Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-08-31
mo naet.

u =
"a IL. 49,, .,,agsstaa s4at the comet which has
i,st ,3 rs in our western heavens,
e tI n IooFed n; in 1879; and il this is the
IN iie lcnlntions of astronomers
N viii tits couJ approach our EARN SO closely,
az - nrese5t most brilliant appearance in the
~ tb;s sry stranger is the individual one sup
,assS IA ;tsil soon become an absorbing object of
infeTes< Coming with Its fiery train from the abyss
of slce, and from its distant visit to lnnumerable
wo4d and systems, to the philosopher it will bea
sGdy, to the curious, it will be a wonder, and to
] the Ignorant it will be a teiror.
The eject, the appearance oil the next large
comet will have uponithe minds OF civ: lied men,
will be most interesting TO observe fhe lninu Oh
The masses will be gagged in a manners by the
mode which it will express itself; anu 1t VIII De
seen on this occasion, by comparison with the et-
eoIs these cratic visitors have before produced,
how far education aud enlightment have had pow
er TO supercede ignorance and supersnpon,
1t isrelated of the inhabitants OF an island IN
the Pacific, that when an earthquake makes the
ground tremhle beneath them, which rs not nn-
frequent, they beat the earth with CLUBS and at
the same lime make the loudest possible noise for
the purposeof aronsing the world supporting gianl
whom they suppose on these occasion IS moulding
under his burden; and just as ignoranlly, when
the sublime and beautiful phenomsnonot wan
derng star has before appeared IN the heavens So
called civilized man, has in his supe:sutons rear
resorted To fasting and aburation, TO avert those
him to believe the presence of the meteor portend
ed. 1t is rather remarkable, that when the pow
er of our Creator sdeyeloped to us IN any new OF
unusual manner, the almost universal sentiment
Inspired, is fear; but this only arises from want
of fnith in the immutabity of those laws, which,
only a small amount of knowledge is sufficient 10
teach us, work ever in their pertectloI but Tor
our happineSs and benefit, The rushing meteor
that traverses the consultations, sweeps round the
outer stars and turns in Its devious track npparent
lywithout ann or purpose, is actually as exactln
its obedienc TO an imperative law, as the drop Oh
water that exhales into the cloud and falls again.
Ignorance sees n rowing speck of light, and real
Using the Creators power, trembles with lnvolun-
tary fear; but the internal fires of earth that rage
beneath him, being unseen, are unthopsht OF ana
undreaded. The unthinking mind fears NOT the
lightning while the succeeding thunder inspires II
with terror. There can be no greater practical
exposition OF disbelief in the benevolence and per-
lection of the Creator than has been shown on
| former occasions, when whole nations of people
have become convused with horror on the appear
ance of some wandering comet. War, peStllence'
famine DEATH have been predicted, us sure to fol-
How its presence; and superstition has gone mad
in offering rites to propitiate and apease an ohend-
ed divinity
In presence of the number of absurd t'isns',
that find ready converts every day around us, ii
the strange star now on our horizon assumes the
size and appearance calculated, we expect, even
in this modern day, TO find superstition is not en-
tifely eradicated, and we anticipate seeing out
glorious visitor prayed against and exercised as
Though it were an evil spirit.
STILL we nre certain that the general intelligence
is now so far advanced that by the great mass o.
the people it would be viewed only with those
feelings OF wonder and admiration tnst tne pres
ence of such phenomenon is bound 70 excne'
and pondering on its rare and singular neau.les
they would see IN it only the errauc
LOT general lave Cincinnati Sun.