The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-02-01


The Rev. Mr.. Jasper, an eminent colore(
divine of Richmond, Va, made last sum
mer square issue with the astronomers
} and tomahawkod the scalp off the head o.
, Copernicus, relative to the shape and loco.
motion of the earth and the movements OF
the sun. He is bold and original think
er, aud reaches his conclusions from the
standpoint of common sense and daily OBJ.
seryations with tho naked eye, unclouded
by the misty glamour of the telescope, oil
the gloss and observation of modern edu-
cation and so-caled astronomical re-
searches.
He undertakes to establish tho fact that
the earth is as fiat as pancake, and that
ihe sun moves around it every "a hours in
a strictly moral and scriptural course.
SEE de sun stans still materially" he
argued, "what was de acasion for Genril
| Joshua to command it to stan still when he
| fit his great battle agin de inemies of de
lJUIu OIl iIlC pldlIlS VI AL Cl iS
yeath is roun whar did the four angels find
de fore corners oh il to stan on when dey
hilt de fore winds of heben? Let de in-
tellegent stronomy git over dem eff he
kin.
For my part | am ready to confess that
the Rev. Mr.. Jasper puts it strong. But l
am not willing to fall head-long into his
theories, or to swallow his theology without
investigation. This is an age of inquiry,
necessity for this revolution against science.
If successful it would destroy the work of
our schools for the last three hundred
years, and drive the people to the expense
of buying bran new set of textbooks
1t would lift Civilization out of its boots
and set that party back several centuries.
II would uproot all tho accepted notions of
the lesrned upon earth, to say nothing of
the effect it might have upon the philos- |
ophers of the sun. Its consequences |
would be fearfully sweeping, and awfuhy |
unhinging 1t Is dangerous doctrine, |
and warn the American people against a |
too ready acceptance of it, [ am a re-
former, bnt not so much of reformer as |
that
The sun, earth and moon have been |
doing well enough under Surveyor>General
Copernicus' direction. His survey suits
me, and I believe the people generally are
satisfied to let we'll enough alone. Thele-
fore, do not believe Mr.. Jasper ought to
be encouraged in his war upon Copernl-
Gus. Suppose he could prove beyond al
cavil that Copernicus was a fraud, and that
the earth was square and fiat, would the
American people feel any more secure
Would not their fears of tumbling off as the
earth turned over, be rather exceeded by their
fears of falling over the jumping off place,
as they emgrated to the West ?
What is the use of agitating this ques-
ton at this late day when the minds of
the people have been at rest upon it for
three hundred years or more-when our
have been moving f-rward
under the Copernicus theory
for the same length of time, discovering
land and water, marking out their orbits,
their diurnal revolutions, the
lensity of their atmospheres, the health
fulness of their climates, and the charac-
teristics of their peoples?
1t is vely serious thing to interfere
with the astronomers. If allowed to 60
On without molestation who knows but
.hese wise msn, with their telescopes, will
ind out the most desirable, and productive
orb to emigrate to when telephony, steam
,nginery, electricity aud balloonery have
been brought to such perfection as to on
,ble us to establish permanent connection
With them
| have no objection 10 offer against the
proposed abolition of hell, or, at least, to n
yery decided modification of the tempera-
ure of that country, but | dread the result
IF disturbing the sun in his fixed position
1f conservatism, or of turning the earth
Iut of its old track. While l admit the
strength of Mr.. Jasper's argument, con-
iider it's policy seriously questionable at
lime when we are threatened with an astro-
ogical Legislature. He ought to postpone
lis revolution of the spheres until it is
'een what the Legislative astrologers of
Mississippi are going to do with the zodiac.
One revolution of such immense magni-
ude at time is enough.