The Davenport daily gazette., 1856-11-28

The lecture OF Mr. Clay on Wednesday
evening was purely Of philosophical char
acter. "The World We Live H." was
treated practically and upon philosophical
principles Its density and structure, the
elementary principles ihsi enter INTO its
formation, the imponderables, heat, light
and electricity. atmospheric air. were all
cursorily reyie~ed. "The Globe We Live
on" would have been more appropriate
title.aor tie lecture. Ii wss simply re-
hash Of we'll ascertained and generally Ia
milisr facts in natural philosophy, and those
who vert there with the expectation OF lis
tening TO something original or OF being
greatly instructed, we cannot bot think
were considerably disappointed. II is well
to review cur knowledge OF events OF daily
Transportation IS connected with the great
globe upon which We live and the Phenom-
ena that accompany ts physical organizs-
lion, and upon no other plea could the lee
ture receive comuendauen-
Mr.. Cisy's voice is very hne, his intona'
ton musical and his language generally Tree
from the idioms OF the South, while ms ges-
tures are few and ungraceiul. In person
Mr.. Clay is under the average height, but
is nobly formed and physically presents the
appearance Of man who could endure
much hardship and defend himself in emer-
gency.
The weight Of the great globe that hangs
suspended in mid-air, was the fret tact that
he announced 10 have been sscertsined BY phi
losophers. How 80 ponderous body, with
all OF it's animated nature. rocks, mountains
and seas, could be held ia the balance until
man mark ed upon the scale the number oi
pounds that represented lie weight, he did
mol pretend TO say, bo, simply stated that
the conclusion had been arrived at compar-
atively and through the agency Of the sPec-
i6c gravity of water The lecturer sustain.
ed the well received theory OF the centre
O, the earth being in state OF hnidity
caused by heat, ,hs, al 20 miles below the
ear,h's surface granite, the denses, OF min
ersl substance, melis like wax before the in-
tense heat il there encounters. He re-
viewed and sanctioned the popular theory
of earthquakes and stated that he had been
no fortunate as 10 witness two OF ihose
mighty exem phfcatlons OF the great inter
nal workings Of the vas, globe upon whose
cuter crust we live. Very many iacts Of
eonmon place nature were siluded to aud
treated upon in unscientfe terms. The
air that we breathe was spoken Of, snd The
eontaminsiing influences 10 which II as eI-
posed, the impsre state in which IL EXISTS III
our he'd chambers and in railroad cars, was
snimudverted upon by The speaker. and
some good reflections made with regard TO
It's greater purity
Lastly he came TO man. The globe and
all things connected herewith, had been
constructed FOR man and without his agency
would be comparatively worthless. The
ulaips OF Mexico were alluded 10. which no
animal could ever cross, save through the
agency Of man. siefile snd unwsterea
the very beasts avoid those southern dss
erts. until man with his roaming disposition
eompels them TO accompany him ia his
;ourney oger those barren wastes. The
mighty sea with i,s myriads Of animated
nature. ts animalculs and iniusorie dwell.
bas in souutiess millions ia the dark shades
Of lis iathomable gulPbs. would have lash
ed lis waves without an object, had not man
that briels, intelligence, with his erea'i'e
faculties rendered il subseryient TO MS use
and converted Ito angry surface into rest
inc ulsce for himself Progress Is written
upon everything. Change Is the order oi
nature and il becomes not man TO be IDLE
Although The hall was cold and eheerlesf
and The speaker possessed hsiie animation
We, the profoundess attention vas gwen him
"a ws teel sure that Mr.. Clay must have
nsso tayorably Impressed with The court sy
Of a Davenport sudience'