THE FUTUEE
OF

THE

HUMAN RACE;
OE

A GREAT, GLORIOUS, AND PEACEFUL REVOLUTION
NEAR AT HAND,
TO

BE

E F F E C T E D

THROUGH THE AGENCY OF DEPARTED SPIRE
OF

GOOD AND SUPERIOR MEN AND WOMEN.

BY

ROBERT OWEN.
Truth alone can make man good, wise, and happy.
The first coming of this truth was through Jesus Christ, an inspired
medium from his oirth, to teach the world the necessity for it to acquire
universal love and charity.
The second coming of Truth is now, to teach the world how to
acquire and practise universal love and charity, and thus, not in words,
hit in action, to prove their love to God.
ROBERT
OWEIs,

L O N D O N :
PUBLISHED
J.

BY

EFFINGHAM

CLAYTON AND
SOLD

PRICE]

BY

SON,
ALL

WILSON,
223,

EOYAL

EXCHANGE ;

PICCADILLY ;

AND

BOOKSELLEES,

1854.

[ONE SHILLING.

335.1
Ow2fu

DEDICATED
HOSE WHO ABOVE ALL T H I N G S D E S I R E TO ATTAIN
A KNOWLEDGE OF TRUTH ;

TE MORAL COURAGE TO FOLLOW W H E R E V E R IT LEADS ;

Wl?

MINDS EXPAND BEYOND T H E P R E J U D I C E S OF CLASS,
C R E E D , COUNTRY, AND COLOUR;

WHO LOVE HUMANITY ;

WHOSE ACTIVE ENDEAVOURS ARE TO DO GOOD TO ALL,
AND
TO SECURE T H E PERMANENT H A P P I N E S S OF OUR R A C E .

THE

FUTURE
OF THE

HUMAN

RACE.

IT is not the philosophy of words which is now required ; but
it is the actual practice that will make the human race good,
wise, and happy.
For the human race to become good, wise, and happy, it must
be surrounded from birth with those conditions only which can
produce this result.
This result can be attained to its full and desirable^Ltent,
only when all of human kind can be surrounded with those
conditions which shall train and educate every one from and
before birth—physically, intellectually, morally, and practically
—to the full extent of the powers of the germ or spirit of
each individual; and this is the only mode by which all individuals, including the entire of the human race, can attain the
greatest amount of permanent advantages. These conditions
may be now commenced in Europe, America, Asia, and Africa,
at once; and, with the new physical powers now acquired by
society, may be made rapidly to extend over the world, and
peaceably to supersede the existing most injurious conditions
which prevail throughout the entire of society over our globe,
and through which, sovereigns are among the greatest sufferers.
The first impression upon all people, as all have so far been
trained and educated, will be, that to create such conditions is
impossible, and to place the rulers and wealthy in better positions impracticable. But, instead of being impossible, they will
be found, upon trial, after a short experience, to be not only
possible, but most easy of practice.
I t will be found that it will be far less difficult to introduce
and maintain this change of conditions and mode of governing
the human race, than to continue the present practices of the
population of the world as they exist to-day in all countries.
To continue the present system by which society is governed
in all states and among all people, is now become impracticable.
The aggregate of knowledge now acquired is too great to admit

A

THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RACE.

the continuance of a system of thinking and acting so erroneous
and weak, and so directly opposed to the well-being, well-doing,
and happiness of every one over the earth, without a single
exception. There is not one of our race who is not a grievous
sufferer by the continuance of this system—a system now discovered to be false in principle and most injurious in all its
practices.
Even -the high and mighty of the earth, as they are called and
considered by the deluded mass, are physical and mental slaves
to this system of falsehood and evil, and do not, through their
lives, possess the state of mind and feeling which alone deserves
the name of happiness; for in their position they cannot be
educated and placed to become good and wise.
The language of truth is unknown to these parties to a greater
extent than to all below them in station. Yet until principles
shall be introduced to make the language of truth universal,
goodness, wisdom, and happiness, must remain unknown.
Falsehood is directly opposed to goodness, wisdom, and happiness—yet the language of the world at this day is the language
of falsehood. It is so from necessity; because the principle on
which society has been based is false; and with that principle
for its foundation, the language of truth becomes impracticable ;
and wMi the language of falsehood, the creation and maintenance of good conditions are impossible.
The question now to be put for the calm and deliberate consideration of the human mind is—
" Will it be better, in future, to continue the language of falsehood, the necessary crimes which it creates ugainst human
nature, with the unavoidable miseries thence arising—or is it
more desirable to have the language of truth, with its necessary
consequences—goodness, wisdom, and happiness, now introduced
to all people ?"
Mankind can have only the one or the other of these states.
The former only has been experienced from the creation of man
to this period; but many now begin to feel that' there is something wrong at the foundation of society.
The ull-important question to the present generation is, to
ascertain whether human nature is now sufficiently developed to
admit at once the language of truth and the creation of good
conditions only, by changing one palpable falsehood for one
palpable truth.
With the belief taught to all from their birth, that each one
forms his own physical, intellectual, moral, and practical character, (or forms himself,) and is responsible for what he is
formed to be, to think, and to act, the language of truth is im^
practicable. And until the universal and undeviating language
of truth shall be practicable, goodness, wisdom, and happiness,
will be unknown, and impracticable of attainment.

THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RACE.

5

Neither, while society shall be based on this principle of falsehood, can there be unity of feeling, interest, and action, among
the human race, or charity, peace, and goodwill among mankind.
With this principle of society, it must continue, as heretofore,
irrational in principle, and corrupt—nay, insane in practice.
I t is now to be ascertained whether the population of the world
is sufficiently developed to acquire the requisite moral courage
now to abandon at once the principle which creates the necessity
for the language of falsehood, and openly to adopt the principle
which alone can make the language of truth possible and practicable. It is now known, and is worthy of everlasting remembrance, that until the mind of man shall become dead to the
principle of falsehood and alive to the principle of truth, it cannot be born again. It is the principle of falsehood which keeps
man in bondage to ignorance, sin, and misery. I t is the principle of truth which can alone regenerate man, and make him a
rational, consistent, reasonable, and happy being.
It has been stated in the fourth number of my Review, that the
language of truth is incompatible, nay impracticable, with any
of the religions of the world, with law-made unnatural marriages,
or with private property. As soon as society shall be composed
of good conditions only—that is, of the best conditions, which
men can now create in conformity with human nature, and when
men shall be trained and educated within these natural, good,
and superior conditions, there will not be the slightest use in any
one of these religions, in any unnatural law-made marriages, or
in private property. But as long as any one of these shall remain, it will be an insurmountable obstacle to the attainment of
unity, charity, and love, to the language of truth, and to the peace
and happiness of the human race.
The only rational or useful religion is, to increase the happiness of God's creation Man can do no other good to God; and
it is now evident that he has been created by the Creating Power
of the Universe to accomplish this result. This Power, hitherto
and yet incomprehensible to the human faculties, is too good,
wise, great, and independent of his creation, to derive gratification
from human flattery, or from being told by man what he previously knows far better than man can tell him. A superior being
could not be gratified by the flattery or worship of that which he
had created—it would be self-flattery and self-worship, and inconsistent with infinite wisdom and power.
To all appearances the Great Creating Power of the universe
is progressing man and the universe to attain in due time their
full extent of happiness. And man will be in possession of this
state of his existence, when he shall have acquired the knowledge and moral courage to surround his offspring with the conditions which are alone in accordance with the nature which has
been given to him; and it is through these conditions alone,

0

THE IUTUEE OF THE HUMAN RACE.

that the language of truth can be introduced among men, and
be made to become the language of the human race.
When law-made marriages shall be abandoned, and men and
women shall have become rational, through the good and superior conditions in accordance with their nature by which they are
to be surrounded, and when the language of truth shall take the
place of the present universal language of falsehood, then will
they know each other's feelings and thoughts, even as they know
their own, and their union and conduct, unrestricted by man's
irrational laws, will be natural and pure, and will in a high degree
promote their permanent happiness, the happiness of their children, and the happiness of the human race; and jealousy, or
counteractions of the feelings between men and women, will be
unknown.
I t is only under this natural state of humanity that the children of the human race can be made to become rational and
superior beings, physically, intellectually, morally, and practically.
Jt is only under these arrangements that children can be relieved
from the evil effects of false and unnatural parental associations,
from the evils of family training and education, and from being
made family-selfish, and unjust to all other families. It is only
thus that a true equality, according to age and personal qualities,
pan be attained. It is only thus that men and women can be
trained and educated from birth to become truly good, wise, and
happy, and that the human race can become superior citizens of
the world, and be united to form one cordial brotherhood. It is
thus only that man can be so trained and placed that he will love
his neighbour as himself, and have no enemies to forgive. It is
thus only that charity and love can be made to become universal
in practice, and that peace and goodwill can be made to be permanent over the earth.
As soon as society shall know how to create good conditions,
and when these shall have been created, private property will
naturally and gradually cease to exist. For private property and
truth, charity, love, justice, goodness, wisdom, unity, and happiness, can never co-exist. The practice of private property is
possible only in a state of low development of the human faculties, and while they are passing from this condition to a rational
state of existence—to a higher development of the superior faculties of our race.
The object aimed at by private property is to give to the individuals possessing more of it than others, privileges not to be attained by their less wealthy neighbours ; and to give them power
to oppress those who are less wealthy.
I t is supposed that the system of private property enables society to create more wealth in the aggregate than would be obtained by a properly constituted system of public property. Yet**
no supposition could be more erroneous. Private property is

THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN KAOE.

7

one of the greatest bars to the creation of wealth, as well as one
of the greatest immediate causes of crime and of repulsive feeling
among the human race. It stands in the way of all great, noble,
and beneficial arrangements for the general benefit of society.
It is imagined also that the possessor of private property enjoys advantages which he could not obtain under a system of
public property. But when this subject shall be fairly opened to
the public mind, and shall be understood in all its bearings, it
will be discovered that under the rational arrangements of public
property, each one in society, without contests or anxiety of any
kind, will be in the undisturbed possession of more advantages
from wealth, and of more happiness, multiplied many hundredfold, than have ever been enjoyed by the greatest possessors of
private property, at any time in any part of the world.
Under a rationally arranged system of public property, each
one will feel himself to be sovereign of the world, with all its
immeasurably increased advantages, which would speedily arise
from the proposed change of system, and which increased advantages would be ever open to his use and enjoyment.
Possessors of what are called the largest amounts of private
property, are continually subject to annoyances of various kinds,
in their endeavours to protect it from being encroached upon by
thieves, robbers, lawyers, or governments, local or general; and
can never be without fears of private or public diminution of i t ;
they must always, too, be on the alert to see that their own dependents are not cheating them.
Besides, it is usually found in practice that care and misery of
one kind or another increases as private property, beyond a certain amount, increases.
But the arrangements of society under a wisely constituted
system of public property, will be so totally different, and so far
superior to the present state of society under private property,
that the inferior condition of mind and feeling produced by this
last mentioned system cannot in any degree realise the extent of
the innumerable superior advantages that would be attained and
enjoyed by the change.
Neither can good conditions be created under any human code
of laws ever yet invented and brought into practice. What a
mass of absurd contradictions are the English and American laws
at this day—the laws of the two most advanced and powerful
nations of the earth !
They are laws admirably calculated to create and perpetuate
crime and misery. And who comprehends them ? No man
living, or who ever lived. The greatest lawyer past or present
was or is the most conscious of their obstruction to the formation
of a rational state of human existence. They always have been
made to oppose nature's laws—those laws which alone can make
man to become good^ wise, and happy, and which alone can

8

THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RACE.

unite him to his fellows in a cordial and permanent bond of brotherhood.
For men to think of forming universal brotherhood with existing laws, religions, Governments, law-made unnatural marriages,
private property, and commerce based on the principle of buying
cheap and selling dear, is a notion too absurd to be entertained
by those who have attained only the first degree of common
sense with regard to the right construction of society.
These defects in the formation of society have arisen from the
past undeveloped state of the human faculties and powers; but
the increased development of the present century has given to
humanity new perceptions, to perceive truth from falsehood, good
from evil, and right from wrong, so that these old defects are
becoming too glaring to the multitude to be continued much
longer. And such is the increased development of the human
powers, that men will not now be satisfied with the little petty
reforms of little petty reformists. The endless reforms proposed
by the religious, political, and commercial reformers, amount to
no more than means to arouse the attention of society to the immediate necessity for a reform that shall go to the root of all
these evils, that shall reform man himself from his birth—physically, intellectually, morally, and practically—and shall thus
enable him to effect at once the radical reform now so much
required and desired by all sound thinking people in all countries.
The " wise" men of the world have taught, that to change
from falsehood to truth, from wrong to right, from evil to good,
from universally repulsive to universally attractive feelings, must
be the slow work of ages, and must be effected step by step
through many successive eras of generations, and wars of desolation and destruction.
This is an error, arising from imperfect development of our
mental faculties. To change from falsehood to truth, from wrong
to right, from evil to good, and from repulsive to attractive feelings, is but one step ; and whenever it shall be made, it will be
accomplished at once, as with every other new discovery and
invention when fully made known. There was no step between
conveying intelligence by steam and by electricity, nor between
the old mode of travelling on common roads and the new mode
by railways. Neither is there any step between falsehood and
truth, wrong and right, evil and good, repulsive and attractive
feelings; and when this step shall be made from falsehood to
truth, the step from wrong to right, from evil to good, and from
repulsive to attractive feelings, will also be made. Truth will
effect this great change, and truth alone can accomplish it; and
yet there is no step or half-step between falsehood and truth/
The world must continue to maintain this wretched system of
falsehood and of counteraction to happiness, or it must openly decide, by the authorities of society, to abandon this system, and to

THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RACE.

9

adopt that of truth, and the direct and certain road to permanent
and universal happiness.
Look at the present state of JCurope, and the general condition
of the population of the world, and say if it is possible that a
sound thinking mind can see the slightest indications, in the
government of any one nation, of common sense in directing the
powers and capacities of its population to attain goodness, wisdom, and happiness.
And yet, see how plain and open is the road, and how easily
and pleasantly it may be pursued, without meeting any obstacle
to progress, much less any cause to stay by the way, or to retrograde, if truth were at once made the foundation of society.
" Yes/' it will be said, " this may be all true, if truth were
discovered; but what is truth, and how shall mankind distinguish it from error ?"
Once for all, there is a mode to be adopted, by which, through
the use of reason, directed by the experience of the past, truth,
on all subjects the most important for man to know, may easily
be distinguished from error or falsehood. The criterion is perfect,
Truth is always consistent with itself, and is in accordance with
all fixed facts and ascertained laws of nature.
" What, then/' it will now be asked, " is the undoubted fundamental truth on which human affairs should be governed, and
the characters of all men should be formed, to secure the wellbeing o£ each separately and of the human race unitedly through
all succeeding generations."
This is the question of questions, and on the true answer depends the future misery or happiness of mankind.
An attempt shall now be made to solve this problem, and
thereby to give permanent progressive prosperity and happiness
to humanity of every colour and in every clime, and, ultimately,
peaceably to give the extent of human felicity to every one from
birth, so far as their created organisation will admit.
There can be no difference of opinion among those who are
permitted to think for themselves, and who have been taught to
observe facts with attention, and to reason accurately from those
facts, that man is created without his knowledge, with all his
organs, faculties, and powers, physical and mental; and that he
is unconscious by what mysterious power this most wonderful,
spiritual, chemical, and mechanical machine has been formed
and combined, and is kept during life in vital action and in perpetual working condition.
This mysterious creating and preserving power requires a
name; and the nations of the earth agree to call that incomprehensible existence God. As then, it must be admitted, as
being a self-evident truth, always consistent with itself, and in
accordance with all the known laws of nature, or of that mysterious power called God, that man knows not how to form any

10

THE FUTURE 0E THE HUMAN RACE.

one of his natural qualities of body or mind, he can have no
rational claim to merit, neither can he righteously be in any
manner blamed or artificially punished for them. All punishment of man by man is artificial, and is opposed to the laws of
nature; for God righteously, and always correctly for the good
of the individual, punishes or rewards every action of man.
But man is born, or comes at birth into this outward world,
with these mysterious spiritual, physical, and mental powers, in
combinations; while each personal combination of them differs
from all other individual combinations. Yet all these combinations are composed, although in different proportions, of the
same general qualities; otherwise man would not be man, but
would he some other kind of being.
It is a law of nature, or of God, that there are certain general
external conditions which are unfavourable to the growth and
full development of these wondrous powers of humanity—physical, intellectual, moral, spiritual, and practical—while other
general conditions are highly favourable to the growth and
development of all these faculties, powers, and propensities.
Experience proves that it is a Law of God that man should be
born helpless, and ignorant of good or bad, inferior or superior
conditions; and that the rising or young generation has to depend upon the preceding adult generation for the inferior or
superior conditions in which it shall be placed for its well-being,
well-doing, and happiness, or for its ill-being, ill-doing, and
misery. And that the existing adult generation has illimitable
power, if it knew how to use it, to create, with the means now at
its disposal, evil or good conditions—physical, intellectual, moral,
spiritual, and practical—through the life of every child that
shall be born. The means to effect this work are, by union of
mind and action among all the sects, divisions, and nations upon
earth.
It will now be said that this union is impracticable; because
it has never existed. Previously it has been stated, that by one
step, and it is now reiterated, that by one step, taken in accordance with the now ascertained laws of God, truth shall be
made to supersede falsehood, right shall be made to supersede
wrong, good shall be made to supersede evil, attractive feelings
to supersede repulsive feelings; and not in or for a sect, a party,
or a country, but for all sects, parties, and countries, and for ever.
What, then, is the little grain of mustard-seed, or of truth,
which shall thus govern the earth, and overwhelm or influence
all of human-kind ?
It is simply the knowledge that man does not form himself,
and that he is not responsible for the faculties forced upon him
by the Creating Power of the Universe, or for the external conditions forced upon him by his predecessors in age and experience.

