Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1845-04-24
NATURAL PHILOSOPHY.

CREAllON wiley < Putnam, New York I Vo
| limo.
This is reprint of recent English work
The authors name is not given, bu, the bes
authorizes ascribe it to Sir RICHARD VIVIAN
NJ. p, f. r.. S. sc. SC.
| we have seldom, if ever. read book Of q
character SO purely scientific, which possess
es such powerful in,eres, and charm through
out lis pages. 1t is written with grea. persni-
cuuy o! style. and is arranged in an orderly.
well-connec,ed melhod..-The subiect-,he
natural history and processes of crealon-s
sublime one. and more than ordinary ability
and learning were required TO do i, any ade-
quate justice. But HE author is fully CONNIE
tent, SO far as the known results of scientific
investigation will afford the means. by an in
innate acquaintance with them, 10 perform the
undertaking. Besides, he has brought to the
TASK liberal and comprehensive mind and a
lofty spirit of benevolence. He makes no
pre!entions to originality in scientific discoye-
ry, but avails himself merely of the labors of
DINERS, and, as he says, "atlempts for the frs,
'''he 10 connect the natural sciences into his
Tory oil creation" Even if we do not assent
TO all the deductions and hypothesis he offers,
we cannot fail 10 be instructed and &, have
our minds enlarged by his profound philoso-
phical suggestions.
SScienceas yet proceeds up 10 a certain point
only-the explanation of natural laws and
phenomena In the world of effects there is a
world OF causes which it does not penetrate.
u ignorant sceptcism presumes to form con-
clusions as to the non-eSistence Of powers
beyond and above the properties and princi-
pies inherent in matter, enlightened Justice
Shnp1I mr. c,,En e..
ing condemnation the scientific investigator.
who explains natural phenomena 10 the extent
OF his knowledge only, with the vain fool who
makes his own reason the measure of truth.
and fixes the limit at the point of his compre-
tension. This remark is intended TO guard
as lar as possible against the INSTRUMENTATION
which may assaii this book with the charge of
.HateridAsm. II is Of character which NAV
expose it to this charge by the preindiced or
superficial reader. But nothing could be
more unwarrantable The author seeks for
The causes OF the phenomena of nature, as far
as ne can IN natural laws, but he is by no
means mere matcrialisI who stops at expla-
nations even apparently deiinitive. He still
refers back TO higher and first cause of all
things, as the following extract will show.
"All these considerations, when the mind
Is thoroughly prepared for them, tend 10 raise
our ideas with respect 10 the character of
physical laws, even though we do not go
single step further in the investigation. But
IL Is impossible for an intelligent mind to stop
there We advance from law to the cause of
law, and ask, what is that? Whence have
come all these beautiful regulations Here
science leaves us, but only to conclude, from
other grounds, that there is a FRS, Cause to
Which all others trpc o,,I -.
i've, primitive almighty will, of which these
laws are merely the mandates Thai great
Being, who shall say where is his dwelling
place, Or what his history! Man pauses
( breahiess at the contemplation of subject SO
much above his finite faculties, and ONLY can
wonder ond adore p
'" differ with the author OH several points
OF theory, hu, space will not permit us TO make
the quotations we would like TO, and TO OK.
press our own views as fully as SIC could
wish.
he opening chapter presents the theory Of
modern Astronomers on the creation OF worlds
andsyslems Of worlds, which the author adopts
and endcavors to establish. This is the ne
bnions hypothes!S of which we will give bric
! ta;cnenf.
} he starting point of the hypothesis, is thai
1.-The whole OF our armament was at one time
! a d'iiused mass oi nebuious matter, extending
through the space it still occupies.'' The
sun is the nucleus around which tue nebulous
matter collects and revoives in a rotatory mo-
ton as centre, by weil-known law in bhv
sizes, Of which the whirlwind and the whirl-
! pool arc examples on an humble scale. The
instant The mass begins to rotate there is gen.
Grated tendency TO fling off its outer por-
! lions, or, In other Words the law Of centrjGu-
gai force begins to operate. There are, then
TWO forces acting in opposition TO each other
The ore attracting 10, tho other thro wing from,
! ihe centre. In Tile process of time, when by
refrigeration or cooling,' this asst Fire Mist
rs condensed, aud an nctusatioh or ring is
termed around the central parent mass. a cir
cuiar mass is detached by an excess of the
/ centrifugal over the attractive force. This
ring continues to revolve ground the centre
with the same velocity as the parent mass at
Tue moment Of separaion-By natural caus-
es ihe ring will be broken M into several
fragments, and as the largest would be likelv
10 attract the lesser into itself, the whole mass
would necessarily settle into spherical form
by virtue OF the law of gravitation in short
wouid !hen become planet revolving around
'he sun-lhus planet is formed. and BY the
same process the satellites are thrown off and
'ormed around The planet The process OF
condensation and throwing off from the par
ehI mass is repeated periodically, un;il all the
planets OF the solsr system arc formed in re-
guar succession.
we cannot Presenttho arguments TO sustain
I ms hypothesis, but to our mind they appear
extremely insufficient, and the whole theorv
seems un!enab!e OF Comets nothing is said
whIch We deem an important omission, as they