The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-12-08

tlDaG W6EU LUZ WHufC SAAoo " saS ~. e
nears IS mere waste. For miHtoDS oi years
/ Va ssvi,ose serrestrisi globe was the scene of
.,rn cessaa OF tremendous activity, yet utterly
nnf;t to he the abode of life. So,also, II we
ianS fnrward. In period ipc8mparably
ereeeiiIur insaurstion the life-period OF her
history. She wal circle around the central
ann. hsaring only the records and memories
az former NE. but to our conceptions use
less, desert scene. /
. F.5 a.. a yesSsod aaa nature then &C strife, 7 =
Ihat nature lends such sytl dreams
,Mzast We regard the work OF God as vain
i'm .fr,Ith ma isn appearancei or must we, on
ths otfyer hand, reject the evidence OF
sc;enceR We need do neither. We pave
hasore ms 8 great mystery, but only one o,
nanv inscrutabie mysteries. Our faitn neeu
mot be shaken unless We assume snat sclense
teaches all things already we nave
,5-.Come on that wi,ica Is. and caught
The deep pulsation OF ehe world 49,
..Eorian music, measuring out ,. i syr
49, The steps OF nuae.
Rut tia then we may well believe tnas tne
seemine mystery arises from the ainpeilec. !.
ness Of our knowledge. II we couid sec lug
whole plan instead Of the msnutess porlloh ,
if we could scan the whole OF space inst esaa
of the merest corners II all time were oeIole
as Instead Of space, We m1ght lhoee4 po.
na,nce judgment. But knowing as We DO
hew litsie we really can perceive VIVID any
eIearness we may admit the trugn OF aii 'nas
Science teaches. believing still that the
scheme of nature appears Imperfect only De'
cause 1t Is seen but 10 psrt.
with such considerations 10 give us con-
faenee 40 that whatever evidence we may
f;nd we NAV accept without fear, let us pro-
coed 10 consider the subject Of life in other
worlds with sole reference to the evidence
actually available. We must be guided by
the analosies already brought to our know
LEDGE. II we adopt either the Whewellite
or the Brewsterian theory, or If REJECTING
ibotl, we adopt another, let it be not In ODE.
dience % mere prejudice, but because on 8
csreful consideration of the facts we inc
ourselves SO directed by the evidence
The lecturer then proceeded TO con.
slider the relations presented by the different
pIanets of the solar system, dealing with Inc
latest evidence given by science respecting
those orbs. A series of colored views OF the
planes, illuminated by meaus of the stereop.
ficon, illustrated this portion OF the subject.
Jupiter and Saturn were presented as types
of worlds not as yet fit to be the abodes OF
life. the moon as typifyiDg world which
las ceased to be suited for any forms or
living creatures such as we are acquaipt.
ed With. In considering Mercury, Mars,
and Venus as occupying q mean position
as much more mature than Jupiter or
Saturn, and much less decrepit than the
moon-the lecturer nevertheless warned his
bearers against supposng il probable that
the present time is the life.era Of any one OF
these planets. 1t is conceivable, indeed, that
many, if not most, Of the orbs which have
come into being may not have supported lie
in the past nor will support life hereafter.
lie many seeds are to our view wasted for
each one that grows and bears fruit, so may
it be with planets. 1t Is only our own mi.
nuteness which makes the scale OF the planet
seem 10 infinitely to transcend the scale OIL the
seed; but to Him 10 whose thoughts one
day is as thousand years, and a thousand
years as one day, the great and the SMALL are
alike, the planet is no Northier than the
mustard-seed, the seed no worthier than the
planet. Il%I NJ - s2"2
Even assuming, however, that each planet,
satellite, asteroid,; meteorite, or passing In
the other direction) each sun, sun system,
and galaxy was intended TO support Life or
to be the abode of life, it remains equally
certain, from what we know Of the past bis.
tory of cur own earth, that the liie.era OF q
planet is but as 8 moment compared with
the existence of the planet Itself, and 1t Is
utterly improbable that the life-era of the
earth synchronizes with the life.era of any
other planet of the solar system. We are as
persistent In considering this present time
the time of the existence Of the human race
upon earth-to be central amid all time IS
men of old were in considering the earth to
be the central body of the universe; but one
view is as uusound as the other. Another
series of lsntern.slides illustrated the cir.
cumstapces which oppose themselves. to the
belief that particular planets are at present
the abode of life, or fit to be so. Among
these there was one which illustrated the
yastuess of the portions Of Saturn's surface
from which the rays Of the sun are cut of by
the interpreting matter Of the rings, those
very objects which Brewster, Chalmers, and
others have described IS compromising the
Saturnians for the small amount OF heat
which the sun pours directly upon the
planet. Afterward the lecturer passed on to
the subject Of other SUES. showing both yer.
bally and BIZ series of pictures the extreme
diversity among the suns existing within the
star system in bulk, and mass, and physical
structure, as well as In their distribution.
motions, and other characteristics. Although
he touched on the possibility that many
even among the suns may "shed Their
lustre on a desert scene, yet he acknowl'
edged that In the infinite variety and multi
pllcty. the lnfinite life and energy. Of the star
depths he found relief from the infinite bar
renness Of Whewell's theory. The very argu
ment from probabability which leads us t.
regard any given planet or even any given
sun, as not the centre Of q scheme in which
at this moment there is life, forces upon us
the conclusion that among the millions or
millions, nay, the millions OF millions o.
suns which people space, millions have orb:
cireiiDg around them which are at this mo
ment the abode of living creatures. If The
chance is one In q thousand in the case O
each particular star, then In the whole mum
Der OF stars lpractlcally infinite) one In 1
thousand rules over system in N hich there
is life; and what Is this but saying that mil
lions OF stars are itfe.supportipg orbs ? There
is, then, an infnity OF life around us, although
we recognize ,in1inity Of time, as well as In
inity of space, in the existence of, life:ih hi
universe. And, though remembering tina
life in each individual is finite, in eacl
planet fniEe,. In each solar system finite
in each system OF SUNS finite to speal
OF no higher ordeFs), the lnGnity OF lii
itsek demonstrates the indnity or delib, ID,
infnity of inhabited worlds implies the in
Anity OF worlds not as set habitabte, o
which have long since passed the period o
sibabHah1lity. Yet'is there no waste, whe
thestf time, .sf space, of,matter, or Of force
for waate Implies the tending toward d linat
so that OF The Infinite or iilimtable there ,ea,
be no waste, and doab tless, IL we could per
eeise or comprehend the ,Whc6e plan OF tb.
universe, we should 6ad that tue arrange
naents which seem SO uastefut az space, ant
lime and gsstser, and force, In reality i'd
yolfe the most perfect possible use for every
portion OF space. every inatant or time. ever