THE FUTURE 0E THE HUMAN RACE.

11

This is that germ of wisdom, which, in its progress through
all lands and among all people, will bum up error and anger in
man, and cover the earth with consistent and superior knowledge ;
and by which happiness for the human race will be established
for ever.
Man will no longer be made the slave or servant of man ;
science will gradually become his most faithful and efficient slave
and servant.
Already is science competent to be made speedily to supersede
slavery and servitude of man to man. What is its present power ?
No man can estimate the extent it has already attained. It has
the daily growth of a strong giant, with millions upon millions of
arms, whose increase is illimitable, and who is more than competent for all human wants and purposes, when directed by the rare
wisdom now to be derived from the most simple and certain of all
truths—from a truth which will rapidly make all things upon the
earth consistent, and man everywhere to become a rational being,
ever good, wise, united with all his fellows, happy, and in daily
delightful communion with his loved departed ones, and with
holy angels, whose every desire is to progress humanity up to
excellence and high rational enjoyment.
Who can estimate the power and value to-day of science in the
British Islands alone ?
When the writer was born, it did not probably much exceed, if
it amounted to, a power equal to the labour of twelve millions of
full grown men. It now far exceeds the labour of one thousand
millions. Gas, steam, and electricity, have in this century added
their yet but infant powers, under man's individual repulsive
action, to swell this amount. But what is this puny attainment,
compared with that which will arise when society shall be based
on truth instead of falsehood, and when men shall be solely influenced by attractive, instead of by repulsive feelings, and shall
become rational beings ? Eighty years ago, science in the British
Islands had but the power of about twelve millions of men to
multiply its productive power annually. Now it has more than
the power of one thousand millions of men to add annually to
this already enormous amount. It may rapidly be doubled,
trebled, quadrupled; for it is in its nature illimitable in its extent
for the permanent benefit of the human race. If, then, less than
the thirty millions of population in the British Isles have in less
than a century made this progress in creating scientific knowledge and power, what have other populations been doing in the
same period ? And when all of our race shall be rationally placed,
trained, and educated from birth, (which this glorious truth for
the foundation of society will effect much more rapidly than
mortals can now imagine,) what will then be the annual progress
of scientific knowledge and valuable useable power ? Where is

12

.THE FUTURE 0E THE JIUMAN RACE.

the mortal intellect now equal to this arithmetic ?. Can mottal
power, unaided by the assistance of spirits from the spirit world,
enter into the calculations of this immensity of future delightful
progress, and of its endless enjoyments ?
But man is not sufficiently developed to .believe these truths,
His mental faculties have not yet been expanded to comprehend
the good in prospect for himself and his offspring to the remotest period of the earth's being inhabited. The new, now becoming general, manifestations from the spirit world, are to become
universal, and to overcome all mere mortal opposition, and are
thus to progress the development of the human race, so as to
compel all to believe in them, and to abandon all the prejudices
necessarily emanating from a false training and education, and
from the inferior and injurious conditions produced by a system
based on falsehood, and with that falsehood permeating through
all its ramifications over the earth.
The time is come for this change, and, as previously stated,
for it to be commenced at once, by one step both in principle
and practice. In principle, by adopting the truth, derived from
all facts, that God and society create and form the character of
all of human kind, and that society may now well form that
character, by the practice of beginning to combine good and
superior conditions only, upon new sites, leaving old society,
false and injurious as it is through all its ramifications, gradually
to die its natural death, in like manner as the old roads over the
world are now dying their natural death where they are no longer
useful, because they have been superseded- by new roadways, so
superior in principle and practice.
There has been for some time a contest between the principle
and practice of complete independent individualism of man, and
complete or universal association of interests and co-operation
of action.
Both are erroneous; and both are impracticable under the
existing system of falsehood and consequent irrationality.
The well being and permanent happiness of the human race
require the union of these two principles, both complete, yet
intimately combined in one harmonious whole over the whole
extent of the earth:—perfect individuality, and perfect unity of
co-operation, as far as both are compatible with the highest happiness of the individual and of society, and without opposition
of feeling or of interest.
The wisdom of refined, good, and superior spirits, could alone
suggest to. mortals this new view of society—this high order of
our future existence—this final redemption of the human race^
from ignorance, sin, and misery.
But who are to be the agents upon earth to commence and to
carry forward this all-glorious work, for the redemption of man-

THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RACE.

IB

kind from the physical and mental bondage of evil ? The existing authorities of the world, the Churches and States, are the
destined mortal powers to commence, to direct, and to govern in
peace and harmony, this change from falsehood to truth, from
wrong to right, from evil to good, from repulsion to attractive
feelings and cordial universal brotherhood of the human race.
Let those possessing the most comprehensive useful practical
knowledge, make the practicability of this change, to be effected
without disorder or confusion throughout all nations, plain to
these authorities, and they will willingly adopt it, and will
heartily aid in carrying it rapidly into execution, through all the
divisions of the earth; and man shall be everywhere trained,
educated, and placed, to become highly intelligent, consistent
through life, or rational and happy, with no one to make him
afraid in the present or future; for pure love, which will then
pervade all hearts and minds, will reign triumphant, and for ever
will cast out all fear ; and man will be wise and innocent as are
now the superior spirits in the upper spheres of the spirit world.
Man is not made to resist his own happiness. But he is made
to desire it through every period of his life. Therefore convince
the authorities of the world in Church and State that there is
another mode of human existence than the present and one now
easily attainable, a life altogether new to man, in which they, the
present rulers of society, their children, and their children's
children to the latest posterity, shall enjoy greater advantages
and happiness, many hundred fold, than it is possible they can
attain amidst any circumstances which men can devise under the
existing false and irrational system. Ask the authorities of the
most favoured nation to express the full extent of their present
happiness and enjoyment, and when they reply in truth it must
be that their life is artificial, far from peaceful, quiet, and real
enjoyment, and, upon reflection, far from being at all satisfactory.
Our Queen, Prince Albert, and their family, are probably surrounded by fewer annoying or fearful circumstances than any
existing, or perhaps than any past ruling family, and yet, my
knowledge of human nature, and of its feelings under the existing system of falsehood and error, compels me to know that a
day cannot pass with them without physical or mental sufferings,
regrets, or annoyance, which would not be experienced through
the life of any one, born, trained, educated, and placed, as all
would be, under the contemplated, true, new, consistent, and
rational system of future society.
There is a daily and hourly strong inconsistency and glaring
irrationality in the lives of all the present rulers of the earth.
Ask President Pierce, the head of the most independent and
progressive nation upon earth,1 what are his feelings now, as the
legitimate and legal governor of the United States, compared

14

THE FUTUBE OF THE HUMAN RACE.

with those which he experienced when in private life ? His reply
cannot be mistaken. He would willingly return to the latter, if
public duty and the solicitations of interested friends did not
retain him in his post of thorns, And so with the members of
his Cabinet. Their conditions cannot be happy ones. Nor can
those be of any statesman living. Even my old valued friend
Baron Alexander Von Humboldt, who has perhaps more heavenly
or celestial feeling within himself than any other statesman living,
must be often deeply and severely annoyed by the daily inconsistencies and irrationalities acting around him, and by vividly
perceiving how much substantial and permanent happiness is
perpetually sacrificed for the outward appearance of it, while the
reality is poor and meagre, if not positive pain and misery.
This artificial veil to the real misery of human existence, to the
hollowness of a most unsatisfactory life, must now be withdrawn;
all secrets will be made known; all hearts will be opened to the
world; and no motive will exist to hide a thought or feeling
from man to man, or from man to woman, or from woman to
man; because nature forces all to have their feelings and convictions, and whatever God, through nature, forces upon
humanity, is right and good, and for the sake of truth, knowledge, and innocency, should be simply and honestly expressed.
There is neither a bad thought nor a bad feeling in nature, or in
man, except when nature in man is opposed or mis-directed, as
all men have done to this hour, through laws, customs and
institutions, arising from ignorance of their own nature.
Truth, full and complete, can alone make man and nations free.
It will be said by those knowing human nature imperfectly,
that it will be impossible to convince the Authorities in Churches
and States that it will be for their interests and happiness to
change the system of falsehood and evil for the system of truth
and good. Why should it be impossible to convince them of
that which will be so highly and permanently beneficial to them,
and to their immediate and future descendants?
Are they not human beings ? Do they not desire their own
happiness and the happiness of their children ? Do they prefer
evil to good, when they may easily abandon the one and secure
the other? Can they make their own convictions in opposition to
perpetually recurring facts? Have the would-be-reformers of the
populations of the world ever applied with sufficient knowledge
of the subject, and in a proper spirit, to these parties, and failed
of their object ? Never yet, since Governments and Churches have
been established. No would-be-reformers have ever yet dived to
the true foundation of error and evil, to effect a real reform in'
human affairs, or to explain a system that would truly place the
Eulers of society in Churches and States in a better position than
those to which they have attained. The principles and practices

THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RACE,

15

herein explained and recommended are the first ever proposed to
these authorities that they could adopt with safety, benefit, and
increased happiness to themselves and their children.
If Eeformers propose measures that will be injurious to Eulers
to adopt, it is unreasonable in such Eeformers to expect that
those possessing power should adopt them of their own accord.
If the reforms proposed will be beneficial to the rulers,—let the
reformers make this result plain to them, and their reforms will
be adopted.
No parties can be satisfied under a system of universal falsehood and evil; but the Eulers of Society are not likely to abandon one system of falsehood and evil, for any other system based
on the same errors,—and no other has yet been offered to them.
The most prominent persons who have departed this life within
the last half century, who were deeply interested in the general
improvement of society, without regard to class, creed, or country,
were President Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Shelley, Dr. Ohanning, and, for two or three of the last years of his life, His Eoyal
Highness the late Duke of Kent, and I may add, though less
known, Grace Fletcher, the affianced of the late Professor Brown
of Edinburgh, and whose loss to him and the world at the early
age of nineteen cannot in any degree be appreciated, except by
those who knew the goodness of her heart and the capacity of her
mind. The spirits of these parties, all of whom, except Benjamin Franklin, knew me in life, and were full converts or favourable
to the new views which I early in life advocated and published,
have, in the kindest manner, and with extraordinary patience and
perseverance, come to advise me as to further proceedings for the
benefit of the human race, and to encourage me in the continuance of the measures which I have been impelled and deeply impressed to pursue from my youth upward. And none but those
who have been favoured by these manifestations can form any correct notion of the persevering patience, kindness, and unceasing
aid, which they are willing and most desirous to give to those
who are engaged in the work of endeavouring to do good to and
benefit the human race, as one brotherhood and one family.
And it is most gratifying to observe how uniformly they discountenance all divisions of class, sect, colour, or country.
Their object is to permanently benefit all of humankind equally,
without reference to divisions of any kind. They uniformly say,
" D o not dispute with those who do not and cannot yet believe
in these, to them, new and strange spiritual manifestations; for,"
they add, "we will adopt means to convince all, without your
doing more than stating the facts within your own knowledge
and experience. Tile continual increase and reiteration of the
facts which we shall make manifest to the population of the
world, will gradually and peaceably convert all, and compel
them to believe in this new mode of re-creating the character of

IQ

THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RACE.

man, and of re-constructing society over the world." And I have
the most undoubting faith, from the facts which have been developed by these superior spirits, that their statements are true,
and that all they communicate will come to pass. They say the
human race is only now sufficiently developed to receive these
spiritual truths and physical demonstrations.
T intended to reply to the article in the last number of the
" Quarterly Keview" referring to these spiritual manifestations;
but the " dominant ideas" of the writer are so far wide of the
subject, and evince such total ignorance of the confirmed and
undoubted facts on which it rests, as upon an immoveable rock,
that, in reply, it is only necessary to state those facts in a plain,
simple manner, and the spirits will remove the notions of those
obsolete, but yet, with some, " dominant ideas/' from the public
mind.
1st fact. The Media are the electric telegraphs used by the
spirits, and are unconscious how they become such.
2nd. The Media have no control over the spirits, but the
spirits control them.
3rd. The Media know not whether any spirit will come when
they ask for one; or, if one should come, whether it will come
immediately or after much delay.
4th. When a spirit comes, the Media do not know what spirit
it is, until, if to a rapping medium, it gives its own name by the
alphabet.
5th. When the name is giyen, the Media have no knowledge
what the spirit will say of its own accord, without any questions
being asked—or, if questions are asked, what the replies will be.
6th. The Media do not know how long any spirits will remain with them after the spirits have announced their presence.
7th. The spirits express themselves very much in' accordance
with their character when living upon the earth in the flesh.
These facts I have ascertained by close and accurate observation, beyond the slightest doubt in my mind. Whether others
believe them or not is quite indifferent to m e ; because I am
assured, by the most reliable spirits, that they will discover and
adopt measures to force all to believe in them, and in their good
intentions to attain the permanent goodness, wisdom, and happiness of the human race.
I t is time now to come to decisive practical measures, and to
what can be done for the human race, for its speedy development
and permanent progressive advance and happiness; not for any
particular division of people, but for all people through futurity
and eternity. Partial measures, and the little reforms so far<
proposed by those trained and educated from birth in a system of
falsehood, error, and repulsion, will not, if attained, make much
change for the better in the population of the world for many
centuries. Truth for the foundation, expansion of mind, and

THE FUTrjRE OF THE HUMAN ItACE.

