INTUITIVE EVIDENCE OF THE EXISTENCE OF SPIRITS. (continued 9)

1484. “This manifestation I was compelled to regard as clearly proving the action of an invisible, intelligent power, present with us, and purporting to be a disembodied spirit once known among us as a man. There was here also perfect freedom to search for trick, machinery, &c.; and all these suggested explanations occurred as clearly to my mind as to men generally, and were duly cared for by me; for I was then an investigator of the truth of spirit manifestations, and did not wish to be humbugged. These cases, however, are but a sample of the chain of testimony that has satisfied my mind fully on this question.

John M. Kennedy.”

Communication from Wm. West, Esq.

1485. As respects the communication which follows, I have only to say that I consider the author as quite reliable, both as to his capacity to observe accurately, and his disposition to exert that capacity faithfully. I believe him to have one of those minds which, like the scale-beam, allows every thing pro or con to have its due weight.

“Philadelphia, September 6, 1855.

“Professor R. Hare:

1486. “Dear Sir: At our last interview you wished a few facts from my experience.

1487. “About three years since I lectured in this city against the spiritual agency of ‘the modern manifestations,’ and advocated a nerve aura, obedient to the will. At that time I had the power to stop the physical movements. Subsequently, the agents in these phenomena refused to obey me. I have since been informed by the spirits, that they permitted me to control them for a time, in order ultimately to convince me by depriving me of said power.

1488. “Having read your statement of the message transmitted by you, through your spirit sister, from Cape May, in July last, to this city, I have thought that an account of a similar despatch from myself, through my spirit wife, to a circle in this city, might be acceptable.

1489. “On the evening of June 22, 1853, while sitting at the table at Mrs. Long’s, (a writing medium, living at No. 9 Thompson St., New York), my deceased wife purported to be communicating with me. At that time I had been appointed, by the spirits, dictator to a circle, which convened every Wednesday evening at the residence of H. C. Gordon, 103 North Fifth St., Philadelphia. I inquired of my wife if she could convey a message to the circle then assembled in Philadelphia. She answered, ‘I will try.’ I then requested her to take my respects to the circle, and inform them that I was succeeding admirably in my investigation, and becoming stronger in the glorious truth of spirit intercommunion. In the course of seventeen minutes, the spirit again announced her presence, and informed us she had delivered the message. On the next Wednesday evening, I was present at the circle in Philadelphia, and was informed by all the members present that my communication had been duly received. Another spirit, I was informed, had been communicating, when an interruption occurred, and my wife gave her name, and, in substance, the communication, through the hand of Mr. Gordon.

1490. “There were present about twelve persons of high respectability, among whom were Mr. and Mrs. Howell, Mr. and Mrs. Laird, Mr. Aaron Comfort, Mr. William Knapp, &c.

1491. “At Mrs. Long’s there were three or four persons present, among them, I think, Mr. Ira Davis.

1492. “I am not a medium, therefore the objection of medium sympathy is out of place.

Yours, &c. W. West. “George St., 4th house west of Broad.”

Koons’s Establishment.

1493. Among the wonders of Spiritualism, none have excited so much astonishment as the manifestations which have occurred at the establishment of Mr. Koons, in Athens county, Ohio. The phenomena are so extraordinary, as to be difficult to be believed, even by Spiritualists; and yet there is far more evidence of their truth than of any of the miracles recorded in Scripture. In no instance has any of these been attested in due form by known spectators, and admitting that, in this respect, there is no deficiency, they were not of a nature to be repeated before a succession of observers. Those at Koons’s have been repeated, and are still being repeated. I first heard that there was such an establishment from my spirit brother, at least fifteen months ago. My spirit friends confirm the truth of the account received, and sanction the idea that there is something in the locality which favours mediumship. I subjoin the narratives of several visitors to the establishment in question:

Communication from Joseph Hazard, Esq.

1494. Joseph Hazard, Esq., of Narragansett, R. I., is very well known in Philadelphia, as well as in the vicinity of his residence. Mr. Hazard accompanied me, in some of my investigating visits, to spiritual circles, and was present, as I have mentioned, (139,) on the occasion when I first saw a table move without contact. There is no doubt but that he is a truthful witness. If he has overrated what he heard or saw, it must be from the enthusiasm with which he was inspired.

Athens Co., Ohio, May 4, 1855.

1495. My Dear Sir: I have been here these three days, witnessing the wonderful spirit manifestations of which we have heard so much. Allow me to assure you that the published account of them is no more to the reality than shadow is to substance. No pen can describe, and if it could, I believe no mind could believe that had not witnessed them. The spirits talk audibly through a trumpet, not with good articulation, but as if the process were mechanical. On the accordeon, however, the language is exquisitely articulated, being some beautiful air or catch, according to the number of words; the harmony being perfect, and every note forming a part or whole word. They frequently move overhead, next the ceiling, with a rapidity of motion inconceivably astounding, blowing a trumpet with deafening blasts at times, or beating a tamborine or some other instrument.

1496. One of the exhibitions represents a spirit hand during this circuit, beating a tamborine, there being a piece of sand-paper with phosphorus on it, which they use for illuminating the hand. I saw them begin the work and complete it. The hand was small and delicate, and flew all over the room with something like the rapidity of light on a broken surface of water, frequently snapping the fingers, and stopping often near to myself and others, that we might see it to full advantage.

1497. Another hand, which I could not see, touched me, but I took hold of it. It seemed as if covered with buckskin.

1498. The spirits are now contriving a plan to exhibit in the light. They say that light destroys the conditions necessary by their present system, even that evolved by the phosphorus rendering the operation very difficult.

1499. It appears evident that spirits to be seen with material eyes are obliged to materialize themselves, or else spiritualize our vision; and these things have been done repeatedly.

1500. I have not yet seen them write. I have heard them talk and play on many instruments by the hour. There is a base and tenor drum on which they perform with such violence, that it is almost deafening at times, and the whole house resounds till it shakes throughout. Some of the music is seraphic, especially when they speak with the harmonicon, when it is more unearthly in its character than I should have been able to imagine.

1501. The spirit houses are distinct buildings of one room, dark as Erebus, and rather lonesome places, in this wilderness. I have, nevertheless, obtained permission to sleep on the floor each night in one: and during two of those nights I have been favoured with faint music on the drums. Last night, from the moment I extinguished the light, drumming was continued throughout the night, accompanied by a few notes on the violin.

1502. The spirit said last night, “I can’t play a bit,” but, nevertheless, he played some things delightfully. This was a new performer, who had sent word he would perform this night, and that he was a German.

1503. One spirit attempted to sing through the trumpet, but could not make music; after each failure he would stop a minute, and then, very good-naturedly, say, “I will try again.” This he did several times, when he added “What shall I do for you, if I can’t sing?” He at length took up an accordeon, and succeeded better on that; but I presume did not suit himself, as he would exclaim every once in a while, “Oh, dear!” very despondingly.

1504. The effort the spirits make to manifest themselves is very great, evidently, and the amiability of their demeanour here is striking. However, I cannot tell you but a small portion of what I have seen, but believing you would be interested in this sketch, I have hastily made it, and hope you will excuse the rudeness of it. If I could not witness again what I have seen during the last seventy-two hours, I would not part with the consciousness of it for the whole State of Ohio.

I am very sincerely your friend, Jos. P. Hazard.

To Prof. Robt. Hare, Philada.

A VISIT TO THE SPIRITUALISTS OF OHIO.

Letter from John Gage.—The Home of the Mediums and the Haunts of the Spirits.—What they did, said, and wrote.

LOCALITY OF JONATHAN KOONS.—A HILLY LAND.

1505. The house of Mr. Koons is in Milford, Athens county, Ohio, twenty-five miles south-west of McConnelsville, forty-two miles from Lancaster, and sixty-seven miles from Columbus.

1506. Persons going from the West can go to Lancaster, which is the nearest point by railroad, thence down the Hocking River by stage, which runs daily to Chauncey, thence on foot two miles to Koons. From the North persons would take the stage at Columbus, thence to Lancaster by the lines above described. From the East there are steamboats to McConnelsville, on the Muskingum, both from Zanesville and Marietta, but from these private carriages must be got; distance as above, twenty-five miles, but the miles bear no correspondence to the hours, for on every route they think they do well if they accomplish two and a half miles an hour. No man ever travelled over so hilly a country anywhere else, and when you finally get into Koons’s vicinity, you find the essence of hills personified; there is no such thing as a level spot large enough to put a house on.

THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITUALIST.—PRESENCE OF ELECTRICITY.

1507. Koons’s house is located on the south-east angle of a sharp ridge, some few rods below the edge of the ledge, and where, when the native trees occupied the ground, the lightning was wont to make frolic among them; and where it still likes to sport. The stove-pipe above the spirit room was burst off, and a number of times during the sitting of the mediums, the electric sparks were seen to play over the wires of the spirit table.

THE ROOM WHERE THE SPIRITS MANIFEST THEIR POWER.

