The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-01-31

in cash, besides bank notes and bills.
!, "This happened on the Sd of january In
the midst of the CordiHers, and on the 7th
two of the assassins we're already safely
under lock and key"
-za--
What Is Gravitye
Editors Buffalo Courier Will you allow
me, through the columns of your widely
circulated paper, to ask question What
is gravity The only answer can find in
the books is that it is force in physical
nature antecedent to the pressure of
weight, or q force in nature the tendency
Of which is to the centre of the earth.
This hypothesis has never been reduced to
theory. As all theories are supposed to
be founded in facts, it strikes me the facts
are wanting. What are the evidences in
favor Of this theory, 80 long promulgated?
Simply because Sir Isaac Newton cav
an apple fall from q tree, and it
struck the earth. Sir Isaac saw an
effect and thought he understood the cause !;
that cause he denominated gravity
gravity he called q force in naturs, the
tendency of which is to the centreM the
earth. Sir Isaac was modest, unassuming
scholar, who was never as positive as many
Of his less learned disciples of the present
day.. His reply to the inquiry whether the
diamond could be dissolved is evidence that
he did not arrogate to himself all know
ledge. He was never known to say this or
that cannot be done, but, on the contrary,
that in the mighty ocean there we're yet un-
discovered treasures. T have little doubt
that if Sir Isaac were living at the present
time he might not change the form at least
Of expressing the cause, and soy the ten
dency of which is the surface of the earth.
He might further say, "Nor am sure that
I have discovered the real cause it may be
but secondary cause growing out of an an
tecedent effect" But the scientific world has
been 30 conventionally educated upon this
so-called theory that it is considered pre-
sumption to even raise question. It is
this force of public opinion, the tendency
of which is to stife inquiry and make cow
ards and parrot philosophers of students,
causing them to repeat what their masters
have taught them, without even instituting
inquiry as to the correctness of their in
struction. Consequently it is taken for
granted that Sir Isaac was right, and, in
confirmation of the correctness Of this hypo-
thesis, triumphantly ask, "Why the apple
did not 60 up?" Well, that would depend
entirely upon the position of the earth at
the time the apple loosened from the tree
whether it went up or down, in relative
sense. But the question is just as foolish as
! If threw cannon ball into the air should
be asked" why does it return tsthe earth p"
The sensible answer would be; that the at
mosphere was not strong enough to hold it
up from the earth. Then comes the third
and last question. If you doubt the exist
ence of q principle or force the tendency
of which is to the centre of all bodies, what
| is it that holds all movable bodies to the
earth'Y answer, Motion. And the farmer
might teach philosophers lesson when,
grinding his axe or scythe, he pours water
on the stone, and knows that certain num-
Der of revolutions will keep the water to
the stone, but little faster motion will
throw it off; slower, and it will drop off.
Now, the Allwise Creator of the universe
knew just what motion to give every planet
in order that all movable bodies should re-
main on them. If bodies are lighter, they
will float in the air; if heavy, they remain
on the earth but none can leave the orbit.
The gyroscope should have opened the eyes
of philosophers to this subject long ago.
Here is heavy body moving in space in
dependent of this thing called gravity; in
this we see an effect, but do not ap-
pear to realize that the cause of that
effect is motion. Stop the motion of the
wheel, and the movable body flies from its
orbit so, if it we're possible to stop the
earth's motion, in less time than Joshua is
said to have stopped the sun, all movable
bodies would have left it. Did you ever
stand very near train Of cars when moving
of thirty or forty miles per hour and feel
the effects of motion drawing you towards
the train Then what must be the attract
ing force of this pondrous globe, moving OF
sixty-eight thousand miles per hour So we
conclude the tendency is not to the earth &
centre, but the earth's surface, and that
this thing called gravity is motion. I Ihave
never been in favor Of Capitalization politl.
cally, morally, nor physically, because
every Capitalization has limit. I hear
our scientific lecturers talking about great
central system to the universe, and in
the centre of that system sits God, the CEN
tire OF all systems. 1have often wished to
ask these oratorical men of science if they
can find centre without circumference
Do they, then, intend to limit God or the
universe? There evidently is neither d
centre nor circumference to the universe
If it were otherwise, the two great forces
that control the universe-viz. attraction
and frepulsion, could not be equal; but
being equal, where is the tendency to Q
centre Neither do equal forces produce
rest, but motion; hence every particle OF
the universe is in motion, and that motion
produces attraction to the surface and
not to the centre of bodies thai
are in motion. Again: It is laid
down in mechanical science as an ulti
matum that to let any given weight de-
scend to any distance the same amount Of
applied force is necessary to bring it uE
through the same space to the point from
whence it descended. Now, to prove this Q
fanacy, / have small model now in my
possession, comprising an entirely new
combination of physical forces, and I chal'
lenge scientific investigation. By the &C.
ton Of this model, any given weight may
DESCEND given number Of inches, and al
applied force of just. half that exerted bJ
the descending weight will bring the weigh
back through the same distance to the point
from whence it descended; and this can be
tseen any day.
/