Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1844-03-01

with MIR. Macdonald who published vor.
small book in New York City the summer past
IN which he lainents that tue Newtonlnn theorl
and law of gravity is threatened with anolhe
tournament from MIR A. Young, when it had beet
well hoped that the great Sir Isaac having livet
and written the Principal, had thereby exercised
oil attempts at establishing other foundation thai
that which he had laid and gravely suggests tina
If the point d aPui nj which | aim, is to shake o
overthrow the Newtonan theory or law OF gravity
there can be but little doubt as to the issue.
But why should mortals shudder at my approach
towards their temple of fsme for certainly hav
not attempted TO enter it's gates to worship nj il
shrine, or 10 furnish it with shriues for others Il
worship; but rather TO build anew upon anothe
foundation, nor intrude upon any ones grount
but my own, intending how ever to lay my iounda
lion in Unity of Purpose, aud in demonstrated
truth.
Part OF my offence, however, appears to be an
nltenlpt to disclose to the world what has long
been sought but never found viz solution oil
the Quadrnture Of the Circle, us though it were
consigned to the repository Of things lost on earth
and also that should attempt to prove to more
than an admiring world, that Sir Isaac Newton,
"the creator Of Natural Philosophy committed
gross and palpabe errors in his construction and
regulation OF the Universe; and hence, that act
with depravi,y more malignant than that of an
attempt to delhrono the gods or even Jupiter him
self But rccoect that some inspired poet has
said Il think it was Pope) that "GOd sad let
Newton be-" nor should NEEDLE with him, were
it not from the circumstance that others lave
But the admiration ah the adoration for Sir Isaac
has doubtless been much heightened by liue
intermiSture of tho miraculous, or supernatural ::
thus are told by his biographers that his theo-
ny OF universal gravity was suggested 10 his mind
by the fall of an apple while sitting alone under
an appetree; and what he said TO himself on that
occasion; n story which certainly must require
tbino of ihp mar or f pntinnni triba
10 induce belief in; in much as Kepler had
most fully announced the principle of universal
gravity some forty years previous. Aud although
The invention or discovery of the method by Flux.
ions or the Calculus, was awarded TO Sir Isaac by
The Royal Society, against the claims OF Lelbnz,
Nv lich decision, by the way, has never wholly
satisfied the world ct there was no arbiter found
between Sir Isaac and poor Flamslead, until de-
yelopmens long subsequent to both their deaths
caused even high toned Englishmen to declare,
that the name Of Newton was no longer 10 he re-
velei.
But the remarkable precociiy of Sir Isaac is al
SO an ingredient which has been ushered in as
point OF ndmrat'cD: thus, it is said that most of
his great discoveries were made prior to his arr-
wing at twenty four years OF age, and that after
thai, he added but little TO the science of the world
although he lived 10 more than the age Of eighty
years But precoclty isneiIher my bane nor ben.
chit; for "my three score years are almost spent"
Again it is The boast of Sir lsaac's biographer,
and OF the world that the great physical truth cou-
tanned IN the Principal, viz: his lao Of gravity,
was so far in advance Of human knowledge or
WISDOM that more than fifty years elapsed after
It's PRONUNCIATION, before it was generally under
stood by tho learned and that the ecstatic agony
which Sir Isaac suffered, OF rather felt in his near
approach to II development of that great physical
TRUTH land which | would SO wantonly overlIlrow.)
had something i'll its nature more than mortal
a
TED ana ltiterwoven INTO what has thus been con-
sidered The great physical truth disclosed 10 the
world by Sir Isaac, as though it were rather all
express revelation that could come by no other.
We'll. after all this, propose to demonstrate
aud prove in the most satisfactory and conclusive
manner 10 thousands who have not supposed they
were permitted to understand things considered
81 vast, that Sir Isaac was most grossly and pal.
paby mistaken in his annuncaion of The law of
gravity nor will hesitate TO justify an main
inin my position in whatever way manner |
may he called upon to do it, whether it be by lee
lures in the OIeon in the Temple, or Other
where's; or by publication of the work which |
have announced 10 the world.
also propose TO conrince mankind, (but not by
as conclusive denonslration) Tint Sir lsanc New
TONS defined theory OF universal gravity, is as alb
surd as his lao Of grauiy is erroneous; and that
many theoretical consequences will follow the es-
ENLISTMENT OF these premises, which the mind
will be much more inclined 10 receive and adopt, |
than to reject. And although it is said that Sir
Isaac Newton set out 'riM Kplers id,cs, yet if So
will endeavor 10 show that he left them the in
slant he set OUT and that had The law of gravity |
been :ruly promulgated and his theory Of unvcr.
sal gravity properly assigned, it would have re-
CURED but little time to have understood, md made
The application OF it 10 observed phenomena OF
which it is manIestly the cause. Nor would il
have been necessary thatthe whole corps ofaslron-
omers should have been converted into an explor-
ing party, in search of equations whereby 10 rec
oncile the supposed law with observed phenome- |
ma. But will not dwell longer on this part of
the subject in this brief arIicle and should any
suppose that my annuncations in respect to Sir
Isaac Newton and his philosophy have been rah- |
or freely expressed, it should also be understood
that upon this head, have much idolatry to con.
tend with.
{" Blu. who can tell how lard it is TO climb" for
while on the one side, the temple is strongly for |
tilted and guarded by stubborn idolalry upon the
other, lies the slough of despond, where all is
tathess, even to despair; in which the Quadrd- |
tire Of The Circle, which is placed in the same
category as that of Perpetual motion, is sunk a.
mongst the things lost Oh earth, never more 10 be
seen or hoped for, save in the airy visions of NOR
tas lost on earth and that all attempts at Its dis
covery are fl, subjects of merrlment and laughter
for tie learned who are placed high enough TO OBJ
serve the visionary research when perhaps all
That can nationally be said upon the subject is, that
ihs world had sought for the Quadrature, but had
not found il.
Bu! on The subject of;he Quadrature, mankind
have been perhaps quite too easily pacifed, and
have too readily joined with Monlucla, Rees and
Others, in the cry of sour grapes. Those authors
alledge that the learned world had long sought
solution Of the problem in consequence Of lis i'm
portnnce; that after the invention Of the methods
by Fluxlous the hopes of malhematicians were
revived; but at length having exhausted every
device maginable,a solution OF the quadralure was
abandoned in despair; and mankind were then
informed that true solution would serve no ben
efcial purpose, other than the qualification of
mathema'icians and even Nj. Legendre suggests
that the measures of the circle are as well defined
as most surd roots.
Now to Inc, all this is foolish absurdity and
although il is quite probable that 10 ancient Times,
mathemalicians had some rational notions of The
importance ola true solution OF the quadrature /;
IlII Gnla