was about to bring forth this " machine," seen by Ezekiel, in a tangible form, for the benefit of the race. He had secluded himself for months in an old ashery near a swamp, where he was at work day and night, he was in cheerful mood, and appeared unusually hopeful. One night he called on me and wished to communicate something important, we retired to the barn, he ap- peared strange, and his eyes were luminous in expression, and he spoke in a low tone. He told me the earth was about to be revolutionized ; that he had twice fallen into a trance, his " knees smote," and his *' strength left him and he fell to the earth " — that he saw among the clouds, wheels and bars, and pins, and gearing to a vast amount ; the use of which he did not know till his second vision. But, said he, with emphasis, " I am rich, the waste places of the earth shall be re- * See Appendix, Note A. b A DISCUSSION. built ; water can be carried to the deserts and tbe mountaiu tops. * the earth shall blossom like the rose,' this ' machine ' is one of the 'trumpets' to be sounded in the earth. To-morro-w yoih can see it alone, you are chosen first." Flattered with this mark of confidence from the celestials, I repau-ed to the " old ashery," and found it filled with wheels, and traps, and cranks, strung together with great adroit- ness. A huge flume was overhead, a set of double chain-pumps were set in a pool of water beneath, with a large wheel geared in a crude way, with everything in the building. The water was to be carried up by the pumps into the flume and let on to the wheel below, and the wheel carried the pumps, and the water being discharged into the pool beneath, was used over and over. I thought I comprehended the prin- ciple of this spiritual machinery at a glance, and informed him that the power of his wheel was just balanced by his pumps, and he had the friction against him, and as soon as his water run out, his machine would stop. He cast a clever glance at me, as much as to say ; " do you know better than (xod," and suiting the action to the look, he jerked the lever that controlled the gate, and such an unearthly set of combinations and motions, were never before seen by mortal eyes. It moved till his flume was empty — the pumps failing to carry water enough to make it go, and suddenly stopped. I again pressed the point of defect ; but he insisted that he had " received poiver to evade it,'' and that he could add power ad infinihim, that he could move the uni- verse with it. He next let in his neighbors, and the whole region round about became excited about the machine that had been " revealed" to Mr. C. He finally sent to Washington for a patent, and was ofi'ered for his discovery six thousand dollars, he did not accept it ; the ferment died away, and the failure fell with such power on the old man that he suddenly died. He was void of mechanic powers to a degree seldom seen ; had never been known to construct a wheel or anything else that required mechanic abilities, and the solution of his discovery is to be found in his abnormal magnetic state ; he was no doubt clairvoyant, and his mind being directed to this point, resulted as has been related. All his friends noticed that his eye had a penetrating look, and he was sub- ject to fits of moodiness. A clergyman tells me of an acquaintance of his who got to studying on a perpetual motion and finally discovered one, and the last difficulty was overcome by a " spiritual endowment ;" the machine would not go for want of a balance-wheel. He prayed, and fasted, and studied, and at last a " ^oz%^ of light " rested on the dia- gram which he held in his hand, and the spirit said to him, that there RICHMOND AXD BRITTAN. 9 was the pointy for the wheel that would give motion to his great dis- covery. This man was a respectable physician, and a shrewd Yankee, and had spent a year or more in perfecting his diagrams and models. It is needless to say, that he was in an abnormal state, which gave Tin- usual activity to his constructive powers. He was simply cliscom- f%ddltd. A marked instance of the increase of this imitative poicer of persons in the magnetic condition, is found in the Seeress of Prevorst. In one of her magnetic moods she informed Dr. Kerner that she would make out a diagram of spheres. The " Sun sphere " as she called it, is very complex — ^but " she spun out the complicated web with unerring pre- cision," and a pair of compasses given her to facilitate her labor, only embarrassed her. It is made up of chcles within circles, and sections, and points, amounting to thousands, related and connected, and yet the " whole was executed," says Dr. Kerner, in an "incredibly short space of time." An engraving was made of this sphere, and a year after, she was shown the engraving, and said it was not correct, a point on one of the lines was wanting. On referring to the original, they found she was right. This diagram contained many cui'ious things, and in some parts related to the highest departments of mathematics. This faculty she only possessed in her magnetic state, being wholly incompe- tent to the task when not clairvoyant. No living artist can execute that diagram with a pen, with a fac-simile before him, with the rapidity with which that ignorant, unlettered child of natm-e, did it.