The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-04-08
[From the National Intelligsncer]
National Institute convention.


[From the National Integsncerl
National Institute onventlon.
EVENING SESSION OF THURSDAY, APRIL 4.
The increasing interest felt In the meetings of
this learned and scientific Convention, was again
made manifest on Thursday evening by the attend.
ance OF large and highly respectable audience OF
both sexes, all anxious TO listen to the words of
wisdom from the Swans who were to address them.
Among the ladies who attended noticed the
venerable Mrs. Madison, in whom increase of
years have not diminished the charm which has
always surrounded her, andto whom spontaneous
manifestation of respect was offered by those who
sat IN her immediate neighborhood, as she rose to
take her departure after the close Of the able dis
course of Dr. Mott
The exercises of the evening were preceded by
music from the Marine Band
At about eight o'clock, the Hon. ] G. Spencer
took the chair, introduced Dr. E. Mott. President
OF the Union College, Schenectady, New York,
to the Convention, and announced that the subject
OF his discourse would be the origin, duration, and
which had ben produced by the visionary specula-
tons and abortive propheses of Miller on the inn
mediate destruction of the world 10y fire. the SUBJ
Ject selected by Dr. Mott was one calculated to
produce great interest in his hearers Nor were
they disappointed The subject was treated with
distinguished ability. learning, and eloquence-
Even brief synopsis of this discourse, to which
all listened with profound attention and improve
ment, would be too long for our paper, and we
regret that we have not room 10 give more than
a hasty notice Of the prominent topics on which
ne commented at considerable length and with
temporal nature of all earthly things; traced organi-
cation from It's origin to things unorganzed and
contended that all proved that God, their creator,
declared that God created the heaven and the earth
and Nature responds, God created the heaven
and the earth. After all other formations were
ended he created man, the most finished specimen
of created beings He glanced at the accounts of
the origin of the world by the Chinese, and showed
that those accounts had been found to be fictitious,
and that their antiquities do not reach beyond the
age Of Abraham, while the chronology of the Bible
stands uncontradicted Dr. Mort then spoke of
the agreement between the Bible and geology
Geologists have ascertained that man was the last
of creation that the Bible and geology were in
harmony that both agree as to the commissions
which have occurred and, as to the destruction of
the earth by fire and flood, both are recorded in
the Book OF Revelations and OF Nature. He
then spoke Of the duration of the earth )
alluded to Mlller's predictions; quoted passages
from the Bible IN opposition to MllleI's inter-
to reign on earth for six Thousand years, while
Christ was TO reign but one thousand, was unreal
sonable, and that if day meant year, his reign
would be three hundred and sixty-fve thousand
years. but his reign would be eternal, and he sup
ported It by passages from Scripture He said that
the Scripture declared that the heaven and earth
were to wax old, Nc; but that, though great
that it had grown old. These changes have taken
place at long intervals, but man was promised that
as long the and moon endured he should
dwell it; That the Book of Nature spoke. of an
extended duration, which was manifested by the
coal formations, and which have been going on for
ages TO provide for the future wants of man; and
that man is therefore, destined to occupy his pre-
sent dwelling place for a great length of time. He
agreed that it would at last however be brought to
an en the Bible declares that the world will have
end, and Nature confirms the truth of this de-
How long, he asked, would those eternal fires vol
canoes, NC, which have been so alarming and
dreadful, but, which were in fact safety valves be
kept open! Should they be closed up, and the crust
La Place, and others, he said, had described the
destruction of planet which lasted for six months.
What has been may be again, and our sun, moon
and stars will be destroyed; but the Bible assures
and beauty. DIR. Mott then briefly considered
single discrepancy between the Bible and geology,
but he thought the difference not real. 1t related
to the time, as mentioned by Moses, for the for
nation of the world, which be examined at some
length He referred to coal formations, and said,
some geooglsts had asserted that it would require
eighty feet in thickness; and yet has been ascer-
tanned, he observed, that very brief period is en-
ployed in providing those vast mineral masses
Geology has proved that rapid changes frequently
take place In the abOratoryof nature and that effects
have been wrought l.. days and hours formerly that
now requires ages to produce them He spoke of
the absence Of human fossils, and thought that,
though they had not been found, It did not follow
is more fully explored; and believed that further
examinations in Asia, the cradle Of nations, would
throw new light on the subject He then entered
into examination of the Mosaic account of the
creation and explained the various interpretations
which had been given 10 the six days, which DR..
N. commended were periods Of indefinite length
On this branch of the subject his explanations were
at some length, and we have only leisure to remark
that the religious tone of that admirable essay was
above all praise: He urged the necessity of con-
meeting faith with science; that II was idle to place
the world on the back OF tortoise; that striking
agreement existed between geology aud religion,
and that geology and revelation moved hand IN
hand to a certain extent; that when nature was
undevout geologist, like undevout astrono-
mer, was mad; and that strong affinity existed
between religion and geology. DR. Motifs conclu-
sion was classical, beautiful, and impressive, and
afforded great Improvement as well as high graif-
cation to all who heardt.
DR.. NorT was followed by Professor H. AesEw
OF New York, on the Glacier System, or Period of
Agasscz, a new and somewhat extraordinary theo-
ry introduced by M. Agassez. Mr.. A. explained
very briefly this theory, which, however, we
thought too deficient in facts TO make many prose.
lytes. The exercises of the evening were closed
with this essay
The Interesting papers so far read before the In,
stute by its learned and scientific friends, would
and we hope that funds enough may be raised to
publish them.
FRIDAY MORNING, April 5-The seventh meet
Ing of the National Ihsntute, this morning, was
attended by large and select audience, among
whom we were pleased ~ see many ladies'
After the usual prayer by the Rev Dr. Bacon,