1508. The spirit room is built of logs, as well as the house in which Mr. Koons resides; it is situated at the end of his dwelling-house, and six feet from it. It is twelve by sixteen feet square, and seven feet high inside; there is a tight floor, and the ceiling above is of rough boards, laid close edge to edge; in the garret above, there is less than three feet clear room to the peak of the roof, and up here are stowed old shoes and other old trumpery. There is a door in the front, near the centre of the building, and a small window on each side of it, and one window in the back side; the windows have each close shutters outside to exclude the light. Across the back end of the room are three rough board shelves. Two feet in front of these, stands the spirit table, three feet wide and six feet long. In front of this, and setting against it, is a common fall-leaf table, about three and a half feet square, which extends to within one foot of the stove; and across the back end of the room are two rough benches for spectators to sit upon, and the front one comes within one foot of the stove. Then, on each end of the table is room for three or four chairs, all of which fills the room so full that there is no room to get around. Mr. Koons’s seat is at the left of the table, where he sits and plays the fiddle. Nahum, his son, sits on the left of the table; he is a lad eighteen years old, and the principal medium; and his mother sits next to him.

THE FURNITURE AND OCCUPANTS.

1509. The spirit table has a frame or rack standing on it, and extended from one end to the other; this rack sustains a tenor drum at one end and a brass drum at the other, attached to it by means of wires; there are wires also passing in various directions about the rack, and sustaining some small bells, some images of birds cut out of copper plate, &c.; there are two fiddles, a guitar, banjo, accordeon, French harp, tin horn, tea bell, triangle, and tamborine, either hanging up or on the tables. The room will hold eighteen or twenty persons besides the mediums, and when filled, as it usually is, there is no room to pass around or between the people and the table or stove.

1510. Some phosphorus is always placed on the table between wet sheets of paper, for the exhibition of the hand.

THE MANIFESTATIONS COMMENCE.—THE SPIRITS PLAY ON DRUMS, HARPS, FRENCH HORNS, ACCORDEONS, AND TAMBORINES.

Koons’s Room, June 19, 1855.

1511. Between eight and nine o’clock, Mr. Koons and his son Nahum went into the room and closed the doors and shutters, for the purpose, they said, of inquiring of King, the presiding spirit, whether he would attend that evening, and what time he would commence; this they always do, and they were told to get ready in twenty minutes. We went into the room. Mr. Koons took his seat with his fiddle and tuned it; I took my seat by his side, and my wife next to me, our chairs setting close to each other, and the chairs and benches in the room were all filled. The window-shutters and doors were now closed, and Mr. Koons put out the light, and immediately there came a startling blow upon the table that made the room jar, and almost brought me to my feet. “Well, King,” said Mr. Koons, “you are here,” and commenced playing a lively tune. As soon as Koons began to play the fiddle, the bass and tenor drums began to play with such power and energy as to frighten me; the whole house was on a jar and vibrating in perfect time with the music; and I know no mortal hands had hold of the drumsticks, and for the time the thought was irresistible and constant that spirits controlled them. After two or three tunes on the drums, the tamborine was taken up and beat with such violence, that I expected every moment it would be dashed to pieces, at the same time it was making rapid circles in the room and dashing from one place to another, and occasionally thrust almost in my face, so that I was afraid it would hit me. Then the French harp would be played, and then the drums, harp, and accordeon altogether; then a strange kind of unearthly noise would sing in concert with the music. Interspersed between the tunes upon the harp was talking through the horn, the horn frequently passing through the room, over and around us at the same time.

THE MANIFESTATIONS CONTINUE, AND THE HEAD SPIRIT WRITES A COMMUNICATION.

1512. At one time there was talking around the room, so as to disturb those that were anxious to hear every thing, when suddenly there came a shriek that was truly terrific; such a sound as Milton might suppose would be made by an imp of the infernal regions. The horn then said: “Keep silent.”

1513. Koons talked some time with the voice in the horn and harp; then asked him to write a communication for me. We then heard the rattling of paper, and the phosphorus began to show itself, was taken up in a hand, showed the hand. It then got a pencil, took some paper, and laid it on a table close before me, and wrote on it, making the same sound that a pencil always makes in rapid writing; then made some flourishes on the paper below the writing, threw down the pencil, handed the paper into my hand, and threw the phosphorus on the floor in front of Mr. Koons, who took it up and handed it to the hand again; it then threw it in the corner of the room, and said, “Good-night,” when Mr. Koons lighted a candle. I examined the paper that the hand had given me, and found it was my paper, which I had placed on the table, with a private mark on it. There were four lines written on it in a good legible hand, and following the ruled lines on the paper as follows:

1514. “Well, friend, we return our regards to you for the interest you have manifested in our presence and performance; we now take our leave. Farewell.

King.”

At Koons’s, Thursday, June 21.

1515. We have much more of a performance than usual, and one highly satisfactory. Among other things, after they had finished playing a tune, Mr. Schenick, who sat next to me, and who plays the violin very well, said, “King, won’t you hand me the other fiddle?” It was taken up and handed to him over my head, thumbing the strings as it passed. “Yes,” it said, “I will give you the fiddle; you do not want the bow, I suppose.” “Oh, yes,” said Schenick, “I want the bow, too.” The horn said, “Can’t you get along without it?” Schenick answered, “I can’t play very well with my fingers.” Then the bow was handed to him, the horn named a tune, and both fiddles began to play, accompanied by the drums and the accordeon, and a number of voices sang, something like human voices.

1516. Then the tamborine was played with much spirit, and passed rapidly around the room. At the same time it made stops in front of a person, touched them gently on the shoulder, head, or somewhere else, playing all the while; then passed to another, and so on. It passed me, and dropped into my wife’s lap. It then flew over Van Sickle’s head, made a great flourish, lit on it, and began to press down; and Van says, “Bear down; I can hold you up.” He then said there was the weight of a large man put on his head; it also passed to a number of others, and pressed down on their heads. Mr. Koons then asked him to lay the tamborine on my head, which it did immediately, bearing down, I should think, with a weight of twenty pounds: I raised up my hand and took hold of it, when it started up, and I held on as fast as I dared for fear of breaking the Tamborine; it then passed around and came to my wife, and pressed gently against her head. This, she said, she mentally requested it to do, as she did not want it to bear down hard on her.

1517. Mr. Koons then said, “King, it is very warm here; won’t you take Mrs. Gage’s fan and fan us?” But before he had finished speaking, the tamborine began to fly around the room like lightning, breathing a strong current of wind, and fanning all in the house. Then the phosphorus was taken up and darted around the room like flakes of lightning, and a hand began to develop. We talked with the voice while this process was going on, and tried to urge our spirit friends to write a communication for us. When the hand was formed, it passed around the room and shook hands or touched the hands of many of us. It took hold of my hand, and then of my wife’s. We both felt the shape of a hand distinctly. It then got some paper and a pencil, and laying the paper on the table, right in front of us, began to write with great rapidity; covered one side of the sheet; turned it over again, wrote five lines, signed it, filled the rest of the page with flourishes, folded it, and placed it in my wife’s hand. It then flew around the room, darting from the table up to the ceiling, there making three or four distinct knocks, and darting down and up, repeating the knocks a number of times in succession; it then passed all around the room, stopping and showing the hand to all that wanted to see it. It then commenced darting around the room again, and snapping its fingers as loud as a man could do. It then threw the phosphorus in the back corner of the room, said “Good night,” and was gone. Mr. Koons then lighted the candle, and my wife read the paper which was given her by the spirit hand, as follows:

THE SPIRIT’S LETTER.

1518. To the Friends of this Circle: After various inquiries made at this circle, we deem it highly necessary to reply by stated reasons, why our presiding spirit declines to give the names of the spirits present during our performances at this room:

1519. 1st. Let the inquirer conceive himself entering a congregated promiscuous assembly of persons, who are all anxiously awaiting his approach under the discharge of some important and general mission, in behalf of those in attendance. On entering the assembly, he looks around upon his anxious inquirers, and sees them attended with their respective safeguards, such as he never saw before. In the discharge of his official duty, however, he is necessitated to exclude himself from the direct view and intercourse of the safeguards, so as to be brought into a nearer relation to the corresponding parties. The interlocution accordingly takes place, when each one in turn begins to interrogate the speaker in his excluded position, on subjects relating to their excluded guard, of which the speaker knows but little or nothing, except the cognition of their presence on his arrival; and in order to acquaint himself with the circumstances and matters inquired after, so as to answer correctly, the speaker has to disencumber himself at every inquiry, and not only so, but would also fail to perform his devolved duty by submitting himself to the scrutiny and criticism of the corresponding parties. Which, then, of the two requirements would be of the most consequence—to discommode the general interest of the assembly and that of his own official duty, or to omit the latter and attend to the discharge of a more important and higher duty, by which the peace and consoling riches would be augmented to the fulness of their cup?