17

fearless moral courage to declare the truth openly, are now required to effect immediate substantial good for man, independently of all local prejudices, which must be overcome and
destroyed.
Look now well at the population of the British metropolis, the
most populous, wealthy, and learned in the world, and governed
under one of the best governments by which the nations of the
earth have been so long misgoverned. Inspect each inhabitant
closely, from the extreme east to the west, and from the north to
the south, and what do you discover ? Much more than the
Earl of Shaftesbury has discovered. Humanity, as created by
the Great Creating Power of the Universe, called God, more or
less in each one, but to a great extent in all, deformed and
misdirected, physically, intellectually, morally, and practically.
Look, again, at each of the individuals inhabiting all the
cities, towns, and villages over the world; and then at those
living in all the country districts ; and what do you see ? Equal
deformity and misdirection.
" What," it will be now asked, " are there none—not one, in
the British dominions, or in the United States—the present most
powerful and pet nations of the world, who are not deformed,
physically, intellectually, morally, and practically ? " No, not
one.
How has this arisen ? Through the undeveloped state and
want of knowledge of all the ruling and influencing authorities
in Churches and States. They have not known human nature,
or what the conditions are, or how to form them, in which
truth, goodness, wisdom, unity, and happiness, could be created
with the certainty of a law of nature. These conditions are now
at the control of existing governments, which amply possess
all the means, by the most pleasant unperceived force, to compel
every one in future to become good, wise, and united, and by
becoming good, wise, and united, to become also, whatever may
be their complexion, beautiful and happy.
And more—as the Great Creating Power of the Universe
creates only good faculties and qualities in the germ or spirit of
every one of the human race, provided they are placed from birth
in good natural conditions, or in conditions in accordance with
their nature—therefore, if any of human-kind in future should
be deformed in mind or body, it will be owing to the ignorance
of the governing authorities in Church and State. For these
are truly the cause of all disunion, falsehood, and crime, and of
every physical and mental deformity among men. i\nd if there
were any rationality in human punishments, these parties alone
should be punished for any crime committed by any individual
under their control and government.
It is left for me now to say, that ignorantly-learned men will
continue to endeavour to falsify and discredit these new spiritual
c

18

THfi FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RACE.

manifestations; while by such proceedings they are doing as
much injury as they can to all their fellow creatures.
Either the regular communication, as stated by myself and
others, with superior spirits of our departed friends, is one of the
greatest deceptions ever practised on human credulity, or it is
the most important event that has yet occurred in the history
of the human race. The impression made on my mind, and on
the minds now of hundreds of thousands, is, that they are as really
communications from the spirit world, as the reality that we
now exist upon the earth. And the human testimony in favour
of this conclusion is abundantly more than sufficient to establish
any other previously unbelieved statement, however strong might
be the opposing prejudices.
The British mind is eminently practical, and is unwilling to
allow any matter, especially when of universal and deep interest,
to remain long in suspense, if measures can be adopted to bring
the subject to clear demonstration.
With this object in view I now emphatically declare, that it is
an urgent duty' of all Governments, but particularly of the
British and United States Governments, to fairly, fully, and
thoroughly investigate this now, or soon to be, all important
subject, to its foundation, so as to leave not a shadow of doubt
upon the public mind, after this investigation shall have been
made and officially reported upon by both Governments, and
thus to destroy the delusion, if it be such, or to confirm the
most important truths yet made known to man for his future wellbeing and happiness.
Seeing and feeling its all importance to the speedy universal
Well-being and happiness of the human race, and to the downfall
of the reign of falsehood, ignorance, repulsion, crime, and
misery upon earth, if these prove to be true spiritual manifestations, I respectfully offer to the British Government, and
through it to the United States and all other Governments who
may be desirous of ascertaining the truth upon this contested
question, the means and opportunity of testing the validity of
the communications purporting to come direct from His ftoyal
Highness the late Duke of Kent, President Jefferson, Benjamin
Franklin, and other spirits of departed men and women, who,
when in life, were known to be superior in their respective walks
of life among their associates.
Let the Government appoint two well qualified persons, and
I will appoint two, and let these four appoint a fifth, which
number, with myself and the medium, will be as many as can
conveniently and effectively at one time examine this subject.
The parties will have every opportunity given them to detect
collusion or error, if such there be, and also to ascertain the
truth, honesty, and validity of the whole proceedings, if the facts
shall prove them to be true, honest, and valid.

THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RACE.

19

Those who know me will readily discover that my sole object
in making this proposal is the immediate permanent good of the
human race, having now no other object to attain while I may
be continued in this life.
I shall patiently await the deliberation and action of the
British and other Governments on this proposal.
KOBEET OWEN,
London,
28th October, 1853.

SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATIONS,
From October 12th, to November 7th, 1853.
(Continued from No. 4, of the RATIONAL REVIEW.)

On Wednesday, October the 12th, I had a seance with Eliza
Finch, and the spirit of Grace Fletcher was present. She is a
kind-hearted spirit, and I asked her to tell me what would be
good for my cold. ' You must have some beef tea, and go to
bed. Put a bottle of hot water to your feet. You should not
go out in the damp. Do not forget to take beef tea at night
when you go to bed, and wrap yourself up warm. Good bye—
no more at present/
After this the spirit of H.R.H. the Duke of Kent came. I
asked His Royal Highness what he desired to say. He replied
—•' You must reason with
, and ask him what makes the
raps. Good bye/ I did reason with him before he left in the
evening for London; but no impression in favour of the spiritual origin of these manifestations was produced in him.
Friday, 14th. Had a seance with Eliza Finch for medium,
at 11 a.m. Present, the spirit of the Duke of Kent. * What
does your Royal Highness wish to say V ' You must ask questions/ The day before I had commenced to write a pamphlet,
and I had now two sheets. I put them upon the table, and
asked His Royal Highness whether he saw and knew the contents of them. ( Yes/— ( Is what I have written in them true
and good, and should I proceed and make a pamphlet of them V
' Yes/—' And advocate the cause in the way I have commenced ?'
6
Yes.'—( And publish it as a separate pamphlet V ' Yes/—
' Shall I send a copy of my new Review to your daughter V
' Yes/—"And to Prince Albert ¥ ' Yes/—-And a copy of the
pamphlet when published T ( Yes/—' You said I had a mission to perform T ' Yes/—' Will you tell me what that mission
is T No reply. e Shall I live long enough to accomplish this
mission ?' ' Yes/—' Does your Royal Highness recollect that
you wrote several letters to me ?' ' Yes/— f I gave several of
them to be copied, and the originals have been mislaid: Can

20

THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RACE.

you inform me where I can find them ?' ' No/— ( Shall I recover them again V * Yes/—' Are they with Mrs. B. ?' ' Yes/
—' Should I go to London to direct the distribution of the
Keview when finished ?' ' Yes.—Should I return here again
afterwards ?' ' Yes/—* Good bye/ c Good bye/
15th, Saturday. Eliza,, medium:—and just going to leave for
London with Mrs.
.
The spirit of H.E.H. the Duke of Kent announced itself by
the alphabet. ' What does your Royal Highness wish to say
this morning ?' ' You must ask questions.'—e When Eliza
goes from here, can I have any communication with you V
' No/—' When should I go to London ?' ' In eight days.'—
' When I go to London, shall I again meet your Royal Highness
at Eliza's house ?' ' Yes/-—' When I go to London, shall I be
enabled to obtain your letters from Mrs. B V ' Yes/—' Will
Mr. and Mrs. —. become mediums ?' ( Yes/—' Soon ?' • Yes/
•—e I will not trouble your Royal Highness with more questions
this morning. Good bye/ ' Good bye/ responded.
Thursday, 20th October, 1853. Eliza Finch medium. Spirit
present, the Duke of Kent. ' What does your Royal Highness
desire to say this afternoon ?' (It was between two and three
p.m.) {I have often told you that you have an important
mission to fulfil—I will explain what I mean by a mission. It
is, that each one has either a long or a short mission. You have
had a very important one to fulfil, and have got a still greater
one to carry out. You have got to redeem the human race:—to
show them their folly :—to show them their want of knowledge.
Come to-morrow between two and three o'clock/—' Does your
Royal Highness see the papers of MS. which I now place on the
table?'
* Yes.'—'Do you know .their contents?' ( Yes.'—
' Are they true?' c Yes.'—' Are they good ?' ' Yes/— e Shall I
publish them T ' Yes/—' Good bye/ ' Good bye/
Friday, 21st October, 1853. Eliza Finch medium. Three
o'clock was the hour appointed by the Duke of Kent, and the
spirit of His Royal Highness was there to a minute. He did
not object to the parties who had come in being present. They
were Messrs. Featherstonehaugh, father and son, and Mr.
Capern, Mesmerizer. I asked what His Royal Highness wished
to say. c I should like to speak to you about the human race!
My friend, the human race has never been in a more progressive
state than at present. All they now want is truth. The truth
will make them believe us. Without they can get truth, they
cannot progress. Many are too stubborn to be taught the truth.
You must tell them not to go on groping in the dark. Soon they
will see, and become conscious of their folly. You can ask
questions/—I said, ' I have added more to my MS. Is what I
have written in addition true and good ?' * Yes/— c Should it
be published V ' Yes/—' When will it be convenient for you to

THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RACE.

21

come here again to meet me V ' Whenever you can conveniently
come/—' Will Sunday, at ten a.m., be convenient T ' Yes/
Sunday, 23rd October. I was at Mr. Slater's a quarter before
ten. Eliza, medium. No spirit present. But at ten o'clock to
a minute the spirit of H.R.H. the Duke of Kent announced
itself. 4 What does your Eoyal Highness desire to say ?' ' I
will give you a reply to the Quarterly Review. You must tell
the public, in the pamphlet which you are writing, that the result
of the reasoning in the Review will not depend upon them, but
upon truth and the testimony of the spirits Tell them it is of
no use to waste time in attempting to explain us. Had they
truth on their side, they would not oppose good advice to them ;
but they would examine more, before they became convinced and
opposed these spiritual manifestations. Tell them to pursue a
different course, and to be charitable towards all mankind, and
not to oppose these manifestations without having a knowledge
of facts, lest they should be doing injury to themselves and to
their fellow creatures, who would carry out their ideas. You
must ask Mr. Slater why he does not like my saying that they
should not follow their own ideas/ Mr. Slater had made some
interruption about the word e ideas' which he now explained was
a mistake. While we were discussing this matter, the spirit of
the Duke left us, and immediately other spirits announced themselves. I inquired by the alphabet what spirits were present.
My two daughters (who always come first); my wife ; my father;
mother; brother Richard; President Jefferson; Benjamin
Franklin ; Grace Fletcher. I had with me the first thirteen
sheets of my MS. for an intended pamphlet, and which I put
unopened upon the table, and asked, ' Do you, my dear relations
and friends, see and understand the contents of these MS.
papers ?' ' Yes/ — f Are they true and good ?' ' Yes/—
' Should they be published ?' ' Yes/—' Will they do good by
being published ?' * Yes/ I then asked if they had anything
particular to say this morning? f No/ I then asked of the
spirit of my wife if our families in America were well ? ' Yes/—
' In Germany V
' N o '—' Is it our daughter who is ill ?'
f
Yes/— f What is her complaint?' ' Tightness of the chest/—•
'Will she recover soon?' ( Yes/ I then thanked them for
their kind attentions in coming, and, being rather fatigued with
close application to the previous proceedings, I bid them good
bye; to which they kindly responded.
At Mr. Slater's, 26th October. Eliza Finch medium. Present, the spirit of His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent. ( What
does your Royal Highness wish this morning ?' ' You must ask
questions/—* Do you know what I have written for the pamphlet
since I was last with you ?' (Mr. Slater had asked me for the
last sheet of it which I had written.) f Is what I have written,
(putting the other sheets of MS. on the table) (true and good?'

22

THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RACE,

No reply.—>' What is wrong or deficient ?—' You must get the
other sheet from Mr. Slater.' I did so, and arranged the whole
in regular order* ' Now I can tell you. They are true and-good,
and should be published.' ' Should I add much more to the
pamphlet?'—' No/
' Should I remain in London?'—'No/
f
Can you conveniently tell me what part of the country will be
the best for me to go into?'—'Yes. The Eoyal Oak, Seven
Oaks; and remain there for the winter. Seven Oaks is the best
place you can go to/ 'Should I go soon to Seven Oaks?'
—' Yes/ ' How soon T—' In three weeks/ ' My friends Jefferson and Franklin told me that certain persons in America knew
how to apply the principles which I advocate to practice* Did
our friends mean that these gentlemen knew the details of the
combinations of the new conditions necessary to be applied to
practice to make all good, wise, and happy?'—' N o ; but they
know the general outline/ ' Will these gentlemen be capable of
rendering me much assistance ?'—' Yes/ c Will Horace Greely
assist us?'—'Yes/ 'What will Andrew Jackson Davis do in
these measures?'—' H3 will try to establish a community of his
own devising/ ' Should I assist him ?'—-' Yes/ ' By going to
him V—( No/ < By writing to him ?—' Yes/
< Will Mr.
Barker, who is now in America, and who went from this country,
assist us ?'—' Yes/ ' Are there any females in America who can
give us assistance ?'—' Yes/ c Can you conveniently give me
their names by the alphabet ?— Yes. Mrs. Bell/ ' Of where ?9
—' New York. Mrs. Brown, of Philadelphia/ ' Can you conveniently give me more?'—' Yes. Mrs. Baldwin, of Philadelphia. Mrs. Brittan, of Boston. I will meet you again on
Friday at 3 p.m. Good bye/ ' Good bye/ I replied.
I may mention here that neither the medium, nor any one
present, had ever heard the names which had previously been
mentioned by President Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, as
stated in my Beview, of persons willing to assist me in my work
of universal reformation, or of those females who were now
mentioned by his Eoyal Highness,—with the exception of
Messrs, Partridge and Brittan, (whose first names were unknown
to us)—Andrew Jackson Davis, and Horace Greeley. We do
not now know whether the other names mentioned are the names
of persons who have any real existence; but I have great confidence in the reliability of the spirits who gave me the information, and I await the confirmation of them from America.
I w e n t to the medium at 3 o'clock on Friday the 88th, but a
difference, of opinion between her and her uncle prevented a
seance; for no raps could be obtained. The spirits always
strongly object to disputes of any kind. Their recommendation
is always, forbearance, kindness, and love, and charity to its
utmost limits.
At Mr. Slater's, 29th of October. Eliza Finch, medium.

THE FUTUKE OF THE HUMAN RACE.

