Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-08-02
LIGHT FROM wATER.--OTHER POSITIONS
VERIFIED.

IIGHT FROM WATEH.-~OFHER PO6lTIONc
VERIFIED.
TO the Editors Of the National Eatcligencer.
GEsrLrnxs Under the courtesy extended me by yoy
some time SINCE had. time. taken up my pen for hs
purpose Of indting aOmess," who you viii
remember, published in your columns repyor rather
paper purporag be rspyto the philosophical views
which you were kind present 10 the public for me 10
April last but concluded that the matter OF "Omegss
article Was the first place, scarcely worth the trouble Of
notice and, in the second place. the terms in which the
article couched placed rather beyond the pale Of cvi
ty The whole question in dispute between Us (for the
writer did say any thing 70 my particular views)
reduced to simple question Of fact to the patent Of
Mr. Henry M Paine, which question has been settled to the
satisfaction Of the world by the publication Of the patent
itself in .Applesons Mechanics Magazine. together with
notice Of shepher patent. Gan improvement ON Psine
IN the Nos Of that journal for May and June, 1851
ans Annual Of Scientific Discovery" for 1885, issued this
year. at pages 1885, 49, 40 and Al also gives quite an ac-
curaie account Of the same thing.
When Mr. Panes method FIRST talked Of, was the
only man in the country, believe, other than the parties
directly interested IT, who attached to il either cedence or
importance did not know, do now know, Mr. Paine
personally. Neither was in communication with
him credited bis invention simply because the principles
from which reason phosophcaly led 10 oesee the
suit And again repeat that there il in any Of the
sons assumed by Mr. Paine, either Ia respect Of the aass
Of hydrogen gas by passing through spirits Of tupentne
as regards the conversion Of water into hydrogen into
oxygen the will Of the OPERATOR any thing which initiates
gsinst positively ascertained fact know
il Is said by certain set Of laboratory menwho, 10 regard
to scieHce are like chuchmen in regard to religion, and
damn every who daes to think pray otherwise than BY
customary formulas however absurd they may be to the
iona mindthat Mr. Pane n the first place, has not done
what he has said he has done and in the second place. ha
he has done what he claims TO have accomplished he
is entitled credit for il; for either not worth
thought Or if worth thought some one else did long
ago. For these kind Of men, matters not who they
where they are, entertain too profsund contempt to
ideas with They first d,ny that thing has
boen done and when driven from thi, position BY the a
they pronounce The idea old else nlueess This is the
way they show their logic their morality, and their eminent
philosophical requirements We have instance Of this in
sllmans Annual" just quoted in reference to Mr. Paine
Turn to page 6 Of .'Notes by the Editos" and you will
end this language, viz:
This claim, (Mr. Paine) e,trey at uariancs vih
the principles ochemsry is we think disbelieved in whole
or in part by all scientific in country, and before the
truth shall be established BY the onF proper tribunal
no, disposed to give it credit"
Now turn to page a4o Of the boo and you will find these
same i" Editors" saying
Mr. Paine maintains that The turpentine undergoes no
consumption; but that the gas, h it's passage through il, is
catased or changed from simple hydrogen ilun
mating gas BY contact presec without deac.ing from tho
turpenne any Of its original proPates, an effect by
uiihout parallel in chemistry.
have undercored the plain contradiction in which the
Editors have involved themselves. We know, from the
beautiful papers and experiment. Of Berzeus and others On
caaIy.s 10 be found published the Annaes de Chime
that the peche result claimed BY Mr. Pane far from being
at rarnce" with chemical hw is exactly in accordance
with the law. But let something Of the absurd
ty Of the Editors this question Mr. Panes invention
is so entirey variance with the principles Of chemistry
.ha. is not to be believed" N these gentlemen and yet
al page 24l Of their book they give the following autho-
ritative statement, headed:
ssGaseous 7,unsfor,nation of Water
sAt the meeting Of the Royal Society on January "a,
$780, communication read from Mr. Daniel Paret, ON
the gaseous transformation Of water by means Of pile In
separate compartments having other electric commu-
nicaion between them besides conducting wires Of "copper"
and giving the oxygen aone and hydrogen alone 10
the other. After promising that at the present time, il is
the generally received opinion that water compound Of
oxygen and hydrogen the author states that be now brings
forward experiment which proves, not that water is com
pound bat really simple element the generator Of oxygen
and hydtogen tince without being decomposed given
volume Of water may be entirely transformed at will either
into oxygen hydrogen Thus he considers 10 no longer
decomposition Of pre-exisng dement's which 10 effected
bu. really gaseous Transformation into two subeemeDts
which are formed at the expense the water by the trans
position Of its combined corrective electricity, which places
itself IN excess the which becomes oxygen at the
Of another volume which becomes hydrogen Ho,u
eper astonishing this may appear, II fat accompI ct
acquis Ia science After describing the experim MS
which be considers supporting biz doctue the author OBJ
that these experiments prove, first, contrary the
indefensble theory, Ca compound electric fluid which is de-
composed and recomposed there transfer Of uid 10
its motive power second, that the electric fluid Is really
tie corrective agent Of cohesion third wafer is com
pounds not an oxidebut truly FIRST element the gene
rator Of oxygen and hydrogen furth ii reveals BODY
unknown until now, and yy likely many other bodies are
in the same condition Gs icater SEQ proceedings Of the
Royal Society"
Il is quite evident that the Editors Of Silmans Annual
though in their Introductory pages they pronounce Mr.
Paines method Of decomposng and preparing It's con-
suent parts for light variance ,ch chemical ,v vet
have admitted that this method in Of its chief processes
is not suithoYs parallel in chemistry" fact 50 sk-
man who has the cap and gown Of professor to
venture upon the field Of science Il also appears quite plain
that M. Paret substantiates Mr. Psines other posion
that aey may be concerted int Oxygen hydrogen at
.o" Here then, have Mr. Paine substantated in those
very positions which gentlemen have found it very
easy say opposed to chemical laws rather Think
these gentlemen had given the matter ss they in
fairness bound to do, the supPoson that they really
loved the tuth) candid and unbiased consideration, lay
inc .sde that narrov, ealousv which eay has attended