The Nevada Democrat., 1858-09-22
The Future Or the Earth.

l .H d.
1t is now very generally received theory
among semitic men, that the moon was form
erly portion Of the earth, and, that in past
ages, it has been thrown off by some tremen-
/ dous internal explosion, There can be no
doubt that. in her time, the earth has proved
dangerously energetic, and may SO prove her
self again. We are treading on very tender
| ground when we walk over her surface; as will
be clear if we believe her interior to consist ofa
spheroidal mass in a state of igneous fusion,
whose diameter equals one hundred and twen-
ty-iive times the thickness of her solid crust,
Certainly, ii is within the bounds of truth to
say that the earth's she'll offers, in strict pro
portion. no more resistance than that OF an egg.
All the phenomena of past ages, as well as all
the phenomena occurring in our own times
that is to say the whole force of analogy are
opposed to the opinion that the actual surface
of our globe is in state of perpetual stability.
The earthquakes which swallow up villages and
towns and the torrents of lava which boil from
the lips of volcanoes, to spread themselves over
the calcined fields, inculcate very different
idea. With the future fate of the crust of the
earth is involved the fate of the races of ami
mails sustained by it. We may live, therefore.
mentally secure and confident; but we must not
forget that we are not in perfect and certain
security, and that a satellite may one day be
shot out into space from the entrals of the
earth, and may destroy, in one single instant,
by that convulsion, the whole audacious race
Of Japhet.
Is it possible to calculate the epoch Of any
new breakup OF the present state of things I?
Aud can we guess in what way il is likely to
take place? To the first question, a negative
reply must be given. We cannot predict its
date. 1t would require a multitude of new ge-
ologieal observations and discoveries to resolve
the problem in manner at all approaching to
be satisfactory. Meanwhile, it must be allowed
that the awful phenomenon may take place to-
morrow, as likely as thousand, or q hundred
thousand years hence. The second inquiry may
be answered, by the helpo analogy, with con-
siderable probability Of being approximately
true The animals at present existing on the
earth may disappear, in consequence Of the ac-
ton of subterrauean fire. The burning sphe-
roid which constitutes the major portion OF our
globe, might explode aud shoot out a second
satellite into empty space, without the solar
SYSTEMS suffering thereby the slightest momeu-
tary disturbance; but not without the earth's
receiving n terrible shock, which would reduce
every town. and every human edifce, to dust
which would utterly destroy mankind by the
outbreak OF internal fire, by the crash of ruins
or by the overwhelming sweep of outDoured
oceans. Either the conclusion might be sulfi-
GENTLY violent TO break up the earth into frag
ments and to give birth to new telescope plan
cts like Juno. Vesta, and the rest of them; or,
she might resist the violence of the blow, and
our speroid might melt aud then solidify against
the she'll at present existing In that case, its
centre Of gravity would be invariable, and the
earth would probably have rotary movement
round the sun, similar TO that Of her satellite
round herself; namely, an endless summer and
an endless day would fall to The share of one
hemisphere while eternal night and winter
u+Orld nnvalnna tha nthpr hpmisnhprn in
enduring shade. But in whichever way this
fearful catastrophe took place. its necessary
consequence would be the total extinction of
every existing race of animals. Would other
races succeed TO them? And would the human
race, in particular. be replaced by another set
of rational beings, less imperfect than our own?
Analogy answers, yes but the Great Ruler Of
the universe alone can tell whether analogy
suggests a true or false belief.
Very many learned men have made them
selves perfectly easy respecting the future con
dtion Of the earth. Its present state. they take
for granted, will heneeforth remain invariable;
the grand cataeiysms. which have broken it up
at former epochs, will never occur again, aud
human Intelligence has nothing to do but TO
envelope itself regardless of the future; for
what the earth is to day, it viii remain forever
Such an opinion Of the stability Of the actual
order of earthly things is doubtless consolotary
ana Is wei adapted 10 tranqulllZc our minds re-
specting the lot of future generations; but the
optimists must allow others TO differ from their
views. Itis scarcely logical conclusion TO
deduce future tranquility from repeated ante
cedent convulsions; and therefore Monsieur A. /
Passy, in his Geological Description Of the
Department Of the Seine Infereure," is justified
in asserting that the causes which produced the
first crust Of earth, and which have repeatedly |
broke up its second envelope. although re-
strained in their action, are nevertheless far
from being exhausted. And Monsieur Ellie de /
states his belief that it is impossible |
TO be assured that the period Of tranquility, ap-
parcntly so stable. in which we live, will notone
lay be interrupted by the sudden apparitiou Of
4 grand chain Of mountains; another sayant
ventures to add, and by the birth Of one or sew
,ral satellites. And thus, the boldest deduc
ions Of modern science accord with the declar- |
Itions Of Holy Writ, that the earth shall one
lay melt with fervent heat, and that there
hall be new heavens, and new earth.