28

Spirit announced to be present, His Eoyal Highness the Duke
of Kent. ' What do you desire to say?' I had brought much
new and important MS. for the forthcoming pamphlet, and I
placed it on the table, with the intention of asking His Eoyal
Highness, after he had said what I expected he was going to say
to me, what was his opinion of it. But he at once said, ' You
must ask questions.' I then said, c Do you know the whole of the
contents of these papers ?'—' Yes.' ' Do you approve of them ?'
•—' Yes, yes, yes.' * Should I publish the pamphlet as it now
is?'— € Yes, yes, yes/ f Shall I publish it soon?'—'Yes, yes,
yes.' i Will the Government accept the challenge for full invest
tigation ?'—' Yes, yes, yes.' ' Will you and our other usually
attending friendly spirits assist me to convince the Government ?'
—€ Yes, yes, yes.' On reflecting a morning or two ago, while in
bed, upon the apparent difficulty which some of the spirits had
to make raps loud enough for me, as I am somewhat deaf, to hear
at ail times distinctly, it occurred to me that the sound might
perhaps be better heard through or from a hollow frame or box ;
and before commencing to-day, I asked for a band box, on which
to try the experiment. The raps on this box were at once distinct, so that I could easily hear them. I now asked His Eoyal
Highness if he could rap with more ease upon the band-box
than upon the table ?—' Yes'—emphatically. The Duke had
previously told me that I should leave London in about three
weeks, and go to Sevenoaks.—I said c When I go to Sevenoaks
shall I find any medium there or in the neighbourhood ?—' No.'
' Then I cannot have any communication with you there ?'—
' No.' 'Must I always come to London to have communication
with you ?'—' Yes.' ' Shall I publish the pamphlet before I go
to Sevenoaks ?'—' Yes.' ' Shall I apply for more publishers
than I now have ?'— ( No.' Shall I write any more pamphlets or
Eeviews after the present publications are out ?' * No.'—' What
should I do ?' Write your life at Sevenoaks. I t will be the
best place for you to do it quietly and systematically/—c In what
place at Sevenoaks?' c The Eoyal Oak Hotel/—During this
time the raps were continued in a beautiful manner, expressive of
much pleasure and approval of what had passed; and the raps
not ceasing while I was writing down my questions and his
answers, I again asked if His Eoyal Highness wished now to
say anything to me ? ' f No. Ask more questions/—I said,
(
Some days since I stated to your Eoyal Highness that I was
unable to reconcile man's free-will and the foreknowledge of
God/ ' Man has no free-will; and God knows the past, present,
and to come.'—' Is this the time destined by God to redeem
man from ignorance, sin, and misery ?' * By a universal law of
progression, man is now arrived at the temple of great and
mighty advancement. This answers your question.'—' Will all
the other spirits who usually come to me with your Eoyal High-

%i

THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RACE?.

ness confirm all that has heen stated to day by you/ ' Yes,
Come to-morrow at half-past ten. Good bye/ After the spirit
of the Duke had departed, I inquired if the other spirits were
present/ ' Y e s / — ' W h o ? ' 'President Jefferson; Benjamin
Franklin ; Shelley ; and Grace "Fletcher/—' Will you inform me
what you want to say ?' ' Ask questions/ Putting my MSS.
again on the table, I said—' Do you see and comprehend the
contents of these papers?' c Yes.'—'Do you approve of all
which is written in them ?' ' Yes/—' Will they do much good V
e
Yes/—' Do you approve of my going to Sevenoaks ?' ' Yes?'
—' When ?' ' After you have published the pamphlet/—'Should
I write my life there?' ' Yes/—' Can I have any communication with you there?' ' No/—' Must I always come to London
to have it/ ' Yes/—' How often V e Once a month ; and you
should stay a week when you come/—' Where should 1 remain
during the week when I am in London ?' ' A t Cox's Hotel/
—' But they are in the spring often full with visiting customers?'
4
They will be able to receive you/—' Shall I add your testimony
to the Duke of Kent's, at the end of the pamphlet?' ' Y e s /
Addressing myself to the spirit of Grace Fletcher, I said—' Shall
I send the Eeview and pamphlet to Mr. Fletcher?' ' Y e s / —
* Was the Mr. Fletcher who called yesterday at the Hotel in my
absence, and left his card, a relation of yours ?' ' Yes/—' What
relation ?' ' Nephew/—' Should I call upon him ?' ' Yes/—
' And give him a copy of my Eeview ?' ' Yes/—' Does your
mother continue quite well?' 'Yes/—'Good bye/ 'Good
bye/
At Mr. Slater's/ Sunday, 80th October, 1853. Eliza Finch
medium. Spirit announced by the alphabet, His Eoyal Highness the Duke of Kent. (The prefix, ' His Eoyal Highness/ is
always mine. His Eoyal Highness always announces himself
simply ' Duke of Kent/) ' Will your Eoyal Highness state what
you wish to say V ' Each one has a mission naturally to perform/ Last night it occurred to me while writing down the
previous seances, that I would add a dedication to the pamphlet,
and I wrote a short one, which I gave to
, to insert in it. I
intended to ask the Duke if I should add the dedication which I
had written to the other MS.—but, without a word being said
this morning to any one about it, the Duke said, ' Get a dedication for the pamphlet/—I said, ' Will the dedication which I
gave last night in MS. do ?' ' Yes—Very well/ The spirit of
the Duke then proceeded to say—' Appearances will now yield
to facts—but not so as to improve the world too much. You
must try to come to speak to me to night at Mr. Hoyland's, but
you must not be out late. Go there at six o'clock, and go home
directly after I have spoken to you. I wish you to ask questions
now.'—' Should I publish-two editions of the pamphlet?' ' Yes
—one very superior, the other a cheap edition/—' Can my

THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RACE;

25

present printer, with his materials, print the superior edition, in
the manner desired for the upper classes ?' ' No—but he can
print the second or cheaper edition/—' Should I send the
pamphlet to many members of both houses of Parliament?'
' Yes/—' Will the pamphlet have a powerful influence over the
Government and Parliament?' ' Yes/—' Shall I add to the
pamphlet all the seances which I have had with the spirits since
those which are narrated in the Beview?' ' Yes'—emphatically.
—' Can you tell me if a Committee will be appointed to investigate this subject this year?' 'No—there will not be one.'—
'Next year?' 'Yes/—'When Parliament meets?' ' Yes.'—
' Is it decided when Parliament will meet ?' ' No.'—' Shall I
consult Lord Brougham again before Parliament meets ?' ' Yes.'
—' Is your daughter the Queen a believer yet in the spiritual
manifestations?' ' Yes, she is.'—'Is Prince Albert?' ' Y e s /
—' Who is the most influential believer in these manifestations
in the House of Lords?' ' Lord Brougham/—' Can you give
another ?' ' The Duke of Cleveland.'—' The same in the House
of Commons ?' ' Yes—Peel/—' What Peel ? ' ' Frederick/—
' Are there any scientific practical men believers, who have much
influence in society? ' ' Yes/—' Who ? ' ' David Brewster, and
Henry Butterworth, of the Glasgow Medical Institution/—' Will
Sir Joseph Paxton be useful to me ?' ' Yes, yes, yes/—' And
Messrs. Henderson and Fox ? ' ' Yes, yes, yes/—' Good bye/
' Good bye. Good bye/
At Mr. Hoyland's, Sunday night, same date. His Eoyal
Highness the Duke of Kent. ' You must try to get your pamphlet out next Thursday week. You will find that it will have a
good effect. I do not wish to keep you any longer/
At Mr. Slater's, 1st November. Eliza Finch, medium. She
had been ill, keeping her bed, from which she arose to come and
give the seance ; and before I went, Mr.
requested me to
ask some questions for him.
The appointment to-day was with the spirit of H.K.H. the
Duke of Kent, and at three precisely, he announced his presence.
I said, ' Would your Eoyal Highness wish first to say anything ?'
* Yes. You must tell Mr. Slater to mesmerise Eliza. I will
now address myself to you. You have a paper about which you
desire to ask my opinion.' ' Yes, I have'—and I put a proof
page of the superior edition of my intended pamphlet upon the
table, and asked him if that specimen was as good as he desired
for the best edition of it. ' Yes, it will do very well, and without anymore ornament.' (I had intended to add some emblematic engravings, and this was to prevent my doing so)—' Do
you know that I wrote to-day to Mr. Van de Weyer, to ask for
an interview with the King of the Belgians ?' ' Yes—I know
it/—' Did I do right in so doing ?' k Yea/—' Will His Majesty
give me an interview?' ' Y e s . ' — ' S o o n ? ' 'Time doubtful—
D

26

T H E FUTURE OF

T H E HUMAN

RACE.

but next week or the week after.5—' I have sent a copy of my
Keview to his Eoyal Highress Prince Albert, for him and Her
Majesty to read—did I do r ght in this ?5 ' Yes.'—' Will they
approve of the contents ?' ' Yes.5—e Will the King of the Belgians remain in this country until my new pamphlet will be out ?'
' N o ' — ' Shall I send him a copy to Belgium ?' ' Yes.5—f I
sent a copy of my Review to Her Royal Highness the Duchess of
Kent; was this also right V ' Yes.5
I then said, ' Mr. —— is very desirous of becoming a medium
—will he become one V { Yes. 5 —' How soon V * In a month.5
{
— Not in less time ?'
' No.'—' Will Mrs. — become a
medium?5
' Yes/—In what time? 5 c Uncertain/— c Your
Royal Highness in our last conference wished me to have the
new pamphlet finished by Thursday week. Had your Royal
Highness any particular reason for desiring it to be finished on
that day V ' It was because you will then finish your mission
before you depart this life.5—' Shall 1 live to complete the
writing of my life ? ' Yes.5 — ( Shall I live to see a community formed, composed of the conditions which I wish?'
e
Yes/—-' Is it a proper question for me to ask how many years
I have to live ?' No reply. f I shall be very glad to be with
you, happy spirits, whenever the proper time comes/ Upon my
saying this, the raps were many and long continued, and in such
a manner as to indicate great pleasure and much rejoicing. I
then said, ' I should be most happy to be with you, but I do not
wish to leave this life while I can do more good here to my fellow
creatures than I can do for them in the spirit world/ This was
also approved by the Duke. I then said (wishing to be correct),
' Does your Royal Highness see the questions and answers as I
have now written them ?5 ' Yes.5 ' Do you approve of them
all as they are now written T ' Yes, and meet me here to-morrow at three P.M.5
Wednesday, 2nd of November, at Mr. Slater's. Eliza Finch,
medium (but suffering much pain in her side). Present, with
her, Mrs. Slater and
. At three o'clock precisely the spirit
of the Duke of Kent announced himself. I said, ' Have you any
objection to
being present ?' Some hesitation. (
has
been so far an entire unbeliever in these spiritual manifestations.)
e
Will you allow
to be present, although he is an unbeliever
yet; but I wish very much to convert him? 5 c Yes, he may
remain/—' As I desire to remove his doubts, and to convert
him to become a true believer in these matters, will you assist
me to convert him ?' ' Yes.5—' What will be the best mode to
overcome his doubts ? Will you now tell me by the alphabet ? '
' Yes. When the time comes for him to be converted he will
not try to disbelieve.5 ' How long will it be before he will be
made to believe ?' ' One month.5—' What books should he
read?' ' Spiritual Teachings/—'Would you answer any ques-

T H E FUTURE OF

T H E HUMAN

RAGE.

27

tion now direct to him ?' e Yes/ He was now put in direct
communication with the spirit of His Eoyal Highness, and the
following occurred. He asked:—' Does the spirit know the
name of the deceased person of whom I am thinking?' ' Yes/
—' Will it tell me the name? 5 ' Yes. Susan Hopton/ This
was not the name : and
then asked, how it occurred that
the spirit was mistaken. ' It is because T cannot see his mind
clearly/—' Why cannot the spirit see my mind clearly ?' f It is
because I do not come into communication with your spirits ?'—
f
Why, then, did the spirit say it knew the name thought of?'
s
We do not say positively/
I then renewed my conversation with His Eoyal Highness,
and said, e You told me at our last conference that when I completed my new pamphlet my mission would be finished—in what
way did you mean that it would be finished ?' i You would then
become more prepared for new measures, when that part of your
mission ended by the publication of the pamphlet/—' I have a
written question which I wish to ask your Eoyal Highness/—
' Yes—I know it/— c Is it all true?' 'Yes/— f Shall I add it
to the pamphlet ?' ' Yes/ The question was thus put:— ( I
am strongly impressed with the conviction, in consequence of the
facts which are quite familiar to me, that the means and knowledge, if they were now called into action by the governments of
the world, instead of their armies of destruction, are abundantly
sufficient to make our globe a paradise, surpassing the described
garden of Eden, and its inhabitants earthly angels. That this
change can be effected simply by training, educating, employing,
and placing all, as it will be for the interest and happiness of
governors and governed that all should be .trained, educated,
employed, and placed. But that none can be properly trained,
educated, and employed, until they shall be well-placed to attain
these three results. Also, that neither of the three can be obtained separately/ I then asked His Eoyal Highness, ' Will
the King of the Belgians give me an audience soon ?' e Yes/
c
This week ?' ' No/—' Has he yet decided ?' ' No/— e Will
he give me an audience next week ?' f Yes/— e Shall I have a
letter from Mr. Van de Weyer on the subject ?' e Yes.'— ( Shall
I send a copy of the pamphlet, as soon as it shall be ready, to
your brother, His Majesty the King of the Belgians?' ' Yes,
yes/—' And to His Eoyal Highness Prince Albert for Her
Majesty your daughter V ' Yes, yes/—' Should I go to Sevenoaks as soon as I have distributed the pamphlet?' ( Yes/—
f
Should I publish the whole of this seance in the pamphlet?'
1
Yes.'—c And what occurred between you and —•— ?' e Yes/
—' After I go to Sevenoaks, should I make the writing of my
life my chief business?' c Yes/— f Is the writing of my life
part of my mission ?' ' Yes. Come to meet me here on Friday
at two o'clock. Good bye/ e Good bye.'

28

THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RACE.

All this time the medium was suffering great pain in her side,
and as soon as the Duke had left me, she expressed a strong
desire that the spirit of' Miss Fletcher could be obtained to be
consulted. In a few minutes this spirit announced itself to be
present. I asked her if she wished first to say anything? ' N o /
(
Will you tell Eliza, the medium, what will relieve her pain V
(
You must see that Mr. Slater mesmerises her very often; for
she is suffering very much/—' Should she take any medicine/
* No/—Have you any more instructions to give respecting her ?'
' Yes ; she must keep herself very quiet, and sit up to be often
mesmerised. Good bye/
On the 2nd of November parties had applied to me in favour
of a foreign lady, who was a clairvoyant, and who latterly had
had the spiritual raps frequently, but who did not know how to
make use of them, being ignorant of the mode of testing them
by the alphabet, and being altogether inexperienced in these
spiritual manifestations I appointed to meet the parties at Mr.
Slater's on Friday, the 4th of November, at two o'clock. They
were there waiting when I arrived. The medium, as soon as we
sat down, had raps ; and when I enquired by the alphabet what
spirit rapped, the response was * The Duke of Kent/ who promised to meet me there at this hour, and who, as usual, was
punctual to a minute. I asked His Eoyal Highness whether he
objected to any of the parties being present. ' No/ I then
said, ' Will you speak first to me?' ' No/—but you may now
ask questions/ I said, e Is Madam
likely to become a
medium ?' ' Yes, and a powerful one/— c What spirits will rap to
her first V ( Her mother, father, and family. They will rap
now, and we wish her to try/ She did try: raps were made, and
I was going to show her the manner of proceeding by the alphabet : but she was very timid, and was confused by what the spirit
of the Duke had said. I was going to ask His Royal Highness
some questions of my own, but he said, e The new medium must
have all the seance to herself, and you should not interfere with
her proceedings/ Her own spirits then requested her to play
and sing: which she did very beautifully. This, they said, was
to calm her mind, and to produce harmony among the party.
Thinking that she would be less timid if I were absent, and
having 'other engagements, I left the party; but I learned
afterwards that little more had been accomplished.
On Friday, the 4th of November, at the conclusion of my
seance with his Eoyal Highness the Duke of Kent, I forgot to
ask him to appoint a meeting; but on leaving, at the door, I arranged with Mr. Slater that I would be there on Sunday morning, 6th of November, at half-past ten, a.m., at which time the
spirit of the Duke, immediately on my asking what spirit was
rapping, announced himself. I asked his Boyal Highness if he
would speak first. c Yes—I was with you yesterday, when you

THE FUTT7RE OF THE HUMAN RACE.

29

were with the King of the Belgians.' (I had said to the Kingthat I regretted his time was now so limited, because I should
have been happy to introduce the spirit of his brother-in-law, the
late Duke of Kent, to him, knowing how much they had been ats
tached to each other.)
H e will be/ continued H i s Eoyal
Highness, ' very glad to be introduced to me, and I shall also
be very glad to be introduced to him as his spirit friend.
H e will hear me when he returns again to England.'—' Will he
return soon V ' I n about three months. I do not wish to say
more, but you may now ask questions.' { Did I say yesterday
to the King of the Belgians' what you wished me to say ?' ' Y e s . '
— ' And to Mr. Van de Weyer?' e Yes.'—Should I communicate with H i s Majesty the K i n g of the Belgians through Mr.
Van de Weyer, or directly with H i s Majesty T 6 Directly with
H i s Majesty/ ' Will H i s Majesty have sufficient influence to
unite the Sovereigns of Europe in peaceful measures?' ' Yes.'
' Will he be able to induce them to begin to change this old system of falsehood and evil, for the new, of truth and g o o d ? '
' Y e s / ' Will your daughter and Prince Albert assist to effect
this change ?' ' Yes.' ' Should I put a motto to the pamphlet ?'
' Y e s , yes, yes,' (with great animation.) I had written three
different mottos before leaving home, to submit for the choice of
H i s Eoyal Highness. They were numbered one, two, three, and
read t h u s : —
No. I—6 The first coming of T E U T H , which was to the
extent that the undeveloped state of humanity at that period
could bear, was through Jesus Christ; and it was to inform the
human race that, to attain goodness and happiness, they must
love God and man. The second coming of Truth is to instruct
mankind in the knowledge of the means how to love God and
man, and that that time is near at hand, even now, in our d a y /
No. 2— f The first coming of Truth was given through the
agency of Jesus Christ, an inspired medium from his birth, who
taught that universal charity and love could alone make men
good and happy.
This was as much as the then state of
humanity would bear. The second coming of Truth is now,
and it is to instruct mankind how to have universal charity and
love ; and thus, by making men happy, to show in practice their
love for God.'
No. 3 — c Truth alone can make man good, wise, and happy.
' The first coming of this Truth was through Jesus Christ, an
inspired medium from his birth, to teach the world the necessity
for it to acquire universal love and Charity.
6
The second coming of truth is now, to teach the world how ta
acquire and practise universal love and Charity, and thus, not
in word, but in action, to prove their love to God.'
EOBEKT OWEN.

