Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1847-04-30
MR.. YOUNG'S UNITY OF PURPOSE.

UNITY OF PURPOSE, OR rational ANALYSIS: being
Treatise designed to disclose physical truths, and
20 detect and expose popular errors BY AUGUSTUS
You've. Boston: Printed By s. ". Dickinson y
Co. 1916.
II will doubtless be recoected by most of our read
ers that SOME four years ago, the author Of the work.
whose title stands at the head of this article he being
then Representative in Congress from the State of
Vermont, announced TO the world, through the Ma
tional lneligencer and the Globe, newspapers pub
lshed at Washington that he had made discoveries,
which would, when promulgated completely over
throw the prevailing systems of Natural Philosophy
and demonstrate that the supersructure erected by
Newton Lapace, and others, upon the scoveri,s of
preceding mathematicians and astronomers and which
has been supposed TO be permanent, is neither more
nor less than tie basetess fabric Of rison Such an
anouncc ntni coming as II did from member OF Con-
gress. produced some little sensation and curiosity was
extensively awakened to the work thus Swallowed
forth that it might appear by what process maD, 9TH
erwise rational, had so tar stucd himself TO make
himself believe in the verify OF his announcement and
that the world would acknowledge him OF the
greatest beneactors OF science as soon as prejudice
should Ina time to subsde. But as the work was not
Immediately published, and the Congressman had
tired to private life among the mountains Of his own
state, curiosity began to flag, and, in the
OF two years the matter had almost passed from mem
ory. Our author, however, continuing true TO his
unity of purpose, was N the mean time Flooding OH in
his rational analysis and adding one after another to
his infnity ofproof, in support Of his aliegations
Fearing, however lest the world in Its business and
turmoil, should entirely forget that there was then a
man in it, in comparison with whom Newton, La
| place, and our own Bowdch, were mere pignes in
science in March, 1915, our author issued as pros
pectus OF his forthcoming work pamphlet OF lG pages,
/ III which he gave its title in full, aud table OF con-
tents, and set forth, somewhat in detail the matters
which were to be more fully investigated in the larger
work This sent forth to the world accompanied
by an inv aon TO subscribers TO forward their names
! to the author
At length, in the latter part of the year 1916, the
great work was uslered into the world.
Magnus alb ntegro seculorum nascur ordo."
nj nt fbp
jewellers in the pool at the descent OF king log srank
away in astonshment. But peeping from their hiding
places au perceving no hnr they are fast recovering
from their panic and zoe have even summoned conr-
age to come forth and earlessly inquire whether this
new authority, which is attempted to be established
over US is legitimate or usurped. We WAL, therefore,
proceed TO the work itself.
The work then, whose unique title stands at the
head OF this article is octave OF 2J2 pages respet
bly, got up, and divided into seven chapters, preceded
by an introduction The subjects proposed tor dis
the Circle IL. The Law OF Gravity Ill The Laws
Of Force and Motion ". The Form OF the Orbits OF
the Planets v The Theory Of the s9 - System
The object of the Introduction seems to be To furnish
the readers oretaste OF that sublime philosophy 10
which they abou, to be conducted, and 10 apprsc
the trammcls imposed upon the scientific world by
Newton, and Bradley, and Lapace, and all others
whom he fears that the world will put IN competition
with himself for the highest honoIi OF philosophy lhol
]
among and above the highest, he assures US at the
outset in the following words:
:" In my pursuit after truth, shall no more be sat-
isted with taking n middle flight, than Milton was
in the sublimaton OF fiction; and this often
bring me in contact with those who have attempted
the daring flights in the scientific world, (espe
ciay in the departments OF mathematics and astron
oiny,) shall speak OF them and their dongs with a
freedom and bodness which suppose to be justly
due to the subject, and 10 mankind nor will !, in
this respect ask from the world other mercy than
such as | show To Others.
| We heartily thank our author for this paragraph
and we here apprise our readers, that we shall claim
protection under the last clause OF IT, should We have
occasion To speak with freedom and holiness Of the
work before us,
In the Introduction, and throughout the whole
work, authors peculiar spite seems to be con-
centrated upon Sir Isaac Newton, Tor which We can
account no other principle than that he desires
to undey Newton that he may the more easily deity
himself for while he represents the thoughts OF New
ton TO be extremely crude ana unanaiyled; he
would make appear that the world Is disposed TO be-
stow upon him divine honors Now il n crude lar-
gon of truisms aud absurdtes trnmneled together
by an uninelligble commentary, enlille person 10
alteration, we think our author Will have no com
! petitors for such distinction, whom he need fear
We will, however, no longer detaln our readers al
the vestibule, but Introduce them INTO the body o.
| .he work and -
lst Ofthe Ouadrature Of the Circle. This is ouI
authors great leading article. The chapter devoted
to it is divided into six sections and fills II pages
lie commences with some general observations re-
spectng the methods employed IN investigating the
quarature states what he conceyes to be the
. geonielers in giving the periphery OF the circle
greater capacity than it possesses and then, after pay
ing deserved compliment TO the 4!th proposition o
Euclid aud fully acknowledging It's authority, ht
makes, on page 80, the following announcement:
My purpose is to prove to The satisfaction OF th'
world, that the circumference OF the circle whose d
anne ter is unity or l. is 7iSO2O or the third or cub
root of -, aud hence that the area, or one-tourh
the circumference is 793OOo or the cube root of s
in lieu OF the popular series, 1So39si6d39 &c, &c
Al naLi I'M tl,, rubp IA
of the circle twice the third power OF one fourth Of tn
circumference and, consequently that the ratio of tn
II diameter TO the circumference Is commensurate i
G the third powers and roots OF definite numbers