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Iconoclasts are generally welcomed with abuse from devotees . Entering the Temples of Superstition and Charlatanism , they smite the hideous idols from their pedestals , amidst the howlings of indignant worshippers . It was to be expected , therefore , that in exposing the imposture of Spirit Manifestations which America has shipped for our gullible market , we should have to bear hard words and worse insinuations from indignant dupes ; and what we expected we have received . Dr . Ashbubnek , for example , has felt himself personally insulted , and has written an insulting letter , complaining of the " flippant" treatment this " very sacred subject" received at our hands ; but as he opposes our experimental proof by nothing stronger than his own emphatic assertion , he cannot expect those who reason to attach much weight to mere declaration . Dr . Ashburner is not aware of the dilemma in which the Medium
was placed by one question addressed to the spirits , " Is Mrs . Hayden an impostor V For of two things , one : either the Rapping Spirits are the real existences they pretend to be—visitants from the world beyond the grave , —and if so , they emphatically declare Mrs . Hayden is an impostor ; or the Rapping Spirits are not what they pretend to be ; and if so , then Mrs . Hayden is an impostor , gaining a livelihood by the pretence . Choose your horn ! Dr . Ashburner seems to think we have transgressed the decencies , because our victim is a woman ; but we have yet to learn that an imposition must be countenanced because practised by one who—publicly at least—forfeits the claims of her sex in forfeiting her claims on our respect . Dr . Ashburner thinks otherwise . He sarcastically observes that her
Sex ought to have protected her from injury , if you gentlemen of the press have no regard to the hospitable feelings due to one of your own cloth , for Mrs . Hayden is the wife of a former editor and proprietor of a journal in Boston , having a most extensive circulation in New England . I declare to you that Mrs . Hayden is no impostor , and he who has the daring to come to an opposite conclusion , must do so at the peril of his character for truth ! I defy Mr . Lewes , or any one else , to prove the acts of imposition or fraud in the phenomena that require the presence of such a medium as Mrs . Hayden for their development . I have calmly , deliberately , and very cautiously studied this subject . It may please superficial thinkers to treat it as they long treated mesmerism and clairvoyance . The fire from tlie Zoist , the researches of the Baron von Reiehenbach , Mr . Eutter's important
discovery of the magnetoscope , have settled , for posterity , the questions scouted by the twaddling physiologists of this ^ generation . A battle is to be fought for tie new manifestations . I have no hesitation in saying , that , much as I have seen of mesmerism and of clairvoyance , —grand as were my anticipations of the vast amount of good to accrue to tho human race , in mental and physical improvement , from the expansion given to them by the cultivation of their extensive relations , — all sinks into shade and comparative insignificance , in the contemplation of those consequences which must result from the spirit manifestations . I am not now to express an opinion on the magnetic origin or analogies of these phenomena ; I have to declare my opinion on their genuin < fc * liaracter , which I do unreservedly .
However astounding may bo the fact , I am clear that we have the power of communicating with intelligences , only magnetically present , unseen by us , who are capable of expressing thoughts full of the tettdat ^ ist sympathy , redolent of the hi ghest and purest love , and occasionally conveying , through accents of displeasure , the most awful lessons of sublime morality . _ This is a very serious truth , and must and will force its way . Animal magnetic *** and its consequences appeared marvellous to petty minds . The spirit manifestations have , in the last three weeks , produced miracles , and many more will , ere long , astound tho would-be considered philososophei' 8 , who may continue to deny and sneer at tho most obvious facts . I am , Sir , your obedient servant , York-pliico , March 14 , 1853 . JOHN ASHBUltNEK .
