The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1866-04-20
The Earth ns Seen from the
Moon.


this globe is twelve times as largo as tho
sun, but il differs from all the stars in he.
ing always suspended in the same place
over their heads. 1t presents phases to
them as the moon does 10 us, passing
through all the gradations of Re,r aud NIL
earth. This STAR ms we have just said, is
tue earth we inhabit.
Those who dwell in tho center Of the
lunar dice behold our gloLc suspended from
their zenith, lowering eternally in the midst
of tito starry skies. Others SEQ it at
seventy degrees, of elevation, others at
torty.livo degrees, as they inhabit spots
moro or less removed from the ccutcr OF
the visible hemisphere. Those who live
near the border of this hemisphere see our
globe on their horizon resting on tho moun-
tains. \ little further on half the Garth is
descernible, and III passing to another
hemisphere the view vanishes forever.
II we except the determination Of longi-
tudes, tho earth is moro beautiful aud uso.
lul TO tho moon than tho moon is to tho
earth; aud if the Selcnitcs or Inhabitants
of the moon rolling underneath us interpret
law or final causes with as much par.
TALLY as we do, they will have right ap.
parently superior TO our own for regarding
creation, tho earth included, as especially
made for the Secnian race.
Tho earth is u gigantic globo sending
them thil;een times more light than the
full moon transmits to us. Ii revolves o.,
its axis in twenty.tour hours, and during
this period exhibits all portions of its sur
face, being thus moro generous than the
moon, which always oonceals Que hemis-
phere from our view. In consequence of
this motion the Sclcnite finds himself In
observatory magnilicently situated for view.
ing the tclrestial disc, and his position ia
preferable to that of the inhabitants of the
first four moons of Saturn, who can never
see the whole of that planet; and they can
see the earth bettor than wo can SEQ any
planet.
The earth generally presents to them a
greenlsh hue in consequence of the i'm
mense quantity of water by which it's sur.
face is covered, of the forests of the New
World, and of its plains, and also on &C.
count of the tint of its atmosphere. From
time to time, however, large gray or yellow
spots divide the sphere. TO the east of
the terrestrial disc appear the lofty Cor1il
leraS, marked by long indentcd line Just
as we sec in the lunar Carpathiaus to the
west of the Sea of Storms. Opposite this
ridge shady green spot of great extent
unf, Is itself for many hours; this is the
great ocean. Next comes two gray patches,
which look like one elongated; these ii Q
the two isles of New Zealand Then ap-
pears the fine continent of Australia, tiuted
with a thousand colors, and accompanied
by New Guinea, Borneo, Java, and the
Philippines At the same time, the gray
country of Asia is unrolled, and extends to
the white steppes of tho pole.
Africa then comes in view, divided by
its milky way OF sand. To tao north of the
great Sahara appears a little green spot
torn in all directions and full of ramiica-
tions; this is the Mediterranean, above
which those who have good eyesight will
discern little and almost invisible Franco (!).
Then tho dry land will disappear, and the
great dark spot of the Atlantic will follow
the same revolving course. The Seenitcs
who carelessly contemplate in tranquil
nights the green aud gray divisions of the
earth will have no idea of tho contests in
which the distant nationalties are in
volvod.
The earth is a permanent clock to the in
habitants of the moon, and this is not its
least utility. BY reason of it's invariable
movements, the fixed points which mark
the different longitudes will be the hours
on the meridian of tile moon. Each country
of the globe has its peculiar aspect, and
may serve for point of departure.
The phases the earth presents to the
moon will in tho same manner, serve as an
almanac, and we may believe they form its
chief foundation. These phases are compli-
mentary to those which the moon presents
TO us. When it is in fuH moon TO us it is
nep earth for the Selentes. aud when they
give us new moon We offer them full
earth. No reciprocity can be more perfect
and constant.
But the phases of the eorth differ essen.
tally from those of the moon inasmuch as
their intensity, not their mangitude, changes
perpetuaIy. This phenomenon is very
terrestrial, and we may be sure the Selenitcp
have judged us by ii long ago. Whilst
with them all is calm, identical. constant,
with us everything changes. Besides the
different lustres Of different parts of the
terrestrial spheres-green continents, blue
seas, yellow deserts. white poles, and gray
ands-onr atmosphere is in perpetual com.
motion. Ono day it is covered with clouds
and transmits TO the moon uniform white
light tho day after it is of limpld trans
parency, and allows the solar light II fall
upon absorbent green surfaces. All of n
sudden it will be varied with flocculent
mountains and varied mosaics. Thus the
light the Seleniies receive from tho earth
the light which we call "ashy +" and which
we only perceive in the moons early days
varies continually in intensity.
This mobility, this perpetual variation in
the aspect of the earth, Will have made the
Selentes believe that the earth is unin-
habitcd. But on what grounds would they
form opinions uniavorable to its habitability?
They live on a solid and stabl5 sphere, and
can see nothing like it on earth. Can any
rational creature live upon that permanent
atmospheric layer which covers all the
earth A Selenite who fell into it would
be drowned. Can it be on that sheet of
green that washes the greater portion of
the earth Can it be on those clouds that
appear and disappear hundred times a
dayP Aud then the earth turns with snch
velocity, il is subject TO 70 much elemental
instability Moreover, eau we believe that
its inhabitants are people without weight,
preserving. no one knows how, mean
position between the fixed and mobile ele-
meDts? How can such existence be be-
lieved2
The Effect of Southern Policy.
The new policy of Andrew johnson is