1520. Now, this is the position our presiding spirit occupies. When himself and band enter the room, he recognises, many bright guardian spirits interspersed among the promiscuous assembly, of whom he has no knowledge. And in the discharge of their manifesting performances, they necessarily must assume physical incumbrances, which shuts them from a direct view of the attending spirits; and as many questions that are led in relation to them so often, the corresponding spirit has to disrobe himself so as to give a correct relation, to say nothing of the possibility of receiving and conveying wrong impressions from spirits who do not regard the truth.

1521. Given by Second King, at the council of the presiding band.

THE ABOVE IS CERTIFIED TO.

1522. After this communication had been read, a certificate, setting forth the above facts was drawn up and signed by all those present, as follows:

1523. Audience present.—Portia Gage, Gage’s Lake, Ill.; John Gage, Gage’s Lake, Lake county, Ill.; Solomon Bordon, Millfield, Athens county, Ohio; Thomas Morris and wife, Hyram Schenick, Selah Van Sickle, Delaware, Ohio.

1524. Mediums present.—Jonathan Koons, Abigail T. Koons, Nahum W. Koons.

CONCLUDING REMARKS.

1525. When a person comes here and sees the rooms, and finds them open all day for the children to run in and out of, and for visitors to examine, and sees there are no juggler’s tools about, and no place to keep them; the mediums and all engaged are of that artless stamp, and in their whole appearance, bearing, and conduct, so marked with honesty and sincerity of purpose, that the idea of their being imposters, or of their psychologizing their auditors, is simply ridiculous. That the music is not imaginary, is proved in another way, if further proof is necessary; it can be heard as well outside as inside of the houses, and is frequently heard by the neighbours for miles around. There is no question about the manifestations, and about their having all that superhuman or unaccountable character that the most sanguine writers have given them. They rather seem to be over-cautious about exaggerating any thing, and consequently fall far short of conveying an adequate idea of the phenomena. Therefore, all we have to do is to account for these existing facts, for the facts cannot be controverted. The intelligence displayed is sometimes of a high order, and they always claim to be spirits of men or women who have left the earthly form, and passed to that undiscovered country from whose bourne it has been said no travellers return. But of this every one can judge for themselves, though it is difficult to imagine what they can be, if they are not spirits.

John Gage.

An Evening at Koon’s Spirit Room. By Charles Partridge, Esq., New York.

1526. Sunday evening, 27th May last, I walked some three miles through a wood over a very poor road, in the direction of what is called the spirit rooms of Jonathan Koons. I noticed at the foot of a hill several carriages by the roadside, and horses tied to the fence and trees; and on reaching the place, I observed from thirty to fifty men sitting on stones, logs, and fences around a dilapidated log-cabin. The men looked respectable, and their deportment and conversation bore the impress of a religious meeting. I inquired who lived there, and was informed that Jonathan Koons lived in that house, (pointing to the cabin,) and that (pointing to a small one near by) is the spirits’ room. I inquired what spirits lived there, and was told that it was the room where people go in to talk with their spirit friends who have gone out of their earthly tabernacle. On inquiry as to what this gathering was for, I was informed that these people had come to talk with their spirit friends and to witness spirit manifestations. I was informed that I might go in—that everybody was free to enter and examine the room, and to attend the circle. I selected a good “soft” stone, and sat me down, a perfect stranger, with the other disciples. I scrutinized the people closely, and listened to their conversation without joining in it. I overheard one say that Mr. Koons was in his house. In the course of half an hour a man came out, whom several persons addressed as Mr. Koons; he glanced his eyes over the congregation; presently, two men drove up, who, as I subsequently learned, came from Amesville, some ten miles distant; they were entire strangers to me and I to them; they looked around, spoke with some persons, and then with Mr. Koons, asking whom he had there, &c., and finally asked him who I was, pointing me out to Mr. Koons. Mr. Koons observed that he had not learned my name, that I had just come; but he was impressed by spirits to say, “His name is Charles Partridge, of New York.” Soon after, one of these men approached me, and asked if I was Mr. Partridge, from New York. I answered in the affirmative. “Charles Partridge?” “Yes.” “Well,” said he, “the spirits told Mr. Koons who you were.” I had not overheard their conversation, but such was the result of one of my tests as to the spirit origin of these manifestations.

1527. Mr. Koons and one of his children (a medium) went into the spirit room alone, as is their custom before forming the public circle, to receive such instruction from the presiding spirit (King) as he might wish to communicate. There are often more persons present desiring to obtain admittance than the room will hold. In such cases the spirit directs Mr. Koons to especially invite those in who have come the longest distance, and such as cannot remain there for another opportunity, usually calling the names of the parties, and leaving out the neighbours and those who can make it convenient to be present on subsequent occasions. At one of these preliminary interviews, I was invited in by Mr. Koons. Immediately on closing the doors, the spirit took up the trumpet, (described in my last communication,) and spoke through it audibly and distinctly, saying, “Good evening, friends!” to which we responded in like manner. The spirit then addressed me by name, and observed, in substance, that although they were strangers to me, I was not a stranger to them: they had been cognizant of my thoughts, desires, and efforts in behalf of Spiritualism from the time my attention was first called to the subject. They spoke in very flattering terms of myself and others, who had been bold to testify to the spiritual manifestations witnessed in the early times, and during the severer trials and opposition. They had watched the TELEGRAPH with anxious solicitude, and with eminent satisfaction. They closed in a fervent benediction and consecration to further and greater good and uses. After which this spirit (King) said to Mr. Koons, that they could not hold a public circle that evening, as he was elsewhere engaged. Mr. Koons expressed much regret at this announcement, and said he felt much embarrassed and mortified, because several persons were there who had come a long way; some from New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Canada, and other distant places. The spirit said he was sorry, but he had engaged to attend a circle elsewhere, (naming the place a long distance away,) and he must be there in fifteen minutes. Mr. Koons would not be satisfied with any excuses, but insisted that he (King) had agreed to preside over his circle, and meet the company who came there; and rather than be made the instrument of apology to others for the disappointment in the performances, he would abandon it altogether, etc. King said, “Wait a few moments, and I will go and see if arrangements can be made.” He thereupon laid down the trumpet, and to all appearances left us, and we could get no further replies for four or five minutes, when the trumpet was again taken up, and King spoke through it, saying he had arranged the matter by deputizing a portion of his band to fill his engagement, and they would therefore hold a circle in that place, commencing the performance in fifteen minutes, but perhaps they would not be able to make so good music, or have the full complement of the manifestations. Thus ended this preliminary interview, which sufficiently indicates the character of all similar ones.

1528. I attended three public circles in the spirit house of Mr. Koons, and three in the spirit house of Mr. John Tippie; they are situated about three miles apart; the rooms and manifestations are very similar, although the electrical tables, so called, differ somewhat in their construction; the presiding spirits are of the same name, King; they claim to be father and son. These rooms will seat about twenty-five or thirty persons each, and are usually full. Many times, while I was there, more persons desired to go in than the house would hold, and some of them had to remain outside. They could hear the music and the spirits’ conversation just as well, and they only had to forego being touched by spirits and seeing them. The music is heard, under favourable circumstances, at the distance of one mile, or as far as any band of martial music can be heard. After the circle is formed, the door and windows are shut, the light is usually extinguished, and almost instantaneously, a tremendous blow by the large drumstick is struck on the table, when immediately the bass and tenor drums are beaten rapidly, like calling the roll on the muster-field, waking a thousand echoes. The rapid and tremulous blows on these drums are really frightful to many persons. This beating of the drums is continued five minutes or more, and when ended, King usually takes up the trumpet and salutes us with “Good evening, friends,” or something like it, and often asks what particular manifestations are desired. If none are specially asked for, King often asks Mr. Koons to play on the violin, the spirit band playing at the same time on the drums, triangle, tamborine, harp, accordeon, harmonica, etc. etc.; upon these the spirits perform scientifically, in very quick and perfect time. They commence upon each instrument at one instant, and in full blast, and stop suddenly after sounding the full note, showing that they have some more perfect method than we have of notifying each performer of the instant to start and stop. After the introductory piece on the instruments, the spirits often sing. I heard them sing. The spirits spoke to us, requesting us to remain perfectly silent. Presently, we heard human voices singing, apparently in the distance, so as to be scarcely distinguishable; the sounds gradually increased, each part relatively, until it appeared as if a full choir of human voices were in our small room, singing most exquisitely. I think I never heard such perfect harmony; each part was performed with strict attention to its relative degree of sound or force. There was none of that flopping, floundering, ranting, and shrieking which constitutes the staple of what is latterly called music; harmony, rather than noise, seemed to constitute the spirits’ song. So captivating was it, that the heartstrings seemed to relax or to increase their tension, to accord with the heavenly harmony. It seems to me that no person could sit in that sanctuary without feeling the song of “Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, and good-will to man,” spontaneously rising in the bosom, and finding expression on the lip. I don’t know that the spirits attempted to utter words with their song; if they did, they succeeded in this particular no better than modern singers. But it was hardly necessary for the spirits to articulate, for every strain and modulation seemed pregnant with holy sentiments, and language could scarcely signify more. After this vocal performance, several pieces of quick music were performed by the spirits on the several instruments. They play faster than mortals usually do, and in most perfect time throughout. If any instrument gets out of chord, they tune it; they tuned the violin in my presence, and did it rapidly and skilfully.