* I have in many cases witnessed this imitative power of mediums with the pen, dash- ing off figiu-es and images with a rashness and rapidity inconceivable. For me to affirm that the "Sphit declaration" is the work of a mag- netic person, in the state above described, and that the imitation of hands, so apparent in the scroll, is no way connected with " sphit " in- fluence, is to affirm but little for this magnetic state. Jeffersoxv, July 25, 1852. B. W. RICHMOND. * See Appendix, Ifote B. REPLY TO DR. RICHMOND. LETTER I. Dear Sir. — In the discussion of the question before ns, I deem it im- portant to devote our time and attention to such phenomena, only, as the rational believers in Spirituahsm are accustomed to adduce in support of their theory. Facts that are not claimed by intelligent, discriminat- ing and well balanced minds, as illustrative of the intercommunication between the Physical and Spiritual Worlds, should be disregarded as sustaining at most but a remote and doubtftd relation to the subject. I must be allowed to remark, that a strict application of this rule would prompt the rejection of a large part of your first letter on account of its irrelevancy. I desire to confine myself to the propositions mutually ac- cepted as the basis of this correspondence, and I am unwilling to proceed with that timid circumspection which holds itself at a great dis- tance from the theme it proposes to discuss. On the contrary, I wish to establish and preserve the most intimate relations with the question, and trust you will not deem me uncourteous if I leave the current of your observations where they diverge from the subject. Two or three remarks in your introduction require a passing notice. You assume that the Manifestations as exhibited in the Rappings and Writings, are properly referable to an " abnormal magnetic state " of the medium. Accordingly, it devolves on you to define the pecioliar ab- normal condition on which you presume such phenomena to depend. Moreover, you are further bound to show the relation which the ac- knowledged facts sustain to their alleged causes. Until this is done I have nothing but the naked assumption before me, and may therefore spare myself the labor of an argument. Again, I think it must be obvious to every careful observer that the whole history of the spiritual movement affords little or nothing to war- rant the following statements, which I find in your introduction : " Every person "who has heretofore observed, or now 'witnesses, any of its mul- tiplied singularities, does so under the impression, more or less distinct, that it is the work of spirits". . . "The whole subject has been studied on the theory that it was spirits." RICHMOND AND BRITTAN. 11 How can this be made to harmonize with your own declaration — " The press, generally, has scouted it as a cheat " — which I find in the same connection ? Is not the sentiment of the press a fair index to the state of the public mind ? And how do the foregoing statements accord with the fads ? • Who does not absolutely know that thousands have ap- proached the subject with no such impression on their minds, but with the settled conviction that the whole was founded in impostm'e and de- lusion ? If " every person," who has observed these " multiplied sing- ularities, has been influenced by a preimpression, more or less distinct, that they are " the work of departed spirits," to what soui'ce shall we trace the almost numberless hypotheses, which like a new order of soft plants — a sort of intellectual fungi — have started up in all directions, living, but for a brief hour, to illustrate the ignorance wherein they ger- minate, and the presumptuous vanity which ministers to theii- growth r Is it true that even a majority of the people have exhibited this predis- position of mind ? And has the whole subject been studied, hitherto, on the theory that it was spirits ? Did Dr. Lee, of Buffalo, and his asso- ciates, pursue the investigation and elaborate that " scientific report," (?) with minds thus preoccupied. Did the " impression," of which you speak, prompt Mr. Burr's expose or determine the conclusion of Dr. Taylor and the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal ? Has it moved " the press, generally, to scout it as a cheat .-" What had it to do with '■''Detached Vitalized Electricity " .? with the Falling of Water .' with An- imal Mag-netism .'' Somnambulism t Ventriloquism .' Positive and Nega- tive Conditions } the Will Power .' Jugglery t or any of the ephemeral creations of popular skepticism .' Literally nothing at all ; and the minds of men iustead of being origiaaUy inclined to a belief in the spirit- ual theory, were strongly inclined in the opposite direction^ and have only been driven to accept the spiritual idea when facts have multiplied aroimd them which, in then* judgment, could only be referred to earthly causes by " a base Abandonmeiit of Reason." ' I win now proceed to consider the origin of the Mystical Writings, said to be the work of Spirits, with special reference to yom' objections to the claims of the Autographical Manuscript, executed on the night of Dec, 23d, 1851. As this is deemed the most reliable instance of direct- Spiritual agency, to which yoij have thought proper to refer me in your first communication, I need ofier no apology for making it the principal theme of this letter. The following passage sufficiently indicates the na- 12 A DISCUSSION. ture of your premises, and the rapid and convenient process by which you arrive at the. conclusion that Spirits had nothing to do with writing the names on the parchment : " If we are