The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1852-05-08
Geology,


mighty out Of nothing: but the Questions when
and how, ar. not 30 readily answered. Inhdels
have seized this difficulty to iulure christianity,
Hence theulOglans have done more than any
other class of men to investigate the matter
knowing that Geology and the Bible were both
true, and hence harmonious. There are no con
illctIng points between them, though there are
something's hard to be understood This arise.
simply from our ignorance. Let US investigate
aud wait for more light
The general understanding Of the Mosaic ac.
count Is, tia, the matter Of this world was crea.
ted, or brought into it, present form about six
thousand years ago. do not think such IS the
meaning Of the text but | CaDEot here argue
the point. Take II for granted, then, that with.
out cuntradictlng the Bible, the world has existed
for millions Of years Geology, aud reason, and
the ordinary mode Of Providence indicate that
the earth h-, been brought to its present state
progressively just a. rock is formed from mud
OF sand, without any change in the quality or
quantity Of matter What. then was the process,
Of cosmogonyl |, Isl my design to speak briefly
Of the most probable theory.
suppose the matter Of the universe originally
to have been created in detached atoms, and
equally disper1.d through space and also induced
with the pre-cnt law Of grayltaton. Then. 10y
the hand Of the Creator, ur by the mutual rush.
ing together OF the particles Of matter rotary
motion is produced. by law Of condensation.
intense heat would DO generated. After Ger.
tam degree Of condensation, a r.ug of matter Is
thrown oil hum the rutaty body, which will 70
tate Ia the same direction as tie body from
which il is thrown. As u stream of water or
lead falling from hight breaks up into glohular
forms, 80 this rng brake, up into globes which
III their turn, throw oil other rings aud globes
. | ,,t is Of IL tu ia
off nrIns which brakes up into planets, aud the
planets throw of moons
Tia. process Il elimination and condensation
may have been going on III our planet mIous OF
year, before 1t was tit for the reception Of veg
ctahle or animal life The matter beng in 4
gaseous or fluid state the heavier portion, would
fall to the center and the lighter ones arrange
themselves above. Durng the ,e,,tye heat
there would be no water except 10 the form oil
steam or yapor. The earth being thus surround.
ed with palpaG!e fog, would have light but no
sur. After time there would be formed about
the earth cr-,t VI she'll and tbs bv a law uf
solid. cooling, would expand and be larger than
the culc Hence, IN process Of time ], brake. up
into mountains aud valleys These elevated
mountains becomc,ng cold, wuu.l cuulersc the
yapor into water which would run down the
mountain, wearing or shaking the rock into sand
This sand or sediment would some Of it Consol.
date into rock again. A. the process Of cooling
went On, there would be new Orakimg- up Of the
csust Of the earth. BY tins means water would
sometime. be let IN upon the incanLrsccut mass
within, producing cruptuns, couvul-uu and
earthquakes. Hence there would te very
rough surface aud very ligh ranges Of mountains
"n the carlh ~ ~ earlier stayrS iro.n :" r..
c,ss % l,uc would lie worn down ly ihc action
"f the elements into soil, sand, gravel pebbles,
buulder., and Heterogeneous MASSES Of huge rock.
Some Of these finer parts would again sO.iilfy
INTO rock. llcHce tie crust Of our earth, which
i. form forty five to sixty miles IN thickness, is
made up II rock formed either by the action Of
fire or water. The crust, with the sand and
trees on 1t, Is no more 20 the earth than the kin
with the d..t and tuzl on 1t, i to an apple
[ ndcr th, fcaiI nuor rolls q vast maH Of red
hot matter.
II process Of time the earth ia cool enough
for the loves, gcnu. of Vegetation Hence, God
created plants As We read IN Genesis But tie
earth being very warm and uar-hy, vegetation
would he very rank And so wcleain nom &c.
ulogy that reeds aud ru-Les which new grow a,
large a. pipe,,ctn, aud two or three feet in
height, then grew a. large A. mans body and
,hnty or frty feet high. These being an ualiy
thrown down, formed our present coal bed, which
IN the early and frequent consusious # the
, earth, we're often buried deep. Then the swamps
become sufficiently cool ior saurins and other
low animals. Next came the msmma,ia, and
last Of all, man. 1hi, 10 tue order both Of rev
,latluu and Geology.
That the earth had progressive formation
running through tens Of thousand. Of millions
Of years ] think there can bc no doubt, | now
simply StItc tie theory without attempting To
pvorr it. or to reconcile IT with revelation.
Adam was doubtless made full grown mar
,t once. Perhaps tie same Is true Of trees and
Lcast,, though they now have progressive
growth | could believe the same of the earth.
/ If revelation required it that is. that it was
made at once just as il is, with all the strong in.
dlcatons Of age and progression. believe that
Geology and revelation are both true and har.
monious, and that the earth has existed from "thc
beginning In this phrase the inspired prumau
includes all the time which elapsed to the crca.
ton Of Adam. Thus concI,ely preparing tLc
way he goes on TO give more in detail the histo.
ry OF man, for it is not his design to write sci
entifc treatise.
! This hypothesis will more satisfactorily nc.
count for the various phenomena oil the earth
/ than any other, Take, for instance, the foct
/ that the Ocean il salt and other waters fresh
| The water flowing down fum highlands aud
mountains would wash all the salt into the low.
est basin or reSiyor-the ocean. But il n lake
had no outlet i, would remain salt aud such is
! the fact.
! During the earlier stages Of the earth, con
| sodalion there would be great convul,ions and
/ upturnings which would rise and dcpress, some
times one part and sometimes another SO that
| land and water would alternately change places
/ No one can attcntvclv look at the land on which
we tread and the hills aboat Us, without being
/ satisfied that III. sea once rolled over them
/ The same commissions which raised the land IN
I which we tread from the bottom Of the ocean
! depressed the earth in another place which
caused the waters to subside where they now
roll. Even the strata Of rock which underlit
our soil were daubless once mud and sand
I deposited by the water; and the same process
is now going on along the beds and at the mouths
| OF our rivers, Between the strata Of sand ston,
taken from the bed of the Connecticut, the track
Of birds and animals long since extinct, are iounl
as perfect as when first made in the sof, mud
! The long periods of years necessary for tn
! formation nf these strata Of rock for miles il
thickness, can hardly be immagined II fai
deductions from Geology are worth anything, tn
earth ia hoary with age.
! Whatever the eternity Of the earth pdri, po,
may be, We may, a. to the pdrts anie, withon
much exnggeraton, speak Of the everlasting
hills"
NrMRER or BANEs IN ruE uSoS - The Bank
crs Magazine has compiled list of tac numbc
OF Banks in the several States, their capital. cir
cula,ion and coin At this time there arc MIN