Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-12-07
Alchemy.

Alchemy.
a contemporary mentions that certain Mr..
HUeGISs, by 4 series Of experiments upon nj
trogen, hitherto esteemed a simple elementary
substance, has shown that it is compound. II
il is compound, Of course it can be disinte-
grated. With all the ingenuity, research and
patient experimenting of modern chemists, this
fact has never been discovered before. When
investigation shall have been pushed to its ut
most limits, there is little doubt that the num-
Der Of elementary substances will be still fur
Their curtailed, if the idea of their existence at
all be not altogether exploded. And thereby
hangs q tale.
1t is we'll known that during the middle ages,
and down even 10 the middle of the sixteenth
century, the belief in the transmutation Of met
ais was almost universal. Hundreds Of learned
men spent their lives in pursuit of the philoso-
piers stone. or OF an "univerSal solvent"
which was TO transform every species Of sub
stance into gold and silver. One Of Ben JON
sox's best comedies The Alchemist, is founded
upon this belief. Even so late as the latter end
Of the seventeenth century, the mighty talents
Of NEWTON appear TO have been employed for
years in this species Of Investigation; and less
than fifty years ago, Sir HUMPHREY DAvY de-
clared that the idea of making gold was by no
means such an absurdity as those who laughed
at the alchemists supposed it to be. Once
prove, he said, that gold was a compoudd, and
not an elementary substance, and the compon-
ent parts could be aScertained. Ascertain the
component parts and you can put them togeth-
er and make gold Ben JoNsoN, it seems,
might laugh at the alchemists, and so might Sir
WALTER Scorr, but Sir ISAAC NEWTON and Sir
HUMPHREY DAvY did not think there was any
thing in their researches to be laughed at.
Gold has heretofore successfully resisted all
attempts at analysis. So has nitrogen. But,
at last, nitrogen has been found to be COM
pound substance. A more exhaustive analysis
than has heretofore been applied to it may
hereafter discover that gold also is COM
mound. Who knows Ii NEWTON and DAvY
thought the thing not impossible, who has any
right to pronounce it such!
For our own part, we believe in NEWTON and
DAvY, in opposition to all the small fry, and we
intend to prove our faith. We shall forthwith
discard pen, ink and yellow paper; types, scis-
sors and patent steam presses, and betake our
selves to retorts, crucibles and galvanic bate
ries. We turn our back upon FAUST and GUT
rgyBUPG, and strike hands with RAYMOND
SULLY. Old FAUST may make new con
tract with the Devil, and get all the gold he
can make by the operation. We intend to
turn alchemist, and cheat the Devil. We know
very little Of chemistry, but we are not too old
10 learn. While the disciples Of Professor
GRANT are rausacking the bowels Of the old
beldam earth, for the treasures which 1t may
contain, We shall be making golden bars out OF
nothing. 1t is cheaper to steal the broom ready
made, than to steal the materials, and then
make the broom. While the disciples atore-
said are, with much labor and tribulation,
plundering "the prince of this world" las they
call the old man with the long tail in the Scrip
LureSl OF LuC DLGGlONS lAANNlAo AAAN IL NAAS NN'"
terranean cavities of his principality, we shall
be supplying the articles above ground, TO suit
the demand, without turning hand to the pick
and shovel. Some of our friends express a
fear that We shall glut the market, aud destroy
the value Of gold. Let them not be alarmed.
We assure them there is no danger on that
score. We are not covetous. We do not crave
more than a hundred millions sterling in gold,
and that is only four hundred and eighty-tour
millions ordollars. Having obtained this 'mo-
derate independence" we shall sit down
and be comfortable. We have our views,
too, with regard to investments. We
are very patriotic, and shall do some
thing for Old Virginia. We will buy out
the French Company, and cut canal which
shall cost one hundred millions. Next
We mean to run Il double track railroad
all the way from Norfolk, through Memphis to
San Francisco. Next We will finish all the rall-
roads now begun in Virginia. Next We Will
buv up immense bodies OF land on our
rivers. and in the mountains, and settle them
with the best Scotch ana EhSlISh SeNIivLN'
giving them the lands. By that time we shall
have nearly gotten through the first pile. Then
we will manufacture about a hundred millions
more, for the use of our friends and ourselves
We are determined to let the secret die with
US. We feel justified in exposing nobody to
such A temptation. We remember the fate OF
our predecessor, ST. LEON, too well. Let all
the good fellows Of our acquaintance look out
We intend to give every one Of them a lift
We are determined to play the beggar on horse
back in the highest possible style. We shall
drive such team as will give envy the
humps. Wcwill build castle obeat STEWART ;
shoddv affair out of sight. We will make ali
the world, ''aud the rest OF mankind eX-
claim, .look at that id fellow, what shines
he is cutting! But yesterday he couldn't get
credit for a -julep at any dOggery in town,
and no,r he looks as if the town belonged to
him, How | hate an upstart ~