A Visit To Shakerdom Or New Lebanon

New Lebanon is some Ihirly miles east of Albuny, and is nnied f rom thp fuct of ts being ilie residnce f one f tlie Shaker gntlierings in our country. - I Wo visited tliis plnco n Wednesday of l.'ist week, and [terhapid few rrnrirks concerning our excursión mny interest I uur readers. Ve sim 11 't now i i temj.t any exposé of Slnkenenets. more tlian to jsriy tbat tliey lioIJ that God, like humanly, is male and fem ile ; that the Snvior mus! also be mule and femnle ; ihat Jenus Glirist was a male Savior, ;uid lht Ann Lee, culled Moilier Aun, w.is ihe fftnile Savior; that tliey were equally diune. and that she was ihe Diughter of God, in the same sen e th.t Chpist was ihe Son of God. They a'so hold tbet marringe is unlaufu!, nnd tliat iliey ivh'i do out mari)-, are the only tnio church, and tteil liill oiLers arecinial and ennnot be sivrd. 'l'hfv require a!l the mcmbt-is to tnfckfl confession of sins to the eider, ;md j lieve in and profVss 10 have special revelaiions. 'J'hee revplations leuietirties Cíimmnnicnte genpral principies Cor ihf failh iind goveriiment of tlio oiuVr, nnd some'imes thev concern the eharnctcr nnd rlestinv of individunis. They profess 1 have a'l tliings in commnn, jet ihe property s contrulled nnd the assoCiaiiof. is goterned ly a few, anri this i done in the most n:b!tiary mam er. V i t h tl.is brief outlino.ue ill pruceedwith our visit. The party onsisted nf foui', fi icn't P., his sister, sister R., nnd the writer. VVe mny as ve!l say at tliis poin1, tlmt our object was to recover from the Sliaker?, ihe wife nnd chüdren of l'riend P. who have been among thcm for some months. JOUREET OUT. We left New York ciiy in art evrningbont for Albany, at which ple we nrrived 'n Wednesday rnornirB ju -t in time to take llie cais runniíigistwnrd. Tlie cars conveyed u.s to Cannstft, where we cliartered a private carri.-ige, nnd driver, so as to have il under our own controL ' From Cnnnnn to New Lehnnon wAijnjed a most deligtftil ride, which iciffinated at twelve o'clock. VVe were most kmdly receiveiby i lie Shnkers, and part ook ofa bojntiful dinner wicli ihey provided for us. FAMILIES AD NUMBERS. We hád but littie oppoitunity f ir mnking observntions. Tliere are eight fomlies in al:, designated as follows : 1. Church fumily, firt oj-der. of about onehundred members. 2 Cliurch fami'y, scond oroor, nf about ono hundied members. These lwo 'aiTiilies comprise tho-o wlio altained t) perfection iü the fa th and knowlodgo of Shakerism, 3. There in a third family dial inguilied by (hem as the second funrlv. 4. The ne.xt is known as ihe Soutl: familv. 5. East fumiiy is iho distingu'shlng i.'tle ofihe fifth. 6. The Norlli family is ihc sixth. - This ié what is known ns " fhe gathering family." It is fo ca Wed bccaar-r t s tin fhmijy into which inquirer.s and all newcorners are pli.ced Cor luition in the mysteries nf ths fiiiti;. 7. There a e to families at Canfnn, islinguilied ns ihe upporani lowerfimIíps. All these r;imilestogpthercnmprse alout six liuuJred soiils, ofnllaged& HXi Our party crill-d nt what isknou-n -c ilie office of ïhflclinpcli family, ntíú wpie cinducted ta the rrceivng rnorn. The wiffl of our friend P. was ai iho North fa'nily, and the children wereal an-ithei place. They er uil Mxit fijr, n'd Cfime into the room whers we were seated. THE FAIMTRE OP OUR ENTERPRISE. Soon aTter the nr rival of ;ill the jnr. ties, a cinvprsat'on cnmmncpd on the subject of our visit. Friend P. t Td thpm he had come f,r hls wife and chiidren, and dpsignfd to tske ihem aw.ny. Tu this they rem-ntr,iterl. Tiie childi-pn ! they clainied to hold by vstwh species of indeniure, which our fi end claims is not 1-uvful, hut which we have not sesn. thpy hnving theonly copy. They did not object tohis taking his wifeaw.'.y, provided . she wished In go, bm maiMaiued ihit he had no right to remove har ftgiinst ter will. This and oiher pointe wen argued, but to no purpose. The lime carne when we must leave, and our friend delivering a child to ourself, and one to eacli of the two ladies, thero being three chüdren in a!l, (ook his wife ! by one nrm, lej the w.-iy towarfs the ! door. We weie uil upon the second i flncir, and pirssed out of the, room int the hall. From this hal! a flight ofst.-iirs led down lo ihe front door at which we entered, while a back door led directly to the yard n the rearof the hoine. O.ir friend going ahoid willi his wife, on nrriving at the hcad oflhe s'.itro, fuind them blocked up by one ofihe Skakers, who placed hiinself iliere to prevent liis ! pnssing down with his nik. [Ie then .-itipmped to pass out nl ïhe biick door, upon wliich nn'other Shnkf-r seized ho'd upon it, nnd nt'einp'ed to shut it upon iiim; but owing lu some fastenirg or impedunent, the door could not heshut to, so that our friénd wnslikely tn gpt out. - At tliis critrcn] rooinentj two of ilie -itM spiz-d Ivld upon the wife of our f end, nrip ho'd of each arm, and l)y n sudden effiirt f. reed her througli n sidc j door into anotlier room, cairying the husb.md aloig wth l.er, r.s hu hel I on. - I h;s carritd llirm OOI nf nur siglir, aiid 10 grt i,to the mom, ivt let go nf the linuri of the 1 ttle boy, lm lifing paitialy (Weed i'rom ns at same time by one of ihe áhakers, who i-pimel hum away wi;h the other fliildren, which were laken fruin 'he iwo lalies ff our pftriy. On entering the room, wt faund nur fi pnd s'il' hol i of his wife, and t! e two shaket s sieis still iiolding on upnn I er to prernt lier from b'ing removed. We iben alvisei fi end f t i nbnndun ihe efKnt, nnd try t!,e vinu f the civil l:nv. TI. e qiiesticin (rúente i In the irise ol' tho chüJien, is ;he leg;i] tv nnci binding "reeof the indenturp. Of the v.-iliduy "f t he rvientnre l-elf, we taant judg , ns we Imve not soen il. Cnt f it bc n lega' insirnmcnt in frm. the ciurt will lo ficlilioiieiJ to set it , on tiip crounH ;ha' ihe inctruc-tinn the t:hildr"n reene;] thei-e is hgcinst the policy of tliü Staic, anii ngiii'st ni'imlity. ín ihe case of ihe wfr the question N a different one. It iss'mpl'. tiiis; I, .ís n husband a light lo onn'rol Mis wi:'o h phvs:c:i! fnri-f, not crin 1 or njiirinus t If n nrni has a riglu lo leiH l.is wiio fíwn ie place to ftno'her, ngiinst I er w,ll, tnen he will recover of the Slnkers jbrj ni ducting his wi.'e, for they took lipr 1'ehM him wiien he was ihus leuding Iipt. The pciiits íreeme'! .'iré of some imporinnct'. The results hiU he given ti our readers