American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1866-11-28
BUTLER BUTLER COUNTY Pa WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER

necessity, requires the half dollar, the
quarter dollar, the half dime, and the
.hree>cent piece. In fact, eight divisions
to the dollar, as prevailed in Spain, arc
available in the business of life, more
than the decimal division. The number
eight is capable of an indefinite dissection
The progression beginning with l weuld
proceed to 4, 8, 16, 30, 81, and so on.
The decimal scale is made easy of use
by the happy system of notation borrow
ed from the Hindoos, which might be
applied equally well to an octaval scale
But at this dime, it would be vain to pro.
pose a change in the radix of the numers
ica scale The number ten is the rec
ognized starting point, and gives its name
to the scale 1t only remains for US al
preseat to follow other nations in apply~
lug it to an improved system of weights
and measures.
A system of weights and measures
born of philosophy rather than of chance,
is what we now seek. TO this end old
systems must be abandoned. A chance
system cannot be universal. Science is
universal. Therefore, what is produced
by science may find home everywhere.
If we consider the proper elements or
characteristics of such system we shall
find at least three essential conditlQLs.-
First, the new system must have in itself
the assurance Of unvarying stability ,and, /,
to this end, it should be derived from
some standard in nature by which any
errors creeping into the weights and meas,
ures, from time or imperfect manu'act>
ure, may be corrected. Secondly, the
parts should be divided declmally, as
nearly as practice will warrant, in cons
formity with our arithmetic. Thirdly, it
should be of such character as to dis
turb national prejudices as little as pos
sible.
To a common observer the difficulties
of finding an unvarying standard are not
readily apparent; but philosol hy shows
that all things in nature are undergoing
a constant change, SO that there would
seem to be no invariable magnitude, the
same in all countries and in all times, as
Cicero described the great principles OF
Natural Law, by which lost standard on
an inaccessible island might be reprodu-
ccd with M thematical certainty. There
is but one magnitude in nature, which, so
far as we know, appoximaes TO these
requisites. l refer, Of course, to the
length of the pendulum, vibrating secs
onds, which in our latitude is about 80 |
inches. This length, however, varies in
travelling from the equator to the pole,
and it also varies slightly under different
meridians and the same latitude !; but the
law of variation has been determined
with considerable accuracy. One cle-
ment in this variation is the difference f
temperature. Mr. Jefferson, in his re-
| port on weights and measures, proposed
that we should find our standard in the
pendulum. At the same time the French
Government, just struggling to throw off
ancestral institutions, conceived the idea
of new system of weights and measures
which, founded in science, should be cons
u,on to the civilized world.
The French began not only by discar-
ding all old systems, but also by discar'
ding a measure derived from the pendu-
lum. They conceived the idea Of meas
uring an arc of the meridian of the
earth, and finding a new unit in a sub
division OF this immense span. At the
| came time the National Assembly invited
the cooperation of other nations, SO that
the system should become universal
The work proceeded. An are of the
meridian, embracing upward of nine de-
grccs of latitude, and extending from
Dunkirk, in France, to the Meditegra-
mean near Barcelona, in Spain, was meas
ured with the most scientific care. Some
of the most illustrious names in French
science were engaged in it, of whom |
may mention Mechain, Delam5re, Blot
and .Arago, the latter just beginning his
great career. The work proceeded, not
withstandIng domestic convulsion and
foreign war. The reign of terror at
home and invasion from abroad did not
arrest it. Ten years elapsed before the
measurements were completed, when
again other nations were invited to Co
operate in the establishment of the new
system.
The unit of measure adopted vas one
ten millonth part of the distance be-
tween the equator and the north pole
thus measured. 1t receives the name Of
metre, from the Greek, signifying measure
A bar OF platinum was carefully prepared
a representing this length With all possible