The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1871-07-05
fFor the Herald

The problem OF the origin OF lne Wollu uas
puzzled the brains of philosophers in al
ages. Whence came this planet of ours
has been asked by the babbling child and
the gray-hcadcd seer time immcmoria!.-
Priests, poets and philosophers, have en-
deayored to answer the simple problem.
How widely these answers have differed, all
who have ever glanced at history, are aware
The Greek, Roman, Indian, Egyptian-every
nation that can be regarded as type Of any
ancient civilization, has attempted to account
for the origin of the world. Without any
exception the interposition Of o divine
agency, directly or remotely, has been called
into requisi,ion in originating terrestrial e1-
istcnces. We Moderns, with the Bible in
oHr hands, can scarcely realize the difficult
ties presented to the Ancients in the solution
of so important a problem. More often TOO,
than otherwise, we are inclined to ridiculc
their attempts. II is characteristic of the
age to regard itself exceedingly wise, and to
point the jesting finger to the former epochs
which were perhaps equally wise, and no
doubt, far better.
Amid the general crash consequent upon
the fall Of the Roman Empire, all philoso-
phies pcrished. Only beyond its limits,
where the wrecking waves failed to reach
existing civilization, was any Of the olden
time learning preserved. Amid the general
gloom that shrouded the world with it's
gloomy panoply, even the gospel lamp was
but dimly seen, here and there, Pickering upon
the aItars of the monks. Of course all the
arts and sciences of Roman civilization were
overwhelmed by this catastrophe. What
they knew of Geology and its kindred
sciences, must remain to US unknown.
1t is notorious fact, overlooked by the
learned men Of this boastful age, that the
religious and poetical developments, mainly,
OF ancient civilizations, have been preserved.
That the long ago nations did possess q
knowledge of the arts and sciences far great
er than we are accustomed to concede to
them, is another notorious fact What mod
ern engineer could construct another such
pyramid rs Cheops? What artist will chisel
for US another Apollo Bclyidcrc? But it IS
not my intention to institute comparison
between the Ancient and the Modern. only
wish to say that our pride, based upon our
superior knowledge in The sciences and arts,
may be misplaced; that we are incapable Of
asccrtaininS to what extent even the Roman
civilization had advanced the civilization
Immediately anterior to the Modern epoch.
But to return to the problem: Whence came
this bright green planet of ours? Has it
been here thus forever? Our science answers
no. 1t had j beginning ages ago, when time
was young in the universe. Geologi<ts say
that ut first it was amoltcn orb. hurled by the
Deity into space, and Immediately, almost, in
obedience to universal law of matter, it
rushed into its present eliptical orbit. Now,
although The original condition of our eole
may have been molten, yet it is in accordance
with the legitimate principles of science to
hypolhccatc the simplest form of matter at
its origin, and since the gaseous is the sim
plcst form in which we find matter existing,
VIC have right to infer that at its origin our
world possessed only that form of matter
Of course in lis gaseous condition it was i'm
me=surably larger than at prcsent-its dism-
cter embraced millions of miles. Here were
oil the elemcnts-all the atoms that conSti-
rute the present slobc--not single particle
has since been created The laws of chem
cal affinity begar to arrest their power, heat
was ordered, and as one Of the consequences,
motion began. The mighty orb moved
started upon its vast, limitless voyage
Here VIC fnd the chaos speaking by the Ro-
man poet: The heat mingled with cold, the
hard with the soft, darkness with light
Here was the beginning in which God "cre-
ated the heavens and the earth. and the
earth was without form and void"
ALPHA Pr.