Chapter XLIII: The Spiritualist Communities

We proposed at the beginning to trace the history of the Owen and Fourier movements, as comprising the substance of American Socialisms. After reaching the terminus of this course, it is still proper to avail ourselves of the station we have reached, to take a birds-eye view of things beyond.

We must not, however, wander from our subject. CO-OPERATION is the present theme of enthusiasm in the _Tribune_, and among many of the old representatives of Fourierism. But Co-operation is not Socialism. It is a very interesting subject, and doubtless will have its history; but it does not belong to our programme. Its place is among the _preparations_ of Socialism. It is not to be classed with Owenism, Fourierism and Shakerism; but with Insurance, Saving's Banks and Protective Unions. It is not even the offspring of the theoretical Socialisms, but rather a product of general common sense and experiment among the working classes. It is the application of the principle of combination to the business of buying and distributing goods; whereas Socialism proper is the application of that principle to domestic arrangements, and requires at the lowest, local gatherings and combinations of homes. If the old Socialists have turned aside or gone back to Co-operation, it is because they have lost their original faith, and like the Israelites that came out of Egypt, are wandering their forty years in the wilderness, instead of entering the promised land in three days, as they expected.

We do not believe that the American people have lost sight of the great hope which Owen and Fourier set before them, or will be contented with any thing less than unity of interests carried into all the affairs of life. Co-operation as one of the preparations for this unity, is interesting them at the present time, in the absence of any promising scheme of real Socialism. But they are interested in it rather as a movement among the oppressed operatives of Europe, where nothing higher can be attempted, than as a consummation worthy of the progress that has commenced in Young America.

Our present business as historians of American Socialisms, is not with Co-operation, but with experiments in actual Association which have occurred since the downfall of Fourierism.

The terminus we have reached is 1847, the year of Brook Farm's decease. Since then "Modern Spiritualism" has been the great American excitation. And it is interesting to observe that all the Socialisms that we have surveyed, sent streams (if they did not altogether debouch) into this gulf. It is well known that Robert Owen in his last days was converted to Spiritualism, and transferred all he could of his socialistic stock to that interest. His successor, Robert Dale Owen, has not carried forward the communistic schemes of his father, but has been the busy patron of Spiritualism. Several other indirect but important _anastomoses_ of Owenism with Spiritualism may be traced; one, through Josiah Warren and his school of Individual Sovereignty at Modern Times, where Nichols and Andrews developed the germ of spiritualistic free-love; another (curiously enough), through Elder Evans of New Lebanon, who was originally an Owen man, and now may be said to be a common center of Shakerism, Owenism and Spiritualism. In his auto-biographical articles in the _Atlantic Monthly_ he maintained that Shakerism was the actual mother of Spiritualism, and had the first run of the "manifestations," that afterwards were called the "Rochester rappings." And lastly, Fourierism, by its marriage with Swedenborgianism at Brook Farm, and in many other ways, gave its strength to Spiritualism.

It is a point of history worth noting here, that Mr. Brisbane is mentioned in the introduction to Andrew Jackson Davis's Revelations, as one of the witnesses of the _seances_ in which that work was uttered. C.W. Webber, a spiritualistic expert, in the introduction to his story of "Spiritual Vampirism," refers to this conjunction of Fourierism with Spiritualism, as follows:

"No man, who has kept himself informed of the psychological
history and progress of his race, can by any means fail to
recognize at once, in the pretended 'revelations' of Davis, the
mere _disjecta membra_ of the systems so extensively promulgated
by Fourier and Swedenborg. Davis, during the whole period of his
'utterings,' was surrounded by groups, consisting of the
disciples of Fourier and Swedenborg; as, for instance, the
leading Fourierite of America [Mr. Brisbane] was, for a time, a
constant attendant upon those mysterious meetings, at which the
myths of innocent Davis were formally announced from the
condition of clairvoyance, and transcribed by his keeper, for
the press; while the chief exponent and minister of
Swedenborgianism in New York [George Bush] was often seated side
by side with him. Can it be possible that these men failed to
comprehend, as thought after thought, principle after principle,
was enunciated in their presence, which they had previously
supposed to belong exclusively to their own schools, that the
'revelation' was merely a sympathetic reflex of their own
derived systems? It was no accident; for, as often as Fourierism
predominated in 'the evening lecture,' it was sure that the
prime representative of Fourier was present; and when the
peculiar views of Swedenborg prevailed, it was equally certain
that he was forcibly represented in the conclave. Sometimes both
schools were present; and on those identical occasions we have a
composite system of metaphysics promulgated, which exhibited,
most consistently, the doctrines of Swedenborg and Fourier,
jumbled in liberal and extraordinary confusion."