We feel comment to be superfluous . Hut as the subject excites so much attention , we will make one or two remarks with reference to the stance in which we tested the Rapping Spirits . We could not , had we chosen it , have had a more cqn ^ plctu circle of proof . In the company all shades of feeling were represented . . Sir William and Mr . Mastkkh were purely passive ¦ ;^ t \\ cy gave the Medium no sort of indication , —no word , no look , no agitation , no lingering of the pencil . Every single answer they received was "erroneous . During the whole evening they could not once obtain right letters . Their uassiveness forced the Medium
to rely on mere guessing ; and the guessing was always unfortunate . In direct contrast with these passive sceptics , we acted credulity , and did consciously what others do unconsciously ; thus we represented this entirely credulous . The result was that we always had the answers we chose to have 1 It mattered not how false , how absurd , how fantastic the thought which crossed our minds , —whatever we determined the Spirits should declare , they did declare . , Our departed friend died in the year 185 f > , ( not yet arrived !) told us her name was one ludicrously unlike what her name reallv was . mirf told im in ti , / , rf . i .. * ,.,,. ,. 1 ., > U ,. \ ,, » . iw > ,, i , i t ,, u her name really wasand told usin sliortwhat we chose she should tell
,,, , , , us . The Greek Ghost was equally complaisant . On first asking her what religious sect she belonged to , we thought of making her say Shaker , Quaker , or Mormon , but finally resolved upon the Jewish us being more piquant for one of the Terrible Sisters ; accordingly , she announced herself a Jewess . The positive and negative evidence thus afforded by Sir William , Mr . Mahticus , and ourselves , was strengthened by the intermediate condition of Mr . Puuckll , who , semi-credulous , received answers that were pretty nearly correct , although he admitted afterwards that ho wus conscious he had ussisted tho Medium in tho way we described .
Now , to any one who understands the nature of evidence , the seance we had with Mrs . Hayden will be seen to be positive experimental proof of an imposture . All our previsions were realized . We had an hypothesis , we made experiments to prove it ; we laid certain traps , and into those traps Mrs . Hayden , unsuspecting , fell . Had our hypothesis been wrong , had the spirits been real existences , the traps we laid would have caught nothing . . Another indignant correspondent , Phocion , evidently a lawyer , tries to " argue the point" with us . We leave his letter to our readers . The only remark it may call from us , is the charge made against our believing nothing except upon the evidence of our senses ; this is a mistake . We believe in many things for which sense cannot furnish the evidence directly —the elliptical path of a planet , for example . And moreover , we find it is precisely those persons who " trust to the evidence of their senses / ' as they call it , who believe in the most outrageous propositions .
Sib , —I have perused with horror and disgust a letter in your last issue headed , " The Eappites Exposed . " Because the Rappites are marvellous , Mr . Lewes concludes they are impostors It was this dangerous reasoning that led Thomas Woolston , a member of the University of Cambridge and a clergyman , in 1737 , to pour forth his blasphemous doctrines . It was this that caused John Meslier , a priest of Entrepigni , in Champagne , to vie with the infamous Woolston in ridiculing miracles . Woolston , amongst other things , denied that a dead man could ever be brought to life , and Meslier insisted , that the devil carrying off our Lord to the top of a mountain , the marriage of Cana , and the loaves and fishes , were all " a parcel of absurd tales . " And why ? Because neither Woolston nor Meslier could understand how such things could be . Woolston and Meslier were not dull men . On the contrary , their biographers say they were " clever , " and " very pleasing in their manners and style of writing ; " but they were obstinate and impetuous ( like Mr . Lewest .
