The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1845-02-04

soc oNys WIN what terror the natives viewed
these instruments Of war we have the most
lively evidences. And in more modern times
we perceive from the narratives Of travellers
and voyagers how quickly and deeply the saw
age or half civilized who have not known their
use, felt the inferiority OF physical strength in
coping with them. A single cannon-shot cut
ing in TWO one Of their war canoes, has been
known TO scatter thousands Of them, ready arm
ed after their fashion for battle. Il not simply
the immediate effect striking that Isl il is the
capacity for extensive injury which one such
result eyinces, that produces among them aston.
lshment and terror.
But although The invention of fire arms may
be considered as decidedly favorable TO humsni.
~, by diminishing the deslrucliyeness Of war
yet happily, Chr;slendom has been productive in
inventions more directly subsidiary to the ad.
yancement of man in intellect and comfort
We enumerated some Of them few days since;
but we could not pretend 10 do more al once in
an article, chiefly upon another theme, than 10
mention some Of the more important, without
entering upon history Of the Improvements in
Inventions aud the enlargement Of discoveries
which have with such brilliant regularity, al.
though in some instances by slow steps, attend
ed the original mechanism which genius had
brought 10 light Ii is remarkable, that some OF
the most important by which society has re-
ceived wonderful notifications already, aud Is
no doubt destined TO receive many more equally
impressive and splendid and vastly more ex-
tended-were made just before or Just after the
discovery Of America. In lttle more than an
age after Timour had spread desolation and
havoc through half Of the population Of Asia
and part Of Europe, and nine years before Ma
homet battered down the walls of the city Of
Constantine-a German was meditaling-per-
haPs solitary in his shop-the construction Of
machinery which by awakening and kndling
thought in all its forms both as 10 moral and
mechanical subjects, was destined speedily TO
give check TO the horrors Of Tartar warfare,
and ultimately 10 consume the Turk, then
haughuly dominant over the PROSTATE Christian.
IL dlfiused through Christendom with a raPdity
before unprecedented, the knowledge of every
new invention and discovery-the profoundest
thoughts Of the greatest masters in every art or
science-and thus built an impregnabe wall
against the further progress Of these barbarians,
who were too ignorant to know its advantages
and too proud TO think that men Of an opposite
religion could invent any thing superior to their
own capacities Of exploration and discovery.
For i: is manifest, that the art Of printing has
given greater impulse TO discoveries and in
ventions than any one invention that ever was
or ever could have been made. BY its very ma
ture, 1t set all men Of genius more thoroughly
and more generally at work than any other ART
possibly could. 1t showed 10 one man of genius
not only how one other man of talent thought,
but how many thought. 1t gave TO every such
man much wider extent OF converse than he
could otherwise have enjoyed with all that was
great in intellect that preceded him, as well as
with all that was mighty in intellect that sur
rounded him, or was contemporary with him.
While we have adverted TO the notifications
Of society in Europe which the augmentation of
population in America has wrought, and must
a consideration not so obvious, yet equally as
important and calculated to cooperate with the
other cause in the effectualion of immense
changes and the fixing the attention of men upon
great undertakings. The silver and gold of
America produced great consequences in ma
tional manners and wealth in Europe, but these,
mighty as they were, are vastly inferior to
those which have already in part resulted, and
which will more diffusively yet result, from the
increase of population in America, and the in
situtions which the United States of the North
have adopted. 1t is worthy, however, of spe-
cial reflection, that the progressive Improve
ments in the useful arts and in science, must
operate TO give power to this population OF af-
fecting the state of the old world far transcen-
ding what could have existed, had these arts not
been invented, or had they remained in their
original condition of comparative crudeness.
Now the prospect is, that America will continue
TO contribute as she has heretofore contributed,
her due proportion TO their advancement either
by original invention or important improvement,
and that in less than hundred years the most
finished models and products of their workman.
ship will be found in her shops, in her fields,
and upon her wharves and docks. Let " lark
the regular and potent advances Of art and
science, keeping pace with the enlargement of
population, and consequent demand for great
undertakings necessary for the welfare of the
community. In the art Of printing itself, i'm
mense as was the gain in its original form over
manuscript copies, how great have been the
improvements, some Of them slow, but yet how
well suited 10 the circumstances of the age in
which they occurred. Blaew'ss seems 10 have
been the first considerable addition to to the eff
hciency of the original printing press-then, a. an
interval Of about $50 years from the first inven-
ton, succeeded Lord Stanhopes, which al
though it conferred very little new ability TO in