I placed these mottos unopened on the table, and asked H i s
Eoyal Highness \i one of these would do.' ' Yes.'—' Which of

00

THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RACE.

them ? I will call their numbers. Should it be No. IT
'It
is good/—' Should it be No. 2 ?' ' I t is better/—' Should it be
No. 3 ?' ' Yes, yes, yes/ with evident great approval.
' Shall I add this seance to the pamphlet T ' Yes/—' Should
1 send the finished pamphlet to your brother-in-law V ' Yes/—
' And to your daughter?' ' Y e s / — ' A n d to Prince Albert?'
' Yes. Send it direct to my daughter, not through any one/
His Eoyal Highness then said, ' I wish our writings, through
Mr. Slater' (who is a writing medium,)' to be put in the pamphlet/
(Mr. Slater had some time since written by the spirits several
pages of manuscript, apparently addressed to me, but unfinished.)
I said, ' Will you enable him to finish them to-day ?' ' No/—
' To-morrow ?' ' Yes. Meet me on Tuesday next at three o'clock.
Good bye/ ' Good bye/
At the commencement of this seance, the medium (Eliza
Finch,) had been so ill during the preceding day and this morning, that she had been confined to her bed, and she left it only
when she heard my rap at the street door ; and seeing her so ill,
T was desirous to obtain the advice of our spirit physician, Grace
Fletcher, the kind and ready prescriber for disease. I therefore
requested the medium to continue the seance^ and many varied
raps were immediately made after His Eoyal Highness had departed. I inquired what spirits were rapping; and, by the
alphabet, the response was—My two daughters, wife, father,
mother, brothers, son William, Grace Fletcher, President Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Dr. Ohanning, and Shelley. ' I am
very happy to meet you all together, dear relatives and friends.
Have you anything you wish to say first V ' No, do you ask
your questions/ I said ' Can you tell what will do Eliza Finch
good under her present suffering V c Yes, quiet; and to be
mesmerised by Mr. Kavanagh/ (On inquiry I found Mr.
Kavanagh had occasionally mesmerised her.)
I then said, ' Did you know of my interview yesterday with
the King of the Belgians T ' Yes/—' Did you all approve of
what I said to His Majesty?* ' Y e s / — ' A n d to Mr. Van de
Weyer V ' Yes/—' Mr. Van de Weyer said he did not believe in
these spiritual manifestations; but I told him he would soon
be compelled to believe :—Did I say right V ' Yes/
' Are all my family in America well ?' ' Yes/—' And in Germany?' ' Yes/—' Thank you, my dear relatives and friends, for
thus coming to communicate with me. Good bye/ ' Good bye/
repeated from each, by a different voice of rap—each rap being
unlike all the others.
On Monday, 7th of November, in the evening, the medium,
Eliza Finch, came unexpectedly to me at Cox's hotel, to visit
]\/[r<
} w h 0 being called away to attend to particular business,
I enquired through the medium if any spirit was present, and
immediately the spirit of His Eoyal Highness the late Duke of
Kent announced his presence in his usual manner to me. I said,

THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RACE,

31

' Do you wish first to say anything to me.' s Yes. You have
often asked me how you were to instruct the human race. I will
now explain a little more to you. You must never hold any
arguments with sceptics who strive against the truth, who close
their ears against all you tell them, and say that you are going to
instruct them in what will lead them to a place of torment. You
should simply tell them, if they think their wray should be the
right one, they should better explain themselves. You should
tell them that you do not wish to turn them from their way to
heaven ; but to teach them the right w7ay to it. If they will
listen to you, they will not be sorry for all you have told them.
But if they will not, they will be saying to themselves, iQ Oh !
that I had believed more what he said!" Listen to me, and I
will continue to direct you how to proceed. But now you must
ask questions/—* Has Mr. Slater finished the letter you mentioned yesterday morning ?' ( No.' f Will he finish it to-morrow ?' ' Yes/—' Should it be put in the pamphlet V e Yes/
—( Should I put this, and all the late seances in the pamphlet ?'
' Yes/—' Will it be convenient for you to meet me at the house
of the media to-morrow at three p.m., as agreed upon yesterday
morningT
' Y e s / — ' W a s Grace Fletcher present yesterday
when so many of my other friendly spirits rapped to me ?' c Yes/
—' Do you wish to say anything now?' ' No/—' Then I will
not trouble your Eoyal Highness any more to-night. Good
bye/ ' Good bye,' with very many animated raps.
Mrs. - — • had afterwards, while I was absent, a very satisfactory seance with the spirit of her mother. When I returned the
party were at supper; and soon after, when the media were about
to depart, the empty hat box, (on which I now obtained the raps
so loud that I can easily hear them and can even distinguish the
raps of one spirit from another,) was at hand, and I said, ' Just
try if any spirit is now present with us/ The media placed their
hands on the box, and immediately numerous different raps were
made. On inquiry, this proved to be all the usual members of
my family (eight), Grace Fletcher, T. Jefferson, B. Franklin, Dr.
Channing, and P. B. Shelley. I asked if they had anything
particular to say so late, (it was now near eleven o'clock.) l No
—but we come to bid you good night/ (They could only do so
by the media being present.) I thajukecl them for their kind attentions, and bid them good night, which was responded to by
each separately, with much apparent affection and kindness.
*
*
*
*
*
The Principles and practices herein advocated, are those which
from my youth upward until now, without ceasing, I have endeavoured to place before the human race for its everlasting
adoption.
London,
EOBEKT OWEN.
November 16tA, 1853.

LETTERS
Addressed by the Spirits of His Royal Highness the Duke of
Kent and others
To E O B E E T

OWEN;

Through THOMAS SLATER, Writing Medium.
FIRST LETTER.

To EOBEET OWEN, ESQ.
4, Somers Place West,
September 10th, 1853, 11 o'clock, a.m.
M Y DEAR FRIEND,

I am at this moment irresistibly impelled and impressed to
write something to you—not knowing the design or nature of
what I am about to say—but your advanced mind and superior
judgment in the administration of what is just and necessary for
poor humanity, will,, no doubt, pardon me, if what I may hereafter say should turn out only to be some Babel of my own,
whereon I bestow time and the words only for the world to talk
about.
You, my friend, have passed through more than four-score
years, and have read many books; have written much; have
seen a great deal of this world's vanities, its vice, crimes, offensive wars, induced and encouraged by ambitious minds. You
have witnessed the march of science, and the application of the
elements to perform what the bones and sinews of mankind never
would nor could be able to accomplish. You have lived to see,
that in the same ratio as wisdom and knowledge spread, does
superstition die away. You have laboured hard to untrammel
the mind of man—to divest him of weighty fetters that hitherto have
bound him to a sphere inhabited by persons with minds unable,
through ignorance, or prejudice, or the wrath of heaven, or blind infatuation, to appreciate the matter-of-fact principles which you have
advocated and laid down for their benefit. Chaotic as your views
may appear to some people, who say e pooh,' and scoff at everything that does not fall within the scope of their limited imaginations, you have nevertheless done a good work, and are about
to do a still greater and mightier work than you have yet attempted. Yes, my friend, the world may scoff—the ignorant
may not for a little while understand you—sectarians may lift
their feeble voices against you, and exclaim, ' Surely the man is
mad'—and with epithets characteristic of such people, they may
assail you while you circulate your experience, knowledge, and

T H E FUTURE OF T H E HUMAN RACE.

33

plans, until their minds become operated upon by the mission
you will have fulfilled. You will have to tell them that the God
of their faith and their senses must harmonise, instead of there
being so much difference betwixt their faith and their senses.
The apprehension of the presence of the God of spirits, by faith,
goes down sweet with them; whereas the sensible apprehension
of an angel or departed spirit dismays them. This must not long
continue.
You will see, and will tell the world, that the spirits of our
dear friends and relatives, though they do not at present vocally
express it, do pity our human frailties, and secretly suggest comfort to us when we perceive it not.
You will tell them that the time has come for an immediate
inquiry into the doctrines which the spirits teach, and for it to
be tested whether they be of God or not. And if the value of
mankind is known by works—not by words ;—by actions, and
not by men's corruptions ; so with the spirits, by their manifestations the world may know them.—T.
SECOND

LETTER.

Tuesday, \%th Sept., 1853, \% noon.
M Y DEAR FRIEND,

Another diurnal revolution of our planet has just been completed The sun at the zenith, passing over the wires and webs
of our optical instruments, and majestically culminating, proceeds
onward steadily,—-leaving us, on mother earth, to follow his
example—to roll onward, and add another link to our chain of
knowledge—another web to our vision of truth. And as, in the
use of the transit instrument in the hands of the astronomer, the
correct measurement of time depends to a great extent upon the
accuracy and uniform division of his webs,—so does the usefulness
of our lives depend upon the proper division and applications of
the webs that constitute our minds. May we never be impeded
in our transit through life by unequally placed or broken webs !
I said ' transit through life/—I mean a transit into life, where
minds exist superior to ours, who are at this moment impressing
us with happy, wise, and holy thoughts, Natural and Divine—A
Spirit life.
We have hitherto gone our own way in spiritual matters, for
want of facts. But it was either our distrust, or our presumption, or our contempt, that carried us. But now, facts can be
had in abundance, and good advice can be obtained from our
spirit friends, whom God hath appointed to administer knowledge directly to us.
, Yes, dear friend, our spirit brethren tell us that they see our
needs, and the necessity to stop the course of evil, which has
E

34

THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RACE.

hitherto kept civilised man so little in advance of savages. They
see that nations and Governments, and human minds, have exhausted their stock of knowledge in making laws—in talking
much-—in devising schemes—in fact, in applying unnatural
means to prevent the evils of society, instead of natural means
(which may be had in abundanee). By punishing crime, instead
of preventing it—by attempting to govern the WORLD by human
laws, instead of by nature's laws, when not one amongst us can
govern himself.
The spirits know that it is one of the worthy employments of
good angels to make secret opposition to the^ evil designs
which continue to prevail throughout the earth. They have
already done much. Many a wicked act have they hindered, without the knowledge of the agent, that would have been. These
guardians come now to uphold us, by removing occasions, or by
casting in good instincts. As our few good endeavours have
been hindered by prevailing evils, so,now, shall our evil ones be
hindered by good angels. These come not to us as false worshippers of their heavenly father,—making pompous shows, and
fair flourishes of their piety,—but they come to reform mankind,
teaching them to love one another with brotherly love—to carry
out the, beautiful and divine principles laid down by Christ,
eighteen hundred years ago.—T.
THIRD> LETTER.

Thursday\ 15th Sep. 1853.
M Y DEAR FRIEND,

I yesterday had some difficulty in preventing an intrusion on
my time and business, that I might continue to address you,
according tp ray increasing desire to carry out the design
intended at the commencement, whatever that may ultimately
turn out to be. The subject of this letter will be confined to
the phenomena that are creating such sensation in America and
Europe, known as Spirit Manifestations, Table Moving, &c, and
admitted by some philosophic minds to be natural phenomena.
By " natural phenomena" is meant any motions or situations
of persons and things among one another, which offer themselves to the notice of our senses, and are not the immediate acts
of an intelligent being. Our modern philosophers say, that so
apparently wild and extravagant are the believers in these
phenomena, that it is hard to determine whether they are more
distant in their sentiments from truth, or from one another; or
whether they have not exceeded the fancies of the most fabulous
writers, even poets and mythologists. But this is owing to their
neglecting or declining to investigate or EXPERIMENT. Experiments, strictly observed, are the most necessary helps to the

THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RACE.

finding

35

out CAUSES, and proportioning them to their proper
Without observation, it is impossible we should
discover the phenomena of nature—without experiments, we
must be ignorant of the mutual actions of bodies, and uncertain
whether the causes assigned be adequate to the effects which we
would explain.
Our knowledge concerning external objects is grounded
entirely on the information received through the medium of the
senses. The science of physics considers bodies as they actually
exist, invested at once with all their various and peculiar
qualities. Its researches are, hence, directed by that refined
species of observation, which is termed experiment.
And it is
the nature of genuine science to advance in continual progression. Each step carries it still higher. New relations are
descried; and the most distant-objects seem gradually to approximate.
But while science thus enlarges its bounds, it likewise tends
uniformly to simplicity and concentration. The discoveries of
one age are perhaps in the next melted down into the mass of
elementary truths. What are deemed at first merely objects of
enlightened curiosity* become in due time subservient to the
most important interests.
Let, then, all examine, and we will tell them how; and their
spirit friends will rap upon their understanding and upon their
tables, and they all soon may perceive the spirits stand erect in
conscious integrity, and dispensing blessings of every kind
around them—not as idle lookers-on upon the wickedness of the
times. For as this earth is made for action, and not for fruition,
they tell us it is not enough FOR US to stand gazing upon this
wickedness, although with tears, unless we endeavour to redress
it. But not with ceremonies. Ceremonies must give place to
substance. God will have mercy, and not sacrifice.
False devotees may scandalise, and may pronounce their
verdict in favour of the Devil!
Poor souls! they must be pitied,
so long as they see Satan in everything. They see him in everything, because they fulfil the law without any labours of the
mind—without any effort of the imagination ! Scruples in
spiritual matters torment their minds. But let them be told that
nothing retards the soul so much in the way of truth and piety
as ill understood scruples. To understand these things, they
must examine them again and again, determined to cast their
fabled Satan under their feet; and instead of putting questions
to their spirit brethren, which are calculated only to satisfy their
weak sectarian prejudices—let them ask for heavenly truths, and
soon will they behold that their once esteemed and muchrespected friends are not transformed into spirits of wickedness
and servants of the old serpent, but are truly labouring to
establish Christianity—-UNTARNISHED—without
spot—without a
EFFECTS

S6

THE FUTUEE OF THE HUMAN RACE.

dissentient voice—without apostacy. Can Bishops and their
clergy—-clergy and laity—in fact, all the diversity of sects that
people the earth—say that some important alterations are not
needed to establish one great, grand, and holy principle of
unmistakeable truth :—a truth which all may see, and by seeing
it, may understand the laws of God alike ? Echo answers—•
" Yes ! important alterations are indeed needed !''—-And in
wTaving undulations spreading over the vast extent of the earth,
it asks derisively or despondingly, " Who shall—who will-^-or
what can, perform and carry out this mighty feat ?"
Can Eeason only do this much longed-for work ? Nay, it
cannot:—because it is prone to listen to the passions and the
senses, and is liable to build for itself frightful precipices.
Can our colleges and academies? No—surely. All the
academies in the universe may imagine systems respecting the
creation and governing of the world; but after all they have
done or can do—after all their researches, conjectures, and
combinations—-after multitudes of volumes written on the
subject, they will tell you less—much less—respecting it, than
CHRIST has said in a single page. And as they continue to
teach things which have no probability, it is evident that they,
as they are at present constituted, cannot bring about this
important change.—T.