1529. Spirits reconstruct their physical bodies, or portions of them, from similar elements, apparently, as those which constitute our mortal bodies. Spirits’ hands and arms were reorganized in our presence, on several of these occasions; and that we might see the more distinctly, they sometimes wet their hands with a weak solution of phosphorus, (which Mr. Koons prepared some time previous by their request,) which emits a light, so that their hands can be almost as distinctly seen in a dark room as they could be if the room were light. At one of these circles which I attended, there were three hands which had been covered with this solution of phosphorus, and we all saw them passing swiftly around the room, over our heads, carrying the instruments, and playing upon the violin, accordeon, triangle, harmonica, and tamborine, and all keeping perfect time. These instruments were moved so swiftly and near the faces of the audience,—our own among them,—that we felt the cool atmospheric current as distinctly as we do that produced by a fan. Several of the company in different parts of the room remarked that they not only felt this disturbance of the air, but heard it, and distinctly saw the hand and instrument pass close to their faces. Several of us requested the spirits to place these instruments in our hands, or touch us on our heads or other parts of our bodies; and in most cases it was instantly done. I held up my hands, and requested the spirits to beat time with the tamborine on my hands. They did so, and gave me more than I asked for, by striking my knees, hands, and head in a similar manner. I have seen the tamborine players in the minstrel bands of New York; I have seen the best performers in the country; but they cannot perform equal to these spirits. The perfect time and the rapidity with which they beat are truly surprising.

1530. Spirit hands with phosphorus upon them passed around the room, opening and shutting, and exhibiting them in various ways and positions which no mortal hand could assume or occupy—demonstrating them to be veritable spirit hands, physically organized. The phosphorescent illumination from these hands was so distinct, that it occurred to me I could see to read by it; and I took a pamphlet from my pocket, and asked the spirit to place the hand over it, that I might see if I could read by the light. The spirit did so, when I at once perceived that I held the pamphlet wrong end up. I turned it, and could read. The members of the circle remarked that they could see very plainly my hands, face, and the pamphlet I held, and as distinctly could see the spirit’s hand and a portion of the arm. I then put out my hands, and asked the spirits to shake hands with me; they did so almost instantly. I then asked them to let me examine their hands, and they placed them in mine, and I looked at them and felt them until I was entirely satisfied. Others asked the same favour, and it was readily granted them. These spirit hands appeared to be reorganized from the same elements that our hands are; and, except that they had a kind of tremulous motion, and some of them being cold and death-like, we could not by our senses distinguish them from hands of persons living in the form.

1531. This spirit hand took a pen, and we all distinctly saw it write on paper which was lying on the table; the writing was executed much more rapidly than I ever saw mortal hand perform; the paper was then handed to me by the spirit, and I still retain it in my possession. At the close of the session the spirit of King, as is his custom, took up the trumpet and gave us a short lecture through it—speaking audibly and distinctly, presenting the benefits to be derived, both in time and eternity, from intercourse with spirits, and exhorting us to be discreet and bold in speech, diligent in our investigations, faithful to the responsibilities which these privileges impose, charitable toward those who are in ignorance and error, tempering our zeal with wisdom; and finally closing with a benediction.

1532. I am aware that these facts so much transcend the ordinary experience of mortals, that few persons can accept them as true on any amount of human testimony. I obtained the addresses of the following named persons, and hope they will excuse me for the liberty I take in referring to them in this connection, for the confirmation of my statements. They were present at some or all the circles which I attended, when these manifestations occurred: R. I. Butterfield, Cleveland, Ohio; William D. Young, Covington, Ind.; George and David Brier, Rainsville, Ind.; David Edger and daughter, Mercer co., Pa.; S. Van Sickle, Delaware, O.; S. T. Dean, Andrew Ogg, and Geo. Walker and son, Amesville, O.; Azel Johnson, Millfield, O.; W. S. Watkins, New York; Thomas Morris and wife, Dover, O.; Dr. Geo. Carpenter, Athens, O.; Thomas White, Mount Pleasant, O. Many other persons were present, whose names I did not learn.

Charles Partridge.

Experience of the Hon. N. P. Tallmadge.

1533. The following communication from Governor Tallmadge to Mrs. Sarah H. Whitman, of Providence, R. I., has been in print for some time, and came out early, when Spiritualism had made too little impression to be duly appreciated. I for one, at the period of its first publication, could not realize it. But the public are now better prepared, and it may be repeated with advantage. Besides, this work is made for the uninformed and incredulous, rather than for those who have been heretofore converted, and who are familiar with the earliest manifestations.

Baltimore, Tuesday, April 12, 1853.

1534. Dear Madam: I seize a few leisure moments, while detained here a short time on business, to give you a more extended account of the “Physical Manifestations” to which I alluded in a former letter. In this account, I shall confine myself to those which purport to come from the spirit of John C. Calhoun.

1535. I have received numerous communications from him, from the commencement of my investigation of this subject down to the present time. Those communications have been received through rapping mediums, writing mediums, and speaking mediums. They are of the most extraordinary character. In style and sentiment, they would do honour to him in his best days on earth.

1536. After the arrival of the Misses Fox in Washington City, in February last, I called on them by appointment, and, at once, received a communication from Calhoun. I then wrote down and propounded mentally the following question:

1537. “Can you do any thing (meaning physical manifestations) to confirm me in the truth of these revelations, and to remove from my mind the least shadow of unbelief?” To which I received the following answer:

1538. “I will give you a communication on Monday, at half-past seven o’clock. Do not fail to be here. I will then give you an explanation.

“John C. Calhoun.”

1539. It is proper here to remark, that all the communications referred to in this letter, were made by Calhoun after a call for the alphabet, and were rapped out, letter by letter, and taken down by me in the usual way. They were made in the presence of the Misses Fox and their mother. I called on Monday at the hour appointed, and received the following communication:

1540. “My friend, the question is often put to you, ‘What good can result from these manifestations?’ I will answer it. It is to draw mankind together in harmony, and convince skeptics of the immortality of the soul.

John C. Calhoun.”

1541. This reminds me that, in 1850, at Bridgeport, in the presence of other mediums, among many questions put and answers received, were the following, the answer purporting to come from W. E. Channing:

1542. Q. What do spirits propose to accomplish by these new manifestations? A. To unite mankind, and to convince skeptical minds of the immortality of the soul.

1543. The coincidence in sentiment of the answer of J. C. Calhoun and W. E. Channing, in regard to the object of these manifestations, is remarkable, and worthy of particular notice. The concurrence of two such great minds, whether in or out of the body, on a subject so engrossing, cannot fail to command the attention of every admirer of exalted intellect and moral purity.

1544. During the above communication of Calhoun, the table moved occasionally, perhaps a foot, first one way and then the other. After the communication closed, we all moved back from the table, from two to four feet, so that no one touched the table. Suddenly the table moved from the position it occupied some three or four feet, rested a few moments, and then moved back to its original position. Then it again moved as far the other way, and returned to the place it started from. One side of the table was then raised, and stood for a few moments at an angle of about thirty-five degrees, and then again rested on the floor as usual.

1545. The table was a large, heavy, round table, at which ten or a dozen persons might be seated at dinner. During all these movements no person touched the table, nor was any one near it. After seeing it raised in the manner above mentioned, I had the curiosity to test its weight by raising it myself. I accordingly took my seat by it, placed my hands under the leaf, and exerted as much force as I was capable of in that sitting posture, and could not raise it a particle from the floor. I then stood up in the best possible position to exert the greatest force, took hold of the leaf, and still could not raise it with all the strength I could apply. I then requested the three ladies to take hold around the table, and try altogether to lift it. We lifted upon it until the leaf and top began to crack, and did not raise it a particle. We then desisted, fearing we should break the table. I then said, “Will the spirits permit me to raise the table?” I took hold alone and raised it without difficulty. After this, the following conversation ensued:

1546. Q. Can you raise the table entirely from the floor? A. Yes.

1547. Q. Will you raise me with it? A. Yes. Get me the square table.

1548. The square table was of cherry, with four legs—a large-sized tea-table. It was brought out and substituted for the round one, the leaves being raised. I took my seat on the centre; the three ladies sat at the sides and end, their hands and arms resting upon it. This, of course, added to the weight to be raised—namely, my own weight and the weight of the table. Two legs of the table were then raised about six inches from the floor, and then the other two were raised to a level of the first, so that the whole table was suspended in the air about six inches above the floor. While thus seated on it, I could feel a gentle vibratory motion, as if floating in the atmosphere. After being thus suspended in the air for a few moments, the table was gently let down again to the floor!