As might be expected, Spiritualism has taken something from each of the Socialisms which have emptied into it. It is obvious enough that it has the omnivorous marvelousness of the Shakers, combined with the infidelity of the Owenites. But probably the world knows little of the tendency to socialistic speculation and experiment which it has inherited from all three of its confluents. It has had very little success in its local attempts at Association; and this has been owing chiefly to the superior tenacity of its devotion to the great antagonist of Association, Individual Sovereignty, which devotion also it inherited specially from Owen through Warren, and generally from both the Owen and Fourier schools. In consequence of its never having been able to produce more than very short-lived abortions of Communities, its Socialisms have not attracted much attention; but it has been continually speculating and scheming about Association, and its attempts on all sorts of plans ranging between Owenism and Fourierism, with inspiration superadded, have been almost numberless.

One of the first of these spiritualistic attempts, and probably a favorable specimen of the whole, was the Mountain Cove Community. Having applied in vain for information, to several persons who had the best opportunity to know about this Community, we must content ourselves with a very imperfect sketch, obtained chiefly from statements and references furnished by Macdonald, and from documents in the files of the Oneida _Circular_.

All the witnesses we have found, testify that this Community was set on foot by the rapping spirits in a large circle of Spiritualists at Auburn, New York, sometime between the years 1851 and 1853. It appears to have had active constituents at Oneida, Verona, and other places in Oneida and Madison Counties. Several of the leading "New York Perfectionists" in those places were conspicuous in the preliminary proceedings, and some of them actually joined the emigration to Virginia. The first reference to the movement that we have found, is in a letter from Mr. H.N. Leet, published in the _Circular_, November 16, 1851. He says:

"The 'rappings' have attracted my attention. I have scarcely
known whether I should have to consider them as wholly of earth,
or regard them as from Hades; or even be 'sucked in' with the
other old Perfectionists. The reports I hear from abroad are
wonderful, and some of them well calculated to make men exclaim,
'This is the great power of God!' But what I see and hear
partakes largely of the ridiculous, if not the contemptible.
They have had frequent meetings at the houses of Messrs. Warren,
Foot, Gould, Stone, Mrs. Hitchcock, etc.; and 'a chiel's amang
them them taking notes;' but whether he will 'prent 'em' or not,
is uncertain. I have from time to time been writing out what
facts have come under my observation, and do so yet.

"Yesterday in their meeting, I heard extracts of letters from
Mr. Hitchcock written from Virginia; in which he states that
they have found the garden of Eden, the identical spot where our
first parents sinned, and on which no human foot has trod since
Adam and Eve were driven out; that himself, Ira S. Hitchcock,
was the first who has been permitted to set his foot upon it;
and further, that in all the convulsions of nature, the
upheavings and depressions, this spot has remained undisturbed
as it originally appeared. This is the spot that is to form the
center in the redemption now at hand; and parts adjacent are, by
convulsions and a reverse process, to be restored to their
primeval state. This is the substance of what I heard read. The
revelation was said to have been spelled out to them by raps
from Paul."

In a subsequent letter published in the _Circular_ December 14, 1851, Mr. Leete sent us the spiritual document which summoned the saints to Mountain Cove, introducing it as follows:

"I send inclosed an authentic copy of a printed circular, said
to have been received by Mr. Scott, the spiritual leader of the
Virginia movement, in this manner, viz.: the words were seen in
a vision, printed in space, one at a time, declared off by him,
and written down by some one else."

_Mountain Cove Circular._

"Go! Scarcely let time intervene. Escape the vales of death.
Pass from beneath the cloud of magnetic human glory. Flee to the
mountains whither I direct. Rest in their embrace, and in a
place fashioned and appointed of old. There the dark cloud of
magnetic death has never rested. For I, the Lord, have thus
decreed, and in my purpose have I sworn, and it shall come to
pass. Time waiteth for no man.