Continuation of the history of my experience with the spiritual
manifestations, from the 7th November, 1853, when the seance
on that day was narrated in the first edition of this pamphlet,
published a few days afterwards.
The next seance was at Mr. Thomas Slater's, on the 9th of
November, 1858, with Eliza Finch for medium.
Immediately on being seated, the spirit of the Duke of Kent
announced itself present. I said—' The pamphlet so far as we
have gone will be in proof to-morrow/ His Eoyal Highness
then said—4 It will do now without any more added to it/—
6
Should I send the letter to the King of the Belgians by post,
or to Mr. Van de Weyer ?' ( By the post/— c Will Mr. Van cle
Weyer become a convert to spiritual manifestations V ( Yes/—
<
How soon V ' In three months/—Will
become a convert V ' Yes/—' How soon ?' l In two months/—€ Will there
be much opposition made by the press to the last number of my
Eeview V ' Yes/—' And to the pamphlet which is printing V
6
Yes, yes, yes/— c Will these works make many converts T ' Yes/—
' Should I send copies of the pamphlet to the Queen and Prince
Albert before I send any others out T f Yes/—' Did the King of
the Belgians state our interview to the Queen and Prince Albert ??

THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RACE.

37

' Yes.'—' Were they pleased or displeased with it V ' Pleased/
—' Are the Queen and Prince Albert believers in the truth of
spiritual manifestations ?' ' Yes'—Will not the archbishops,
bishops, and higher clergy, oppose themselves to these manifestations being openly held by the Queen and Prince Albert V
' Yes.'—r' Will the clergy have power successfully to oppose the
Queen and Prince Albert ?' ' No/—' Are any of the cabinet
ministers converts to these spiritual manifestations V ' Y e s ;
two are. Earl 0. and L. I. E. No more are converts now.*—
' Will more of them become so ?' * Yes/—' When ?' ' In three
months; but only two more.'—' Will you name them ?' ' Yes ;
E. of A. and the Marquis of L. Send the pamphlet to the
bishops, judges, and leading statesmen, and to the leading members of both Houses of Parliament/—' Should I send copies of
the pamphlet to the Sovereigns of Europe ?' ' Yes/—' Direct
to them V ' Yes.'— f Should I send copies to the leading characters in America ?' ' Yes/—' And to the Sultan and his
ministers ?' ' Yes. Do not call upon the ministers from foreign
states before you go to Sevenoaks, but some time after you have
been there.'—' Should I see Mr. Buchanan, minister from America,
before I go to Sevenoaks ?' ' No.'—' Will Lord Brougham
return to England before the meeting of Parliament ?' ' Yes ;
wait his return, and see him as soon as he returns from France.
Meet me here on Friday next at three o'clock. Good bye,
good bye/
At Mr. Slater's, 11th November, 1853, E. Finch, medium.
My good friend the spirit of the Duke of Kent immediately
announced his presence. I said—' Does your Royal Highness
wish to speak first ?' ' No. Ask your questions.'—' Will this
letter (putting it upon the table) do for the King of the Belgians ?'
' Yes/—' Shall I send it to-night ?' ' Yes.'—' Eliza the medium
is going to Sevenoaks to-morrow:—How many days will she
remain there?' 'Four/ (which proved to be correct.)—'Will
the printer finish my pamphlet to-morrow ?' ' Yes :— and immediately when finished send a copy to the Queen, Prince Albert,
the King of the Belgians, and to the Duke and Duchess of
Brabant, and let some days pass before you send it to the press
and to the public; but in three days you may send it to the
cabinet ministers of this country/—' Will the medium return
here before I go to Sevenoaks?' ' Yes/—'When will be the
best time for me to go to Sevenoaks ?' ' On Saturday week, or
after you have distributed the pamphlet to all the parties named.'
—-' Is Dr. A
a good writing medium ?' 'Yes.'—' Could
I have communications through the Dr. as a medium in the absence of Eliza Finch ?' ' Yes/ — Dr. A
, who was present at this seance, requested me to ask His Eoyal Highness if
the spirit of his late friend the Duke of Sussex will come to
him. I did so; and the spirit of the Duke of Kent replied—

38

THE FUTUKE OF THE HUMAN RACE.

' He cannot come now; hut he will at a future time/—Some
poor persons who thought themselves to have some claim upon
the Halifax title and estates requested me to ask if they had any
chance of succeeding in their claims. As they were poor in this
case I asked the Duke, and he replied that they had not But
none of the superior and truly good spirits like to have their
precious moments of intercourse occupied with the private affairs
of individuals, to which there would be no limit, and I now decline all such intercourse, because the spirits have not time
through the slow process of rapping to communicate the instruction for the good of the race which they desire. I then asked if
Madame P
B
was progressing ? c Yes.—' Was
a good medium ?' ' No ; he could not be relied upon/
—( Should I find any medium in or near Sevenoaks ?' ' No/—
(The Duke ais very urgent upon me not to be deceived by false
mediums).
At Cox's Hotel, 15th November, at half-past eight in the
evening,—when Eliza Finch, Medium, had just returned from
Sevenoaks.
The name of the spirit given to me on this occasion, after
much difficulty in making it out, was Earl of Strathearn. This
puzzled me much, and I asked what I knew about him. He said
he was with the Duke of Kent when he (the Duke) was with me
at Mrs. Hayden's. Afterwards it occurred to me that it was the
Duke's spirit announcing himself by his second title, for immediately he added ' the Duke of Kent is present/ I then said—
' Does your Koyal Highness see the contents of these letters'
(which I put unopened on the table) to the ' Queen, Prince Albert,
the King of the Belgians, and the Duke and Duchess of Brabant ?'
' Yes; T know them all/— f Are they right ?' ' Yes/—' Should
they be sent as they are ?' ' Yes. Come to-morrow at three
o'clockto Eliza's residence. Good night,' ' Good night."
At Mr. Slater's, 16th November, 1853, Eliza Finch, Mrs. W.
S, Dr. A
, and Mr. F
H
were also present.
I was going to ask a seance with the Duke of Kent, as he
made the appointment; but the spirits had put Dr. A
in a state of extraordinary involuntary violent action, which is a
process of spiritual development which the Dr. is undergoing.
I was desired by the spirits to notice and take down all I saw,
and not in any way to interrupt the proceedings. I did so, and
was much surprised with the various violent motions he was
made to feel and exhibit; and occasionally he appeared to be
much exhausted. During one period he appeared to be in the
act of most devout devotion, and after some minutes it was again
repeated.
During this seance Mr. Slater received the following note,
which he gave me:—" Mr. T
, Share Broker, says he once
thought Mr. Owen was going the right road, but he now thinks

THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RACE.

39

him insane. He says spiritual manifestations are all humbug,
and Mr. Owen is one of the jugglers. Will Mr. Owen help to
convince him ?" (Of his error I suppose). It may do him good.
Signed—P. E. H
." My reply was—" I will willingly endeavour to convince him and all others of the lamentable mistake
they make respecting these new and certainly extraordinary
spiritual manifestations. I greatly pity those who remain in
error on this all-important subject."
At this same seance, while Dr. A
—was undergoing his
process of spiritual development to prepare him to become a
more perfect medium, Mr. Slater was influenced by a spirit to
write (unknowing what he wras writing) the following letter:—
<c

M Y DEAR FRIEND,

" This is an ordeal necessary to undergo, before we can truly
manifest for your instruction. Do not think us undeveloped,
because you do not know our good intentions. Mr. Owen's
spirit friends are observers of what is now taking place amongst
you, and wish him to take notice of this physical movement.
How blind are your minds to the growth of truth. How stubbornly do you yield to impressions of wisdom when they come
upon you without preliminary notice. Little do you think that
all of you were appointed by us to meet here to-day. It was not
preconcerted on your parts. It was not expected on the part of
brother Owen; but it is to him a useful lesson. It is another
link to his knowledge, another fact to be added to his diary of
truth; and he, too, is being developed in this great cause unconsciously by spirits of far higher advancement than have ever yet
come to manifest and instruct him. His spirit friends are kind
and loving spirits, but they are not so far advanced in the scale
of wisdom as to instruct you. .All their acts of kindness and
strong affection for him make it imperative that he should
progress high and rapidly in wisdom. His affections also
are for wisdom in its purity. This is an attractive principle.
This has called us, and with the desire of some of our spirit
brethren, to impress upon him indelibly our motto of Wise
Progression. He will feel our influence; but he must not be
alarmed. We could not hurt him; but we can and will delight him with facts of nature's God. His spiritual eyes will
soon open, his material mind will be no longer material; but he
will in his silent hours of repose, which he is adbut to have, behold pictorially the reward about to be bestowed upon him; but
he must not excite himself. We will try to impress his good
ideas with that. He must not think that he has any other mission than that of doing good, and being properly constituted, he
is selected by us to do good to poor suffering humanity. What
we will then tell him will be lessons to make him wiser and happier. This we will in the proper place and time dictate to him.

40

THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RACE.

He will then for the remainder of his sojourning upon earth have
to practise well what we may dictate, and virtue will reward him.
On behalf of his known friends in the spirit, we most cordially
give you our earthly names, BROTHER, OWEN :—and another
name not plainly made out.
At Mr. Slater's, 17th November, 1853. Eliza Finch, medium.
Spirits present—President Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin.
I said—e Do you wish to speak first V e No; do you ask
questions/—' Do you approve of the pamphlet which I have just
published ?' e Yes '—i And of the letters which I have written
to send to Her Majesty, Prince Albert, the King of the Belgians,
the Duchess of Kent, and the Duke and Duchess of Brabant?'
4
Yes.'—s What is the cause why Mr. 0. gets erroneous communications from his friendly spirits T f The cause is in himself/—
' How ?' ' He is too impatient; he should be very careful in
going over the alphabet and minding what letters he puts down.
The errors which he has made have been owing to his want of
patience/ — ' Were you present yesterday when Dr. A
was being spiritualised?' 'Yes.'— c And the Duke of Kent?'
6
Yes/—' Did one of you write through Mr. Slater as a medium
during that period?' ' Yes.'—'Which of you?' * Benjamin
Franklin/—' Is Judge Edmonds' and Dr. Dexter's work, just
received, reliable V ' Yes/-—' Will it be the means of converting
—— V ( Yes/— c When should I go to Sevenoaks V ( On
Sunday, or as soon after as you can finish your work here; and
leave what you will require in town at Cox's Hotel.'—f Will my
letters to the Queen and the other royal personages produce a
good effect ?' ' Yes/—' Shall I send the pamphlet to our cabinet
ministers and to the press on Saturday ?' ' Yes/— c And to the
public next week ?' * Yes/— e Shall 1 send copies to the leading
spiritual newspapers in the United States ?' ( Yes/ ' Shall I
send any to your particular friends in the United States ?'
' Yes. Send one to my daughter/ ( Will you tell me who your
daughter is, and where she lives V i 1 mean she who sent you
the comforter to keep your neck warm in cold weather/ (I thus
discovered it was my friend President Jefferson's great-granddaughter, Miss Trist, with whom and her family I had been on
the most friendly terms when in the United States, especially
with her father, who was my most faithful and honest friend from
the time when I first met with him in the spring of 1825 at President Jefferson's, with whom T had been on a visit for four days,
at Montichello in Virginia). The spirit of the President then
said, ' I will give you a little communication for her. It is this
—My dear child, though I am not on the earth to guide you,
yet I am trying to make you conscious of the good I am doing
you. My dear child, how happy shall I be when I can fold you
in my arms, and carry you to the mansion above^ where all is
joy and love ; so, with my best love, good bye/ ( When will the
Duke of Kent come again?' c To-morrow at three o'clock/—

THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RACE,

41

Are my family in America well ?' ' Yes.'—' And in Germany ?'
Yes/—'And in Italy ?' < Yes. Good bye/
The next day Mr. P— and his cousin E— M— came
to me, to see the state of development in which the latter was
towards becoming a medium; as tables tipped to her, and she
heard raps, without knowing how to use them. The day after
they returned, Mr. P— wrote to inform me that the spirit of
the Duke of Kent had directed them to apply to me to assist to
develop her medium powers, and I requested the two cousins to
meet me on the 20th at Mr. Slater's, that I might learn what I
could do for them.
At Mr. Slater's, 20th November, 1853. Eliza Finch, medium.
The spirit of the Duke of Kent was immediately present. I
requested if His Royal Highness wished to say anything ? ' Yes,
(Mr. P— and his cousin had been waiting my arrival) you have
received a letter from Mr. P—, in which he says that T directed
him to apply to you to patronise his cousin E— M—. But
you must not place much reliance on what she says until she is
more developed. You must be sure to impress her to be very
truthful and just to her fellow-creatures. You must bear in
mind that a tipping medium is looked upon as the lowest medium
development. But, my friend, you must try your best to develope
her, and you will be rewarded. You may now ask questions/
' Is E— M— correct in supposing she has had the spirit of
Washington ?' ' No.'—' Or in supposing she can at her pleasure obtain the spirit of any one she wishes ?' ' No/ (I then,
in the best manner I could, explained to Miss M— the high duties
of mediumship, and what she should do to obtain a high state of
development. The spirit of the Duke approved of all I said to her.)
I then said to the Duke—f Will it be convenient to your
Eoyal Highness to be present on Tuesday at three o'clock ?'
' Yes/—' Have the Queen and Prince Albert read my pamphlet ?'
' Yes/—' And the Duke and Duchess of Brabant V e No.'—
' Were the Queen and the Prince much pleased with the pamphlet?'
' Yes/—' And with my letters ?' ' Yes/—' Will they answer
my letters ?' ' No/—(The Prince acknowledged the receipt of
his letter and pamphlet with thanks)—' Has the King of the
Belgians received my pamphlet V ' Y e s / — ' Is he pleased with
it ?' ' Yes/—' Will he desire to have an interview with your
Koyal Highness V ' Yes/—' When ?' ' In about two months.'
—' Will Her Majesty desire to have an interview V ' Yes/—
' When V ' In about four months/—' And Prince Albert
about the same time ?' ' Yes.'—•' Has the Duchess of Kent
received my pamphlet and letter ?' ' Yes/—' Was she pleased
with my letter?' ' Y e s / — ' W i l l she read the pamphlet?*
' Yes/—' When V ' In three days/—' Will she desire to have
an interview with your Eoyal Highness?' 'No/—^ Have the
cabinet ministers received the pamphlets which I sent to them ?'
F

42

THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RACE.

' Yes.'—' Will they convince many of them T f Yes/—' Will
any of the cabinet ministers write to me upon the subject ?'
* Yes/ * Did I do right in sending copies of the pamphlet to
the press yesterday ?' ' Yes/ ' Will many of the Editors take
notice of it f' ' Yes ; and abuse you very much/ ' Will not
their abuse of it and of me do much good to the cause ?' ' Yes/
' Is Judge Edmonds* and Dr. Dexter's work to be relied upon?'
' Yes/ ' Are the communications said to be from the spirits of
Swedenborg and Lord Bacon correct V ' Yes/ * In every particular?' ' Y e s / ' Are they now high spirits V " Y e s / ' In
what sphere is Swedenborg ?' Fourth sphere, third circle/ ' I n
what sphere is Lord Bacon?' ' Third sphere, third circle/ ' I n
what sphere is Washington T 'Fourth sphere, third circle/
* Shall I send the pamphlet to-morrow and Tuesday to the
United States, and to the foreign ministers in London ??
' Yes/ l And to the Kings and Queens of Europe ? ' Yes/
' T o the Pope at Eome?' ' N o / ' T o Cardinal Wiseman?'
c
Yes/ ' Are the leading members of the Catholic church
favourable to my views ?' ' Yes/ ' Are the leading members
of the Church of England ?' ' No/ ' Will our government
generally be favourable to my views V ' Yes/ ' Is Lord
Brougham yet returned from France ¥ ' No/ ' Shall I send
for Mr. T— the unbeliever to come here some day to endeavour to convince him of his error ? ' Yes/ ' Shall I send copies of
my pamphlet to the principal London publishers ?' ' Yes/ ' And
send copies to Judge Edmonds, Dr. Dexter, the Newtons, Mr.
Bland in St. Louis, and to the principal spiritual newspapers in
the United States?' ' Y e s / * May I rely with full confidence
on the communications which I have had with my friends President Jefferson and Dr. Benjamin Franklin?' ' Yes/ And Dr.
Canning, Shelley, and Grace Fletcher ¥ ' Yes/ ' And from
all my own relatives ? ' Y e s ' ' Have I ever had any false or
inferior spirits V ' No/ * Am I likely to be deceived by any
false and inferior spirits V ' Yes/ ' How shall I know these
false and inferior spirits ?' ' By their works. When they come
it will be through fresh mediums. You must be on your guard
when new mediums offer their services/ * Will your Eoyal
Highness tell me when the mediums are truthful and untruthful ?' * Yes; and meet me on Tuesday next, at three o'clock.
Good bye/ Often repeated.
At Mr. Slaters, 22nd November, 1853. Eliza Finch
medium.
Present, Mr. Slater, Mr. P—, and E— M—.
Eaps
immediately. ' What spirit is present T ' The Duke of Kent/
' Do you desire to speak first V ' No. Ask questions/ ' Will
E. M— become a true and useful medium ?' ' Y e s / ' W e r e
you present yesterday when I was with M — ~ and Dr. A—
at the house of the latter"?* ' Yes/
' Were you satis-

THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RACE.

