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Leader (1850-1860), 23rd April 1853, Edition 1 of 1, Page 402, Untitled Article

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      Untitled Article

      It seems generally understood in America that Thackeray will not allow his experience of the Americans to pass away without some kindly or satirical record . They are wincing in anticipation . Yet there is no one who will more steadily recognise their great and unquestionable excellencies , while laughing at their foibles and exposing their vices . On this subject we were pleased to meet with the following manly remarks in an American paper : — " We sincerely hope that the man will write a book about us—a book full of that sharp , discriminating satire , with which lie hates individual and material foibles . The English tourists who have abused and libelled us , have nevertheless

      done us a great deal of good . They have cured us of very many bad habits , and laughed us out of much of that vain-gfcry , that has rendered the American Eagle a more absurd bird than the Gallic Cock . Many of the things in Dickens and Teoliope , pronounced by our outraged vanity libels , were truths , and our manners and habits as a nation , " have been very much improved by the unsparing lash of our revilers . They have checked in a measure the impertinent curiosity of the Yankee—the telegraphic dispatch of the Southerner in bolting his dinner—and the Democratic Western custom of using the tooth brush of your neighbour , cutting your butter and tobacco with the same knife , and making the fiftieth portrait at the public towel of a steamboat .

      " Complain and yell as loud , as we choose , these unpopular authors and their books have done us good . We trust that Thackeray will write a book about our snobs , our literary men , our Historical Associations , and Athenaeums . If we are to be dissected annually by some English tourist , let our tormentor be no obscure hack or half educated cockney—but rather let us fall into the hands of the man who has grown grey and great in ridiculing the infirmities of our nature . ^ If Jonathan is green , savage , rough , and eccentric , he is at the same time a giant ,

      rejoicing in energy and strength not less than that of John Btjil . A man possessing the bold , strong mind of Thackeray , can at once appreciate our virtues , and detect our weaknesses . An unprejudiced work from such a man upon our social and political peculiarities , however humorous and severe , would deserve respect and consideration . Such a man , whilst witty and satirical , would never soil his pages by the coarse libels which obscure tourists heap upo n us in their ephemeral productions . Such a book would possess the permanent value of an historical picture . "

      There is one thing universally forgotten by satirical Englishmen and by sensitive Americans complaining of satire , and that is the intolerance usually felt for minute differences in manners and customs . When an Englishman carries his prejudices and his standards to a foreign country , he does not expect to see them flattered and conformed to . He doea not quarrel with the German , the Frenchman , the Italian , or the Spaniard , because their salivary glands are active , their acquaintance with water

      seldom attaining matutinal intimacy , and their breath usually bearing a perfume of garlic , stronger but not sweeter than the rose ; the men arc " foreigners , " and all is said ! Yet when the Englishman goes to America , meets with a race unmistakably his own , speaking his own language , worshipping his own classics , uttering his own sentiments , and in all essentials comporting itself as he and his English friends comport themselves , then he becomes sensitive to minute differences , just as he would were he to meet with them in his own circle at home . The

      Frenchman and German may spit , as foreigners ; the American who spits cannot be pardoned . It is always so . The Methodist hates the minuter Methodist more than he hates a Bishop . The Protestant is more furious with the Catholic than with the Jew . The Derbyite scorns the Peelitc witli a deadlier scorn than lie lias for the Cobdenite . And this feeling was admirably satirized by Thackeray , in passing down the Strand one day with a friend , who pointed to an oyster-shop , wherein two barrels side by side severally bore the announcements Hd . a dozen and 9 d . a dozen . " How they must bate each other ! " said the sardonic wit : which of course they did .

      Apropos of Thackeray , we may mention that Messrs . Smith and Fii . Dicu have recently published a portrait of him , engraved by Francis IIom > , from Lawrence ' s picture . The original we did not see , but in the engraving , while recognising the fidelity of the likeness , we miss the power and mingled melancholy and humour of Thackkray ' s face . It recals the face , however , to those who have once seen it ; and in virtue thereof we hang it ( n our walls .

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      It is easier to scotch a snake than to kill it , —easier to expose a delusion than to explode it . We did our best with the " Spirit llnppings , " but daily letters inform us that correspondents remain true believers . We print one letter , on account of the grave declaration it contains ; but we print it merely to jjfuunl against the accusation of oncsidedness ; and our doing so must not be taken as ii precedent . . We have already printed more thnn uny other journal would print against its own convictions , and with the present letter we must cease . Dnvonport , March 24 , 1 RH 3 .

      My attention beinp drawn to Mio controversy published in your paper , J am induced , sih a believer in tho truthfulness of the " spirit manifoHtiitions , " and as ono doHiring " to prove all things , and to bold fust tliat which is good , " to send you iny experience , with this wonderful but sublimo Hiibjeet , and , at the sanie thn « , to point out , to you where I consider you have argued on false premises , with respect to tlio replied Ixsin ^ furnished by tiio poisons themselves , instead us represented by spirit friends . Your Gorman correspondent ntatt ? s , thnt the word " Cognoc" was

      foreign to his mind , he believing some word such as intemperance would be used . Here , then , is positive evidence against your theory . Besides , it is stated , in the same letter , that one of the party receiving communication , so shaded the alphabet , that the Medium could not observe what letters were rapped . Hence , if your views are correct , an unintelligible mass of letters would appear . Again , you state that the rappings are made by . the Medium , but that they are not produced with the toes , as stated in the " JZouse 7 iold Words . I was much disappointed , on your admitting thus much , that you did not go further , and give us the result of your investigation , whence the * ' fairy sounds" are produced ; for I opine you could not fail to discover , with the aid of your friends , the true cause ; for , where a variety of sounds , or " rappings" take place , in the presence of many persons , thorough sceptics , and in a room where the Medium was never before , thereby precluding the

