Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1863-03-19
The Fate Of the Ertortinnsr.

In eontrovertng the hypothesis Of Development laid
down in the Yesges o! Creation he great Christian
geOlogiSL Hugh Miller uniods and establishes the start
Ing and until bis day, unsupported fact of the degrata-
ton Of species This Is manifested especially in the
case Of serpsnts AMI fishes the former OF which
previous the appearance OF the next higher order of
aniual Hie-brds-on the theatre OF existence were
Of dimensions exceeding in size the modern
ELEPHANT and almost rvaing the whale; whist the lat
tsr-the 6shes-alshoggh they have not been degraded
- the small proportions crawling movement Of the
Serpents Of day exhibit the effects Of degradation
il deformity and monstrosity-what were feet in the
geologic era having become fms and these hideousiy
misplaced and crammed together Gus if" in the Ian
gusge Of Hugh Miller, " The legs and arms Of human
being should all be inserted in the back Of hs
IL Other inst ances degradation is .bown in delormity
a. in trbu aud pthers-shich have the body twisted
IpOn i.sef that the face oae-sided the mouth hor
ioy distorted aud OF the eyes in the mid lie of the
tTehead, while the other is crushed into small Mace
the angle Of the upper Jaw
"Pieeing, as the geOlOgsS expresses IT, this ineOn
irOvertibe evidence Of degradation in nature to the
Bbe doctrine OF future punishment" he argues anaog
i;aly to prove the degradation of naa in the life TO
come not b. the distortion Of his physical parts but
y the perversiOn Of his moral and spiritual nature
Bu his reasoning is fesrfuly suggestive of possible
bodily mOnstrosty suPeradded that of the soul such
IS the early painters Of the Koran faith delighted 10
6spo and Of which have profusion of types in the
OOmy poem OF Dante. In fact, the closing chapter OF
re footprints OF the Creator cauros be read without
n lively recurrence Of the horrors Of the Inferno
md one who sees how the extOrtoEers and governments
xndlers are lording it in these days of aud cor
iupdOu-WhO pereSiyes Tainy triumphant and utterly
lSedSss Of herewards aud punishnents of the Great
ereafteT hardly decline crafty the instructive
tath in retriOutve justice by sying the 1magnngs of
thepoet with toe analOgies Of science and by playing
Dante 4 small scale for his own benefit ami with q
specia eye the future destiny Of he enemies OF his
country lie behods the cxtortouer, the Contractor.
ihe quarterulas,er and the cOmisssry having grand
tine after the is 6Ver-5uildns towering palaces
living royal dinners oriental suppes and Partisan bas
Oiivng bloOded hOrsesmaTyug his daughters nesdy
erons Of respectable parentge-setng bis sons up in
irincelY styein word making for himself and family
Reas name in the And He fellows the splendid and inter
Unable procession which attends The mortal remains Of
t''e ExtOrtiOner to the tomb, the sdmptuOus
eu, which, in bis pride, he has erected during his life
tine 80 that even death might paader the vanity Of
hl-gotten richss lie puFsues the corpse into Hades,
I'D IN an instant its limbs transformed into g-
esntc skeleton hand instinct with the Resee Unsuitable
LAMA Of grasping The body itself is metamorphoscd
TO enormous heart; shaped Ike purse; and into
tst heart that hand begins stun solid aAkes Of ire
r there i mSgh. else tsS the hand TO Erasp-and tho