New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-24
LIFE ON OTHER ORRg
Does Human FraiIty Erist ~.
tchere iR the UniUerse


Apropos OF the possibility that other pl,,.,.
the earth are inhabited by human be,-- taaa
uon Is sometimes raised What proviss, - sues
made FOR the moral and spiritual ae,-ano.- oesa
such creatures? Correspondent az ,rt eA1 q
recently asked Are they fallen from yr,.-s 'ans
'he saviour pass through the same copdf,tc,' I'd
as on this earth? Might the inhabita-,s - 'Aers
ministrations?' - iced Fla
Before such problems are seriousIv co,.,
course II Is advisable to form some 49, q
the cnance that any other world is peonsos 'o~s
r'e9utaoIe astronomers speak with comet, =
this point. So far as our own solar svs,s.. - On
eerneo' tho conditions on Mars are recar5ss 20
more favorable to Availability than on ior a.
planet except perhaps. Venus. FIamnario5 p.- -se
tor and others have deemed It conceivable a.. =.
former might have Inhabitants Ike tbosa =, -
earth, but have hesitated to affirm n a. %
Percival Lowell interprets the so-caIIad -
OF Mars as streaks OF vegetation. produced b- =
cation and testifying to the existence ~ a.
cheering talent equal or superior to anv knov :
earth. He stands practically alone in u1ain-.a,
that position. Simon Newcomb going 70 ,ss
IRENE OF conservatism. says bluntly TO anv -
who questions him this matter: 'sYou -
much as I do about II. which is ahsolutsI- -.
Ing" Alfred Russell Wallace, the venerahis -
lish biologist, affirmed last year his beIof ~,
nowhere In the whole universe do the eo-s,.,.
SU~
Several eminent astronomers have s4taoros -
reasoning, but they have been careful NOT ~ -, -
init themselves to the proposition that other world,
While IL is hard. however. to find good ss,,.,.
devotee Of stellar science is ready to ssv ,s as
there is not and cannot be. life elsewhere -
million stars which the latest estimates asss1 -
the heavens Is looked upon as a sun. which la
Except in few instances there is no positive ~
denee that they have planetary companions but
analogy IDS - e.
put II very mOdestly-are attended BIZ sateTisas'
According to the generally accepted neb1isr -
pothesis the great majority, II not All az nv ~
planets would at stage in their history ressS
degree OF solidity such as the earth has p6ssessS
rendered highly probable that the Chemical cor.
the globe The largest measure Of do1bt ' sso !.
Availability would arise from uncertainty about
limited amount OF water. COnceding the pressnss
OF these almost any OF them would be fitted
70 sustain both plants and animals The wisest
evclutiOnists are unable 10 say how the first forms
OF Ire or 5he earth came here All that they A.
higher ones from ths lower after the latter
start could be made on other planets than IL va
on the earth. Any theory, scientific or theological.
also.
A resident Of this city who is a member Of sew
win, and who for more than quarter of a century
mas oeen convinced that the essential features q
the Christian religion in no way affected by ina
TEACHINGS of modern science. said the other day
sponsible for opinions that are mine alone. VIII
mistake what is pure conjecture for statement q
fact. The appearance OF life on other cGestial
bodies in the universe cannot be affirmed. but IS
certainly imaginable. The necessary germs having
reached those bodies. by whatever means. why
should not gradual development occur there along
lines substantially parallel TO the course taken "a
globe? credible that beings possessing in
te!lectual. aesthetic and moral powers would thgs
arise.
III terrestrial history were even imperfectIy re-
peated. many thousands OF years would be re-
Quired for the unfolding OF those qualities. Tia
slow general advance OF the mass would be pro-
NOTED by the occasional birth OF masters IN en-
cheering. philosophy, natural science art and
poetry. The many would learn from the few or the
one. The spiritual nature OF these beings would
doubtless unfold in the fashion. On the eartl
long before the coming OF Christ humanity showed
had done more or less to cultivate is discernmeag
and activity. Thus the way paved for To
years agO. Something OF the same kind would. Z
my opinion take place all OF these other spheres
II not fallen from grace IN the old sense OF nat
phrase. the highest grade Of beings there would "a
least have come 10 understand what sin was. and
TO experience the same need OF emancipation from
II, as man has felt do not believe that thef
would inherently superior TO the nObiest inhab-
tants Of our world.
''Theologians rather than astronomers can best
say Just how redemption would be effected else
where. But they have actual knOwiedge. and
we are now indulging only IN speculation. i
MA! hot pc pEesIII tueLs loI ne 20 naAe d 49,
gestiOn The eliminating event there, as here
might be the birth OF a person divine IN exactly
the same sense was Jesus Christ, but not iden-
teal with him such a superstition would avOld
the difficulty of believing that Christ went thrOugh
the painful experiences recorded In the gospels
more than once Il does not seem 20 ne thar y
service 10 imagine that other worlds had each
its own Redeemer, who was in every way Hs
Of the doctrine OF the Trinity II would only magnt-
p. in proportion 10 the number Of orbs thus IA
vOred. OF the eternal goodness underlying
such a widespread benehcence-