The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-12-28
Scienc and Revelation.

Prof Q. NJ. Mitchell Of Cincinnati. probably the
.blest astronomer in ihis country, is delivering
cctures in New York City, on tue aLpye subject
bis theory Of the creation is curous, and will
doubtless be read with intsres by most of our
readers. We n,ahs the following extracts from
hs lectures as reported in the n. Y. Tribune:
"ln attempting to work our way pp through
the Universe to its origin, the minds constantly
beset by difficulties. But we have attained mrcl,;
We have learned the laws Of movement. md lhs
Of the heavenly bodies. We now ask,
how did all this happenl how came the Universe
as it is In nqniring n:o this We must transcend
the limits of actual knowledge we cannot speak
with absolute certainty when We pass the
limits of established truth. sir Isaac Newton
concluded that systems were lanches iato exist
ence by an Omnipotent power. sit possible that
there is step yet at,anabe tetween the crea.
ted objects and the creator | 1hi. inquiry We
propose to make, and to compare the Mosaic nc.
count herewith. You are all aware Of the Ne
buln Theory; bot this theory has not been justly
dealt with Slight but constant deviatious from
truth in the considerations of this theory has led Us
far asray. He would no, assume that the tleo-
ry was true, but would state the arguments
which it rested, and leave his hearers to make
apparent nebulGe into distinct stars as IN the
Mickey Way, by hiuh power tslescopps, But We
find ncbulous matter all over the heavens. of
all forms and sizes and defyms the resolving
power of The telescope. Hsrshsl at first thought
they were distant stars; but when he examined
with the telescope such as he could see with the
naked eye, he was lead to beiievs they were not
Stars. At last he found one spot with defined
star in the midlle-a star surrounded by hsze.--
Y hat was this! Was it Il star--a sun--n prcess
offoTma,ioh He fourd more. and in all forums Of
condensation form lnds:inct haze TO perfect stars
He thought this was the real mode Of creation;
and in this he is the author of the nebula theory.
But, continued Mr. NJ, let VA examine our own
system, under tho hypu,hcsx Our sun must
once have been spread over a space of more than
ssx thousand millions Of oul,s in diameter. To
reach beyond the orbit OF Neptune Now If hea,
attract and more these dpiiused particles. thew
will combine If tie combined neuc!us were set
in rotation by omnpotent or apv o,her power.
We should have all that is required to perfec, the
system. Prof NJ defined the centrifugal force,
and The probability that the whole mass ct the
Hn ,hn -. ~" '"p' ,,I u' ,n'IT :. VI "a' "' nT'
r,oin lndv wnulj shrrL from ,Lo ,ino and m.
ring itself would break up at it, denser points
anl mus from o'her spheres win PERIOD oi revo
.n"as % ~" S" H'a. VI . e 'i,u ,, u.s.
Great cc,i,re u so reduced ard solid that il is i'm
possible to throw IF more. Well, then, as the
ongihal ring iSnroken up II "a neouious, ana eac,
go W 'l", vi ~; s", P"'s S." 49, ~. ~.
our system might have fulfilled But th.rei, not
one chance in hundreds of thousands Of millions
mat Una such cou'" nave Deea the work o' chance'
y, ia"'h s"o' eu'ot uas ,' m"s "e a,; :" ~
theory was snpar.ntlv unset bv Iord Posse.
great telescope, when the nehule Of Orion was
resolved. But an American astronomer, Dir.
,hn 49, 49, "l'o i 's S..J'I;'t s i 81 -"
most mathematical c,,tain,v Kirkwood found
that all the motions of all the planets bore elm
gular relation. Professor u. went on To show that
os'weeh me Lr'hahs Mars 'hsre must pe point
o' no at0'c,nh' p'"'e Nhcfe .na''e' "ouiu i,V'
DE a'tfac'ch ny elher oo"y' 'he 'S'eh' :" !n's
space " mo diameter VI plaile's sphere oi NJ
uacIioh al
The explanation Of the laws Of motion here
mndc are too profoundly mathematical TO be Of
,,L ;.... A.. 80 -, I..
"'N'" '''''e'' :" ''.e "'a,' w ""' 's''e''' We
'h're'"rr omit H. ihe iiea advanced Is ohat
hnfs anu ctus nave no lnAuthce upon tiie TO-
tary motion Of tn. Earth upon i,s axis in opposi
,;,r =, Vi,,,c,og. u.,,r,. nh;.,, !. ,ho, ,,a r,,
'''' y. ~" "'N' "e's' ""'" =, ''''' ''' '''"
uon oi the ear'h Is depunaeht on the Gaan''e oi
matter Of these twopldnets. Both these asirono-
mcrs have estsbli.h,, their theories by mathems-
81, l,,,,.,,,,;o, A. n ,h,, nra,,oJ.
'''' I' ",' P''NNO''
conc'lc UHs apparent paradox he traced 'he on
gin Of tho tioton Of all the p ,nets TO the period
when thcy were all in contact in stat. Of ne.
,,,,,, :; ,i,,,., ,l cha, .h,,, ,,, i,c,,,, os NM,
upon Tue o'hcrs was established forever he
would not say that klrkwocd established the
truth Of the rehlar theory hy this discovery. but
L,h.J ,.,.tl,.lol,,, ,,,, ,or,.i, Ga, &c ,,,,,,,;,,
creation ot al PLANETS a'd 'ys'ems' 'he ieetucr
proceeds; |rI ..H.l
Now let US ,rok al the first chapter of Gene.
sig, an account peculiar in itself, different from
what other nations wrote, and what we ourselves
would wri,e In the beginning God created the
heavens and the earth But when was this be-.
ginning 1t WIS the matter that was created, for
in the mex, verse We read. Aud the Earth was
without iorm' hut all todes have iurm. Fur
ther We read IL was void But the spi,it Of God