The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1843-11-13
Here follows our article. ]
From the PhiIadeiphia Ledc
AMERICAN INGENUITY.


Among the foundations Of the great obligations
which mankind owe to the United States, we may
proudly mention mechanical ingenuity for in no
country has this species of talent produced results Of
more general utility, more eicacious in producing
great and permanent changes in the condition of So
ciety. To mention, even BY name all the great in
yentions by which .fmerican genius has acquired so
much honorable Distinction would far exceed our
limits; and therefore can briefly advert 10 a few,
which have already produced or are producing, inn
portant revolutions in civilization. Ii tho navigator
can roam over the trackless ocean, with the kame
certainty about his locality which attends his Journey
over any short and familiar road on land he is in
debted for the power, TO Godfrey, the immortal Phil
adephian, who invented the quadrant. IL hills, and
even mountains, sink beneath the power Of the ex-
cavator" an instrument now employed in construct
ing all the unfinished railroads of Europe civilization
is indebted TO COchrdne, a native Of Vermont To
the same Cochrane belongs the honor Of inventng the
repeating or many chdnbered cannon an instrument
which, by rendering war more destructive, will deter
nations from undertaking it, thus indirectly dmin-
shnC its crimes and its horrors To Americans belongs
the merit Of inventing the best machinery for the
manufacture Of cotton, fact to which the most ex-
tensve factories Of England and Continental Europe
can bear testimony. A few years since the Emperor
Of Russia sent an agent to England, to inspect the
cotton factories, for the purpose Of adopting their
creates: Improvements in machinery. Seeing in the
English factories fabrics stamped with American
marks and inquiring about the reason Of it, lac was
told that rs American cotton fabrics were superior to
English, the English manufacturers were compelled
to counterfeit American marks, to find market for
their own On hearing this explanation the Russian
agent wisely concluded that country the field
for his examination in pursuit Of the best cotton ma
chinery; and accordingly he left England and visited
the United States. To Americans belongs the honor
Of first successfully applying steam TO navigation a
greater stride towards civilization than any yet taken
since the invention Of printing And to Americans
IL, fbo off ho i'm
provemenls in locomotive steam engines q fact
proved by the admitted superiority Of American en-
zines over any Of European construction. To this
our own city can bear testimony in the extensive
contracts made with our leow-citizen, Mr.. Norris,
for the railroads of Austria Russia, France, Belg-
um, and even England.
Who can wrest from Americans the palm in naval
architecture? Our superb packet ships, the admra-
ton Of the enlightened naval architects Of Europe
combine in a greater degree than any ships in the
world those important qualities, speed and capacity
What European nation can show anything in agricul.
tura machinery, equal to that magnificent specimen
Of American genius the machine for reaping, thresh
ing and cleaning wheat and other grains? With this
machine the farmer can harvest his crop and prepare
it for use market, even in loss time than was re.
quired to SOW it.
But one Of the greatest triumphs Of American re-
MUS is an invention Of Col. James Hamilton o. New
York a native Of Massachusetts, for saving timber
for ship building an invention destined TO produce
revolution in the dock yards of all civilized nations
because it supplies deficiency which has long been
felt in naval architecture Most Of our readers un-
dersand that no species Of architecture require so
many curves and combined curves as that OF ship
ping for, with the exception Of masts, spars, and
what may call cross beams, piece Of straight tim
Der can hardly be found in the frame Of a shin, and
that some portions Of il require two and even three
curves in a single piece Before the invention Of Col
Hamilton, all these curves we're produced by hccing
NTH The are on ddzc a slow and laborious process
which could be performed only by hand Tho British
Government had long sought the means Of supplying
this deficiency, but had sought it in vain. During
the wars succeeding the French revolution from l7g5
to 1875 this deficiency Of mechanical means for
ysrting timber into the forms required for shipping