The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1858-10-16
The Comet.

enough to call itself, or be called by ITS choS-
en- leader, The White Mans Party"
The Comet.
OTTAWA, H., Sept. 80, 1858.
AS every one has something to say about
the strange star which is now IN the ascen-
dart, very humbly offer it as an apology
Tor this attempt to divert attention 10 the
possible influence of comets on sudbury at
fairs. To advocate such position, howev-
er, Is sufficient 10 condemn any man /; but |
have bcnn a tabooed character for yesrS and
am thankful that ! can estimate at their real
value the grert names and sound NJ titles of
modern science, which often covers an ig-
norance of actaal phemenomena, as well as
hostility to the cause Of truth. 1t sounds
well wh:n we are told that men elevated by
circumstances above their fcIlowes are hon
es,ly IN quest OF truth, and willing TO be
convicted Of error but it is hard TO con.
vince men who const tute themselves Grand
Inousiiers, and who have the power 10 con-
denim whatever tends to weaken their own
authority, or t. einancipate the human rniLd
from its dependence on their dicta IN their
peculiar province Of intellectual usurpation.
OccasiOnly the true motives are unveiled,
and perceive them To be soriid and flag
God that am not scientific man, accord
ing to the accepted meaning OF the term,
but stand independently on my right to look
Nature ia the face, and to interpret her Ian
guage for myself. In this way have found
that modern science, is in no sense the hand
maid OF the Christian religion but ON the
contrary, an important part Of that over
shadowIng fabric Of error which towers bi.h-
er and higher as times grows older, and
which threatens TO shut out the Hight Of
heaven entirely. and involve the whole world
in hopeless night.
You may fancy this strange preface to an
article on comets but the pubic press i,
also part Of the machinery by which the
world is ensayed and it becomes extremely
difficult to present any truth 10 the world
through medium which is as much opposed
10 the reign of truth and righteousness as
the particular branch of the same system
against which that truth is levied. No
doubt this souu'ls very paradoxical in this
age Of light and progress for is not the
press the champion Of freedom: Does it
not expose corruption IN high places, and
expose the cause of the widow and orphan
Granted yet i, derives its support from a
system of artificial arrangements in the NOR.
al, political and social world, adopted by
worldly wisdom and expediency as a sub
Stitute for what is lost, and which cannot be
regained until the time appointed. When
the truth is admitted, there will be hopes for
the world. The scales will begin to drop
from the eyes of the nations Fremont
ton OF coming changes, as the dawn heralds.
the day.
The great delusion Of the world, indicated
above, is SO consistently armed and fortified
that each party is dependent on the whole,
and the safety Of the whole dependent On
the integrity Of its outwcrhs. In this way,
a matter Of apparently trivial Importance
swells in its proportions, and often becomes
the turning point Of the conflict. Perhaps
no physical question Of the present day is
more fraught it'll import TO the general
welfare OF our race than correct conception
OF that great substrateum Of the material
crcation-space. That space is infinite in
its extensions, none can nationally gainSay.
1t is Invested Of all the attributes Of materi
ality-a dreary, barren waste, pregnant with
myths and chimeras or is it the great ocean
OF matter and motion, whose ebb and flow
hes been from everlasting? Your present
has dared TO question the first
and to irgue that space is pie
NUN Of matter absolutely necessary in the
economy Of the world. On this postulatc he |
has erected 'heory or system Of meteorOl- |
ogyfull of promise to the interests of agricul. |
turc and navigation, whenever the insane Oh.
position Of the few who mislead the world in |
scientific matters shall cease. l think see |
your countenance now suddenly illuminated: |
but you are in error. am angling for no |
pulls, nor are my motives mcrcenary. Silver |
and gold | have never received for my Ia. !
bors, and never expect to neither am |
seeking for notority, or laying claims to the |
honors Of discovery. have schooled my |,
self to set down these things at their true
value, and now only seek to procure accep-
lance for tina: which have found, from those |
it was and is designed to benefit. On you |
depends whether this effort, shall be of |
avail for shall abate nothing to make it !
more palatable than it is-my part will have
been performed.
1t is with reference to its bearings on the
Of space, that gives the comet
otherwise possess; for, in order to harmon
re, or rather to avoid, q conflict between
theory and observation, and at the same
lime preserve intact the pet doctrine Of a
0hysical spirituality assigned the comets it
becomes necessary to ignore the existence.
II universal fluid prevailing space, whose
want of penderubility is no criterion of its
inertia In other words, space must be vir-
ually a void, in order that those spectral
called comets may move with
he freedom which is invariably observed.
t seems generally conceded that comets ,
would introduce many uncomfortable con.
ingences into the chapter OF accidents, II
hey were once admitted to be OF dense
composition like our planets. They might
ven be chargeable with performing part ,
n the early convulsions of our globe; per- J
laps expisin general deluge; and if they
ave been thus instrumental once, Of course
hey might be so again. which would be
ery uncomfortable doctrine to believe. See
ng how numerous they are, and how srrst-
c their propensities. Now, sir. wish to
rotest against the whole train Of reasoning
" which the want of mass in comets is de-.
ended. 1t is altogether unsound and IN.
Inclusive, as have elsewhere shown. and
even 60 SO far. on the other side Of the
uestion, az to advocate the existence Of an
tmospheric influence emenating from thes
'o6ies when in moderate proximity to the
arth. But let it be borne in mind that it !
) physical and not moral influence l