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Dodge's Litecary Buse,
\—-vor THE WEEK EXDINOL= 2 |
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 2s 1854. yo
iG> Unvrr the “Notices to Correspondents,”, on
page 204, will be found the announcement of all new
articles examined aud accepted for publication.
{> Sunscrivers should bear in mind that’ our
rule is to have the paper stopped at the expiration of
each time for which it is paid in advance. ‘As, of
course, the books are not under editorial supervision
none will imaginé they have special cause of com-
plaint. We say this that our numerous personal
friends may not Jabor under a false i impression, ;
_Spiritualism- -More olly, °
THAT there is ‘something, as. yet unex-
plained, something unusual, strange, unac-
countable, ‘in what js calléd~ Spiritualism,
we do not doubt.- Some phy! sical law whose
operations .haye . been, seen : ‘ occasionally,
from the earliest periods of Jhuman history,
but whose ‘distinct province‘ and relations
have not yet been clearly defined, doubtless
exists, and under that law the modern 1 phe= |
nomena, and occurrences: “siuilar’ to them
in ancient times, and what we call ‘Animal
Magnetism, ‘doubtless’ rank, ‘Among the
advocates ‘of, this , inodern folly, tice ' are
doubtless men : of sense “and men of char-
acter. We. do.not deny that many of ‘the |
occurrences which are related are veritable,
or that the advo of the, Spiritual ‘hy-
pothesis are often of sound’ mind and
honest. “ But this we cannot conscientiously
say of thé majority’ of ‘the phenomena, or
the African lion is like the braying ofa dis-
consolate ass. Does anybody want ‘to be-
come famous, or if that is not convenient,
infamous?! He or she -has communications
from the “ spirit-world,” relating to :the his-
tory of the people in the neighborhood, and
soon all are agog: in’ supernatural o or subter-
ranean gossip. |)’ : 6%
- But among all that has yet. been. said, is
there‘a-single poem of. fair, merit—a_ sin-
~ | gle fact! of any. importance—a single new
sentiment, good, bad,".or: indifferent—or,
indeed, anything which has occurred; which
can ‘be satisfactorily proved to’ be opposed
to: natural principles ?. “And “is not nine
tenths of what is related’ too gross to ad-
mit of -any. connection with disembodied
spirits ?..Unfallfilled prophecies’ of ' fact,
which; the -alleged - originals; never would
have perpetrated: when they were alive
bad gi false i and
through J.'M. Spear, that’ she must visit
Iligh Rock, where the machine was depos-
ited. The disgusting account says that-at
that place she was ‘delivered of a spiritual
existence, which. immediately becanie’ the
soul of. the new Christ.’ Her sensations dif.
fered “ somewhat from ‘the: ordinary: “expe-
rience, inasmuch as. the: throes, were’. in=
ternal and of the spirit, rather than of the
physical nature ; but nevertheless. quite as
uncontrolable and not less severe than those
pertaining to the latter. , This extraordina-
ry: physiological ‘phenomenon continued for
about the space of: two hours. - Its purpose
and results were; wholly “incomprehensible
to all but herself ;"but her! own’ perception
is clear and distinct, that in these agonizing
throes the most interi rior and refined elements
of her spiritual being were imparted to, and
absorbed by, -the appropriate portions of the
HE
blasphemy, all - indicate the absurdity of
spiritual intervention, and point to the folly
or knavery .of those» employed, who’ igno-
rantly or wilfully adopt a spiritual. exegesis,
instead of soberly: viewing thé matter as of
the +: earth, éarthy—characterizing © every
magnetic: phenomenon as. the work of dis-
embodied spirits...0
‘For a long time the open-mouthed ewal-
lowers of “ Spiritual Revelations” have been
all-a-gape and ‘tiptoe ‘in reference to a new
machine invented by Spirits and communi-
cated to:a medium, (so its advocates have’
said,) destined to revolutionize ‘society, and
produce the most astonishing changes in
the world. At length it.is completed. «It
is a circular black walnut table three and a
half fect in diameter, with five legs, and all
its minerals having) been made
peculiarly receptive: by previous chemical
processes.” +.
Soon after this she was bidden to nurse
the new-born, and -its motions and strength
increased ‘while nursing. This: too was’a
spiritual process.
Was there ever, since the long career of
.| folly and .supers d, anything
more shameful, more disgusting, more absurd
than, this ?