to fall back on the impression left on the public mind, that the spirits did not use the hand of the medium — you will find it difficult, I think, to convince sane men, that spirits wrote that parchment ; as, in that case, you will at once be obliged to admit, that they all had a suhsultus tendinum. ... In discussing this point, I shall assume that it is all the work of the medium, con- scious or unconscious — I care not which — spirits had nothing to do with it, and the whole is the result of the imitative mechatiic power of the medium, brought out by the abnormal magnetic state, which exists while he is -writing." It is, indeed, very easy to '■'■assume " that, but the assumption amounts to nothing because it is in opposition to the facts. Uunbelief may repeat the words with a thousand tongues, but the Facts, with theii' provoking invincibility, shall remain, unmoved ' " By this abundance of superfluous breath." Your attention is now respectfully invited to the evidence deemed ne- cessary to authenticate the writings referred to, and, without further pre- liminaries, I here submit the following communication from Mr. Fowler : STATEMENT OF THE MEDIUM. S. B. Brittan : Bear Sir : I have been solicited by a mutual friend to send you a concise statement of my experience, as connected with some mysterious writings which have occurred in my room, n, fac simile of one of which appeared in number nine of the Spiritual Telegraph. I comply with the request, though in contraxiety to my inclinations, which would prompt me to shrink from any publicity. The original paper containing the autographs I found upon my table, about three o'clock one afternoon, on my return from business ; the paper used being a sheet of drawing-paper, which was incidentally left on my table, and which I am sure was blank when I left my room in the forenoon. The succeeding autograph- ical manuscript, a representation of which was published, was executed in my room, on a piece of parchment, left on my table, by direction of the spirits, for that purpose. This was wiitten on during the night, while I was in my room asleep. I would add that, many of the signatures on the parchment, were entire- ly strange to me, having never seen them before. I have also had several specimens of various oriental languages, written in my room, on paper which I could identify as my own, though the languages were unknown to me ThetJe have been written on, both when I have been in my room, and when T have been absent. Several of the languages referred to, I had never seen prior to my acquaintance with them through these mystical manuscripts, and of course did not know what they were, imtil I had submitted them to a linguist, who read them with facility. The first one which I received was, as I am informed through the kindness of Prof. Bush, a quotation from the Old Testament, written in Hebrew. The execu- RICHMOND AND ERITTAX. 13 tion of this occurred about three o'clock in the afternoon, soon after I had re- turned from my business. I was alone in my room, when, through the sounds ■which then occurred in my presence, I was requested to leave the room for the space of five minutes, during which interval they — "the spirits" — promised an attempt to write. I obeyed their request, and went into a room below, where sat my sister. I told her what' had transpired, and at the expiration of the fire minutes, we both ascended to my room. Instead of finding, as we had conjec- tured we should, some directions, written in English, we discovered this Hebrew quotation, the ink on the paper being still unabsorbed, although after experi- ments proved that the ink of a hand, heavier than that in which the Hebrew was written, would, on the same kind of paper, invariably dry in from two to three minutes' time. That these writings have not been imposed upon me, I know, because I have seen some of them icritten, I have seen them written in the day time, as well as in the night ; and that I was in no " abnormal magnetic state," I infer from the fact that my consciousness of the circumstances of outward life remained un- impaired. The ringing of the fire-bells, moving of engines, the tolling of the bells at the ferry, the paddling of the boat's wheels, and various other noises common to the City, were no less distinctly heard than at other times. That these writings were not perpetrated by myself, I have many strong proof:?. First : I had never seen any specimens of the languages in which most of the manuscripts were written, and even to the present date, I have seen no other specimens of one or two of the languages used. Second : That power which has communicated to us in our Circle, through the rappings and lifting of tables, professes to have performed this writing also. That these rappings and liftings are not the results of an " abnormal magnetic state," I have reason to suppose from the fact that, manifestations have been made in our Circle, in the light, palpable to the various senses of a// present, which, by far, surpassed, in point of power, the capability of any one in the Circle. But if this, too, with all the rest, is but a fancy, a dream, then is my whole life but a dream — a very real dream — and not altogether poetical in its course. Had I time and disposition, I might relate facts sufficient to fill a volume, in relation to this matter, the majority of which would favor none other than the Spiritual theory; but as I am no literary character, I will here leave the matter to the numerous others who are, and whose facts are doubtless as much to the point as my own. Yours truly, E. P. Fowler. New-Tork;, August, 1352. To the foregoing I beg lecave to add the subjoined statement of facts, which has been prepared by 3Ir. Charles Partridge, chiefly from the min- utes of the New-Tork Circle.