The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1845-02-04
after another rendered practicable such a diffu-

after another rendered practicable such a diffa-
sion Of knowledge and information as would
not be possible, if these Improvements had not
been effected
In the analogous arr of bookbinding, sim
liar excellence has been attained. And this,
LEI u be remembered, was requisite TO give the
greatest practicable effect 10 the onward move
meats Of the art Of printing. How great the
contrast between the old hsmmering Of book
binder, and the facility and character Of the
work effected by the rolling machine But
here space does not admit of our going into de-
tails.
Let us look a moment at another great work
Of genius--lhe steam-engine and its improve
ments. Here we perceive first the invention Of
Wat, and then there is a long pause. Then
came Fulton and Oliver Evans. And by the
ingenuity and perseverance, Of the former, the
sleam-engine is al last applied TO the propulsion
Of vessels and then there is another pause !
and not only the liquid element, but the dry
land atests its locomotive capacities. 1t is APP
Piled TO the propulsion Of railroad cars. And
now we have such steamers as the Cambria,
900 feet long, aud 1000 tons and the Great
Britain, 800 feet long, and $500 tons the latter
perhaps TOO large. At any rate this last seems
TO snatch grace 10 the utmost extent Of ART.
Within the last hundred years how has
Chrislendom abounded in useful inventions and
discoveries Arkwrighr, aud Swindell, and
Jacquard, are names immortal; besides Others
which we have no space 10 enumerate. These
formed mechanical combinations TO control
things on our mother earth, and cause her to
minister more expeditiously and effectively TO
mans subsistence and comfort. Glover, 10 his
Atheniad, refers TO the Chaldeans, generally
reputed the first astronomers, in giving his
sketch Of Teribazus-
While yet the tender down invests the ruddy
cheek,
lie, with the Mag, turned the hallowed page Of
ZoroasteF;
With learned Chaldeans traced the mystic sphere
And numbered DER the vivid fires that CLEAN
Upon the dusky bosom Of the night"
The telescope invented il The l7lh century by
GalIeo, has been almost, il not quite perfected,
and has unveiled the heavens! Arkwrlght,
in the consciousness Of the power Of his great
mechanical invention, periodically exclaimed
that he would enable England TO pay of the
national debt Certainly, he added much TO
her wealth as any one individual ever did by any
single invention. His expression, however,
was scarcely so politically wise as it was pa
trlotically fervent. In bis case il is a consoIng
circumstance that contrary TO what has some
times happened, the meritoriOus inventor reap
ed himself reward Of his inventive powers
for in few years he accumulated, as the honest
fruits Of them, two millions of dollars, and
Transmitted to his son the power to become, as
he did, the richest private man in the World.
Tunis Workman, one of our early political
writers, said, in discussing some topic Of inte-
rest to the public or himself, when he had
reached his 18th number, that he was just on the
threshold Of his subject If we were now at a
l7lh number in treating on the subjects at the
head of our article, we might truly alege that
we were but at the threshold. For they are in
timately connected with the history of the past,
the promise of the future, and those stupendous
undertakings which some great civilized nation
must effect on this continent-and why on this
continent should not we be foremost, and push
them vigorously, discreetly, and thoroughly?