» The actors in this matter - claim to: have
been directed, by angels, but’ their guides
have not yet told: them what use this “ aus-
picious ° babe,” this copper ‘Jesus, will be
put to. One man, J. Wolcott, has had ‘it
revealed to him that it.will by and by be-
come very large, and throw’ off, others,
which will undermine and destroy all the
sorts of wires, chains, magnets, :pieces. of
steel, and copper plates. It has cost about
$2000, and‘is denominated the Electrical
the advocates, of Spiritualism. ““We' a aceept
the statement of a prominent. advocate of
_ the folly, that .ninc.tenths -of what . passes
for Spiritualism has-no existence, and we
are equally certain that. a majority of the
believérs are cither cracked in the head or
the heart—are knaves or fools. -- Among the
former may be méntioned those ‘recreant
ministers of the gospel whose vices’ caused
them to be kicked out’ of their former con-
nections, or whose follies and’ ineflicieney
ran them out of all> usefulness ; and other
intellectual speculators, who jump on cve-
ry wave of folly, and profit by ‘the creduli-
ty of. “mankind. Among" the « latter ‘are
those whose instability has caused them to
sound’ every note in the gamut of opinion,
and whose natural capacity. for swallowing
seems equal’ to all emergencies... co
Aided; enforced, received by such,’ ‘this
modern folly. has run_a wonderful, race.
There are so many who:accept any hy-
pothesis ‘that is ‘supernatural; rather than to
suppose that some of the abstruse laws. of
nature may explain all. mysteries, that the
most impossible and absurd, because 'spirit-
ral, exposition, is accepted as soon’ as _pro-
‘posed.’ Does a quack’ wish “to procure pa-
tients, - ‘having no knowledge or ability ?
He becomes a “medium,” or. procures. one,
and straightway he begins to populate the
graveyard. ‘ Docs ’ ‘a “proken-down literary
hack, who 2 never wrote ‘anything worthy of
a village newspaper, wish to have a reputa-
tion ? Me tells us that ‘Shakspeare or Poe
or Mrs.’ Hemans has selected him: as a me-
“diam of poetical communication, ‘and, forth-
with newspapers are quoting & the following
beautiful production,’ dictated by~ the spirit
2
‘of Shakspeare through the mortal organs of | of a new Di
‘Mr. Snooks of Pumpkinville,” as much like
the original Shakspeare, when he’ spoke
through his own lips, as the majestic: roar of was told by
‘Motor, or. New Savior, and is said. to* vel
half: machine and. half man, having “parts
corresponding to the human form—lungs,
heart, brain,‘ ete. It breathes, inhales and
exhales electricity,’ and ‘contains’ vinegar,
sulphur, and. other’ compounds for blood.
At its first création: it moved a Tittle, and
when the inventor saw it, he “bent the knee,
and raised tho heart in thanksgiving to the
Great’ Eternal One, for this, ‘ Heaven’s Last:
Best Gift to Man !’”. This, and much more, |-
we might extract. from’ a, dozen or so col-
umns of the most insane flopdoddle, found
-in the New Era, the favored revealer of the
new ‘gospel. :It is one of the follies, and
probably neither the last ‘nor greatest, which
we shall hear of from this source.
These men, the majority of whom, reject
the Savior of the Bible—the, Jesus of the
New _Testament—blasphemously ° call this
the New Savior! ‘What an absurdity!’ A’
Christ made out of black walnut! A Jesus
of copper and zine! - Bat; it moves!- But
do not other machines ? » Its movement—if .
it goes—is ; as much from a phy: sical cause as
though , it, was; turned by a crank, “We
might as ‘well take a jumping jack. and pull
the string, and call it a News: aviors
. We' have suspected, for‘a long time, that
the people ‘of this generation were looking
to copper and silver and gold to be saved,
and that they worship such an idol; but we
never dreamed that the Spiritualists would
indorse the idea. It must be a demon-stra-
tion, indeed, if it is of. spiritual origin. «
"But the worst of all is yettocome. A fe-
male medium was informed some months ago
by the Spirits that she was to be the Mary
spensation, and give birth toa
new Jesus. ‘She had already experienced
churches. He saw a vision in whieh “ there
appeared a movement among the machines ;
and the larger ones, Which were, now fully
developed, moved away over w
the distance. In their path stood a great
number of .churches,. of ;every size, and
variety, from -the diminutive Methodist
Chapel’ up to'the stately Gothic Minster,
and St. Paul’s Cathedral. “But the machines
did not turn out oftheir course at all—run-
ning over and through those temples, com-
pletely demolishing them to heaps 0 of worth-
less rubbish.”
