New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-11-22
Professor Tyndail Not An Atheist.

| IN the tWeOL,E-elSntn OlelMO Professor
| Tyniali delivered one of a corrse of lee.
! lures TO workingmea. at Free Trade Hall.
! Manchester. England. His subject was
"Crystal!ine and Molecular Forces" In
the course Of his lecture he described the
| mental process by which the present notion
Of force had been acquired. and the exten.
sion Of that notion to the movements Of
planets and the vibrations Of atoms. He
exhibited by means of the electric light the
disqualification Of sal ammoniac and acetate
OF lead-exper;men:s which were among
the most SNOWY Of those presented to
American audiences. He referred to other
marveis of nature in the following words:
The way il which atoms build themselves
together is to me perfectly astounding. You
have here play Ot power almost as won.
,lerfui as the play o: vitality itself. Perhaps
may have expressed myself too strongly
III calling this beautiful experiment aston.
ishing. Still ( must say. although have
seen 1t. to speak moderately. hundreds and
hundreds If times. l have never looked
upon i. without feelings Of establishment.
And depend upon it. ,rust NE. that the
revelations Of science are no: in the least
degree calculated to Lessen cur feelings Of
establishment. We are surrounded by won
ders and mysteries everywhere. | have
some.mes-not sometimes, but Often--in
the springtide watched the advance of the
sproutiug leaves, and of the grass, and of
the flowers. and observed the general joy OF
opening life IN nature. and I have asked
myself this question, "Can it be that there
is no being or thing in nature that knows
more about these matters than do! Do l,
in my ignorance. represent the highest
knowledge of these things existing in this
universe9" Ladies and gentlemen, the man
who puts that question to himself, if
he be not a shallow man, if he be a
man capable OF being penetrated by
profound thought. will never answer the
question By protesting the creed of Atbe-
ism, which has been so lightly attributed to
me. xviii only detain you one moment
more. Everywhere throughout our planet
we notice this tendency of the ultimate par
ticles OF matter to run into symmetrc
forms. The very molecules appear inspired
with desire for union and growth, and the
question of questions at the present day is,
and it is one. | fear, which will not be
solved IL our day. but will continue TO ag.
tate and occupy thinking minds after we
have departed. This question Of questions
is how far does this wondrous display Of
molecular force extend. Does it give the
movement of the sap of trees reply with
confidence, as.uredly it does. Doe. it give
us the beating o. our own hearts, the
warmth OF our own bodies. the circulation
o: our own blood, and all that thereon de-
ponds. This is point on which l offer no
opinion tonight. l have brought you to
the edge Of battlefield, into which l
don't .c.end 70 enter. and from which
I have barely escaped. somewhat bespa.
tered and begrimed. bu. wIthou, much loss
OF heart OK hope. Ii now only remain. 70.
me no, 10 enter this battlefield. out to point
GU. 20 you the position Of the con.ending
hosts. You can pass on by almos. imper-
ceptible svadatiOns from this wonderful dis
play OF force that have been able 20 make
manifest 20 your eyes here TO night to the
lowest forms of vegetable life You pass
from them TO other forms higher, and 80 I'D
TO the highest. I have spoken Of contend
ing hosts. and their position is this. One
class OF thinkers supposes that these actions
Of crystal. that you have seen formed be-
fore you. the passage from that crystalline
action to the lowest forms ct life, and from
them to higher forms up TO the highest!
say one class OF thinkers regards this as the
growth of a single natural process. They
grasp, as it were, this &C. of life. this de-
velopment of life, as an indissolubly con
nected whole. one great organic growth
from the beginning. Others again say that
it is not impossible to pass from inorganic,
as we are pleased to call it-for remember
il Is only human language We can use-s,ou