43

fied with all that was said to Mr. M-^— ?' ' Yes/ ' And
with what I said the day before to Mrs. M—••— ? ' Yes/
' Should I go to Mr. M — - to-night V ' No/ ' Should I go
to Mrs. M — - in a day or two ? ' Yes/ ' Was it the spirit of
Mrs. M's
mother who rang her bell while we were with her V
6
Yes/ ' What was the spirit's object in ringing the bell ?' ' To
try to make her conscious of her mother's presence, and to warn
her of her death/
' Should I tell her of her death being so
near V ' No. But she will be led to conceive it of herself
through what Br. Ashburner may say. We should do all the
good we can to every one, no harm to any one, and forgive every
one who has or who wishes to injure us/ ' Are not these spiritual
manifestations indicative of a great revolution preparing for the
Human race?' ' Y e s / ' W i l l it commence soon?' ' Yes/
* How will it be brought about ?' ' By the present governments/
' Will it be a peaceable revolution ?' ' Yes ; and brought about
by the cordial union of governments and people/ * Will the
King of the Belgians be competent to induce the sovereigns of
Europe to form a real holy alliance to produce and preserve
a general permanent peace among all nations ?' (In my notes
taken partly at the time I neglected to record the answer, and
I cannot now recollect whether it was yes or no ; and as I am
now at a distance from a medium I cannot renew the question.)
(* Will the churches of Borne and of England unite with the
governments in forming this revolution ?'' Yes/ * Will the Church of
Borne first unite with the governments for this purpose ?' ' No.
The Church of England will first unite/ ' Will the Archbishop
of Canterbury be soon converted to believe in the truth of these
Spiritual Manifestations ?' c Yes—and the Bishop of London
also/ ' Will the subject of these manifestations be taken up by
Parliament when it meets V ' Yes/ (During the seance Sir
C—- J— came in with a friend whose name I did not hear,
but who, Sir C— said, had frequently heard raps which he
could not account for.) I now asked His Boyal Highness if Sir
C—'s friend would become a medium ?' ' Yes/ * Soon ?'
' Yes/ ' Shall I now tell him your advice to all mediums ?'
' Yes/ (I told him accordingly, and the Duke approved of what
was said.) I then asked His Boyal Highness—' Have the Duke
and Duchess of Brabant now read my pamphlet?' ' Y e s /
' Had it a good effect upon their minds V ' Yes.'
At Mr. Slater's, 25th November, three o'clock. Eliza Finch,
medium.
Baps made. 'What spirits are present?' 'Jefferson and B.
Eranklin/ (The medium had some days before promised to
come to Cox's Hotel this evening to have a seance there, but her
uncle said he could not spare her, because there was to be an
important circle with him to-night, and he could not proceed with
it without her. T contended for my previous engagement with

44

THK FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RACE.

her.) I said to the spirits of my two friends, ' Will you say what
you wish to me?' * Yes. Eliza must not go to you to-night,
because her uncle don't wish her, and wants her at home. She
must he obedient to her uncle. We do not wish to say more;
but you may now ask questions/ ' D o you know John B—,
of Sheepwash, Crediton, Devonshire ?' 'Yes. He is not yet a
medium ; but he will become one in about two months. He will
become a truthful medium, and will be useful where he is inDevonshire/ ' Shall I get Nos. 2, 3, and 4, of my Review bound up
with the pamphlet for your daughter, Miss Trist, and send it with
yourmessageforher to Washington City/ ' Yes/ ' I f I send it to
Washington, will it go safe from thence to her ?' ' Yes/ ' Shall
I do right in going on Monday to see Mr. Cubitt's great building
establishment at Pimlico ?' ' Yes/ ' Will my going be of
practical benefit ? ' Yes/ ' Should I go to Sevenoaks the following morning T ' Y e s / ' Shall I send my pamphlet to the
leading parties in America this week ?' ' Y e s / ' Is D. E. a
medium ?' ' Yes. An inspired one; but not yet very reliable.
His own imagination interferes too much/
' I s Dr. A—
becoming a very high medium ?' ' Yes/ ' Will he become a
rapping medium as well as a writing medium?' (The answer not
recorded in my notes.) ' Are my family well in America ?'
' Yes/ ' And in Germany ?' ' Yes/ ' And in Naples ? ' Yes.'
At Mr. Slater's, 27th of Nov, 1853 ; Eliza Finch, medium.
The raps by the alphabet announced the spirit of His Eoyal
Highness the Duke of Kent. ' Does your Eoyal Highness wish
to say anything first ?' ' No ; ask your questions/ ' I have
been reading Miss Martineau's translation of Compters Positive
Philosophy, and I wish to know if it amounts to more than the
well-known facts, that organisms are created from the lowest
vegetable gradually and almost imperceptibly to man, or the
highest known conscious animal existence;—that these can
come into life when the external circumstances necessary for their
growth and support are previously created:—and that their better
or worse condition through their lives depends upon the better or
worse external circumstances in which they may be placed through
their lives ?' ' No ; to no more; and this is the whole extent of
what is thus called the Positive Philosophy/ ' Is it not, in fact,
although in other words, the same as the principles so long
recommended as the rational system of society, wanting the
development of it in practice, as explained in detail in the new
view of society based upon the rational system ?' ' Yes; there is
no difference in the principles; while you have explained in
addition the outline and much of the detail by which those principles should be applied in practice/ ' Have the human race ever
yet acquired the knowledge how to create for themselves good
conditions ?'
' No ;—but now the existing generation may
acquire the knowledge how to create good conditions for the

THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN HACE.

45

rising generation/ ' Am I right in supposing that it is now
practicable to create such new conditions around the human race,
as shall gradually make all placed within them from their birth to
become good, wise, and happy ? ' Yes. And these conditions
can be attained by uniting certain numbers in aggregate associations, so as to form each separate association into a complete scientific family society/ * Can Your Eoyal Highness tell me what uumber'will be the best to constitute these scientific family associations V 'Yes * ' One thousand ?' * No/ ' Two thousand ?'
6
No/ ' Three thousand T ' Yes. And each should combine a
due proportion of agriculture, trades, and manufactures, with complete educational and domestic arrangements, so as to call forth,
according to age and natural capacity, the full physical, mental,
moral, and practical powers of each, on principles of a just
equality, in such manner that each one shall enjoy the utmost individual freedom compatible with cordial universal union ?' ' Are
then these scientific family societies to be all united in one common
interest V ' Yes. For the human race, as soon as it shall
become rational, will plainly perceive that it has but one interest,
and that is, that each one should endeavour to promote at all
times the happiness of his race, knowing no distinction of country,
colour, class, or creed/ ' Has society now obtained all the
means necessary to form these scientific family societies for the
human race ?' ' Yes ; but time will make them continually to
improve, so as in every generation to advance in elevation and
completeness beyond the preceding ;—that is, there will be an
everlasting progression onward and upward, as the spiritual
intercourse extends between those in and out of the flesh/ ' Shall
I be enabled to convince the existing authorities in Churches
and States that the means for creating these superior conditions
now sufficiently abound throughout society ?' ' Yes ; and thus
form the human race into one cordially united brotherhood/
' Does M. Compte know how to form these new scientific family
communities V ' He does not know the details of their combination and arrangements to put them into practice/ * Are any
parties living who know how to combine these details in
practice?' ' Yes/ ' Will Y.R.H. inform me who they are?'
' Yes. H—. He will soon be in town—you will find
he will assist you in forming communities, as he has been
instructed/ ' By whom has he been instructed?' ' B y me/
'Will Y.B.H. tell me where Mr. H—now lives?'
'Yes;
in France, in Paris.' ' Will he soon come to London?' ' Yes/
'Will he be sent here by any one?' ' Y e s / ' By whom?'
' M e / ' What! by Your Eoyal Highness?' ' Yes/ ' Is there
any one except Mr. H— who understands the detail of
forming these communities V " Y e s / (I neglected to pursue
this question, but I will resume it when opportunity occurs.)
' Should I prepare to print a cheaper edition of my pamphlet?'

46

THE FUTUEE OF THE HUMAN RACE.

' Yes ; and in smaller type than the first ?' * Should I add to
this edition the seances which have taken place since the first
was published, so as to give a regular continuance of them T
6
Yes/ * Will the Messrs, Cubitt assist to form these communities ?' ' Yes/ (Will they act in union with Sir Joseph
Paxton, and Messrs. Fox and Henderson, in assisting to form
these communities?' 'Yes/ ' Will this be the last seance before I go
to Sevenoaks/ ' No/ ' Shall I then have the pleasure of
meeting Your Eoyal Highness on Tuesday ?' ' Yes/ ' At
what hour ?' ( At three o'clock/ ' Does Your Eoyal Highness
wish to say any things more to me now ?' ' No/ ' Then I will
not trouble you at present with more questions. Good bye/
Often responded to, expressive of kindness and satisfaction.
The seance which was to have taken place on Tuesday, 29th
of November, was spoiled by a difference between the uncle and
niece, on which occasions the spirits never present themselves,
they so much disapprove of disunion and unkind feelings between
parties.
At Mr. Slater's; 24th of December, 1853. Eliza Finch,
medium.
The spirit of the Duke of Kent was announced. I said-—
' Will Your Royal Highness speak first?' ' Yes. I cannot
remain with you at present ?' 6 Can you meet me to-morrow ?'
* Yes. I t will be quite convenient for me to come at half-past
ten in the morning. Good bye.'
At Mr. Slater's, next day, Xmas morning, half-past ten.
Eliza Finch, medium.
The spirit of His Eoyal Highness was present immediately, and
I was requested to ask questions, e When should I return to Sevenoaks T ' After thirteen days/ I had received a letter, the morning I left Sevenoaks, from one who stated he had come to
London from some distance in the country, by direction of
spirits, was in extreme poverty, and requested £6 to take
him home again, &c. Putting the letter on the table, but unopened, I asked the Duke if he saw the contents of that letter,
and if it was true. 6 No. It is a deception/ I then put, also
unopened, another letter which I had previously received from a
gentleman, who had for the first time consulted spirits by these
new manifestations, and who had very kindly informed me that
the spirits who came to him said that it was not the Duke
of Kent, but of Cumberland, who communicated so much with
me. I asked if the spirit saw the contents,, and if they were
true. ' No.' I t is a delusion/ Which confirmed the answer
which I had returned to the letter. I asked the Duke, (having
been requested to do so) why Mr. and Mrs. C— had not, as
promised, become mediums T No reply. ' Should I write
another pamphlet on the New Existence of Humanity on Earth,
based on the language of truth only?' * Yes, And in which

®

THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RAGE.

47

every one will be obliged to speak exactly what they feel and
think/ e When will Parliament meet T 'Early in February,—
and you should present petitions to both houses ; and Lord
Brougham should present one to the House of Lords,
and Lord Palmerston to the House of Commons/ e Has the
f
King of the Belgians received my pamphlet ?' (Yes/
And
read and considered it ?' * Yes/ ' Is he pleased with it V e Yes/
' Are the Duke and Duchess of Brabant pleased with it?' ( No/
* Are they in favour of absolutism T ' Yes/ ' Is His Majesty,
the King of the Belgians* in favour of liberal views ?' ' Yes.
And he is endeavouring to secure the peace of Europe. There
are two parties in Europe—one in favour of universal peace—the
other is for immediate general war/ * Which will prevail ?' ' Ultimately, the party in favour of universal peace; but the war
between Russia and Turkey will continue for sometime/ 'Have
the pamphlets which I sent to the President of America and his
Cabinet been received?' f Y e s ; and well received by them, and
{
by the governors of the several States of the Union/
Will
those which I have sent to the advocates of the spiritual system
be well received V ' Yes ; and it will be useful there. But the
pamphlets which you sent to Mr. and Mrs. Hay den —Judge
Edmonds, and the Editor of the Spiritual Telegraph—have not
yet been received/ 'When Parliament meets, should I send
copies of the pamphlet to all the members T ' Yes/ Mrs. Slater,
who now joined the party at the seance, remarked that she was
afraid the mention of Mr. Slater's name, in my publication,
might perhaps injure him in his business. I asked the
spirit of the Duke if it would do so ? ' No ; but it will benefit
his business. Good bye; but come at three o'clock on Tuesday/ Immediately afterwards the spirits of President Jefferson
and Benjamin Eranklin announced their presence. I asked if they
wished to speak first. i No. We want you to ask questions/
To the President:— c If I send the pamphlet to your great
grand-daughter, Miss Trist, to Washington City, will it be safely
delivered to her ¥ ' Yes/ ' Is she now well ?' ' Yes/ ' And
also her father and mother ?* € Yes/ ' Is judge Edmonds
and Dr. Dexter's work making great progress in America V
6
Y e s ; and he will soon bring out the second volume/ ' Will
the last be as useful to the cause of spirituality as the first?'
' Yes/ ' Are the spirits of Swedenborg and Lord Bacon still in
communication with the judge and Dr. Dexter ?' c Y e s ; and
both are progressing/ ' Is Mr. B. Brittan, the editor of
the Spiritual Telegraph, a faithful and honest spiritual
advocate •? • * Yes/ ' Should I send him my printed papers,
numbers one, two, and three, which were published in 1817?'
' Yes/ e Will he afterwards publish them in the Spiritual
Telegraph?' 6 Yes/ ' Are you and my spiritual friends Dr.
Canning, Shelley, Grace Fletcher, and others, continually en-

48

THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RAGE.

gaged with the Duke of Kent in promoting the great cause
of human redemption from ignorance, sin, and misery?'
c
* Yes/
' And are you proceeding successfully ? '
Yes. *
* Do you agree with the Duke of Kent that I should publish
another pamphlet, on the New Existence of Humanity on Earth,
based on the principle that will produce the language of truth to
the exclusion of all falsehood ?' ' Yes/ ' Shall I explain in detail the state of the new existence ?' c Yes/ ' Will it have a
general good effect on society ?' ( Yes/ ' Should I assist Mr.
according to his request ?' ' Yes/ f As the medium is indisposed, I will not trouble you more this morning. Will you
meet me again soon ?' e Yes/
At Mr. Slater's, 1st January, 1854. Mr. Slater, medium—the
medium power having left Eliza Finch for some days.
One of my spirit friends said, e My friend, your wife wishes to
speak to you/ ' I shall be very glad to hear her communications.
What does my dear wife want to say ?' ' I always try to impress you to be more earnest in instructing our dear son,
Bobert Dale, and to place your views of God and the various
books called Bibles before him for his mature consideration,
feeling, as I did when in the flesh, that God rules all men. Such
books could not have been written without the inspiration of the
writers. But when I was with you on earth, you did not think
my feeble voice worth anything on the subject of divinity.
Adieu, dear husband :—but more by and-bye/ ' Thank you, my
dear wife, for this interview/
3rd January, Tuesday, I called upon Mr. E—, in Great Russell Street, who has the charge of a boy, ten years of age, who
is a medium; and I requested Mr. E. to bring him to me, at
Oox's Hotel, in Jermyn Street, the same evening ; to which he
agreed. But after I left, he inquired of the spirits, and they desired him to postpone the visit until the following evening at
eight o'clock. They came; and I introduced them to Mr. and
Mrs. 0 — ; but the medium could not obtain raps from any
spirits. I took them into my private room, and raps were immediately made. Upon inquiry what spirits rapped, the reply
was—' Abel/ I asked—{ What Abel V The answer was—' The
brother of Cain/ 'Are you happy?' ' Y e s / c Are the spirits
in the spirit world desirous to reform the world now?'
' Yes/ I then asked—e Is the principle of equality according
to age the true principle on which to found the entire practice of
the human race ?' ' Yes/ I t was now getting late in the evening, and the spirit by the alphabet said—'Dan (the boy's usual
name) go home; and Robert Owen should come to you tomorrow at twelve o'clock/ And the boy immediately left and
went home.
I attended next day, and the following took place, with Daniel
O-— for medium :—
c
Can a war be prevented between Russia and Europe V ( No/

THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RACE.

