The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1875-10-01
ON so1EHuE AND ART.
BY o. P. MASON.
NUMBER -FOUR.

and he appears to US only as an ordinary
star, and with reference to this earth,
or the beings which inhabit it, we
can attach to him no great Importance.
His light Is so trifling that we are una
ble to perceive its benefit, and were he
blotted from existence we should not
feel the loss, and as for heat, we receive
none from him. If this earth is the
only inhabited spot in vast creation,
all suns, systems, planets and stars
were created for its benefit alone, then
we must acknowledge that the benefit
we receive from Jupiter, in light or
heat, is full recompense in the econ
omy of nature to have placed him there;
we must assert that it became necessary
that a planet of his proportions should
occupy his position in the grand system
in order to counterpoise the universe
and maintain the equilibrium of the
planets by his attracting influence, or
we must accept the other proposition
that he was created for and does sus-
tain population of sentient beings. If
not inhabited, why has he been given
four beautiful silvery moons to light
him in his onward course, so arranged
by some inexplicable law that all can
not possibly be on the same side of him
at once, whilst this earth of ours with
its millions of inhabitants has been
given but one? What benefit can be
assigned to these moons with reference
to this earth2 They are invisible to the
naked eye; we receive neither light nor
heat from them, and they must be, as
far as we are concerned, perfectly use
less. To him, peopled by myriads of
intelligent beings, their uses and pur-
poses are at once obvious; during all his
long rounds, his nights are lightened by
the silvery rays of two or more of them.
What beautiful habitation for man
Like our earth, we know he has his
oceans, lakes and rivers, his noun
tains, valleys and plains, and is sur
rounded by an atmosphere. We then
may justly conclude that he has ami
mails, vegetables and minerals, perhaps
on grander scale than we can imagine;
that his valleys and mountain sides are
clothed with vegetation, his waters
TEEN with life, and his mountains
abound in mineral wealth. Can we,
with justice to a Deity, suppose that
whilst this small earth Ia smaller
planet of the system), is so peculiarly
adapted to the wants and requirements
of man, that there, with all the similar
ity of circumstance, in barrenness and
desolation, this immense planet rolls
his mighty rounds from year to year
That whilst from our earth songs Of
praise and prayer are raised to heaven
from intelligent beings, that there M
sound has ever broken upon the solemn
stiffness of eternal gloom? that nc
sweet notes of warbling choristers evel
enlivened the stiffness of the green for.
ests and shady groves? that his morn.
ing breaks and his day comes on in sol.
emn stiffness, and bright sun sheds his
genial rays upon barren wastes and
blackened mountains, void of life ? thai
in eternal silence, without one living
creature in all his vast domains, hC
rolls his mighty rounds from year tt
year?
Our earth we see is capable o
sustaining population. Can we at
tribute to other worlds which sprang
from the same cause, and are governed
by the same laws, less importance? /
the planets Mars and Jupiter are sur
rounded with thick atmosphere; If they
have their land and water, which fact.
science has established beyond doubt
if they have their days and nights, ant
their seasons, then how can we deny t,
them the natural conclusions which
must flow from these facts ? It may b
urged that they are farther from the sun
and that the temperature would be s,
cold that animated life could not exist
But when we reflect that heat is pro
duced by the friction of the rays o
light passing through atmosphere, tha
the more dense the atmosphere, tn
greater is the friction, and when we re
fleet that the atmosphere surrounding
Jupiter and Mars is denser and thicke
than ours, may we not conclude tina
though there is a less number of rays o
light passing through it, that still it i
more than recompensed in heat by tn
greater amount of friction. The atmos
phere becomes lighter as we pass out
ward from our earth, and consequent.
there is less friction at point five mile
upward, or outward, than at the level Q
the sea. Hence, high mountains ar
covered with eternal snow, even il
tropical climes, whilst the valleys be
low TEEN with luxurious Yerdure
Therefore, when we admit "that lik
causes under like circumstances pro
duce like effects" and that "wisdom
distinguishing trait in the character c
the Great Architect" and then judge G
other worlds by the analogy which ex
! lists between them and our own, are W
8 not forced into the conclusion that thi
earth is not the only abiding-plaee c
: rational, animated beings?. Does nc
? this earth seem peculiarly adapted t
/ the wants and requirements of man
The motions of the earth are so arrange
as to give US a variety of climate: