Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-06-04

We Published in paper Of the 18th instant an ar
tcie BY Mr. CoUEs gyins new method Of calculating
the rhode aud isarees OF re Planets; and on the DIST
sc fcaesed note frua disb gushe Professor d this
city saying hc I his friends ha- seen IBIS article in
serted in the hteligcncer with reg. ct Tor, says he
such articles place in the unpeas ant position Of
being regarded d. approving them il we main SILENT
whilst should be somewhat ashamed app end our
names to any published refutaton of them. Tbs ar
hcle in question contains nothing except its blu1
ders and single isolated fact interesting such, but
OF little Importance and forced to suit the ideas of the
writer"
This note we at liberty to communicate to the
eminent mathematical scholar who endorsed Mr. CoUEs
SO exrayagantly " and deemed it due to the gentle
mar referred to to send him this letter. as it upon
his high reputation and endorsement we had given the
article to the public; and here is his reply:
Yours of the 23d is before me- with the letter of
Professor ****** and the printed article in the In
teiigencer My opinion of that article was formed from
the article ITSELF without personal bias for have no
personal acquaintance with Mr.. CouEs having never
seen him, though think highly fhs powers of original
thought and philosophical investigation am sorry to
say the note of Professor ****#*, with whom I am
equally unacquainted, is very far from giving me
similar opinion Of him
After receiving the article Of Mr. CouEs went over
of the Planets. On forwarding the manuscript to
Washington said in my very brief and hasty note
have been much grati6ed at the conviction which it
1.-THE formua) leaves Of its truth have been over
some OF the calculations again to-day, and my convc
ton still remains in spite Of the pompous sneers Of the
learned Professor.
"Mr ****** says 'the article contains nothing new
except its bunders and single isolated fact interest
ing such, but Of little Importance With careful
haua 11Aou
ders As the article does not pretend to present any
thing except single isolated fact is fair to
presume that is the fact which the learned Pro-
fessor admits to be true, and interesting SUCH
of little Importance If the truth of the fact is
admitted it will vindicate its importance in due
time. This fact simply the basis which rests
the new formula of Mr.. CoUEs. Mr.. ***##* thinks
it of little Importance To my mind if true it re-
veals the most important law in astronomy discovered
since the days Of Keper-a law by which the distance
from the be readily ascerained from the time
of its revolution; the time of its revolution Be
ascerained from its distance.
ssIn this new method The diameter of the the unit Of
measure and the ratio between the circumference and
diameter of CIRCLE that is, the circumference of a
circle whose diameter is one-yiz 3.14l591--forms the
basis Of the formula The calculations simple brief
and readily performed and their results when applied
to the various planets in the solar SYSTEM give
evidence of general law sufficient carry conviction
to q clear philosophical mind though it might fail to
shake scientific old fogy who welded to his
idols Kepler laughed at by the school-men of his
day when he announced his great laws, which after
wards became the foundation of astronomy and he
cooly told them he could wait hundred years The
story of Calico too is well known. Great and new
steps in philosophy and science much FREE
quenty made by outsiders than by the professional school
and it has long been notorious fact in the world
that these professional schoom probably the last
and acknowledge truths thus presented and
the last forgive such ntrusons of nterlopers into
their learned presence But the world does move,
theless."