49

—' Will it take place soon V ' Yes.'—f Shall I succeed in my
attempt to re-create the character of man from birth, on the true
principle on which it should be formed, and to re-construct
society on the same principle ?' f Yes/—' Is not the true principle on which to re-create character and re-construct society,
that the character is essentially formed by the good or bad conditions which society creates around the individual from birth to
'death V ' Yes/— f Will my interview with Professor Eichard
Owen lead to useful results V f Yes. Come again at four
o'clock/
I attended at that hour.
The preceding seance, and the one which follows, were with
the announced spirit of the Prophet Daniel, the spirit who generally comes to Mr. E—, with others of the Jewish and Christian
Prophets, Seers, and Apostles.
I now asked if the following statement was correctly true.
6
As is the organisation of man, and as are the conditions in
which the organisation is placed from birth to death, so will the
character be ?' ( Yes; that is a true statement of the facts
of the case; and the great work of society is therefore
to place good and superior conditions around all/— ( Where will
these superior conditions be first formed?' -In America/—
Will they be also soon formed in this country V ' Yes/— f Will
they be formed under the direction of Government?' c N o ;
but under the direction of the people, through Parliament/—
4
Will a Committee of practical men induce Parliament to take
up the subject?' ' Yes/ I had sent some books, at the request
of the spirit of President Jefferson, to America, in the morning,
and I asked if my communications, accompanying the books,
were right ?' ( Yes/—' Will the books go safe to their destination ?' c Yes; and they will be useful in the circle to which
they are sent/—' Shall I write the next pamphlet or my life
first V ' The pamphlet first, and your life after/—' Shall I
petition both Houses of Parliament on Spiritual Manifestations?'
6
Yes/—' Should I ask Lord Brougham to assist me to form a
Committee of superior practical men to consider how to form the
new conditions recommended by superior spirits V e Yes/—
* Will you name some of the most proper men to be members of
such Committee ?' ' Sir Joseph Paxton, Messrs. Pox and Henderson, and Professor Eichard Owen.'—c Will Lord Brougham be
a beneficial member of it ?' f Yes.'— ( Shall I return from Sevenoaks before the meeting of Parliament ?' 4 Yes ; and endeavour
to form the Committee of practical men before Parliament meets ;
and for this purpose return from Sevenoaks in about a fortnight/
—' Shall I ask more questions ?' ' Yes/— e Have the spirits
who have communicated with me, through Mrs Hayden and
Eli^a Pinch, as mediums, been the true spirits which they repreG

SO

THE FUTUEE OF THE HUMAN RACE.

sen ted themselves to be ?' • Yes; they were true and good spirits/
—' Is it agreeable to you to communicate with me ?' g Yes/—
c
Will you have the kindness to communicate with me through
Mr. E— and Daniel 0— while I remain at Sevenoaks ?'
f
Yes/—' Are the communications to Judge Edmonds and Dr.
Dexter, from Swedenborg and Lord Bacon, reliable communications from those superior spirits?' ' Yes/—'Does every spirit
give information according to its own conditions- and stages of
progress T e Yes/
At Mr, E—, 9th January, 1854. Daniel OfFord, medium, (ten
years old.)
Putting the MS. on the table, I inquired if any spirit was present.
' Yes/—' Who ?' c The Prophet Daniel/—' The MS.
on the table is the commencement of a new pamphlet which good
spirits have directed me to write; is what I have written true and
good?' ' Y e s / — ' Do you very much approve of it?' 'Yes/-—
' Shall I proceed with it in the same spirit ?' ' Yes/ Shall I
write the remainder in London ?' ' No/
' Where ?' ' At
Sevenoaks/ e Shall I go to Sevenoaks this week ? ' Yes/
' Was my visit yesterday to Mr. and Mrs.
useful to promote
a more extended knowledge of the Spiritual Manifestations ?'
' Yes/ ' Shall I renew the visit to-morrow ?' f No/ ' Should
I renew the visit before I go to Sevenoaks V e No/ ' Has
Eliza Finch lost her power as a medium ?' ' Yes/ f Will you
please to tell me why the spirits have discontinued to rap to Mrs.
?' No answer. e Shall I be enabled, with the assistance of
the spirits, to influence Parliament, about to meet, on the subject of the Spiritual Manifestations ?' ( Y e s ; by petitioning
both Houses/ ' Will the spirits aid me to obtain a Committee
of superior practical men?' " Y e s ; and also a Committee of
both Houses of Parliament/ ' Will the knowledge of the Spiritual Manifestations make great progress in this country this
year ? ' Yes/ ' Have I ever had any inferior or undeveloped
spirits with me ?' ' No ; they have all been good spirits/ ' Will
Mrs. M. W. be useful in promoting a knowledge of these Spiritual Manifestations?' ' Yes/ ' Is Mrs. P. a true and good
medium T ' Yes/ * Will she assist me ?' No answer. ' Will
she be a good medium for me to apply to V No answer. ' Will
Daniel Offord be the best medium for me to apply to ?' c Yes.'
e
When shall I go to Sevenoaks; in how many days ?' The
spirit made a call for the alphabet, and he then said: ' E—
go to Sevenoaks with Owen/ ' When shall we go/ e To-morrow, at ten o'clock ' ' Will Wednesday do equally well ?' ' No/
Mr. E — then said, ( May I come to London in the meantime
if I should be wanted V e No ; but you may send questions to
Dan/ (The medium is alwavs called Dan.)
KOBERT OWEN.

THE FUTURE OF THE &UMAN BACE,

51

Conclusion,
Why all this contention, counteraction, contest, and turmoil, now so prevalent in all countries over the world ?'
Is it not a blind attempt to obtain wealth or power, or the society of those we ]ove, with the view thereby of attaining happiness, the ultimate object of every individual ?
But no one has yet discovered how to attain to anything nearly
approaching to permanent happiness, or to that state of rational
enjoyment which, in undisturbed security, might be, without
contest or competition, given from birth, and ensured to all
through life.
Why, then, are all of the human race thus disappointed ? It
is because from the beginning until now all have been involved
in a system of falsehood, of counteraction, contests, and absurd in*
consistencies, and in consequence have been made to experience
an ever-recurring disappointment; while, if they were placed
under a system based and constructed on truth, the progress towards excellence of all and the happiness of each would be permanently secured.
If the miseries arising from the false system are so severe and
general, and the happiness to be derived from the adoption of
another system would be so great, universal, and perpetually progressive—why, in the name of common sense, is the one tenaciously maintained as the greatest good, and the other dreaded
as the greatest evil ?
It is solely owing to the ignorance of the human race, naturally arising from the undeveloped state of humanity, which,
commencing in a crude condition, has been slowly progressing
through past ages to the present period. Commencing without
knowledge, and acquiring it by slow experience, it has, while
guided by imagination, regardless of facts, accumulated error
upon error, until such mental confusion has arisen, that all nations seem to be at a loss to know how to proceed one step far
ther in a course now become, through experience, so obviously
false and absurd, that the more advanced are astonished that a
system so injurious to all could be so long maintained.
The question now is, how is this evil to be overcome;—how can
truth and reason be made beneficially for all to supersede falsehood and a misguided imagination ?'
The whole power of ignorance,—which includes superstition,
bigotry, fanaticism, and old established habits which these have
created,—has to be overcome; and not by violence, but by a
simple statement of facts, and calm and correct reasoning, so as
gradually to induce humanity to become rational in thought, feeling, and action.
This, the greatest of all changes in the history of the human race,
can be accomplished only by the statement of self-evident truths

52

THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RACE.

with self-evident deductions from those truths, made with illimitable patience and perseverance, and in the spirit of neverfailing charity and love, evincing alone a desire to secure the
permanent good of all here and hereafter, without self, in the
usual acceptation of that term, interfering in the whole progress.
I t is said ' in the usual acceptation of the term self;'—because
man cannot do good, especially on an extensive scale, without
doing great good to himself; and the more good to himself the
less that self is considered.
We now proceed at once to these self-evident truths or facts,
and the self-evident deductions from those facts.
Man exists. He did not make himself. Some power made
him. That power, whatever it is, is called God. Man knows
not what God is, except by observing nature as it appears to him.
But all nature evinces power of inconceivable magnitude, magnificence, wisdom, and progression. This is intelligence; and an
intelligence which gives to man greater knowledge and more experience, progressing the race towards a more perfect and happy
state.
The earth progresses in fertility and beauty, while society
makes a progress, leading man onwards towards a superior and
happy state of existence. Is this a blind and unintelligent advance ; or is it a foreseen, foreordained, and intelligent progress?
This was a question of doubt among many of the most advanced
and inquiring minds throughout the world, through all past
ages, and which continues to the present time without the question being solved to the satisfaction of those who have not yet
had the high privilege of direct and continued superior spiritual
intercourse.
The facts discovered previous to this age of new discoveries,
were not sufficient to establish a settled conviction on this subject in the minds of sincere inquirers after truth.
But in America and Europe, within a few years, a new class
of facts of the highest importance to the well-being and happiness
of the human race has been in an unusual manner, especially in
the United States, forced upon public attention.
These facts are yet disbelieved or doubted by those who have
not fully and fairly investigated them; but those who have
thoroughly examined, and who have had much experience
in connexion with them, cannot avoid coming to the conclusion
that these facts are realities.
According to these facts, the Universe and all within it, (if
within can be applied to that which has no bounds or limits,) are
preserved by a power of infinite wisdom, through laws of high intelligence far beyond human comprehension. Laws emanating from,
or inherent in, an intelligence, which must be uncreated, self-existing, eternal, and universal; but existing in a form and manner not
yet known to man. These powers of intelligence or high wisdom

THE FUTrjRE OF THE HUMAN EACE.

53

are evident in the life and growth and instincts of all that have
vegetable or animal life, extending to the reasoning faculties of
the human race, which are the highest order of instinct.
Aided by past experience and the knowledge of these new facts,
derived from superior spiritual intercourse, the following conclusions appear to be self-evident deductions from self-evident
truths, or a true positive practical philosophy.
That all the organs, faculties, and powers of man—physical,
intellectual, moral, practical, and spiritual—are created for man,
without his consent or knowledge.
That these organs, faculties, and powers, are the same in all of
the human race, but differ in their combinations in each individual ; thus giving to each born a law of its own, both in male
and female.
That these organs, faculties, and powers are, as proved by experience, capable of illimitable improvement or further development.
That the development advances slowly towards improvement
when the individual exists within inferior or unfavourable conditions, but advances in improvement rapidly under favourable or
superior conditions.
That until this period in human progression, the favourable
and superior conditions in which to place man from his birth
were undiscovered; and they have not yet been known in practice.
That the conditions which have hitherto existed around the
human race in all parts of the earth, have been in accordance with
the actual development of the human faculties and their consequent general progress.
That there has been latterly an extraordinary advance in the
development of the inventive faculties in the most civilised portions of society, especially during the last half century.
That the discoveries thereby made have opened the path to
society by which greatly to improve the visible material conditions in which to place all of the human race.
That the disclosure to men of the means of direct immediate
communications with the spirits of departed good and superior
men, has opened the means to society by which the invisible material conditions in which to place all born of man may be greatly
improved.
That now, by combining these new and improved grosser,
visible, and more refined invisible material conditions around all
from birth, a new state of human existence may be speedily made
to arise, which shall delight the hearts of all, by immensely
improving the permanent condition of every one, from the youngest to the oldest, from^the lowest to the highest;—and which
shall, to an illimitable extent, improve the organisations born to
man through each succeeding generation.
This great and glorious change for humanity will be effected

54

THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN RACE.

by the most simple of all possible positive philosophies:—namely,
by actually superseding the most crude and ignorant conditions
which now exist around all in every department of life, from birth
to death, by positive good and superior conditions; or, in other
words, by creating a consistent and wise arrangement of society,
instead of an inconsistent, counteracting, and most unwise arrangement of the whole business of life throughout its entire
ramifications.
The one system positively compels all men to continue in
a false arrangement of society, to think and act most inconsistently, and to see misery on all sides around them.
The other will make all, without exceptions, to become good,
wise, and happy, and to speak only the language of truth.
The one is most extravagantly and wastefully expensive of
c apital, labour, and faculty.
The other will be a wise appropriation of these powers, ensuring the essence of economy in each.
The one is consistently irrational throughout.
The other will be, without deviation, consistently rational.
The one necessarily creates general opposition, disunion, repulsion, and contests.
The other will as necessarily create universal union of interest
and attractive feelings, so that each one will possess lovely
qualities only, and thus easily will each be made to love his
neighbour as himself, because lovely qualities may be most
easily created in all.
I n a former publication it has been stated that the writer has
been an inspired medium from his birth. This he could have
known only through his communications with the spirits of his
departed friends; but their statements on this subject are fully
confirmed, as will be found by the entire history of his life,
as will be evident when that life shall be published, and which is
in progress of being written.
BOBEET OWEN.
Sevenoaks.
December, J 853.
P.S.—Poor dear Eliza Cook! how could she think of venturing
into print upon a subject of which she knows nothing but by hearsay;
which, in this case, is of less than no value, because, without the
investigation of facts upon this subject, hearsay knows nothing.
Little did she think, when she wrote her last week's article on the
subject of the ((Future of the Human Eace"—including what
she calls twaddle—without knowing any of the import of that
twaddle, that it is destined soon to occupy the faculties of the
most scientific and practical men, not only in this country, but
throughout the civilised world. And as to her small talk about
good and bad conditions, making good or bad men and women,

THE FUTURE OF THE HUMAN BACE.

55

she is in about the same advance on this subject as the master
and operative delegates now met at the rooms of the Society of
Arts. They know that they are in bad conditions, and that good
ones are most desirable; but my kind-hearted, well-intentioned,
fair advocate of good intentions, as well as the masters and
operatives, has not the slightest conception of the principle and
the practices by which alone these good conditions can be obtained or of the superior business mode by which they are to be
commenced. This will constitute a new era in human progress,
and one, when carried into execution, that will benefit and delight
every one to an extent for which the public are entirely unprepared—and this phase in the progress of society will be effected
simply by superseding falsehood by truth, and inferior bad conditions by superior and good.
Yes, the poetess and I had an interview, and from that time I
have admired her goodness of heart, fine imagination, and beautiful aspirations, and can feel only a sincere affection for her
public advocacy of all that is liberal and good so far as the sphere
of the female mind has been yet educated upon great national
questions.
When females as well as males shall be trained and educated
to know what are evil conditions and what are good—to know
how to devise the latter, to apply them to supersede the former,
to assist to continue them afterwards in practice throughout society, and to overcome the present errors and prejudices of class,
sect, party, country and colour, then may females, when they
have also acquired the faculty of close investigation of new facts
as they arise, be competent to write upon national subjects of
general interest and to express a rational opinion of new phenomena when opposed to old notions.
EOBEET OWEN.
January 81st, 1854.

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