1549. Some pretend to say, that these physical manifestations are made by electricity! I should like to know by what laws of electricity known to us, a table is at one time riveted, as it were, to the floor, against all the force that could be exerted to raise it; and at another time raised entirely from the floor, with more than two hundred pounds weight upon it?

1550. At a subsequent meeting, Calhoun directed me to bring three bells and a guitar. I brought them accordingly. The bells were of different sizes—the largest like a small-sized dinner-bell. He directed a drawer to be put under the square table. I put under a bureau-drawer, bottom side up. He directed the bells to be placed on the drawer. The three ladies and myself were seated at the table with our hands and arms resting on it. The bells commenced ringing in a sort of chime. Numerous raps were made, as if beating time to a march. The bells continued to ring and to chime in with the beating of time. The time of the march was slow and solemn. It was beautiful and perfect. The most fastidious ear could not detect any discrepancy in it.

1551. The raps then ceased, and the bells rang violently for several minutes. A bell was then pressed on my foot, my ankle, and my knee. This was at different times repeated. Knocks were made most vehemently against the underside of the table, so that a large tin candlestick was, by every blow, raised completely from the table by the concussion.

1552. I afterward examined the underside of the table, (which, it will be recollected, was of cherry,) and found indentations in the wood, made by the end of the handle of the bell, which was tipped with brass. Could electricity make those violent knocks with the handle of the bell, causing indentations and raising the candlestick from the table at every blow? Or was it done by the same invisible power that riveted the table to the floor and again raised it, with all the weight upon it, entirely above the floor?

1553. Here the ringing of the bells ceased, and then I felt sensibly and distinctly the impression of a hand on my foot, ankle, and knee. These manifestations were several times repeated.

1554. I was then directed to put the guitar on the drawer. We were all seated as before, with our hands and arms resting on the table. The guitar was touched softly and gently, and gave forth sweet and delicious sounds, like the accompaniment to a beautiful and exquisite piece of music. It then played a sort of symphony, in much louder and bolder tones. And, as it played, these harmonious sounds becoming soft, and sweet, and low, began to recede, and grew fainter and fainter, till they died away on the ear in the distance. Then they returned and grew louder and nearer, till they were heard again in full and gushing volume, as when they commenced. I am utterly incapable of giving any adequate idea of the beauty and harmony of this music. I have heard the guitar touched by the most delicate and scientific hands, and heard from it, under such guidance, the most splendid performances. But never did I hear any thing that fastened upon the very soul like these prophetic strains drawn out by an invisible hand from the spirit-world. While listening to it, I was ready to exclaim, in the language of the Bard of Avon—

1556. After the music had ceased, the following communication was received:

1557. “This is my hand that touches you and the guitar.

John C. Calhoun.”

1558. At another time, the following physical manifestation was made in the presence of General Hamilton, General Waddy Thompson, of South Carolina, and myself:

1559. We were directed to place the Bible on a drawer under the table. I placed it there, completely closed. It was a small pocket Bible, with very fine print. Numerous raps were then heard, beating time to “Hail Columbia,” which had been called for. Soon the sounds began to recede, and grew fainter and fainter, till, like the music of the guitar, they died away in the distance. The alphabet was then called for, and it was spelled out, “Look.” I looked on the drawer and found the Bible open. I took it up and carefully kept it open at the place as I found it. On bringing it to the light, I found it open at St. John’s Gospel, chapter ii. being on the left side, and chapter iii. being on the right side. I said, “Do you wish us to look at chapter ii.?” A. “No.” “Do you wish us to look at chapter iii.?” A. “Yes.” And it was then said, “Read.” I commenced reading the chapter, and significant and emphatic raps were given at many verses; and at verses 8, 11, 19, 34, most vehement raps were given. By looking at these verses, you will appreciate the significancy and intelligence of this emphatic demonstration. This manifestation purported to come from Calhoun, who had previously invited us three gentlemen to be present at a particular hour.

1560. In reflecting on the preceding manifestations, one cannot but marvel at the power by which they are made, and the intelligence by which that power is directed. And it would seem impossible for one to doubt the source of that intelligence. If, however, doubt should still remain on the mind of any one acquainted with similar manifestations, that doubt must be entirely dispelled by the account of the manifestation which follows:

1561. I was present, by Calhoun’s appointment, with the Misses Fox and their mother. We were seated at the table as heretofore, our hands and arms resting upon it. I was directed to put paper and pencil on the drawer. I placed several sheets of unruled letter-paper, together with a wood pencil, on it. I soon heard the sound of the pencil on the paper. It was then rapped out, “Get the pencil and sharpen it.” I looked under the table, but did not see the pencil. At length I found it lying diagonally from me, three or four feet from the table. The lead was broken off within the wood. I sharpened it, and again put it on the drawer. Again I heard the sound of the pencil on the paper. On being directed to look at the paper, I discovered pencil marks on each side of the outer sheet, but no writing. Then was received the following communication:

1562. “The power is not enough to write a sentence. This will show you that I can write. If you meet on Friday, precisely at seven, I will write a short sentence.

John C. Calhoun.”

1563. We met, pursuant to appointment, took our seats at the table, our hands and arms resting on it as usual. I placed the paper with my silver-cased pencil on the drawer, and said:

1564. “My friend, I wish the sentence to be in your own handwriting, so that your friends will recognise it.” He replied, “You will know the writing.” He then said, “Have your minds on the spirit of John C. Calhoun.”

1565. I soon heard a rapid movement of the pencil on the paper, and a rustling of the paper, together with a movement of the drawer. I was then directed to look under the drawer. I looked, and found my pencil outside of the drawer, near my feet, but found no paper on the drawer where I placed it. On raising up the drawer, I discovered the paper all under it. The sheets were a little deranged, and on examining, I found on the outside sheet these words: “I’m with you still.”

1566. I afterward showed the “sentence” to General James Hamilton, former Governor of South Carolina, General Waddy Thompson, former Minister to Mexico, General Robert B. Campbell, late Consul at Havana, together with other intimate friends of Calhoun, and also to one of his sons, all of whom are as well acquainted with his handwriting as their own; and they all pronounced it to be a perfect fac simile of the handwriting of John C. Calhoun.

1567. General Hamilton stated a fact, in connection with this writing, of great significance. He says that Calhoun was in the habit of writing “I’m,” for “I am,” and that he has numerous letters from him where the abbreviation is thus used.

1568. Mrs. General Macomb has stated the same fact to me. She says that her husband, the late General Macomb, has shown to her Calhoun’s letters to him, where this abbreviation “I’m” was used for “I am,” and spoke of it as a peculiarity of Calhoun.

1569. How significant, then, does this fact become! We have not only the most unequivocal testimony to the handwriting itself, but, lest any skeptic should suggest the possibility of an imitation or a counterfeit, this abbreviation, peculiar to himself, and known only to his most intimate friends, and which no imitator or counterfeiter could know, is introduced by way of putting such a suggestion to flight forever.

1570. This “sentence” is perfectly characteristic of Calhoun. It contains his terseness of style, and his condensation of thought. It is a text from which volumes might be written. It proves—1. The immortality of the soul; 2. The power of spirits to revisit the earth; 3. Their ability to communicate with relatives and friends; and, 4. The identity of the spirit to all eternity.

1571. How one’s soul expands with these sublime connections! How resistless is this testimony of their truth! How surprising that men can doubt, when this flood of living light is poured upon them by spirits who, in the language of Webster, “revel in the glory of the eternal light of God.”

Very truly yours, N. P. Tallmadge. Mrs. Sarah Helen Whitman, Providence, R. I.

Letter from Mr. D. H. Hume.—Spiritualism in London.

1572. The author of the letter which comes under this head has already been introduced to the readers of this work, in giving an account of the manifestations observed through his mediumship, (393.)

Ealing Villa, near London, July 26, 1855.

1573. * * * In London I found but a limited number, comparatively speaking, who possess any intelligent or rational idea of the spiritual philosophy. The subject has not made any great advance here; but those who are investigating include in their number some of the best minds of England. The first call I received was from Sir Charles E. Ischam, who has proved a most excellent friend to me. A day or two after this I received an invitation from Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton to visit him at his country-seat at Knebworth. I accepted his invitation, and had an interesting and delightful visit.

1574. I was deeply interested in Sir Edward, who is, by birth, education, and mind, a most superior person. His love of the beautiful, in nature and art, but especially in nature, is manifested at every part of his wide domain. Knebworth was originally built by a follower of the Conqueror, and was, in the year of the Armada, occupied by Queen Elizabeth. The state-room contains the bed upon which her majesty slept. It has rich velvet hangings—the same which shaded the slumbers of Queen Bess. The room of the extensive library contains the oak table at which Cromwell, Pym & Co. sat while planning the rebellion. * * * We had some manifestations at our seances almost as good as those we had at-—- ‘s in your place. The spirits showed their presence in the same palpable way, by presenting tangible hands, shaking hands, &c., and Sir Edward “acknowledges the corn,” to use a Yankee vulgarism. He is much interested in the subject, and has bestowed no small share of thought upon the matter.

