Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1846-11-25
For the Adre7tisef.

ry recently announced, by Professor ono'
onbeiu, Of Germany, is, as might have been
anticipated from its character, exciting the
deepest interest throughoutthe whole 'civi.
lized world. The prac,icabilily Of com.
munica,ing highly explosive condition
10 culinary Cotton, material aboundins
ia all mild climates. and which may be
transported TO every point Of the globe at
a very triains expense, cannc, fail to pro
duce The most interesting results.
II is hy discoveries of this character,
which affec: the great interests and opera
lions Of society, that The human race have
made the most palpable and rapid strides
towards civilization and social improve
nent. There is unqueslionably, n all i'm
portant discoveries. and more especially
ia those, which at first view, seem only to
refine the means Of human destruction and
TO render them still more revolving 10 hu.
masity, nice adaptation to the particular
wasts Of The age. inv hic lnhey are COM
municated to the world. Thus the inyeu.
lion of Printing, by Gutenberg, in the
middle Of the fifteenth Century, was pre-.
eminen,ly suited to the pressing demands
of society at thar period; so much so, that
without some such outlet 10 thought, nd
means Of its distribution among society,
civilization must have receded rather than
advanced. 1t emaucipated the human
energies. und broke assunder the ,rammels
ofignorance and superstition, which had
for so many ages made man The plant tool
Of petty lyrauuy aud inhuman despo'ism.
In like manner did the discovery Of the
Mariners Compass enlarge the field OF
human enterprise, aud give scope to The
already rapidly expanding powers Of man;
thus uniting all tile nalions Of The earth by
The ties Of social connexion and CONNER
.cial Interests. Viewed in this light, the
discovery Of Schoenbeiu, with suitable
mechanical preparations for the cheap aud
expeditions manufacture Of the Gun Cot
ton. appear 10 be another and essential
step 10 the onward march Of civilization,
towards thai condition Of uninterrupted
harmony to which all The nations of the
earth seem to be tending.
| If the doctrine be true, which has so
often been impressed on my mind by our
very learned and highly gifted Professor,
Francis Leiber, that in proportion 10 the
vehemence and destrIstiveness Of wars,
there is corresponding dilnnu,ion ofthose
terrible conficts among nations; which
have hitherto disGgured the pages of his.
tory in all ages fhe world this discovery
may be hailed as one Of The great ,precur-
sors Of that social condition, for which The
nncleelh century is SO rapidly preparing
he way.
The means of human, destruction are
becoming so refined and perfect, through
invention and discovery, tha, war must in,
eviably cease, so terrible will be its GER
tain consequences, and so absolutely sure
the mutual ruin of coptendins armies
The discovery oithe Gun Cotton, although
made by Professor Schoenbeiu, Of Germa-
ny, was no sooner announced in this conn-
try, lhan its details were unlolded, or al
least similar results obtained. by DR.. VIM.
II. Elle, the distinguished Professor Of
Chemistry. in the South Carolina College.
Mr.. Editor, we have reason to con
gratulate ourselves on this event. which
iu the end, is destined 10 illustrate our In.
slituion and Stale. Schoeubeu's discove.
ry had scarcely sounded il5 existence in
Europe before its echo was reverberated
from the Laboratory of our own College.
Professor Leiher, having seen the fact in
German paper, announed il Immediately
TO DR.. ElIet, who with his accustomed
CeleTiiy VI PeheiidNoh, Sa" az q Sid"so'
the method Of It's manufacture, which he
said would turn out te be, ltis sleeping oil
Cotton in Nitric Acid. The next evening,
Ocl. l4rh, Professor Ellie, submitted it 10
experiment and Obtained q satisfactory re-
suit. Several days subsequent to the most
satisfactory experiments nldde by Profess
sur ElleI, the supposed details of Schoen.
bein's discovery were disclosed by Profe>.
sOr Quo. It appears, however, according
to Ouo's own declaration, thai in his ex-
perimeuts, he employed Nitric Acid Ioue
which renders the manufacture Of Cotton,
into an explosive material, capable of ex-
Il,