Page:Anglo-African Magazine volume 1.pdf/24

 Atomic, or the attraction of cohesion—so far as its nature is concerned, as yet remains a mystery to the scientific world, which never as yet has been satisfactorily explained. But why remain a mystery, since the attraction of gravitation and the influence of electricity have become known.

It has long since been discovered that different materials present different powers of attraction. Thus, lead has less than gold, gold than silver, silver than copper, copper than iron; each of which is proportionably stronger than the other, which depends entirely upon cohesion, or the mutual attraction of particles.

What, then, is cohesive attraction? Why do particles, unseparated by force, mutually adhere together?

The only attraction, the nature of which is understood with certainty, is that of electricity, different materials possessing for it, different degrees of capacity.

Thus, two bodies, when 'similarly electrified'—whether in a high or low degree—'mutually repel each other,' while two 'dissimilarly electrified, mutually attract each other.' Hence, a positively electrified body will attract a negative, whilst two positive or two negative will mutually repel each other.

The terms positive and negative, are simply relative, referring to the comparative condition of each body with the other.

A body is said to be positive when containing a higher degree of electricity than another with which it is compared, and negative when a lower degree. The beauty and wisdom of this arrangement must become apparent.

All substances, as proven by chemical analysis, are composed of compound materials, even those which are thought to be reduced to a simple elementary constituent. If a body in the aggregate be thus composed, each particle being also a body independent, must also in like manner be composed of compound materials, as it is impossible by any mechanical agency, to reduce a solid body to the ultimate atomic constituency.

By this may be understood the laws of the attraction of cohesion; the positive and negative state of the atomic particles of matter.

These minute particles in different electri-conditions, continually mutually attract each other, forming the closest adhesion. The fracture, or separation of parts of a body unknown by force, must be attributable to an electrical similarity of all the particles which separated from each other, which is simply electrical repulsion, by similarly electrified bodies.

Electricity, like caloric or heat, is universal or everywhere present, which being in a latent state, is only observed when sensibly excited to action. It is in this state of latency it acts as cohesive attraction, the surplus fluid passing off to neighboring foreign bodies. By this mighty economy is displayed the wisdom of Omnipotence, and disclosed the wonderful laws which govern the Planetary system of the universe.

The Sun, the centre of our system, stands unmoved in space, except to revolve on his axis, and being similarly electrified, keeps at a proper distance the earth, revolving in her orbit.

But to complete these revolutions, and harmonize the system in conformity with the annual changes of seasons, the earth must continually vary in electrical intensity, being alternately positive and negative.

Supposing the earth, when 'ushered out of Almighty hands,'—at any given distance from the sun, which distance, according to Divine wisdom, would be in harmony with the design—to have been in a negative state of electricity, it would necessarily have projected through space—attracted by the sun's superior body of intense electricity—until reaching within a given distance—having attained the same degree of electrical intensity, increasing as it approached—a repulsion would take place, when the earth, instead of being