The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-04-04
THE DAILY DISPATCH
. s.rday Nlorntps, Apris 4, 1897
spri,uaiism aud Comets.

HAf0r00y W0tVse0e a. tss' -
aprttuaIism aud Comets.
m. Paris correspondent Of the Manchester
<ras,.nd, 1usrdia. is to be believed, Spritnshsm'
=. EIu.,rs,ed by one Of Its disciples MT. Hume IN
a.. ,,.a.ncs Of the Emperor of the Preach, IL pro-
a,.,n. . sr.s, sensstion at the French Court
TIA, ,mmeuae philosopher, Ralph waldo Elmer
ar, Ia. .;ven IL a. his opinion that there 10
crack IN everything human" and wiser men tnan
-. N.,o,.o, have believed in witchcraft and
h,hroh,,rs However, the whole story may be
49, g., N believe half that foreign coirespon-
49,. vr,,. IN these days, requires stretch Of
.,.d,,,,v not possible in al enlightened age
p.-,. 4. Also said to be much exercised on the
.,h;.., If comets, there being considerable appre-
h.n.on among some Of the popuace that, in case
- Collision. their gay capital will be the first
,,.ce limited. A learned controversy has arisen
hstveen two French and German astronomers, a.
a the nature of comets, the German maintaining
,h., the come, is solid and fiery, and that he hits
be will hurt, and the Trenchman, that even If the
stranger should cross the track of the earth 1t
would produce nc more harm than . swallow rum
niug against first class locomotive. The German
however, seems TO fear that the earth may be the
swallow and the comet the locomotive, and that
running into . comet is not exactly running into
fog bank. Perhaps they could better leave the
question to Mr.. Hume, the spirituaist, VINO can
call up Isaac Newton, or any Of the dead astrono-
mers, and ascertain the real nature OF THESE hed
Republicans of the Skies ~ho threaten 10 upset
and burn up everything with which they come IN
contact.
In the mean time, New England astronomer,
Professor Pierce, of Cambridge has appeared
upon the stage, and announces that the German
astronomer is . myth, and that the Frencnman, II
he asserts that any comet, whether substantial or
unsubstantial is to come In collision with the earth
10 June next don't know what he's talking
about Professor Pierce seems to incline to the
opinion that there is no astronomer in Germany,
who, under his own name, will avow the opinion
that the earth is in danger of being Injured by
comet in June, and he seems to think the comet as
much of an abstraction as the German. However,
rs we have said, there is no small excitement
among uneducated classes in Paris upon the SUBJ
ject, and also in Scotland, where an enterprising
clerical gentleman has predicted the end of the
world from this comet, in 1857 Consequently
when the wandering star makes its appearance,
we may expect q profound sensation, and if it
could be ascertaned that the exhibition was to De
for one night only we have no doubt the gratnca'
ton would be greater than could possibly be pro
duced by any repetition of the performance
Should 1t continue, however, to grow larger and
more brilliant every night, until at length 1t swims
In the azure ocean above, like an enormous fiery
whale its red tail lashing the stars out OF thei'
places, and its tremendous jaws opened WIDE al
If to swallow up this unucky planet bodily, how
gay Paris, which sets the fashions in vice, would
set the example in repentance, and go down CD
its marrow bones, bowling and chattering like
menagerie of demented monkeys.
None of the great philosophers appear to take
into their calculations the Creator and conductor
of the operations of ature who rules and governs
In the armies ofHeaven among the Inhabitants Of
the earth without whose knowledge not sparrow
falls to the ground, nor hair from the head, much
less, q planet, full of life and love and beauty,
from the sky The reign of Chaos cannot return
without His permission in all His works there Is
no such thing as accident 1t Is impossible for man,
with any means of knowledge now at his COM
mand, to declare positively the nature of comets,
but he knows that law and order are stamped upon
all the works of God When the day does come
for that grand confagration of the earth and its
elements, predicted in Holy Writ, it will be in obe-
dience to a Divine mandate, but of that day and
that hour knoweth no man. Yet there is no more
probability of Its occurrence now than at any of
the former visitatious of COMETS at each and all of
which, there have been for thousand years, more
or less apprehension expressed Of the end of the