Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1838-11-20

wifhered and WiIled BIZ The iloWn and disap-
probation 81 2VFNetNa JUSTICE AND VIOLA
TED .HuH A1girT, il short. almost every insti-
tuition, every prosperity, public and private.
seems to be sickenin0 and DYING nom the cor
rliptino and cosfodine effects Of slavery. But
tho curse Be on the head Of these who sustain
such an is tution
THE MOON.
Ii the last number Of the monthly
Chronicle, We fnd some statements
drawn from astronomical observations,
which must Be quite new TO those who
hitherto supposed this planet to BE- inhab-
tied By animal beings. The most pow
erful telescopes ever yet CONSTRUCTED do
not enable us 10 see distinctly an object
whose visual magnitude IS so small as one
second, corresponding 10 q mile on the
surface ofthe Moon. L therefore follows
that an object, say town on the moon,
measuring mile across IN each direction,
would Be too small to be discerned BY any
aid which telescopes have not yet supplied.
eff the moon be examined, says the wri.
ter, s'for any length Of time with the aid Of
the most ordinary telescope, the observer
cannot fail to be struck with the unaller-
able character Of the outlines Of light and
shade upon her surface. These are so
distinct and well defined, that they may
be delineated with great exactness; and a
map, exhibiting their appearance at any
one time, win continued all times toexhiD.
it that appearance with the same fidelity
and precision"
The first inference which draws from
this circumstance is, that the same side Of
tho moon is always turned towards US. and
as she turns round on her own axis in a.
bout twenty seven days and eight hours,
the Salenites or inhabitants of the moon,
so denominated from the Greek word
eno on, must have 326 hours day light,
followed BY 32e hours night. The next
is that there are no clouds suspended a.
round her, and third inference, drawn
from other data, that there arc no indica-
tons whatever Of seas an water 10 the
moon; and iftheTe isany atmosphere at all,
it must be thousand times less dense than
that OF the earth. Itwould require a per-
feet air pump to produce such a degree of
ratification under a receiver, and such
an atmosphere would, as far as regards all
/ phenomena Of animal and yegeSble life, be
a vacuum. The following description gives
a frightful picture Of the "silvery orb d
night"
tThe character of the entire surface oil
the moon, so far as telescope power has
made it know to us, IS just what might
have been expected in a world deprived
Of air and water, and Of lhetfibe Of beings
70 whose life these are necessary. This
most inhospitable planet exhihiis wide
waste Of She surface diversified by nothing
but its lofty mountains and cavernous val
leys. Chains Of mountains and insulated
/ hills are spread over every part Of the SUR
face, and lift their menapcing and pre-
cipious sides to the height Of FIVE perpen-
dicular miles. Ii many places huge mas.
SEES ofeartn spring directly from the plain
and carry their peaked SUBMITS to lhe
altitude Of twenty thousand feet. Nor is
the extent ofthe bases of these stupen.
dous cmmences less astounding than thcil
heighis. The diametes of the bases 81
several detached hills Of this kind, which
measure Eve miles in height, vary from "a
10 40 mics.
sBut The circumstance which depriyes the
moons surface ofevery trace Of analogy
with that Of the earth, IS The enormous cav.
5 ems which are found IN almost every par
Of it. Some Of these cayerns are foul
miles in depth, and forty miles III diane.
ter. Their edge is generally defended b
a high natural will. Frequently a conica
]. mountain rises 10 d considerable heigb
from The bottom Of this dark circular hole
!. The top Of this cone IS rendered visible
when the rays Of the sun fall directly il
Ito the easerns This internal comic noun
tain has some times 1 circular cavity il
; IFS apex, Iikethe crater ola volcano.
.. a'The provisions which gives 10 the sey
: erai planets the grateful returns of the sea.
! sons, is denied 10 the moon; and aeebf
( dinghy, not a truce can be discovered 81
..l her surface Of The slightest gofiation, whicl
can be d cribed 10 change Of season.
ST then the moon be lie habitution o
$ living things, they must Be constituted
with lnfciions very different from lhos
vii & characterize the animal and yegeia
Die kingdoms Of the earth. il the Absent
s Of an atmosphere. the Seienites cannot, q
course. Be respiratory anilaalss soonI
I which depends % air for IS production
: and Conveyance. there can Be none
ST.. eel and bearing would therefore B.
useless facilities
5 t.9,t ~ I....- ~. s,S,II