Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1838-07-24
ARE THE PLANETS INHABITED,


Are those shining otbs Ohith 50 richly deckot,,e
he Gtmsmcnt poorlcd with creatures. endowed
he US eitb 'eason to "a cnyrr with sense to lovr
'nd with imagination % expand toward. their ltn.
I'less perfection. the siitbl'ss Of HN ~ whose
fingers Tie heavens arc the work q Has liz
Who made man lower ihan the angel.. to crown
am with the glory OF discovering that Ugh, Ia
which liz has "dcckcd hinsef as with garment
'lso made other creatures with like powers ana
ike destiny, with 'douinion over the works ct
ms hand', aud having 'sll things pot N saelrcHon
under their .cet r. And ate those rcsp,cuden
g'obes which roll In silent majesty through tie a.
'ysses ol he homamcnt the do eliags Ut such &C.
,nes
These arc questions which have been asked mud
Will continue TO be asked, bv nl VII, view The
earth as On individual Of that l,t;o cluster OF
worlds called the solar System. 1t is question
10 "hlch Science lss not gi.en direct answer,
but respecting which sic has supplied body OF
circuns,nnta evidence of an extremely interesting
nature. Modern discovery has collc.ted together
4 mass of facts connected with the positions and
motions, the physcsl characters and conditions
and the paris played in The sonr system by he
several globes of which THE system Is composed
which forms body If anaoCrs bearing on th-
lnGnry, infinitely more cogent and convincing than
The proofs upon the strength Of which We daily
di-Pose Of The lives and properties Of our fellow
c',izeus, and hazard our own.
In considering the Garth as dwelling place
suited 10 man ana to the ctca;ules which it has
pleased his Maker to place IN snbjcction to him,
there Is a mutual fitness aud adaptation observable
among multitude Of arrangements, which cannot
be traced olt, and which indeed obviously cannot
arise from, the operation Of any general nrechan.
cal law like ttnst by which the motions and chan
geS of mere material masses are observed to be
governed. il Is 20 these convenlences md luxu-
RES, with which our dwelling has been 80 consld.
erslely furnished, that we he beneiicent inten
lions of its Creator Immediately manifested
than by any physical or mechanical laws, however
imposing ard important. IT, having due knowl-
edge o: our own natural neccss,ies, of our sppe.
ites and passions, of our suscepbhtes Of pleas
ore und paln,-n fine, of our physical orgamizn-
ton We for the FIRST time introduced to this
glorious earth, with lis balmy atmosphere, liz pure
and translucent waters. the life and beauty of lis
animal and vegetable kingdom, with its attraction
upon the matter of DOR own bodies, just sufficient
~ great to give them stability and not great a.
TO deprive them Of the power OF free aud rapid
motion, with Us intervals OF light and darkness,
giving alterations of labor and rest, nicely cor
responding ~nh our Muscular powers, with ITS
grateful SUGGESTIONS Of Seasons. nnd IT'S moderate
extremes ol temperature, so justly suited 10 our
organz1'lUn,-wiih all this iiti ness before could
we hesitate to infer that such place must have
been proUiacd expressly for our abiatonl IT,
them the discoveries Of modern disclose 10
us, III each planet which rolls like ours round the
sun, provisions all respects slmllar-If they ore
proved 10 be Indications similarly built, ventilated,
warmed, illuminated, ald furnished. supplied with
the same alterations of hight aud darkness, by
the same eXpedient-wilh the same pleasant sue
cesslon OF seasons, the same geographical disefa-
~ OF climates, the same agreeable distribution Of
%: land and water, can we doubt that such stfOc-
lures have been provided as the abudes for beings
in all respects resembling usl The strong pre-
sumption raised by such proofs is converted into
moral certainly, when It rs shown from physical
ulduges of irresistible force, that such bodies are
the creation cf The same hand which shaped the
"round ~ ofId," and launched II into space.