The weekly ledger., 1857-05-30

happened, but they can exercise no more
effect upon cosmical relations than the rasing
OF gale of wind upon the sphere Of our
earth. Should the largest comet actually I'M
pinge upon the earth, such is the extreme te-
nuty OF cometary matter, that the atmosphere
alone would resist it as eflectually as a solid
body.
1t is curious to study the changes Of pop
ular feeling that have taken place with re-
gard to cometary influences. In the earlier
ages they was supposed to portend war, pes
thence, famine, the deaths of great men, etc,
etc. The comet of 43 B. O. was so bright
as to be seen in the day time, and was sup
posed to be the ghost Of Cezar, who had
just been assassinated Louis l., of France,
was terrified to that degree that he busted
himself building churches and founding mon
aStlc establishments, in the hopes Of appeas-
ing the evils threatened by the appearance of
the comet Of S37. The Chinese astronomers,
at the same time were calmly observing and
recording its path through the heavens
SO great was the alarm in Christendom in
1856, during the appearance of Halley's
comet that Pope Calixtus, believing it to be
the instrument of Divine wrath ordered
prayers to be offered up in every town, and
the bells to be tolled at noon of each day, to
warn the people to suplicate the mercy of
God. AT the same time he accommodated
the comet and the Turks whose armies had
proved victorious against the Christians and
established the custon-stil existing in Cath
olc countres-of ringing the church bell at
noon. To the terror inspired by the appear
ance Of the comet of 1856, some historians
have attributed the abdication of the EN-
peror Charles V.
Previous to the fourth undoubted appear
ance of Halley's comet, in 1862, it had been
looked upon as forerunner of the direst
calamities; but in the time of Newton it was
regarded as a friendly visitor.
1t seems to be an inherent attribute of the
mind to experience fear, and not hope and
JOY, at the advent and aspect of phenomena,
which are unexpected and extraordinary; and
when learning had but little hold upon the
great mass of mankind, this was peculiarly
the case. To the appearance of comets were
attributed the various changes and Irregular
tiles of the seasons but when we reflect that
probably no season passes without our having
at least one comet as near to us as Jupiter,
we find no just reasonable ground for attribu-
ting to this source any of the calamities with
which the world is occasionally afflicted. In
our own day public sentiment has taken a
more cheerful aud natural, although singular
turn, with regard to comets; and in the Ger
man vineyard Of the beautiful valleys Of the
Rhine and Moselle, belief has arisen as
cribing to these once ill-omened bodies ben
ifcial influence in the productiveness of the
vine and the ripening of the grape
There are not a few visionary scientific
men who delight to bring forward the proba-
ble, and impart to it an air of possibility, for
the sake OF an ephemeral reputation. 10 the
assumed near approach of the comet Of 1850
to the Earth about the biblical time ascribed
to the deluge, Winston attributed the over
whelming tide wave. 1t is the easiest thing
imaginable to PROFOUND those reckless hypo-
theses, but quite another thing to prove them.
If any one is disposed to accept the ipse dir-
u Of such authority, they would show some
little sense and intelligence by saying not a
word to betray themselves. 1t is strange and
humiliating to think that at this late day any
one should believe our system approaching a
violent dissolution from such inadequate caus-
es, after its having, for millions of years,
stood a monument Of the omnipotence and
omniscience of that ineomprehensble and in
finite power which establish the laws that
govern our own, and the myriads of systems
surrounding it,
AS a tail-piecc to this lengthy cometary ar
ticle we append the following sensible Ian
guage of the Chronicle:
Seriously, if one can be serious upon this
subject, will some one inform US upon what
scientific basis and calculations has arisen all
this talk about the comet anticipated by so
many timid soulsl Do they think that He
who made the planets, the stars and the com
cts, and sent them from His hand upon their
prescribed orbits, has forgotten the works
which He has made? The great roads
through immensty which He has built, are
not like our earthly ones, nor are the orbs
that obey the Almighty, like our locomotives
or cars TO be run Off the track, or dashed
over precipice. The worlds which make
their trips upon the tracks He surveys, are
guided by no fallible engineer, subject to no
over pressure Of steam, liable to no breakage
of an axel, no jarring Of machinery We
read in the chronicles Of the skies no ac-
counts of accidents, no negligence of the
switch, no bull on the track God did not
think it necessary to put cow-catcher ahead
of his speedy worlds, nor breaks to retard
their progress. They have Travelled for thou
sands of years safely and their machinery
needs no oil No sensible man need fear that
they will bounce the track, or come in con-
tact But if they do, why we shall all go in
company, and there will be no regrets behind
us. Let the comet alone.
| L.. AZ, .,,,nn,,,,, Of IIifnInti,, Il a H. L..