Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-02-22
"oTmER WORLDS THAN OURS"

The recent observations made on the
planet of Venus during her transit
across tho sun appear to confirm the
in 1874. that she has an atmosphere not
less dense than our own, and aqueous
vapor and cloud within that atmOs
phere. This conclusion would have
grieved the late Professor Whewsll,
who, in his ingenious essay to disprove
the plurality of inhabited worlds, took
for granted that I'VE discern no traces
OF a gaseous or watery atmosphere sur
this negative evidence one of his argu
ments to prove that in tho whole uni
verse tho earth is not improbably tho
only habitable globe. Professor Whe-
well did his best to show that the earth
held very singular place in what might
be very unique solar system; that it
occupied what he called the temperate
zone" of its own suns system, and that
there Ia no particular reason to suppose
that any other sun has planetary at
tendants at all. In order to make out
the singular position of the earth in its
own suns system, Professor Whewell
was compelled to make the most of the
intensity Of tho light and heat in Mer-
curry and Venus, and the most, again, of
the comparative cold of Mars. In
point of fact, however, it is probable
chat very slight modification of
our human organization-ever if any
structural notifications at all of that
organization were necesSary-would en-
able creatures Of the same general
structure and habits as man to live with
ease in either of the planets nearest to
the earth, Mars, which should, caeter is
paribas, DO colder and darker, or in
Venus, which should, caefer is paribus.
be- lighter and hotter than the earth.
We know, to some extent, the config
Lration of the continents in Mars, and
our astronomers have at times watched
the area of the polar SHOWS of that
planet increasing with the approach of
winter, and dwindiing with the ap-
proach of summer. OF Venus We know
much less, the Intense brightness of her
reflected light being very unfavorable
condition for minute observation. But
the apparently clear evidence for an at
mosphere of a good deal of density, and
for the presence of a cloud and aqueous
vapor in that atmosphere, disposes COM
pletely Of the late Professor Whewells
assumption that no creature resembling
man. now has, or could ever have had,
his abode there. There now seems no
reason to doubt that in Venus the con-
ditions of physical existence are such
that either there now may be there, or
may have been, or may be in future. a
being whose physical existence might,
like that cf man and animal natures
nearest to man, exist under something
closely approaching to those of terres-
trial life. The length of the day in
Venus Is nearly the same, the weight of
any given mass is nearly the same, the
atmospheric conditions are probably
not very different from our own; the
only material differences being probably
the length of the year, which 10 not very
much above the half of CURSOR, say,
about seven months instead of twelve
and the amount of light aud heal, which
unless miti0ated by special atmospheric
conditions, as they easily might be,
would probably be twice as intense as
terrestrial light and heat.
We insist ON this analogy. however,
only for the sake of those who. like the
late DIR. whewell, made the argument
from analogy SD ail-impor.ant. though
IN relation TO question on which, as it
appears TO Us, the argumen, from
analogy has really . very slight
bearing indeed. There is no reason
IN the world why spiritual beings, much
more like to Us in their thoughts than it
Is at all probable that birds and tortoises
are like 10 us in their thoughts, should
not exist everywhere-in the pure ether,
IN the hottest flames of the sun, in the
dimnsss of the darkest recesses of space.
IN the heat OK. the volcano or in the
depth of the ocean. Ignore the reason
ing from analogy. aud We can hardly
have less secure basis for reasoning
where observation Is limited. as il Is ia
this case, to one minute corner of the
universe, and We shall iino no more rea-
son why We should coniine the Creators
power to working within conditions
closely resembling our own than there
Is why We should assume that He will
work at all in regions where We have NO
evidence OF that work.