Weekly National Intelligencer

"Can such things be,

And overcome us like a summer's cloud,

Without our special wonder?"

We do not know how we could more exactly express our sensations on the perusal of the following lamentable evidence of the effects of mental delusion than by the above quotation from a great drama with which every reader of ours is familiar:

FROM THE ALBANY ARGUS.

A Phenomenon.—The editor of the Cortland Democrat, in a formal valedictory, takes leave of that print for another field of labor, under circumstances which we shall not venture to state. We copy his own account of the matter:

"We will now give our readers an idea of our reasons for leaving them, and an account of our future occupation. You recollect perhaps that we gave a notice a few weeks since of investigating the spiritual manifestations, or commonly termed 'spirit rappings,' and that we stated our belief in regard to the 'phenomena.' We have been in Auburn since then; and, upon a thorough and careful investigation of the subject, we have come to the further conclusion that the manifestations are not only produced by spirits out of the flesh, but that they are permitted and delegated to communicate with mortals by God, for the vast and inconceivably exalted purpose of redeeming the world from the bondage and corruption of sin. And, as one of the feeble instruments of God in this great work, we engage our weak talents, our time and our all, henceforth and forever, till the object be accomplished.

PAUL, the Apostolic Messenger, directed us, by means of the 'rappings,' to leave our business in this place, and remove to Auburn, there to commence and continue the publication of a paper, to be devoted wholly and exclusively to this cause. Accordingly we have disposed of our interest in the Democrat, and have purchased, in the name of PELEG S. CORNELL & Co., a printing office located in Auburn, where, in a few weeks, will be issued the first number of the paper alluded to, under the title (given also by the 'rappings') of 'SPIRITUAL AND MORAL INSTRUCTOR.' The paper will contain accounts of conversations with spirits, the history, defence, and advocacy of the manifestations, and articles composed and given entirely by spirits in another state of existence. It will be issued semi-monthly, for one dollar per year."

That the writer is entirely serious in all he says—strange though it may seem—is as obvious as that he is laboring under a hallucination bordering on something more fearful. He goes on to say that he has been converted from infidelity to Christianity, and from a state of doubt to one of full belief, as to the immortality of the soul, "by means of the 'spirits tapping.'"