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when all symptoms of electricity vanish, that the connecting 
wire of the voltaic series becomes magnetic. Is there not in 
this fact something repugnant to the idea that electricity is 
the agent. To admit that the two states of electricity, after 
having neutralized and virtually annihilated each other’s pro- 
perties, should at that moment be more active in calling into 
operation the magnetic power, would be to declare that in the 
natural state of the equilibrium of the electric fluid the mag- 
netic influence must be perpetually active ; that is, that all the 
bodies in nature are magnets. ‘This objection applies to the 
opinion of those who maintain that electricity, considered as 
a simple element, is the cause of, or is identical with, or ex- 
cites magnetism; but not, as Mr. Donovan conceived, to his 
own view, stated in the beginning of this Essay, relative to 
the supposed compound nature of the electric fluid. 
The boldest of all the hypotheses of magnetism, and the 
most ingeniously supported, was described to be that of Am- 
pere, who denies the existence of any magnetic agent called 
into action by electricity, but affirms the identity of both 
powers. Some experiments were described which cannot be 
here detailed, the object of which was to show that magnet- 
ism and electricity observe different laws, and that one itd 
exist when the other is not present. 
A word has of late years come into common use, which, 
while it explains nothing, conceals the solecism contained in 
the notion of neutralized electricities retaining their energies : 
the new term is the ‘‘ current.” The counter-current is thus 
kept out of view, which is the grand difficulty, because it must 
antagonize and destroy the current. This new current, con- 
sisting of both electricities, instead of being powerless, as was 
formerly the nature of such, is now said to be capable of ex- 
erting peculiar power ; but it no longer harmonizes with those 
facts from which our knowledge of the true current was derived. 
Faraday’s views of the current were examined, and the con- 
elusion drawn that they are inconsistent with each other, and 