Mr . Lewes will not believe in the Rappites because he does not understand them . He must needs be convinced of every matter ( like that obstinate people the Jews ) by the evidence of his own senses . He would probably doubt that our Saviour turned water into wine , and walked upon the sea , &c . If we give in to Mr . Lewes we shall have to admit that every Christian is imbruted with ignoble superstition . Let us inquire why Mr . Lewes does not believe in the Eappites . He says : — " To show how completely the answers are made at random , when no clue is given , but only a ' yes' or ' no' is required , here are four questions I wrote on a piece of paper , and the answers I received : — " Had the g ; host of Hamlet's father seventeen noses ? Yes . " Had Semiramis ? Yes . ' ' Was Pontius Pilate an American ? No . " Was he a leading tragedian ? Yes . "
Mr . Lewes was determined not to be satisfied with the answers given to him . For my part I confess they strengthen my faith in the Rappites , whom Mr . Lewes is pleased to call " impostors . " First , with reference to Hamlet ' s father— " Had he seventeen noses ? " " Seventeen noses" must not be construed literally but figuratively . I do not believe that Argus had , literally , a Ymiulred eyes , but I suspect he was a person of very wonderful sight . Sydney Smith talks of a clergyman of " forty parson power , " and " the shipment of ten tons of orthodoxy for Ireland . " If we take these expressions literally they are ridiculous . Then , as regards the question , " Was Pontius Pilate an American ? " "No , " says the Rappite . Well , sir , was the Rappite wrong ? Would Mr . Lewes have had her say , " Yes , " I wonder ? How Mr . Lewes would have clapped his hands had she said , in continuation , " and the inventor of the revolving pistol !"
Mr . Lowes is the most bitter enemy to mystery that I ever had to deal with . It is to him " a mystery how Mr . Pureell restrained the convulsion of laughter !" Ho " thought Mr . PurcclI would have a stroke of apoplexy" when he ( Mr . Lewes ) showed him tho above questions . I conceive , sir , that Purcell was too much " staggered" by the impiety which dictated such queries to admit of hi . s indulging 1 in , or sharing , Mr . Lewes ' s profane levity on ho solemn an occasion . JVTr . Jjowch then asked" Docs James miss his children ?" " Yes , " says tho Rappite ; mid Mr . Lowes then claps his hands and snys to the public , " James never had any ! " Well , . sir , and was not the answer correct ? I contend that if a man has no children ( a married man especially ) lie must miss them . If this be doubted let Mr . Lewes ( since lie is fond of Greek ) consult Metrokouxjs—vide tho Anthology . Then , again , as to the death of James— "What did he die of ? " Mays Mr . Lewes .
" Wafer , " says the Rappite . Now , the word " wafer" ought not to ho taken literally , any more than the reply about the seventeen noses . The Itappite should have had an opportunity oi explaining . Suppose Mr . Lewes were to approach a waterman at a cah-stuutl , and Hay to tho man , " ( Jo , quick ! ami get me u li ^ ht for my cheroot . " Tho waterman would most probably reply " Walker , " without , moving an inch , and without any intention of obeying Mr . Lewes ' s command . " Wafer , " with the Rapjiite , may have meant a thirst for something dry , and , as . lames died of drowning , tho answer would not have been extremely inappropriate .
We now come to Mr . Lewes's crowning question— " Is Jifrs . ' Uaydcn an -impostor ? '' " Yes , " nays the Khirit . Mr . Lewes believes the spirit in ( , IiiH , nu <; doubts her in ovorything else , lie wants to contradict his own witness . Tin ' s is absurd , and cannot be allowed . Uui , did Mr . Lewes ask the spirit , if Mrs . Hayden was an impostor with reference to the rapping ' ! W not , I contend the rtpirit ' H answer has nothing to do with tlie great question , of which Mr . Lewes appears to have lost sight ; . If Mrs . Hayden had that evening , when Mr . Lewes made his appearance , politely mniled , and said blandly , "I am delighted to . see you , Mr . Lewes , " her conduct would have fully justified the reply of the spirit , insomuch as Mrn . Hayden must have fell , that Mr . Lewes nml come there predetermined to " smash" tho establishment . To some ox tent we are all impostors ; but what has that ; to do with our faith , or our excellence in any particular branch of art ? Napoleon was an impostor , but he was a ^ real . ( leueral nevertheless . Cranmcr was an impostor , but he was a glorious iniirl . yr nevertheless . I remain , n ' n ; yours obediently , PuooiON . Temple , 10 th March , 1 SC !> .
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Critics are not the legislatprs ^ but the judges and police of literature . They do not make laws—thoy interpret and try to enforcethem . — Edinburgh He view .
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MCarch 19 , 1853 . ] ! THE LEADER . 283
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), March 19, 1853, page 283, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1978/page/19/
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