1846-11-07-New York Commercial Advertiser—City News

City News

New York Commercial Advertiser, vXLIX, 7 November 1846, p. 2

Mr. Sunderland's lecture room was crowded again last night, but the developments were neither new nor striking. He had the same subjects, both male and female, as on the previous night, with the exception of the heroine of the tooth-drawing, her place being supplied by a new recruit, who was very green in her part. The little talkative girl named in our last report was the subject of the promised trance, and she was also selected to see the ghosts, but both these experiments disappointed the audience, for a balder imposture never insulted the understanding of an intelligent company, not having the merit even of concealing the collusion and stage trick, by which concealment common jugglers command respect in their exhibitions.

The same parties played the same tricks, by the same means as before, with but little variation, and even perpetrated many of the same puns and witticisms. The story-telling boy, who acts the part of door keeper until the time comes for his part in the play, after singing his comical songs and telling sundry yarns, complained that "he felt solemn-coly"—at which the rest laughed, when he commenced a Mormon sermon, soon cut short by Mr. Sunderland touching him with his handkerchief, and buy another touch he began again where he left off. Another boy then preached a Quaker sermon, which was cut short and renewed buy the same magic art, these experiments being looked upon by the audience as contemptible. Subsequently there was a dance by the somnambulists, a pantomime oyster supper and other tomfoolery, all of which the lecturer claimed as proving his theory of "the science of mind."

Of the long lecture we can only say that it was dull, prosing and interminably tedious, so that many of the auditors slept with pathetism, from the mere ennui, and indeed it was hard to keep awake. It was about phrenology, contrasted with the common opinions of unbelievers, insanity, fits, catalepsy, dreams, trances, somnambulism, &c., and illustrated by the cases of Swedenborg, Tennent, &c., all of which, Mr. S. affirmed, "go to prove my philosophy of pathetism!" He had much to say about religious excitements, revivals, camp meetings and the lie, announcing that he knew all about these matters for he had been a clergyman himself many years, and had often produced upon his hearers the same results from the pulpit, which he now produced here.

…