The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1856-09-25

deck with the officer In charge Of that noble
vessel, on one occasion. when We were driv ing
along before leading breeze and under a
bead Of steam, beneath a staress sky at mid.
night, at the rate certainly Of ten or eleven
miles IN hour. There is something sublime,
but approaching the terrible. in such scene co.
the rayless gloom--the midnight chill the
awful swell Of the dcep-the dismal moan OF
canc tires within the hold Of the ship; ! scarce
know an occasion in ordinary life in which
rejecting mind feels more keenly its hopeless de-
pendence on irrational forces beyond its own
control | asked my companion how nearly be
could determine his ships place at sea under
favourable circumstances. Theoretically. he
answered, I think within = mile; practically
and usually, within three or four. Ny next
question was, how near do you think We may
be to Cape Race, that dangerous headland
which pushes its iron bound upiighted bastions
from the shores Of New Foundland far into the
Atlantic, first land fall to the home ward bound
American vessel We must, said he, by our
last observations and reckoning. be within three
or tour miles Of Cape Race. A comparison OF
these two remarks. under the circumstances in
which we wefe p.oei at tac msment, broask:
my mind to the conclusion that Il Is greatly TO
be- wished that the means should he discovered
Of finding the ships place more accurately, or
that navigatos would give Cape Race little
wider birth But do not remember that one
Of the steam packets between England and
America was ever lost on that formidable
point
dALII.Eo's sPy-GLAss.
That was the house where says Milton,
(another OF those OF whom the world was not
worthy Il found and visited the famous Cali
leo-a prisoner TO the lnquisition, for thinking
an astronomy otherwise than as the Dominican
and Franciscian lcenser thought" Prose
Works, vol. |, p. 3l3.) Great heavens what
tribunal what culprit what a crime
Iet US thank God, my friends, that we live in
the nineteenth century. OF all the wonders Of
ancient and modern art--statues and paintings,
and Jewels and msnuscripts-the admiration
aud the delight OF ages-there was nothing
which beheld with more aiFectionate awe than
that poor rough tube, lew feet in length--the
work Of his own hands, that very 'optic glass
through which the Tuscan artist" viewed the
moon
Al evening" from the top Of Fesols,
Or In valdsrna, to desory new lands,
that poor little .py-gIass, (for it is scacely
more) through which the human eye first dis
tincty beheld the surface of the moon--frst
discovered the phases OF Venus the satellites
of Jupiter, and the seeming handles Of Saturn
first penetrated the dusky depths oftbe heav-
ens--iirst pierced the clouds Of visual error,
which from the creation Of the world involved
the system Of the universe
Yes. noble Calico thou art right. T. pur 81
muote--"It does move" Bigots may make
thee recant il but 1t moves nevertheless Yes,
the earth moves and the planets move and
the mighty waters move--aDd the great sweep
ing tides of mir move and the empires Of men
move and the world OF thought moves, ever
onward and upward to higher facts and bolder
theories The lnguisition may seal thy lips
but they can no more stop the progress of the
great truth propounded by Copcrnicus and
demonstrated by thee, than they can stop the
revolving earth
MAGNIFICENT MONT scrSr.
had occasion few week since, TO take the
early train from Providence TO Boston. and for
this purpose rose at two O'Clock in the morn
ing Everything around was wrapt in dark.
ness and hushed in silence, broken only by
what seemed at that hour the uDcarthly clank
and rush Of the train, II was mild, serene
mid summers night, the sky was without u
cloud the winds were whist, The moon, then
in the last quarter, had just risen and the stars
shone with a spectral lustre but little affected
| by her prt.scnce Jupiter. two hours high. was
the herald Of the day; the Fleiades just above
the horizon shed their sweet influence in the
Fast; Lyra spsrkled near the zenitb, ADdraDe-
da veiI,d her newly discovered glories from the
naked eye in the south. the steady pointers,
tar beneath the Pole looked meekIy up from
the depths Of the North 10 their Sovereign.
! Such was the glorious spectacle a. catered
the train As we proceeded. the timld sp-
proach Of twilight became more perceptibe
The intens4 blue Of the ky began 10 soften, ia
smaller star. like little children, were first 10
rest the sister beams 81 the Pleiades soon melt
e1 together; hut the bright consultations OF the
west and North remained unchanged Stead
! lily the wondrous TRANSPORTATION went on
Hands Of angels hidden from mortal eyes shift
ed the scenery Of heaven. the giori.s Of night
dissolved into the glories of the dawn. The
blue sky bow turned more softly gray; the great
watch stars shut up their holy eyes; the East
began 10 kindle. FAINT .treaks q purple soon
blushed along thc sky; the whole celestial con
cave va. filed with the iuhoving tidss of the
morning light which came pouring down from
above in one great ocean Of radiance; I'LL a'
length az W. reached tn Blue Hills, Fash ol
purple FIRE bazed out from above the horizon
and turned the dewy teardrops OF flower aDd
Ieaf into rubies and diamonds IN q few sec
opds the everlasting gate 4 tie morning
were thrown wide open, and tbs lord Oi day, ar
rayed IN glories too severe iot the gar OF man
began hi- cours..
THg FEKDKITi0N.
There Is much by day 10 engage tho atien-
,lon Of the Observatory the sag. his apparent
motions. his dimef,sios,s, the spots on hi. disc
10 u the faint indications oi his movements
ot Bnmingied grandeur in bis luminous atmo~
phere so.ar eclipse, a transit ~ the interior
planet tbe mysisrie- I the ,psctrum-al
pbenODona Of vast Importance uBd interest
But night "a tbc asirpoomers accepted time
be goes 20 he delightful lat.ors when tbe bnsy
world go- 10 rest \ dark gall spreafis oye'
the resorts q active life terrestrial objects
hill and valley, and rOck and ,tre~m, Aisi ths
sDsies ~ men disappear bu, tbe curtain .
drawn up which coBorals the hesveoly host. -.
Tisre they shin. and ,hsrr they move. - pey
moved end shone 20 The eyes ~ >ewtoo AMI
1slIlso and of kepeT aIui ,Opsrn'cHs. O
Ptoiemy AMI Hpparchu' ye.- ~ sisy Hov''
and shOns when it~ morning star. .ang 10
ge'he5, and al tn -Ons II God shOstSd tO loy
Al has changed o. earth. bat tbe gigiOa'
heaver- rsmain uBchAng-d The plos pA,-e'
over the sIi~ o, mighty ci,es--tbe homes n
r.lEo~fnl rafaou. 80. .sau.Sl.t. ,k. l.noargt.