"For above the power of sin a storm is gathering that shall
sweep away the refuge of lies. Come out of her, O, my people!
for their sun shall be darkened, and their moon turned into
blood, and their stars shall fall from their heaven. The Samson
of strength feeleth for the pillars of the temple. Her
foundation already moveth. Her ruin stayeth for the rescue of my
people.

"The city of refuge is builded as a hiding place and a shelter;
as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land; as an asylum for
the afflicted; a safety for those fleeing from the power of sin
which pursueth to destroy. In that mountain my people shall rest
secure. Above it the cloud of glory descendeth. Thence it
encompasseth the saints. There angels shall ascend and descend.
There the soul shall feast and be satisfied. There is the bread
and the water of life. 'And in this mountain shall the Lord of
hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of
wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the
lees well refined. And he will destroy in this mountain the face
of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is
spread over all nations. He will swallow up death in victory;
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and
the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the
earth; for the Lord hath spoken it.' And I will defend Zion, for
she is my chosen. There shall the redeemed descend. There shall
my people be made one. There shall the glory of the Lord appear,
descending from the tabernacle of the Most High.

"The end is not yet.

"You are the chosen. Go, bear the reproaches of my people. Go
without the camp. Lead in the conquest. Vanquish the foe. As ye
have been bidden, meekly obey. Paradise hath no need of the
things that ye love so dearly. For earthly apparel, if obedient,
ye shall have garments of righteousness and salvation. For
earthly treasures, ye shall gather grapage from your Maker's
throne. For tears, ye shall have jewels, as dewdrops from
heaven. For sighs, notes of celestial melody. For death, ye
shall have life. For sorrow, ye shall have fulness of joy.
Cease, then, your earthly struggle. All ye love or value, ye
shall still possess. Earth is departing. The powers and
imaginations of men are rolling together like a scroll. Escape
the wreck ere it leaps into the abyss of woe. Forget not each
other. Bear with each other. Love each other. Go forth as lambs
to the slaughter. For lo, thy King cometh, and ere thou art
slain he shall defend. Kiss the rod that smites thee, and bow
chastened at thy Maker's throne."

Here occurs a long break in our information, extending from December 1851, to July 1853. How the Community was established and what progress it made in that interval, the reader must imagine for himself. Our leap is from the beginning to near the end. The _Spiritual Telegraph_ of July 2, 1853, contained the following:

"MOUNTAIN COVE COMMUNITY.--We copy below an article from the
_Journal of Progress_, published in New York. It is from the pen
of Mr. Hyatt, who was for a time a member of the Community at
Mountain Cove. Mr. Hyatt is a conscientious man, and is still a
firm believer in a rational Spiritualism. We have never regarded
the claims of Messrs. Scott and Harris with favor, though we
have thought and still think, that the motives and life of the
latter were always honorable and pure. There are other persons
at the Mountain who are justly esteemed for their virtues; but
we most sincerely believe they are deluded by the absurd
pretensions of Mr. Scott."

[_From the Journal of Progress._]

"Most of our readers are undoubtedly aware that there is a
company of Spiritualists now residing at Mountain Cove,
Virginia, whose claims of spiritual intercourse are of a
somewhat different nature from those usually put forth by
believers in other parts of the country.

"This movement grew out of a large circle of Spiritualists at
Auburn, New York, nearly two years since; but the pretensions on
the part of the prime movers became of a far more imposing
nature than they were in Auburn, soon after their location at
Mountain Cove. It is claimed that they were directed to the
place which they now occupy, by God, in fulfillment of certain
prophecies in Isaiah, for the purpose of redeeming all who would
co-operate with them and be dictated by their counsel; and the
place which they occupy is denominated 'the Holy Mountain, which
was sanctified and set apart for the redemption of his people.'

"The principal mediums, James L. Scott and Thomas L. Harris,
profess absolute Divine inspiration, and entire infallibility;
that the infinite God communicates with them directly, without
intermediate agency; and that by him they are preserved from the
possibility of error in any of their dictations which claim a
spiritual origin.

"By virtue of these assumptions, and claiming to be the words of
God, all the principles and rules of practice, whether of a
spiritual or temporal nature, which govern the believers in that
place, are dictated by the individuals above mentioned. Among
the communications thus received, which are usually in the form
of arbitrary decrees, are requirements which positively forbid
those who have once formed a belief in the divinity of the
movement, the privilege of criticising, or in any degree
reasoning upon, the orders and communications uttered; or in
other words, the disciples are forbidden the privilege of having
any reason or conscience at all, except that which is prescribed
to them by this oracle. The most unlimited demands of the
controlling intelligence must be acceded to by its followers, or
they will be thrust without the pale of the claimed Divine
influence, and utter and irretrievable ruin is announced as the
penalty.

