Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1838-04-20


The present state of popular knowledge is
not the resuI, of slow and uniform pro
gress, proceedIng'through lapse of years,
with the same regular degree OF motion. 1t
is evidently the result Of some new causes,
brought into powerful action, and producing |
their consequences rapidly and strlklng'y.
What sir, are these causes?
This is not an occasion, sir, for discus |
sing such question at length; allow me
to say, however. that the improved state Of
popular knowledge Is but The necessary re
suit of the improved condition of the great
mass Of the People. Kuowledgei is not ONE
Of our merely physical wants Life may
be sustained without it. But, in order to
live, men must be fed, and clothed, and
sheltered; and in state Of things in which
ones whole labor can do no more than pro-
cure clothes, food. and shelter. he can
have 10 time nor means for mental i'm
provement. Knowledge, therefore. is not
attained, and cannot be attained, till there
is some degree ofrespie from daily manu-
al toll, aud never ending drudgery. Blu,
whenever less degree of labor will pro
duce the absolute necessarics of life, then
there come leisure and means, both to
teach aud to learn.
But if this great and wonderful extension
of popular knowledge be the result of an
improved condition, it may, in the next
place. we'll be asked, what are the causes
which have thus suddenly produced that
great improvement How is it that the
means of food, clothing and shelter, are
now so much more cheaply and abundantly
procured than formerly' Sir, the main
cause take TO be the progress of scientific
art, or a new extent of the application of
science to art. This it is, which has so
much distinguished the last half century in
Europe and in America and Its effects are
everywhere visible, and especially among
us. Man has found new allies and auxi
aries in the powers of Nature, and in the
inventions Of mechanism.
The general doctrine of political econo-
my is, that wealth consists in whatever is
useful or convenient to man, and that labor
is the producing cause, of all this wealth.
This is very true But, then. what is
labor? 10 The sense o. political writer's.
and IN common language, 1t means human
industry; but, in philosophical view, 1t
may receive much more comprC hcnsive
toll oniy--the mere action Of thews aud
muscles; but it is any active agency which
working upon the materials with which
the world is supplied, brings forth products
useful or convenient to man. The mate
rails of wealth are 10 the earth, in the seas
and in their natural and unaided productions
Labor obi aims them, works upon them, aud
fashions them to human use. Now, it has
been the object of scientific art, or of the
applicatlo Of science to art, TO increase
J this active agency, to augment lis power
oy creating millions of laborers in the
form of automatic machines, Il II to be dll
gently employed, and kept at work by the
force of natural powers. To this end these
5 natural powers, principally those Of steam
and falling water. are subsidized and taken
, into human employment Spinning mn.
chimes, ower-l0oms, and all the mechani
, cal devices, actIog,among other operatives
in the factories and workshops, are but 81
, many Iaborers. They are usually demon
mated labor sauing machines. bu, It woulr
| be more ust to call them labor doing ma
5 chimes. They are made to be active
I agents; to have motion, and to produce
. effect; and though w,lhout ntelig ence
? they are guided by those laws Of science
which are exact and perfect, and they pro
D duce results, therefore, in general, NOR,
T accurate than The human hand is capab
s OF producing. When we look upon one o
Il these, we behold a mute ow.laborer, o
!, immense power, of mathematical exoctnes
!, and of ever during and unwearied eff ,rt
g And while he is thus most skllful an
I l,h IN
at irost. beyond the wants Of MS mech nj
it ca beng. He is not camorous for food
m rsiment, or shelter, and makes no de-
.e mands for The expenses of education. TN
y eating and drinking, the reading and writ
'e ing and clothes wearing world, are benefit
!. ed by The labors Of these CO operatives. i
r The same way as if Providence had prov
n ded for their service millions Of beings, Xix
v ourselves IN external appearance. able I
CT labor and 10 toni, aud yet requiring little G
re nothing for their own consumption or sub
pr sstance; or rather, as If Providence ha
I'd created race of giants, each of whom, d,
ly mandng no more for his support and con
r. sumption than a common laborer, shoul
ut yet be able to perform the work of hur
bred.
q. NOW, SIT, TURN OacK 10 the MasSaCnt
5 sets tables of production, and you will sc
b, that 1t is these automatic allies and CO .op,
or ralors, and there powers of Nature, tn,
It's employed and placed under human dire,
no ton, which nave come with such prod!
or ious effect. TO mans aid, in the gre,
ot business of procuring the means of livin
ID, OF comfort and Of wealth, and which ha,
nv swollen the products ofherskllfu lndustr
in Look at these tables once more, sir, ar
er you will see the effects of labor. unite
ny with and acting upon capital. Look y
Nv again, and you will see that credit, mu,u
lie, trust, prompt and punclual dealings, al
Ter commercial confidence are all mixed !
nd as indispensable elements in the gener