Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-06-02


, ino nntions who have the world N su,,,v With
their wares nre obliocd 10 nnrform nv tho moro
efficient and economical means Of mechanical
contriv,pces
| I am inclined 10 think that tho inAuence of
the existence of domestic slavery. in checking
the prooress of mechanical i,nnrovcnent in Tho
prncipal nations If ontiouitv modifod md soft
ened as il was bv the svmna,hv. which necos.
sarilv exists bet,v.en the ,nostcr and the slove
wbcr, botb ore of the Same collar and of tho
same race has been in General much undarro,od
Slavery is eminentlv hostile. not only TO mans
moral. bnt IA his Intellectual develonnen, and
though one horn bred and tanob, ne n slave
sometimes dsplav s n rood share of manual dow
| tor;tv in ,bosa onor,,;o,s ,b;cb dono,d ,nor
the patient and lone continued rendition of
simple set Of movements. vet the ingenuity Of
combination is rarely or never found in slaves
The ancents accordingly employed their slaves
| in all those coarse and simple labours. the nor.
Torrance of which is readily learned, and once
learned, is repeated and continued habituallv.
and almost uuconsciously. But all those works,
the execution Of which requires active and cal
culating intelligence, have in all ages been
compllshcd by free hands, directed by free heads.
| Now, the kind of labonr anclently performed by
slaves is precisely that which is now executed
by machinery, the dead unconscious engine be.
ing substituted for the living and suffering man.
The number of slaves in most ancient countries
|
mechanical labour required by their modes of
life, at period when manufactured wares scarce
ly entered into commerce, but at present the
whole slave population Of the earth could not
accomplish the work of British machinery alone.
Our country unhappily affords an ustra-
ton of the truth of these remarks. In those
states where the accused system of slavery
prevails, and where, of course, foolish pride
makes the white man reluctant TO engage in
manual occupations, mechanical skill is at n
low ebb, and the ingenuity and industry of the
free North are relied upon for the supply of al
most every article of use ornament, except
those edible productions which a favoured soil
and climate yield even TO the rude agriculture
ofthe slave.
There are two important economical princi-
Piles of extensive application in the mechanic
arts, one of which, of strictly mechanical
character, is entirely new, and the other, though
not wholly modern, has been much extended in
practice in recent times. These principles are
styled by mechanical economists the identity of
product, md the dirision Of iaJour.
By the identity of prodnct is meant that pron.
erty of accurate and precise rendition of action
in machinery. by which all the objects el,bora.
ted by a particular machine shall he preciselv
similar in weight, firure. dimensions, and all
other sensible qualities. This principle is of
immense Importance and of very various ap-
plication embracing alike the graduation ofthe f.
the coinage of the precious metals, and the
shaping of pins and shoe-tacks The applica-
ton Of this principle has lately been extended,
with great advantage, to the parts of which COM
pound implements, or other manufactured art-
cles, are composed Let us take the case of the
. musket. If each Of the numerous parts Of eve.
ry m'sket is made by itself, without reference to
any other musket, than that to which it is to be
. attached it is obvious that between these parts
there will be no close similarity, and much time
must be consumed in fitting together the differ.
ent parts OF each lock, and in adapting the lock,
barrel, and trimmings to their particular stock
and If in using the gun any one of the parts is
lost or broken, new one must be made ex-
pressly to supply lis place. and it must be fitted
10 the other parts by trial. But let every stock,
every barrel, every lock and part Of a lock,
Manufactured at particular armory, be made
by mach'nery, precisely similar each to each,
and according TO prescribed pattern, so that
any one part shall perfectly fit all the other
parts, of the same or any other musket, and i.
is too obvious to require calculation, that vas,
: SAVING OF time and convenience is gained both
IN the original fabrication of the arms, and in
: facility OF subsequent repair If you carry the
pr'hc'P'e iur'her, ana require exact conformity
10 the pattern IN all the government works hops,
the advantage Is proportonaily greater
The other important principle, of the division
of labor, requires that each artizan shall be EN-.
= ployed in one simple department only, as to in.
stance in the manufacture of pins, before the
invention of pn-machnes, that one man shall be
exclusively employed in Strengthening the wire
another IN cutting it Of the proper lengths, an.
other in preparing it for the head, another in
coiljng, and another in fixing, the head, another
in sharpening the points, and so of the rest. |,
may indeed happen, that in series of success.
sive operations, some one may occupy as much
time the preceding or FLOWING two and in
lldt case, lhe same individual may perform
ndyantagrs nccruinr from fbe n,pl;c,,ion of III.