      possibility of any mechanism being used , there is a strong evidence of the sounds being supernaturally produced . Concerning the apparent mistakes which occasionally occur , take the following hypothesis , and which is borne out by spirit communication . There are , then , reliable and unreliable spirits . Individuals in the flesh move in one of seven spheres , and , when they die , go into the same circle as when living : consequently , if the party communicated with was in one of the lower spheres , the answers would not be of that sublime character , or so correct , as if of a spirit of one of the higher spheres . We daily meet individuals , who are not reliable spirits , in the flesh , and I assume their position is little or anything altered by death , for some time , at least . If this is not satisfactory logic , possibly the philosophy of the communication received from the spirit of the celebrated Dr . Franklin , inserted at the end of this letter , would commend itself to other minds in

      preference . Now , Sir , I will give you my positive experience , and would premise that I was a sceptic on theological miracles , and , though not a decided disbeliever in a future state , allowed the subject to remain an open question on my mind . The tendency to this unbelief , arising from the miracles mentioned as performed in the Scriptures , being antagonistic to philosophical principles . But , Sir , when I find , at a distance of 250 miles from the Medium I . was first introduced to , and in the privacy and stillness of my bed-chamber , I have had , on several occasions , those manifestations given me , as promised , by a very near relative , who is now in the spirit world , in consequence of a wish expressed , that I should often receive such communications , after arriving at Devonport . I must no longer halt between two opinions , and , therefore , all my scepticism vanishes ; for , without presuming to think that I am spiritually favoured , I cannot but believe that some influence is shown in my case , and , I may truly say , the scales have fallen from my eyes , causing me to believe those manifestations are calculated aud intended to break down the wide spread of

      infidelity , which so notoriously , abounds . Why , Mr . Editor , should we not , at this highly-wrought age , be subject to those " ministrations of angels , " as we are led to believe were caused in darker periods of the earth ' s existence , and in various epochs since ? Some of our greatest writerstake Shakspeare , who continually mentions those presences , ( it may be said being a poefc he had a licence , ) shows his mind to have a strong tendency to spiritual communion . Dr . Home , in his beautiful tragedy of Douglas , writes : — " If ancestry can be in aught believed , departed spirits have conversed with man , and told the secrets of tho world unknown . "

      A mass of written evidence might be adduced—see Mrs . Crowe s Night Side of Nature—where good testimony is given of such spiritual presences . I am now only surprised , since my introduction to this subject , at the number of persons I have met with , who have been subject , at some period of their lives , with supernatural manifestations . I , then , believe , Sir , that , through a highly-developed medium , any person who is devout , and provided they do not sJioio levity , such solemn assurances will be presented to them , a . s will satisfy even sceptics , that they are conversing with spirits , who were once in the flesh . One such communication was made to me . " I have watched you with a father ' s watchful eye , ever since my body was taken from your sight , trying to guide you aright . In all things , do right , my son , and God will bless you . From your father , in heaven . " " It is a beautiful belief , That ever round our head ,

      Are hovering , on angel wings , Tho spirits of tho dead . " You complain that the Doctor , in his letter to you , has not met your argument with anything like proof . I humbly think I have advanced some , totally apart from tho influence of Mrs . ILiydcn . But I do not rest here . I can state that a relative of mine , in town , has discovered , in his family , a " medium , " through whom be has received " spirit communications . " I will now give you what took place during a second seance I had in November last , just after the publication of the article in Dickens' Household Words , entitled , " Tho Ghost of the Cock-lano Ghost . " I called with a friend , in the

      afternoon , but found that Mrs . Hayden wus engaged to go to ji sc ' iitiee , and it waa agreed that aftor her return 1 should put myself in communication . During her absence , Dickens ' s article and its result was canvassed . Mr . Stono informed us lie had written to tho editor , admitting he , the editor , had received unsatisfactory replies , but complaining of the hasto to which ho bad jumped to a conclusion , and of the inference be drew that Mrs . Hayden was deserving the treadmill . Mr . Stono called on the writer of tho article , in the name of the British public , whose lawa wero violated if he could prove bin case , to appoint a meeting anywhere , and composed of various parties , to test tho matter . 1 was informed no notice was taken of this challenge .

      About seven o ' clock that evening- wo formed tho circle , nnd soon obtained very distinct—aye , very loud—rappingn . During the progress of receiving many communications ( which , from the length of this letter 1 will not bo tedious to mention , but many of which could only be answered by ( be spirit , as known to him when in the flesh ) , wo wero surprised to hear a kind of nipping more emphatic in . sound , and / bund that niiothor spirit wished to communicate . 1 hud the pencil in my hand , nnd wrote down tho following : " I do not wish you to trouble yourself about Dickons . Jt was a plan of ours to lielp you in this mighty work . l * ay no hood

      to him , wo will work out our salvation , and all beliovors in this field shall bo duly rewarded . We bavo promised and wo will perform . Faltor not , my friends , God mid angols protect and watch ovor you . " I said , " Plcaso give us your signature . " " Benjamin Franklin , November 21 , Sunday ; " was distinctly rapped . Various questions wero put , ono of which I will (( note . It is thus : " Wo are given to understand from you ( tho spirits ) that we am on the evo of great spiritual changes , and that wo . shall shortly be able to converse audibly with spirits , when tho world is prepared for it . How long before this will happen ? " " Between one and two years . " " Whoro will it first manifest itself P" " In America , bocaueo

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      402 THE LEADER . [ Saturday ,

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), April 23, 1853, page 402, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1983/page/18/