MB. HOME, THE MEDIUM.
17, Hanover Square, April 2nd, 1863.
To THE EDITOR OF' THE "SPECTATOR."
SIR,-I have seen Mr. S—, who has just returned from the Continent, and is in ill health, which will account for my writing to explain the fact you alluded to in your review of my book on the 14th March of my historical data as being incorrect. This arises from my having given the incident as occurring in the wrong year. It was in the autumn of 1856, and all the more remarkable as transpiring the year when my strange power had left me. I can only account for this by saying that the young officer mentioned as the friend of " Gregoire " became a medium, and this singular faculty remained with him for many months. This is not the only instance when the same power has been developed simply by my presence. Allow me to thank you for your criticism of my book. In general, the critics, not content with their most feeble attempts to murder my book, have been also most persistent in trying to put my family out of this mundane existence. The Athenteum, with the rest of its incorrect statements, will have it that my child is dead ; and now the critic speaks of a gentleman—query, is it not the "old gentleman 7" he is so well known to be untruthful—who tells a story about'a " spirit " who "wrapped out a message." I think it must, indeed, have been the old gentleman, for he has other things to attend to than good spelling. The story goes on to give a message as coming from my father. Now, my father and child are both of them alive, and well, thank God. It would be advisable for "the critic" to cut this gentleman, for his story is without even the shadow of truth. If such a scene occurred, let the gentleman give his name and witnesses to the public. Surely he would not for a moment hesitate to do what he could in endea- vouring to throw light on a subject of so vast importance, for, if it be a delusion, it is a monstrous one ; but if, on the contrary, it is a truth, then it is, indeed, a glorious one. As yet the critics have done nothing to disprove it, they only give vent to their own personal feelings, and in a few instances, I regret to say, these are simply personal. They do not reason with the facts, and they should bear in mind that those are stubborn things to cope with.- 1 am, Sir, your most obedient servant, D. D. HOME. (Mr. Home's explanation may be taken for what it is worth. Looking at it as a counsel would look at the explanation of an
apparent contradiction in the testimony of an unknown witness, we cannot say that we think it is worth anything. Mr. Home is aware that to ourselves and the public at large he is simply a witness telling exceedingly improbable, what many would call impossible, stories, the truthfulness of which we are willing to test, but have no means whatever of testing.—En. Spectator.]
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