1575. I have also had the pleasure of being presented to the Marchioness of H-—-s, Baroness G-—-y R-—-n. She is a highly intellectual and altogether charming lady, who possesses much native refinement and a fearless desire to learn and follow the TRUTH. I met, too, the Earl of E-—-e and the Marquis of C-—-e, at one of our circles a few evenings since. A most kind friend I also found in the Vicomte de St. Amirro, Chargé d’Affaires from Brazil, who has given me valuable letters to France. I am to meet him and his lady (both investigators) the coming autumn at the Neapolitan court.

1576. I enclose a paragraph from one of the London journals, giving a sketch of an interview I had with Lord Brougham and Sir David Brewster. The latter, as you are well aware, wrote that article in the Edinburgh Review, some months ago, in which he argued against the existence of spirit agency in the production of the manifestations, and in which he denounced the whole matter, in the bitterest terms, as a delusion and an imposition. His article has been eagerly and widely quoted by the opponents of Spiritualism on both sides of the Atlantic, and its statements are doubtless believed by those who are incapable of appreciating or comprehending the truths which they assail.

1577. Sir David, however, has for once met with a “stumper,” for he has seen and felt such manifestations of his spirit friends as to completely upset his philosophy. He frankly confessed that he is “sorely puzzled” at what he has witnessed, and Lord Brougham acknowledges himself to be thoroughly nonplussed. Both of these noted men brought the whole force of their keen discernment to bear upon the solution of the phenomena; but the presence of substantial, actual hands, and the demonstrative strength of the spirits who thus clothed themselves for the time and moved material objects about the room, proved to be too much of a question for them to master.

1578. Time will not allow me to mention the various interesting sittings I have had, nor the many distinguished personages who have been in our circles during my short stay in London. I am at present enjoying the quiet of an English country home. The gentleman with whom I am stopping (Mr. Rymer) is one of the most distinguished solicitors in London. He has been a materialist, or disbeliever in a future state, all his life previous to witnessing these demonstrations of spirit existence. He is now a believer (or rather a knower) of the future life. The manifestations, so often scoffed at by professing Christians, have done for him, as they have for upward of twenty-five thousand infidels and atheists in America, what no power of the pulpit or doctrine of evangelical religion could ever have effected.

1579. Is not this one fact alone a sufficient reply to the oft-repeated question of “What good does it all do?” There is many a broad-loving soul that, failing in the effort to narrow itself down to the limits of a dogmatical creed, has ended in infidelity or blank atheism; but the number of these is becoming steadily less by the influence of the spirit manifestations, which are to them what the placing of the hand in the spear-wound was to Thomas. Mr. R., since his conversion, has given a lecture on the subject, and will give another.

1580. One thing I will not omit. Mrs. Trollope, whom Americans will be apt to remember, came, with her son, from Florence to London for the express purpose of seeing the manifestations. They were accordingly invited to spend a few days with me at my village home; and, I must say, I was agreeably disappointed in her. My previous ideas of her had not been such as to prepossess me in her favour, but I have become an admirer of her private character. She has none of the stiffness of the author about her, nor any of the “blue-stocking.” She enjoys the realities of existence more fully than any one I have ever met in a circle.

1581. The seance with her was one of strange interest. Her son was an unbeliever, and his mother was very desirous that he should be “brought to a knowledge of the truth.” When at length the light did beam upon his soul, and the chords of his spirit vibrated in unison with the celestial harmonies that ushered in the birth of faith through the shadows of his old unbelief, the result was too much for his stoicism, and the tears of holy joy coursed down his manly cheeks. Her joy was too great for utterance, and her rapturous emotions seemingly too great to be endured. It was an impressive scene, and an occasion of deep interest. There are many such in the life of a spirit medium.

1582. In a few weeks I leave England for the Continent, in company with my friend, Mr. Rymer. We intend to reach Rome in November, where we purpose to spend a few months, if his holiness will let us. You shall hear from me again.

Yours truly, D. H. Hume.

The following is the article referred to as having appeared in the London Journal:

Lord Brougham with the Spirits.

1583. “A circumstance which has excited the most extraordinary sensation among the privileged few who have been admitted within the sphere of its operations, has taken place at Ealing, a village on the Uxbridge road. A young gentleman, named Hume, a native of Scotland, but who has resided for many years in America, is now on a visit at the house of Mr. Rymer, a highly respectable solicitor. Mr. Hume is what the Americans term a ‘medium,’ and through his instrumentality some extraordinary and, if true, miraculous, occurrences have taken place.

1584. “The spirits of deceased persons have been heard and felt in Mr. Rymer’s house, and a variety of circumstances have taken place, which the persons who were present affirm could not have been produced except by supernatural agency. One of the spirits is supposed to be that of a son of Mr. Rymer, a little boy about eleven or twelve years of age, who has been induced to write to his parents under the cover of the table, and the writing is, to all appearances, precisely similar to that of the child when alive. Mr. Rymer, who is thoroughly convinced of the bonâ fides of the affair, has invited several persons to witness the manifestations, and among them the Rev. Mr. Lambert, the incumbent, who has become a devout believer in the existence of these communicative spirits.

1585. “Some rumours of the spirit manifestations having reached Lord Brougham, the medium had an interview with the noble and learned lord in the presence of Sir David Brewster, when several unaccountable revelations were made, and even Lord Brougham has confessed himself amazed and sorely bothered to comprehend the description of agency by which an accordeon is forced into his hands and made to play, or his watch taken out of his pocket and found in the hands of some other persons in the room; for such are among the vagaries performed by the Ealing spirits. The house of Mr. Rymer is, of course, besieged by persons anxious to witness the manifestations, and scarcely a night passes that some scoffer is not converted into a true believer in the mystery of spiritual manifestations.”

Evidence afforded by the Rev. J. B. Ferguson.

1586. The following is the summary of the result of the investigation of spiritual manifestations by the Rev. Mr. Ferguson, of the Baptist Church, Nashville, Tennessee.

1587. His sentiments are of a nature to need no recommendation, as they appeal to the head and the heart. He is one of the advocates of Spiritualism of whom we have reason to be proud. It is from his work, entitled “A Record of Communications from the Spirit Spheres,” that this summary is quoted:

1588. “You will now allow me to sum up briefly the phenomena I have witnessed since my investigations began:

1589. “First. I have seen tables and other furniture moved, with and without hands; heard distinct and sometimes loud raps on the ceiling, floor, and furniture of various rooms, which were changed from one locality to another, as doubts arose as to any unobserved causes, to which we would have attributed them but for the transition; have heard them upon my person, clothing, pillow, pulpit, and still have them in almost every serious hour of thought and meditation, and have them near me as I write; and I find this experience to be that of hundreds who, with me and others, believers and skeptics, have witnessed or realized all I here state to be true.

1590. “Second. I have heard, in the presence of scores, whose names are at any man’s command who may desire them for an honest reference, native Americans, who never spoke a word of German, discourse for hours in that tongue, in prose and poetry, in the presence of native Germans, who pronounced their addresses pure specimens of the power of their language. I see, daily, lengthy essays and books written under what claims to be spirit intelligence, above, far above, the capacity and culture of the instruments through whom they are written. There is scarcely a day in which I do not receive such communications; and if a day passes without it, it is my neglect, not that of the intelligence, that seems ever ready to speak when a proper medium can be secured. At home and abroad, in the houses of strangers and acquaintances, such mediums have described the age, appearance, time of death, and the peculiarities of character of the deceased relatives of persons present, and where they could have had no acquaintance with them, and, in many instances, could not have known of their existence or death. I have had meetings of mediums who knew nothing of each other occur at my house and elsewhere, without their knowledge, and to which they were brought from a distance of miles, and which seemed as inexplicable to them as to me, until after some effect for their benefit was secured by their meeting, and explained by their spirit monitors. To prove the identity of spirit intelligences, communicating to me through others, they have detailed private conversations held with me during their earth life; referred to incidents and events of which the mediums could have known nothing; described, accurately, occurrences taking place at a distance of hundreds of miles; answered questions that had been written in my private records for future investigation, months after they had passed from my active memory; stated the state of my investigations of various subjects, with the folly or wisdom, as they regarded it, of my difficulties; leaving me, on the whole, no choice as to whether I would regard them as what they claimed to be, save that of honest conviction or the most shameless hypocrisy. Allow me to say, therefore, that there is no event of history, no fact in mental philosophy, no conclusions in logical dialectics, more fully and forcibly established, in my convictions, than the following:

1591. “I believe, I know, that I have held, and now frequently hold, communion, intelligible and improving, with kindred and elevated spirits, who have passed from fleshly sight.