"In keeping with such pretensions, these 'Matthiases' have
claimed for God his own property; and hence men are required to
yield up their stewardships: that is, relinquish their temporal
possessions to the Almighty. And, in pursuance of this, there
has been a large quantity of land in that vicinity deeded
without reserve by conscientious believers, to the human
vicegerents of God above mentioned, with the understanding that
such conveyance is virtually made to the Deity!

"As would inevitably be the case, this mode of operations has
awakened in the minds of the more reasoning and reflective
members, distrust and unbelief, which has caused some, with
great pecuniary loss, to withdraw from the Community, and with
others who remain, has ripened into disaffection and violent
opposition; and the present condition of the 'Holy Mountain' is
anything but that of divine harmony. Discord, slander and
vindictiveness is the order of proceedings, in which one or both
of the professed inspired mediators take an active part; and the
prospect now is, that the claims of divine authority in the
temporal matters of 'the Mountain,' will soon be tested, and the
ruling power conceded to be absolute, or else completely
dethroned."

After the above, came the following counter-statement in the _Spiritual Telegraph_, August 6, 1853:

_Cincinnati, July 14, 1853._

"MR. S.B. BRITTAN--Sir: A friend has handed me the _Telegraph_
of July 2, and directed my attention to an article appearing in
that number, headed 'Mountain Cove Community,' which, although
purporting to be from the pen of one familiar with our
circumstances at the Cove, differs widely from the facts in our
case.

"Suffice it for the present to say, that Messrs. Scott and
Harris, either jointly or individually, for themselves, or as
the 'human vicegerents of God,' have and hold no deed (as the
article quoted from the _Journal of Progress_ represents) of
lands at the Cove. Neither have they pecuniary supporters
there. Nor are men residing there required or expected to deal
with them upon terms aside from the ordinary rules of business
transactions. They have no claims upon men there for temporal
benefits. They exact no tithes, or even any degree of
compensation for public services; and, although they have
preached and lectured to the people there during their sojourn
in that country, they have never received for such services a
penny; and, except what they have received from a few liberal
friends who reside in other portions of the country, they secure
their temporal means by their own industry. Moreover, for land
and dwellings occupied by them, they are obligated to pay rent
or lease-money; and should they at any time obtain a deed,
according to present written agreement, they are to pay the full
value to those who are the owners of the soil and by virtue
thereof still retain their steward-ship.

"I have thus briefly stated facts; facts of which I should have
an unbiased knowledge, and of which I ought to be a competent
judge. These facts I have ample means to authenticate, and
together with a full and explicit statement of the nature of the
lease, when due the public, if ever, I shall not hesitate to
give. And from these the reader may determine the character of
the entire expose, so liberally indorsed, as also other
statements so freely trumpeted, relative to us at Mountain Cove.

"From some years of the most intimate intercourse with the Rev.
T.L. Harris, surrounded by circumstances calculated to try men's
souls, I am prepared to bear testimony to your statements
relative to his goodness and purity; and will add, that were all
men of like character, earth would enjoy a saving change, and
that right speedily.

"Assured that your sense of right will secure for this brief
statement, equal notoriety with the charges preferred against
us--hence a place in the columns of the _Telegraph_;

I am, &c., J.L. SCOTT."

This counter-statement has the air of special pleading, and all the information that we have obtained by communication with various ex-members of the Mountain Cove Community, goes to confirm the substance of the preceding charges. The following extracts from a letter in reply to some of our questions, is a specimen:

"There were indications in the acts of one or more individuals
at Mountain Cove, that plainly showed their desire to get
control of the possessions which other individuals had saved as
the fruits of their industry and economy. Those evil designs
were frustrated by those who were the intended victims of the
crafty, though not without some pecuniary sacrifice to the
innocent."

From all this we infer that the Mountain Cove Community came to its end in the latter part of 1853, by a quarrel about property; which is all we know about it.

This was the most noted of the Spiritualist Communities. The rest are not noticed by Macdonald, and, so far as we know, hardly deserve mention.