A vision, indeed, “ alli in your eyo.” The
machine never moved, nor did the process
of conception, lactation, or “gestation, ever
take place, unless it was in. the imagination
of a sick and bewildered brain. ; If “metalic
and other agencies have made a few wires
« throb,” is that anything new ?.,, Can it not
be explained on natural ‘principles, as easily
as the motion of the magnetic needle, and
not blasphemously be called, “ The physical
Savior of the race, bearing a beautiful and
significant ‘analogy to the advent of Je-
sus?”
We ‘will hazard a guess that the author of
that paragraph ¢ does not believe in the ad-
| vent. of Jesus, as it corresponds to this new
Motor; but whether .he does. or not, will
not ev ery intelligent person’sce, in this ac-
count, the certain result of human credulity,
and thank God that there are some minds
left who think soberly and sensibly, and thus
prevent the race from. disgracing the sub-
lime faculty of reason ; and who will not use
their thoughts, as do most of these modern
or idiotic babbling,
It is said: that there are: seven. ‘of ‘these
metallic. Jesuses in. operation. in. Jupiter.
How many there are in the Moon we know
not. At the present rate of consumption,
emotions corresponding _ to. gestation, and
a commrnication, received
however, there will be no ‘moonshine left
shortly. . Peg Tete cee
ho - plain into |
seers; only as a source of insane blasphemy t
Dining-Room Rules for Females.
‘FemaLEs who are anxious to be consid-
ered ladies, and who lack the education and
natural refinement necessary for a pass into
the best ‘society, may perhaps: stifle their
mortification and amuse others—equally as
gross as. themselves—by observing the two
following dining-room rules, translated for
the Literary Museum from the Greek, by
Prof Dart, the eminent Linguist.
Rule, First—Qn entering a dining-room,
you should move from the door to the table,
with a half swageering gait, something be-
tween ‘the: movement of a lame goose and a
yoked pig. _It looks independent, and if-it
don’t astonish any body , else, it may possibly
the waiters, and that’s some satisfaction.
‘Rule’ Second.—After seating yourself, you
should then . tallk-loud enough for persons
within fifteen or twenty feet to hear all that
is said. No matter if your remarks are silly,
vulgar, or insulting: those sitting near you
will know that you a’n’t afraid to talk loud,
and it may possibly produce an effect.” :
' The ‘learned ‘Prof. is busily engaged in
translating other important rules on_ this
subject, and: if we discover any of them to
be pointed, we: shall; of course, give them
eS Cumepren’s Booxs.—The morality
should be in the book, not tacked upon t the
end of ites © fy 4
~ ‘pa> Tu editor of the Chillicothe (Ohio)
Gazette describes what he calls * an unheard
of outrage.” If. the outrage hasn’t been
heard of, how can he tell any thing about it a
EE. ‘Lost, on Washington street, by a
boy somewhere between School and Wash-
ington street, a pair of. green specs belong-
ing toa lady ‘with one glass out and the
we alight homta
us Vermont for maple ‘sugar, stout-hearted
men, and pretty women. Man made Bos-
ton; God Almighty made Vermont.” '
\: Good for. you, Mr. Sentinel. We have
always bet our “¢ pile ” on Vermont.] > © {
> Tue village clerk, at a town in Eng-
land, ‘opened the services of Sunday, ¢ on an
oceasion when his bishop came, thus: -_
“ The mountains skipped like Frightened rama,
: The little hills aid hop, ‘
To welcome into our town
His Grace, the Lord Bish-op. ” ft
» pay Tue Pittsfield Eagle says that the
Know Nothings will nominate U. Donohoo
for’ Governor, and I. Dontelle,' for Lieut.
Governor: * The Know’ Nothings this way
say that they hold possession of the politi-
‘eal current, and all opposing crafts will. be
grounded on the Ban
per Tne Mail i is n nv one of the ablest
dailies in Boston. , Mr. Spencer, its new
proprietor, has astonished his best friends,
by his ‘extraordinary enterprise and tact in
hind none in news, and ahead of all compe-
tition for original ‘sparkling editorial. brevi-
ties. We. take ‘the, fail for’ our morning
meal... > tls
“Think Kindly ‘of Mo.
Wno | has not, at, some period. in life,
wished to express to some dear friend the
following? be ep
In after years, when you recall
The days of pleasure past
\..< And think of joyous hours "hat aul’ fds
Soe Have flown away too fast; of,
- Ifsome forgotten air you hear, _ ot bony
“** ‘Brings back past scenes tothee, 7
wy “And sady charms thy lstening ear,.> ‘”
. - Weep one kiad thought for met 2. 650%
settee teen
: Ga". Tu Lawrence. Sentinel says, ‘ Give
managing the paper, thus far. It isnow be- ,
“wr
pete eeatnntt tn on Doty,
—