1592. “You will not be surprised, therefore, at my willingness to risk reputation, the dearest ties of friendship, and prospects of earthly gain and honour, if need be, in the avowal and propagation of this faith, and the results to which it must inevitably lead. God knows, and every intimate friend on earth knows, that I would hesitate, long and seriously, to avow a faith that was doubtful in my own mind, or of doubtful influence for good in my dim foresight, where so much is apparently at stake. I think I may safely appeal to my past life as proof that the dearest personal and earthly considerations have often been sacrificed, where it was thought my action would affect the interests or happiness of others. Know, then, that it is from the maturest consideration of duty, and the obligation that every man owes to truth and right, and especially when truth and right are ridiculed and denounced, that I detail to you these results of a long experience and the most serious and solemn investigations of my life. Willingly, I cannot find it in my heart to disappoint a friend or injure an enemy. And with such friends as in the providence of God have surrounded me, who have proved themselves true and enduring when every form of bigotry and animosity were aroused against my position, reputation, and influence,—with all this pressure of enmity and friendship upon me, you must know, and all will hereafter know, that nothing but loyalty to conviction and a desire to preserve privileges I have learned to esteem above what men call life or death, could induce me to lay these facts before the world.

1593. “If it be asked what good we expect to effect by the statement of these facts, we answer, the spread of truth upon the dearest, purest, and holiest relations of man, and the breaking away of the clouds that gather around the mind of man in view of death and futurity, the darkness of which can nowhere be more distinctly felt than in the asking of such a question. The purity, angelic loveliness, and divine holiness that such a faith, if firmly based, must secure, inspires the loyal soul as with heavenly beatitudes in the contemplation. Its power to restrain and reform; to soften the hard heart of evil indulgence; to expose the still harder heart of bigotry and religious denunciation; to moisten the eye of criminal effrontery, which the hypocrisies of the world have made stern and fixed; to bring the strong man of selfish apathy, as a child once more in company with his brother-children, at the feet of maternal or sisterly tenderness, whose earthly bodies have long since been entombed; to keep down the unnatural separations of families beneath the manly wisdom and fatherly affection of one who claims all as his, and still needing his care; to turn the scoff of godless ribaldry into loving faith, and the shame of pulpit curses pronounced upon human brethren and by human beings, of eternal doom, into blessings of eternal help; to make all, yes all, realize an inner religion, which worships at the altar of eternal truth and unchangeable love. With such aims and prospects before us, to ask what is the good of general, tangible spirit intercourse, is to ask the good of immortality, of heaven, and of God.”

An Exposition of views respecting the principal facts, causes, and peculiarities involved in Spiritual Manifestations; together with interesting phenomenal statements and communications. By Adin Ballou.

1594. The preceding is the title of a work by the Rev. Adin Ballou, of Hopedale, Massachusetts. It is among those which give what appears to me available, well-considered facts and opinions respecting Spiritualism. Mr. Ballou judiciously, as I think, disposes the spirit manifestations under the following heads:

1595. “I. Those in which all the important demonstrations were most evidently caused by departed spirits. II. Those in which some of the important demonstrations were probably caused or greatly affected by undeparted spirits. III. Those in which the demonstrations were of a heterogeneous, incongruous, or derogatory character.

1596. “The following is a statement of Mr. Ballou’s experience taken from the work in question:

1597. “In this chapter I shall conclude what I have to say under my first general head, by referring to a few particulars connected with cases within my personal knowledge, and then stating the principal points of doctrine taught by the spirits.

1598. “I will not go into minute narration or description, but simply mention the more important phenomena I have witnessed. I have heard multiform sounds in the presence of spirit media, purporting to be made by departed spirits; some like the tickings of a small watch, others like the clicking of a common clock, others like the loud knocking of a labouring man on the door of his neighbour with his knuckles, others like the scratching of a hard finger-nail on a board, others like the creaking of a door or window, &c. &c. I have heard the time and metre of tunes beaten out with the utmost accuracy, and by several rappers in unison—not only while the tune was being played or sung, but afterward, without accompaniment. And I am as certain that these sounds were not made by any conscious mortal agency, as I am of the best-authenticated facts in the common transactions of life.

1599. “I have seen tables and light stands of various size moved about in the most astonishing manner, by what purported to be the same invisible agency, with only the gentle and passive resting of the hands or finger-ends of the medium on one of their edges; also, many distinct movings of such objects, by request, without the touch of the medium at all. I have sat and conversed by the hour together with the authors of these sounds and motions, by means of signals first agreed on; asking questions and obtaining answers—receiving communications spelled out by the alphabet—discussing propositions sometimes made by them to me, and vice versâ; all by a slow process, indeed, but with every possible demonstration of intelligence, though not without incidental misapprehensions and mistakes. I have witnessed the asking of mental questions by inquirers, who received as prompt and correct answers as when the questions were asked audibly to the cognition of the medium.

1600. “I have known these invisibles, by request, to write their names with a common plumbago pencil on a clean sheet of paper—half a dozen of them, each in a different hand. To make sure of this, as an absolute fact, the medium was required to lay her left hand, back downward, in the hollow of a veracious person’s hand, both open; when a piece of pasteboard paper was laid on her hand, a well-examined blank sheet of writing-paper placed thereon, and a lead pencil on top of that; in which position (the medium’s right hand being held up to view,) both the hands, with these fixtures resting on them, were placed under the leaf of the table, as insisted on by the writers. After a minute or two, at a given signal by the spirits that they had done, the paper was exhibited with various names written thereon, as above affirmed. This was repeatedly tested with the same results, under circumstances putting all suspicion of fraud and jugglery entirely at rest.

1601. “I have requested what purported to be the spirit of a friend, many years deceased, to go to a particular place, several miles distant from that of the sitting, and to bring me back intelligence respecting the then health and doings of a certain relative well known to the parties. In three minutes of time the intelligence was obtained, numerous particulars given, some of them rather improbable, but every one exactly confirmed the next day by personal inquiries made for that purpose.

1602. “I have been requested by the invisibles to speak on a particular subject, at a given time and place, with the assurance that responses should be made on the occasion, by knockings, approving the truths uttered; all which was strikingly verified. Once, at a most unexpected interview, when nothing of the kind had been previously thought of by any person present, a spirit, so purporting, who had several times evinced much interest in my public labours, spelled out:—‘Have you selected your subjects of discourse for the next Sunday?’ Only one of them, I answered. Would my spirit friend like to suggest a text for the other part of the day? ‘Yes.’ What is it? I inquired. He spelled out the word ‘The,’ and ceased. Wondering at his silence, the signal of another spirit was given. The new-comer communicated by movings of the table, not by raps, like the other. He said that our friend, the rapper, had been suddenly summoned away for a few moments, but would certainly return soon. He did return within fifteen minutes, resumed his communication just where he left it, and spelled out—‘The second chapter of first Corinthians, the twelfth and thirteenth verses.’ No man in the room had the least recollection of the words referred to. So the Bible was called for, when the text proved to be the following:—‘Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are given to us of God. Which things we also speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.’ Struck with the sublimity, purity, richness, and force of the passage, I answered that I accepted it thankfully, as a very appropriate text for the occasion referred to, and would endeavour to illustrate its great truths as well as I might be able. My spirit friend expressed great pleasure by sounds rapidly made on the table, and announced that he and several other sympathizing spirits should be present to hear the discourse, and, if the medium should also be there, would manifest their approbation of the good things uttered. All this was verified in a remarkable manner.

1603. “I have seen a medium gently magnetized and thrown into a trance in one minute, by the imperceptible influence of the spirits, in accordance with their own original proposition, reluctantly acceded to by the medium and her friends; during which sometimes she had visions of the spirit world, and at others became entirely non-cognizant of every thing transpiring in either world. In the latter case, the spirits, as previously promised, made use of her organs of speech, unconsciously to herself, and thus answered numerous questions, instead of responding by the rappings. That these trances were not superinduced by mortal agency, and were not feigned, but real, I am as certain as I can be of any thing not absolutely beyond the possibility of mistake.

1604. “I might proceed much further in the particularization of manifestations coming under my personal observation, but will not make myself tedious. Suffice it to say, that I have witnessed enough with my own eyes and ears to prepare me for the belief of the still more incredible manifestations reported from a thousand places in our country and the world. I will merely add, that I have received many excellent communications from these invisible friends, and scarcely a single one of a light, frivolous, or low character; though I know that in this respect my experience has been unlike that of some others. I can say in truth, speaking for myself alone, that my whole moral nature has been purified and elevated by the influences which have flowed in upon me during the investigation of this subject. Others, I am sure, can say the same. There are those, no doubt, who have abused the whole thing—befooling themselves and others in a lamentable manner. What is there in the wide world that has wholly escaped abuse and perversion? Reason, inspired and crowned with the wisdom from above, is indispensable to the avoidance of these evils. Until a much larger portion of mankind than at present attain to the development of their higher faculties, we must expect the abuse and perversion, to a greater or less extent, of every thing in nature. ‘But wisdom is justified of all her children.’”

