THE SPIRITISTS IN MELBOURNE.

Evening Star, Issue 3047, 23 November 1872, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE SPIRITISTS IN MELBOURNE.

The latest move of the spiritualists of Melbourne does not appear to be a distinguished success. They have imported the American apostle of their creed, Mr Peebles, regardless of expense, hoping to produce something like a spiritualist revival However, they have net effected this, and the undertaking seems to be looked upon as a failure. It does not appear that the “Seer of the Ages ” can do anything that cannot be as well or better doae by our local evangelists of the new gospel. His discourses are as wild, as baseless, ss vague, as flabby as theirs—no better and no worse. There is the same spiritualistic mythology, the same stolen doctiues, the same “goody-goody” moralising, the same scorn of the law of evidence, and the same defiance of the canons of logic. The associate of Mr Peebles, Dr Dunn, seems to be even a greater failure than himself. Dr Dunn is a man very greatly gifted, but to test his gifts you must make him a professional visit. Ho does not exhibit them in public, or for nothing. Ho can do a great many very extraordinary things, but he does not do them before the eyes of unbelievers. He can, when he pleases, hold his hand in the flame of a kerosene lamp, but neither requests nor pecuniary offers can induce him to do it. In fact, the kerosene lamp, which was quoted so triumphantly as one of the evidences of spiritualism, seems of late to hare been allowed to go out. Certainly there are other evidences. There is the poem by the spirit of Shakespeare which was read with reverential accents the other evening. But eventhisfailed to carry conviction. People seemed quite as well prepared to believe spiritualism without any evidence as to accept for evider.ee the miserably imbecile parody of the words of Shakespeare that was offered them as his own composition, and as showing the amusement to which the spirit of the great dramatist was devoting his eternity. Even the committee whioh brought out Mr Peebles and Dr Dunn seems to admit that the experiment on the credulity of the Melbourne public has failed. The members of the committee have deserted him as completely as the public have, and he or they will, it would appear, be at a good deal of pecuniary loss over the venture. The fortunes of spiritualism look at rather a low ebb here just at present. People are no wiser, but they are tired of the old delusion, and are ready for another. All doctrines that appeal merely to the appetite for the wonderful may make a very brilliant hit for the moment, but the base on whioh they rest is a shifting and insecure one, and they cease to attract as soon as their novelty ceases to surprise. And this appears to indicate the present phase of spiritualism amongst us.