* *'nie Xew-Tork Gircxe Tras organized on the first of August. 1851. for the purpose of maldn? careful observations concerning modern Spiritual phenomena. The Circle -n-as composed of the following named persons : Judge Gray, Edward P. Fowler. Miss A. L. Fowler. Dr. Gray, and lady. Dr. Hull, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Partridge. Dr. Warner. Dr. HaUock. and ladr. W. J." Baner. and lady, and Eohert T. Shannon, who hare heen accustomed to hold frequent meetings up to the present time. It T>-ill not of course be inferred that all of these parties have been present at erery meeting of the Circle, or that they have, in all cases, witnessed precisely the same phenomen,-{. It should be observed, however, that Judge Edmonds, Prof. George Bush" S. B. Brittan. Almond BoJ^ SamL Fowler. D. Minthoon, and others, have, on seveial occasions, particirated bv invitation. 14 A DISCESSION. STATEMENT CONCERNING THE MANUSCRIPTS, ETC. The authenticity of the Spirit-writings which have been given to this Circle, throuo-h Edward P. Fowler as medium, having been called in question by Dr. Kichmond, the undersigned beg leave to state, that they have been in the habit of attending circles with Mr. Fowler, for the investigation of Spiritual phenom- ena, for the last two years, generally once, and sometimes twice, in a week. During these sessions a great variety of demonstrations of spiritual presence and power have occurred, and numerous communications have been given, some of which may be thus briefly stated : Persons at the circle have been unexpectedly turned round with the chairs in which thej were sitting, and moved to and from the table ; chairs and sofas have suddenly started, from their positions against the wall, and moved forward to the center of the room, when they were required in the formation of the circle ; the persons in the circle have each successively lifted his own side of the table, and the invisible power has raised the opposite side correspondingly ; occasionally the spirits have raised the table entirely, and sustained it in air, at a distance of from one to three feet from the floor, so that all could satisfy themselves that no per- son in the flesh was touching it ; lights of various colors have been produced in dark rooms ; the table has often been rocked with great violence, and suddenly — and unexpectedly to the whole company — it has been instantly arrested and held firm and immovable, with the upper surface inclined to an angle of some forty-five degrees, when the lamp, pencils and other objects on the table, would slide or roll to the very edge, and there remain fixed as if riveted to the table ; a man has been suspended in, and conveyed through, the air, in all a distance of fifty feet or more.* The communications have been given in various ways, but chiefly in writ- ings and by the rappings, after the ordinary alphabetical mode. To establish the authenticity of the Spirit- writings through Mr. Fowler, the fol- lowing specific statements seem to be required : At the close of the session, held on the 17tli of November, 1851, the spirits — through the alphabet, and in their usual manner — said, " We wish to give you a sentence for you to find out and remember," when the following was communicated: " Debemos amar a todo el mundo, aun a nuestros enemigos." No person present on that occasion understood a word of this language, but we were subsequently informed that it was Spanish. At the sitting on the 24th of November, 1851, the spirits commenced with their signal for the alphabet, and the following message was communicated to the Circle : " My dear friends — I am happy to announce to you that the project which has engaged our attention for some years has at last been in part accomplished. I am, Benjamin Franklin." Question. Do you refer to what took place with Edward in the nights of Fri- day and Saturday last ? Answer. " Yes." Question. Was the writing in Hebrew — executed in Edward's presence — chosen by the spirits as significant of a new Spiritual Era ? * On occasion of one of tlie more remarkable exhibitions of power, here mentioned, Mr. Hen- ry Gordon -was in the Circle, and doubtless contributed essentially, by liis presence, to the visible displays of what we axe accustomed to term phj'sieal force. ' s. b, e. RICHMOND AND BRITTAN. 15 The Spirit. " Partially." Here the colloquy Avas interrupted, and the spirits charged the medium as fol- lows — the alphabetical mode of communication being preserved, — " Edward, I wish you to get a book and note down very particularly what you have witnessed and will yet see." By Mr. Partridge. KI had been in the room could I have seen what Edward saw.' The Spirit. " Your sphere would not have admitted us to present ourselves, even to Edward." By some one — " Who was the small man that Edward saw in his room ?" Spirit — " The small man was Hahnemann." [The occurrence here referred to was the visible appearance of Spirits as men in Edward's sleeping-room, during the nights of Friday and Saturday. On the last mentioned night, a spirit wrote in Hebrew as follows— (Daniel xii, 12, 13) : I h