JUDGMENTS OF THE SCIENTIFIC.
23 X
suppose, in fact, that they had declared themselves on the side
of the philosopher, — does he not see with what an lo Paean of
triumph they would have been received? with what a clamor
the philosopher would have denounced all attempts to declare
them not laws and forces, but spirits?
“ Mr. Jackson is of opinion that scientific men are the only
ones qualified to judge of these phenomena, and to bring to
light what they really are. No idea can be more delusive.
That scientific men are the best judges of their own natural
laws and processes, we readily admit ; but in these phenomena
there are laws in operation which they are totally ignorant of,
and which they cannot possibly test by any apparatus or mate¬
rials in their laboratories. Beyond and besides this, they are,
from their prejudices and adopted theories, totally disqualified
for a clear and effective examination of this question. Their
minds have become stereotyped in particular theories, to which
the phenomena of Spiritualism run counter. Mr. Jackson him¬
self is a living proof of such men being totally disqualified for
the free and penetrating examination of such a subject. He
believes in all the phenomena, but denies the conclusions drawn
by the common sense of many millions of men, and can bring
himself to believe that intelligences which can come, and reason
acutely, and make themselves seen, heard, and felt avowedly as
individual spirits, are mere laws and forces emanating from, or
existing in, the persons who perceive them.
“And what is really astounding is, that Mr. Jackson, whilst
uttering so decided an opinion, shows that he has totally misun¬
derstood the nature of the phenomena on which he discourses.
He puts into the same category the 4 flowers, fruit, birds,’ &c.,
‘which form the stock wonders of the circle.’ He imagines
them to issue from the vital forces of the circle itself, and
to disappear and dissolve again rapidly. This may apply to
the hand which appears at the Davenport séances, and to the
towers which were brought by the apparition wife of Mr. Liver¬
more, of New York; but the flowers, fruits, &c., which are pro¬
duced at the séances of Mr. Guppy, and the birds which have