Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-06-07
TO THE EDITORS.

Having recently perused several articles in the Intellioen
GER in which the experiment Of Foucaut has been discussed
my mind was directed to the that probably existed
through the agency Of which experiment might be made
to determine by ocular demonstration the revelation Of
the earth upon its axis Astronomy science, is COM
parave OF recent origin, although the motions of heavenly
bodies have been noticed by Of different ages from the
times OF Noah to the present day but was not until about
the middle Of the sixteenth century that the true system Of
the world was discovered by Coperncus followed early in
the seventeenth century by the discovery Of the laws of its
motions in space by KePler and the discovery in 1883 bv
Sir Isaac Newton, Of the laws universal erayatop which
has brought astronomy within the province Of mechanics,
philosophy and contributed greatly to its advancement and
extensions by unfolding to s physical theory. which
has been developed by Lpacs and many others with sea,
minuteness Of detail
The application to astronomy Of the science Of mathematics
may be supposed have originated with the discovery Of
Copernicus, and It's practical demonstrated by Keper
The which operate produce the current Of rivers
the rise and fall Of the tides, and the phenomena of the
magnetic needle may, in the absence Of better theory be
attributed to the rotary motion Of the earth in its relation to
other worlds and good reason why the vibration Of
the pendulum should be Influenced BY the same great
causes One thing know to be certain, that If the
earth revolves upon an axis it must travel at much more
rapid rate at the Pemee the circle than il does at liz axs
Admit the one and the other must follow. The opinion Ren
orally entertained - that the earth is an oblae spherod
that 10 the diameter Of its axis is less than the diameter Of
the plane Of its rotation We naturally infer from this fact
that the globe revoves in space for if we should set ball
in motion upon axis (he composition Of which should be
removed from the fluid state should soon discover that By
rapid notion contraction will take place the poles and
an expansion at the equator that H. the ball will enlarge at
points Of the greatest velocity, and diminish at those points
where, the velocity Is relatively slow. l. s3a Nf
NM fha fslo
and the relation which il susains the numerous sysams
which revove in infinite space.
II is admitted that the earth Influenced or governed
body by the attraction repulson Of other syse.s IL
must follow that every grain Of sand or drop Of water Of
which 10 composed must proportion to its magnitude or
Its chemical properties be governed by the same general
laws Of the magnificent field Of science, Comparatively
ignorant within the scope of natural vision few thou
sand worlds have been brought BY the aid Of the telescope
upwards Of two thousand four hundred millions Of worlds
have been presented the eye Of the behode vet we have
not discovered the limits Of space and overwhelmed
with the thought that perhaps it has limits but extends
on on and until the Imagination of man is bewdered
in the contemplation Of space hence we are unable
to explain and account for many things which we behold
and the other hand account phenoeua which are
not perceptible to the eye or TO the ear
We koO that the messenger who traverses the wire Of the
magnetic telegraph has noseess step and invisible per-
son, ard although he may pass within few feet Of U.s. we
can neither hear him, nor can see him.
As said BEFORE science yet ia s infancy and although
with our present limited knowledge look things with
wonder aud establishment, ye, the time will come when if
we could look back should be astonshed in contemplating
the simplicity of the inventions and the machines of the pre-
sent day in comparison with those which will be deveopedn
times yet TO
By the aid of the invisible element of electricity we shall in
lew years be enabled to travel the mountains and the val
leys, the oceans and the rivers.
We have beheld the magnetic machine ushered into the
world in all the weakness Of child just emerged from the
dark prison Of the mothers womb. What results NAV we
not Look fur when shall arrive will the age man
hood, having all its parts perfected and its powers de-
veloped g.:
At some future time, # permitted, I may give you nv
views more fully upon the subject of the vibration of the pen
duum. " A FRIEND TO SCIENCE
WAsHIsaToS, Mar 81, 1851 1