1605. The following statement of A. H. Jarvis, a Methodist clergyman, of Rochester, New York, is copied from Mr. Ballou’s work. It is one of those manifestations in which the information conveyed cannot be conceived to have pre-existed in the mind of the person by whom it was received:

1606. “There are many facts which have come under my observation, equally convincing of the intelligence and utility of the communications from these unseen agents, who, I now believe, are 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 my friend Pickard is what you desire. He was at my house on Friday afternoon, April 6, 1849. None of the Fox family were present. While at the tea-table, we had free communications on different subjects. Pickard was requested to ask questions. He desired to know who it was that would answer questions. The answer was—‘I am your mother, Mary Pickard.’ Her name, or the fact of her death, was not known to any of us. The next Monday evening he (Pickard) was at Mr. G-—- ’s, and tarried there over night. He there received a communication, purporting to be from his mother, saying, ‘Your child is dead.’ He came immediately to my place, and said he should take the stage for home, (Lockport, sixty miles distant.) He left in the stage at 8 or 9, A. M. At 12, M., I returned to my house, my wife meeting me with a telegraph envelope. I broke the seal and read mentally, first:

“‘Rochester, April 10, 1849.

1607. “‘By telegraph from Lockport—the Rev. A. H. Jarvis, No. 4 West St.

1608. “‘Tell Mr. Pickard, if you can find him, his child died this morning.—Answer.

R. Mallory.’

1609. “I then read it to my wife, and said, ‘This is one of the best and most convincing evidences of the intelligence of those invisible agents;’ and then I added, ‘God’s telegraph has outdone Morse’s, altogether.’

“Yours, truly, A. H. Jarvis.’

“To E. W. Capron, Auburn.”

1610. The subjoined opinions of the spirits, taken from the volume above mentioned, differ but immaterially from those which I have received; proving that information respecting scriptural morals, when properly sought, will be consistently obtained:

1611. “1. There is one and but one God, an infinite Spirit and the Father of spirits. He loves all, and eternally seeks their good by all wise and fitting means.

1612. “2. All human beings are spirits as to their absolute internal constitution, and soon after death emerge into distinct conscious spiritual identities, having bodies, forms, and peculiarities as obviously cognizable to each other, and as distinguishable from each other, as here in the flesh.

1613. “3. All human beings possess certain mental and moral qualities, partly constitutional, partly circumstantial, and partly self-wrought, which determine for the time being each individual’s real spiritual character and relative nearness to, or distance from, the divine standard of perfection. So that each one is in a certain sphere, and in some circle or degree of that sphere, as to his spirit, always, whether existing in the fleshly body or after his dissolution. And if a person is spiritually in a certain sphere at death, in that sphere he finds himself the moment he resumes his consciousness in the spirit world, associated with kindred spirits.

1614. “4. There are seven spirit spheres, or circles,[36] inferior to the heavenly or celestial spheres, and each sphere or circle has several degrees. Man is a being by nature capable of progress, subject to certain fundamental spiritual and moral laws. In conformity to these laws, he may now progress from lower to higher spheres; i. e. he may draw nearer and nearer to God; or, what is the same thing, nearer as a spirit to the divine standard of perfection. But without conformity to these laws, he cannot progress, but obscures and debases himself. Death does not change man’s real character, nor his proper spirit sphere, nor his capability to make progress, nor the laws of progress. No man is in a morally worse state, all things considered, by reason of passing into the spirit world. The worst even are, if any way affected, in a better state there than in the flesh. They whose spirit sphere was purer, find themselves proportionally blessed. Many remain very long in the lower spheres, where, though enabled to enjoy existence in the degree possible at such a distance from the divine focus of blessedness, they are ‘spirits in prison,’ and wretched in comparison with those in the paradisaical spheres. Their existence is a blessing to them even while thus low, and there is no such place or state as a HELL of unmitigated, hopeless misery. Meantime, God, angels, and all the higher spirits, are for ever seeking the elevation of the inferior spirits, by all just, wise, and appropriate means. And no one, however low and sluggish of progress, will finally fail to be attracted upward, obediently to the divine laws, from one degree to another, and from one sphere to another, till he reach the heavenly mansion—even though it take an age of eternities to complete his destiny.

1615. “5. Spirits in the higher of the seven spheres are employed in three general exercises. 1. In religious aspirations, meditations, worship—in striving after a more perfect knowledge of and communication with God—whom they cannot see there any more than here, as a personal being, but only in spirit by faith and intuition. 2. In study, self-examination, contemplations of truth, and acquainting themselves with all useful knowledge attainable by them. 3. In ministering to struggling spirits on earth and in the lower spheres—endeavouring to elevate and bless them; thus cultivating love to God, wisdom within themselves, and ever-active benevolence to their inferiors in condition. Spirits in any circle can descend into all the circles below their own, but cannot, except by special permission, ascend into a higher sphere, until qualified by spiritual progress.

1616. “6. Mankind are by nature one family of brothers and sisters, the offspring of a common Father in heaven, whom they ought to love with all their heart, and each other as themselves. The good of each is really the good of all, and that of all the good of each. Therefore, no one can injure another without injuring himself in the end. All kinds of tyranny and oppression are utterly sinful. So all war, violence, revenge, and vindictive punishment. So all intemperance, debauchery, and sexual pollution. So all falsehood, covetousness, fraud, extortion, and pecuniary taking of advantage. So all pride and domineering of superiors over inferiors. So all religious bigotry, thrusting down, persecution, and sectarian bitterness. So every thing contrary to personal holiness, to the piety which loves God supremely, and man as a brother, whether friend or foe. These reliable spirits are everywhere reformers, regenerators of the world, individually and socially. They are for the reconciliation of all things—for universal harmony—on the great principles of truth, purity, justice, love, and wisdom. And they all predict a better future for the human race here on earth, as well as in the future state.

1617. “7. It is the imperative duty of every human being to exercise his own powers, faculties, reason, and judgment, with modesty, humility, and firmness, and not to be overawed, borne down, or led away captive, by any assuming spirit in or out of the flesh. Every one is accountable for himself, and ought both to judge and act for himself, with supreme reverence for God and his moral perfections, according to his own highest convictions of truth and duty. Thus he should examine the Bible and all books. Thus all human governments, authorities, powers, constitutions, laws, customs, and usages, in church and state. Thus try all spirits, and their communications—all pretended prophets, philosophers, and teachers—all professions and assumptions whatsoever. No one should imperiously dictate, or cower down before another. But truth, rectitude, reason, and the suasion of wisdom, should alone sway the minds of moral agents.

1618. “Such is a fair digest and summary of the principal doctrines put forth in ninety-nine one hundredths of the communications of reliable spirits throughout the country. I have stated them in my own language, as I have understood them. It will be seen that they differ in some respects from every sectarian view of theology, religion, and morality now popular in the world.”

The Hon. J. W. Edmonds’s Testimony.

1619. To those who have not seen the original statement of the benevolent and distinguished Judge Edmonds, respecting his conversion, the subjoined account, taken from the introduction to his work on “Spiritualism,” may prove interesting.

1620. “It was in January, 1851, that my attention was first called to the subject of ‘spiritual intercourse.’ I had, in the course of my life, read and heard from the pulpit so many contradictory and conflicting doctrines on the subject (of man’s future existence) that I hardly knew what to believe.

1621. “For about four months I devoted at least two evenings in a week, and sometimes more, to witnessing the phenomenon 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 upon, on the subject, and especially all the professed ‘exposures of the humbug.’ In fine, I availed myself of every opportunity that was afforded thoroughly to sift the matter to the bottom. I was all this time an unbeliever. At length the evidence came, and with such force that no sane man could withhold his faith.

1622. “To detail what I witnessed for those four months, and recorded, would 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 occurred in the presence of others. I have preserved their names in my records. * * * * * These considerations grow out of this fact:

1623. “First. That I have thus very many witnesses whom I can invoke to establish the truth of my statements.

1624. “Second. That if I have been deluded, and have not seen and heard what I think I have, 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.

1625. “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. * * *

1626. “After depending upon my senses as to these various phases of the phenomenon, I invoked the aid of science, and, with the assistance of an accomplished electrician and his machinery, and of eight or ten intelligent, educated, and 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, secondly, that they were not forthcoming at our will and pleasure. In the mean time, another feature attracted my attention, and that was ‘physical manifestations,’ as they are termed. Thus, I have known a pine table, with four legs, lifted up bodily from the floor, in the centre of a circle of six or eight persons, turned upside down, 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 seen a mahogany centre-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. * * * *

1627. “I have known a dinner-bell, taken from a 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 parlour, and then borne through the folding-doors to the farther end of the front parlour, and then dropped on the floor.

1628. “I have known persons pulled about, with a force which it was impossible for them to resist; and once, when all my strength was added, in vain, to that of one thus affected.

1629. “I have known a mahogany 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 was repeatedly stopped within a few inches of me, when it was coming with a violence which, if not arrested, must have broken my legs.