Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1843-06-09
HISTORY OF THE M ECHANIc ARTS.

shtute, by Gro. p. MARSH, and published Bv
request Of the Institute.
Gentlemen Of The Institute:
propose to address you on the history Of. the
mechanic Arts, a subject which from it's close
connection with the daily occupations Of most
OF the members of the association cannot foil
10 possess interest for you, and which from
the important influence exercised by these arts
on the physical well being. and moral and intel
lectual condition VI man. and the mutual interde-
pendence between their improvement and the
advancement of science, is certainly no unworthy
object of eng htsned curiosity and philosophical
inquiry.
The scope of our subject embraces neither
those rude handcrait abors, which not only origi-
nate ln but expire with savage life nor those arts
which mechanical in their means OF execution,
are designed rather for the establishment than
TOR the maintenance Of life, and which address
themselves rather to our intellectual than TO our
| physical nature. but | shall consider tie term
mechanical arts as extending to the various modes
OF celebrating the raw material by artificial pro-
cesses, whether Of mere hsndicruft or machine
labor, for the production Of articles in saded 10 be
consumed by rse The asfioion Is 9snrIy IN
accordance with the general dis inction between
! the fine and mechanical or useful arts, though in
| strctness the former term is held 10 embrace
some arts purely intellectual, such eloquence
and poetry, and is often extended so as to COM
prehend sumo whose character is equivocal, as
architecture, which equally belongs to the me-
chanical arts.
l shall perhaps fad il impossible to confine
| myself strictly within the limits which have pre-
scribed, excluding the extinct arts OF savage life
on the one hand and the fine arts OIL the other.
| For those mechanical ats which require an adj
yanced state of knowledge and of Society for
| their perfection and which the constitutional
| wants Of man are likely to render perpetual, have
germs in period anecedent to civilization, and
their history will he incomplete, without some no.
i tice not only Of their origin, but of their obsolete
| FIRMS md MOI the mechanical processes upon
which the fine arts depend, are SO intimately con-
nected with those belonging TO the useful arts,
that occasional reference TO them will be unavoid-
able.
The proper history Of every art begins, when It
| ceased to be a simple occasional exercise OF
| bandicraft and become the appropriate and exclu-
| sive employment of individuals, and every head
OF family no longer himself exercised the unc-
tons of the various artisans whose productions he
required.
The origin of the mechanic arts is to be found
! in the physical mberectioDs OF our STRUCTURE
| From nature we receive no covering, and thence
The necessity OF clothing aud shelter, and by con-
sequence of the arts of spinning. weaving, archi-
lecture, tanning and the thousand branches OF in
dustry which flow from, or are subserVlent 10
these; no weapons or Implements, save that most
wonderful machine, the hand, for ii is too COM
plicated in its structure, and too various IN It's
uses, TO be called an organ, and hence arises the
necessity Of the various arts oil the smith, IN metal
and feeble Of snew, and consequently obig-
ed to avail ourselves of the superior speed aud
strength of brues, and hence the numerous arts
connected with the subjugation OF the domestic
animals to tho val ious uses oil man, anu WIN o'h-
er modes of transport aud loeoinotion.
1t NAV not be impairment here TO devote
word to the social position, in different ages and
countries, of those who have exercised the me-
chanic arts. These arts, as has already been
!, hmted were domestic in their origin, and their
aucr asafI,l ara riaax
, highest degree of ingenuity and intelligence
which savage life affords. These qualities would
ordinarily be found united in the highest perfec-
ton in the older and more experienced members
of family, and as The possession OF The weapons
, Of the chase and of war was indispensable both
to the maintenance and defence of life, the most
dexterous fabricator of these implements would,
other things being equal, raise himself 10 the
highest wealth and distinction in his tribe. In
the next stage of society, when handcraft became
art, the best artisans would naturally ENJOY
high degree of consideration, both because their
number would be small, and because the pro-
l ducts of their shops and FORCES would still con-
lnue TO be the indispensable means OF acquiring
either opulence or power. We find accordingly,
in The earliest historical periods, the smith was q
: companion for az king, and in most ancient my
$ thoogies we find the smith at the table OF the
Gods Thus in Greece and Rome, Vulcan was
II worshipped not merely the forger of the thun-
derbolt, but as the armourer and whlte-smilh. -
Il 90 III Inc 0cauu;.,S!!HU Hlv..!lC
i the smith was The son of q giant and mermaid,
and occupied distinguished place a; the board
g aud Court of King Nidung, and even scripture
has not forgotten 10 record the birth OF TubalcaiR
a allied in name well as in Office, to both. The
Is first mechanics then were not only free men but
princes, and they appear 10 have retained their
If primitive rank and estimation unmpaired until
e the unnatural, unjust and IDschevous principle
Il of the exclusive hereditary rights of prmogenl-
ture, by transferring 10 the oldest son the undivi-
J., ded Accommodations OF his ancestor, whether thess
j. consisted in movable effects, lands in authori-
i. ~, Released him from the necessity Of becoming
II the architec of his own fortunes, and made him
. great and powerful by the accident OF birth, re-
$ curing of him only lie ability to defend, by the
/. help OF his vassas, what the unaided wisdom and
!. bravery OF his alher acquired. So long as mar.
!: ;ial exploits were the only path TO power aud
fame, the arnorer stood highest in the general es-
Il timaion, but in somewhat more cultivated ages
" when the decorative arts are separated from those
called mechanical higher rank has been gener-
ally accorded 10 those who exercise the former,
', for the simple reason that they furnish the means
% of ultering The vanity OF The great, while among
the most highly civilized and enlightened nations,
o whether ancient or modern, professors OF paint
n ing, sculpture, and other arts Of design have by
I" common consent taken precedence OF all others,
j. who practice mechanical or manual employ
10 ments In the present 30 called utlaran age.
10 the highest estimation among mechanics is award
ed to those who are engaged in works oil pubic
utility architects, engineers, naval constructors
lie inventors of machines, aud discoveries OF new
" processes in the arts
l. AT an early period in the history of Greece and
T. Rome the simpler mechanical, or as they were
e. called serviie arts abandoned TO slaves VINO
n. were collected in workshops, aud superlntenued
RI and directed Ivy freemsn or confidential servants,
and traces of this humble condition of arzans
are still to be met with in the laws and institutions
IN of most European countries, and perhaps no
ic where in unjust and oppressive form, than
ID pioneer OF light aud liberty, aud as perfect mod
Q, ell in law, government and religion The iegsIa-
w. ture of England the proudest and most selfish OF
OF aristocras, is nicely and most vigorously balanced,
IN upon The urnciule of allowing TO the laborer Just