The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1858-07-23
FOR THE iNpErESpENT rEESS I
A Reply 10 told Fossil.m

Mr.. EH;ior Your last issue contains nm in.
tains an interesting article from OLD friend
vii" has thought proper to assume the name
of "Old Fossil
We sent him the 1Hcscop" conta in ing the ar
ticle to which he refers, but not exactly for
that sort of Special notice." which he has been
pleased to bcstow on IT. We sent the same
number cf the Telescope to some ten or twelve
of the Geological a,rons. and if they should ali
take the same special notice" of us. and of our
e!furt, We would become Il little too conspicu.
ons. We have no ohcctlnn, however, to our
friends notice, but we have no idea of .brcnk.
ing lnncc' with him OH the geological field
lie Is n veteran knig ght and has been over the
whole ground pract cally seen the rocks
and shells Of which he speaks. or might exhibit
III passage at arms, whereas we have only
noticed IL part the 'sreculatons" of his broth
er geologiss,-we cannot speak from actual
observations
Allulng to ''speculations," our worthy friend
seems to view "s us dealing in that sort Of COM
modify, tecausr, perhaps, our article was word
ed "Gc"l"gical speculntions. But we are to
be understood as opposing the "spccuutions"
viewel as founded on fnct, or are dcduced fair.
ly from Scripture and common sense:
The essay which was sent to .Uld Fossil"
was the last ola series. We were led to write
on the subject ofGcol"gy, by giving favora-
bic notice Of an article in the Southern Prcsbv.
ternn Reoir~ on theological speculation ttc."
One word brought on another, and before we
had finished our lucubra,ions, we were found
writing OH our own account, leaving the Rcyiew
out of sight.-In our last article, the one sent
to our esteemed friend, We undertook to prove
that the fossiliferous strata, might have been
formed from the creation Of man till the Dc.
luge. The non .fossilifcrous soil and rocks. land
the whole earth was Of his character when cre-
ated.) were created just as we find them, ex-
cept that they may have been changed in plu-
ces by "earth quakes, floods. and volcanic, or
internal fires" The soil and rocks, Mr. Editor,
over which you and and our mutual friend,
"Old Fossil" walk every day, is just rs it was
created, except that the surface lns been alter
ed by rains and other agencies. The same is
true of all the upper Districts Of this State. We
live in u "primary region" The sea has never
been over our section of country since the com
mand was given, "let the dry land appear"
except the during the Deluge. If the world
has been in existence millions of ages, and ifa
section here and another there has been sub.
merged time and again nnd foss iliferous strata
formed during every long submergence, it is
strange that our section always managed to
keep its head above water'
Bnt that it did, is evident from the surveys
of Messrs Tuomey and Lieber who found no
fossil remains in our upper Districts such re.
mains, however. would have been found, if
these Districts had ever been under water for
an age during the "untold ages
But the ocean has been over many portions
of our country, and many parts of tho world
Fossiliforous strata have been formed under the
ocean in many places, (not in overy place) of
great thickness.
The question is, did it require millions of
yenrs tot form the thick strata, or could they
not have been formed from the creation of man
to the Delugei To prove this was the object
Of the article sent to our friend. DR.. McCul.
loch said that the formation of strata, "at the
bottom of the ocean, is a work infinitely sloo."
Other Geolog lists agree with the Doctor on this
point, and we would too if strata were formed
merely from the sediment of the rivers and 9th.
er currents running into the oceans from the
continents. ,s.s -gs. a..
Biologists admit, as we showed in our arti.
Gle that MILLIONS on millions of tons ofsoil are
carried into the oceaas yearly by rivers and
other agents. 1t is bard to tell no th jck the
strata formed by theso agents would become in
q Thousand years. We contended however,
thatte oceap itss.f is The great agent in the for
nation Of strata.---As far, as we have: noticed
the work Of this great agent has, been almost
entirely overlooked BY Geoidgists. Every one
must admit that gerry thick strata must necessa-
rily be formed by the ocean itsslfin thousand
Or fifteen hundssd years. :. ifs9, thea where is
the use Of resorting to The Speculation" ofmit.
lions Of sgss 70 seeodat for the t1ies,e.s Of lie
strata Z Our idea Is anew Aiaes" among ae.
olpgists, ald-we ssSe tnistak fe IL iidoes not
oysrthrow their tspeculationsy about tile
verlds great taptiqui.y.-77 As many of your sea,
dsrs \, TIE Editor may not; have seen, very Esr.
tele in.the 1sleseops. i viii sub ioin hat part
which fslateSt The sgsnsy af the ocean 81 the
formation ofstrata.
fran the aStritus that is cssfi eli down to the
oeesn ft6m ahemaiss staS4 by tivefs, tssrents
and tides would not be Sufficient ,tos5oypf Ihiek