Animadversions on Mr. GeneVs Memorial, fyc. 81 



It was my first design to treat the whole scheme as 

 whimsical, unphilosophical, and indeed as ridiculous ; and 

 the more I have examined it, the more perfectly I have been 

 convinced that this is the only correct mode of treating it. 

 My reason for now departing, in some degree from this de- 

 sign, may be collected from my preliminary remarks. 



In the reply of Mr. Genet, contained in the last number 

 of your Journal, there are several expressions, which, as 

 they are similar in character, I will group together, that the 

 reader may judge whether I may not retort one, at least of 

 the charges brought against me. " The aspersions of my 

 censor, and his uniform subversions, misnomers, and cur- 

 tailments." " The sneers of Dr. Jones. 1 ' " Dr. Jones gar- 

 bles, when he says that I call a vacuum a gas.' 1 " The de- 

 nomination of gaseous fluids, which I have given to steam, 

 and not to the vacuum, as the Doctor very unfaithfully 

 quotes it." " Less conceited appellate judges," et cum muf- 

 tis aliis. 



These charges would be indeed formidable, were they 

 not deficient in the essential property, correctness. I have 

 certainly curtailed because 1 have not quoted the whole book, 

 but I have not either garbled, subverted, or unfaithfully quo- 

 ted ; neither have I intentionally misrepresented the author's 

 meaning in a single instance. 



That Mr. Genet should be displeased with my manner of 

 treating his views is perfectly natural ; as he undoubtedly, 

 has the most perfect confidence in them. The more ex- 

 travagant the theory, the less likely its advocate to be con- 

 vinced of its fallacy ; but although an individual may be in- 

 curable, the spreading of his disease may be prevented. 



Mr. Genet may probably recollect, that about seven- 

 teen or eighteen years ago, a number of gentlemen liv- 

 ing in Albany, and some of them very learned men, 

 united to build a boat, to be propelled by the motion of 

 a pendulum, urged by the strength of only three or four 

 men. This was to supply the place of a steam engine. A 

 certain Mr. Letton, was the inventor of the scheme ; and 

 certain intelligent civilians, and other gentlemen of worth 

 and standing paid for it. In the Athens of America, our 

 sage and wary members of many learned societies, were 

 fain to hang their harps upon the willows, after having sung 

 the praises of RedhefTer's perpetual motion, and without 

 claiming inspiration, I fear not to prophesy, that a similar 



Vol. XIII.— No. 1. 11 



