The daily union., 1846-10-24
THE pAILY UNION
yorably. Thl. sxperimsnt van bs made at May.

| ~
necessarily vary 10 considerable degrees bet that
! of good quality may be composed Of 76 parts Of
| niire, Is Of charcoal, and VI sulphur 30 that We
dependant upon foreign countries for sghtf1e hun
drsihs Of the material used IN me MANUFACTURE e all the
gt,po,0dsr Ia fact which Is not gener-
ally nor sufficiently known by our oountymeo.
By the vigilance Of that sterling patriot and faith
ful officer Col falcott oflhs Ordnance Department,
who year after year, acting upon the principle "in
peace prepare for war; has been aeeumulatins
stock of satpetre, we are happily prepared with AN
abundance Of the material 10 carry US through
long and aIduous contest, should we ever be In
yolyed in one, with any nation. But with the re-
cent improvement, our dependence upon the
mainder of the world for the articles essen
al TO defence to the prosecution OF hostllitesi
while the dependence OF other powers and states
/ upon increase in the same ratio. Moreover, the
increased production Of our chief staple, and the
consequent diminuton in value, has, for the last few
years, scarcely afforded remuneratiog prices to our
planters. Should the prepared cotton supersede gun
| powder entirely, a new marker VIII be created
for any redundancy Of yield, and an absolute
| sumption occur. Two or three hundred thousand
bales, at a moderate calculation, will be bwni up
| nually. Mr.. Grove a celebrated chemist Of Eng
| land, commenting upon the importance of the dis
| covery, says: alt necessary 10 mix combustibe
substance with another substance which will bring
forth sufficient quantity of oxygen 10 catch hre,
whereby, under certain temperature, the whole will
explode. These two substances are contained In
the gunpowder but Ia iIe best Of this article
that s manufactured, part al " remains after ex
posion, on which account firearms require cleaning
after being discharged Of their contents The in
yention Of Professor Schonben is without this fault
while the power of IT'D explosion is twice great as
that OF gunpowder."
Germany is distinguished, above other countries
for many of the most important discoveries which
have been made since the Christian era. This has
resulted from the character of the people, who have
ever delighted in the study Of the sciences, and
who have endeayored, perseyeringy and patiently,
to make them useful for the practical purposes Of
life. To monk Of Cologne city not 100 miles
distant from this--the credit belongs Of having fur
nlshed the nations of the earth with gunpowder
Five centuries have elapsed since that period, and
notwithstanding the millions OF individuals which it
has been instrumental In cutting down. II has eNer-
cised saluiary influence in civzing and bettering
the condition Of the human race. The prepared cot
ion ft be not overestnaied is destined to drive il
altogether out Of use, and 70 extend the power
Of liberal institutions, and, through them, Chris
tianty, TO the most remote and benighted regions
Of the earth. America viii be so fortified IN
her strength, as TO assume a wholly invlnclble |
position with reference TO other powers and
States; and actuated by the noblest of oil desires
spread her principles and to establish and perpetu-
ate universal peace, the place assigned her is CHEF
oT NATIONS.
wherever the briyht sun ofheayen shall shine,
Her honor asd the greatness Of her name
And, like a mountain cedar, reach her branches
To all the plains about her"
While speaking Of the inventions Of Germans, |
cannot overlook that which gave birth the cart oil
all arIs'-printlng. have been repeated vistcr,
during my present sojourn here, TO the public libra
ry. Ii contains valuable collection Of rnre books
among Others and the first, a copy of the first ed-
ton Of the BIBLE, published by Faustus in l462 IL
Is one Of the seventeen copies which were originally
printed. When look upon It's sacred pages, what
a. A. al. l..
ginning of the fourteenth century the cost of BIBLE
was 406 forms, (about one hundred and sixty-th
dollars) and such was then the cheapLess of labor
two cents per day--that the earnings of twenty
seven years required to purchase a copyl Now,
particularly in our own country, t is within the
reach Of every hand that disposed to open its lids
free 10 such in INDECENT circumstances and at
low price to those who have the ability to buy.
The potato plague which has caused the food of
100000 Of the Irish people to PERISH has also been
most bghting TO the hopes Of the peasantry on the
| continent. In some districts of Germany which
have visited, whole fields hnrr bekn utterly destroy
ed; added to which, in every drction around this
place, the grain crops are wofuily deficient The
Weld in the central States of Germany is not more
than three-eghths of an average one, and all eyes
turned TO our country-to its abundant surplus
for the means OF sustaining humanity under such
ail ctng dispensatioBs. Large orders have already
been sent out for breadstufs, and they will be fol-
owed by others. Wurtemburg and Baden, actua-
ted by desire TO their subjects literally prov-
ded for although members of the Zoll Verein, have
issued ordinances for the free admission of foreign
grain until the st of May thus practically carrying
out the principle commenced in Great Britnin--and
under whose benign influence our most remote will
derness will ultimately "blossom the rose" OF
''toial and immediate repeal" In France the sub
ject most discussed, next to tie Montpenser mar
rage, is that of free trade. 1t is advocated with
great ability by the Debats, the Epoque, and the
Courier Francais- Upon the meeting OF the Cham
bers, il is confidently expected that efficient demon
strations will be made for an immediate change in
the commercial policy of tho kingdom. ..
The Debats states that ministerial despatch,
which reached Cherbourg on the 10Th instant com
manded that the steamships Ulloa and Daren, OF
450-horse power each, should be Immediately pre-
pared for sea- in order TO constitute packet-service
between New York and Cherbourg! This is most
| unexpected news; and it contributes to strengthen
the opinion which | expressed in former letter,
that at no distant period steamships would leave
New York daily for European ports. Cherbourg is
the only good channel port of France. Indeed, no
other be at all times entered by steamers, al
though its business is quite uncomfortable and lis
population small. 1t is about five hours run by
steam from the Isle of Wight, and is to connect
with aris by railway. As the spell of the entente
cordaie has been broken, it is apparent to my mind
that Louis Philippe will avail himself of every
| means at his bestowal to multiply his mail and
commercial intercourse with the United States, and
| to regain that elevated position in their esteem
which, during the last two years, he has so incon-
| sderately in small degree forfeited.
As crumb of comfort to the iron interest in
| Pennsylvania and elsewhere, which great pains
| have been taken to create impression that the
late tariff act has effectually prosrated, deem ii
but just to make extract from report recently
made upon the iron trade, by G. r. Porter, esq, of
the board of trade and president of the statistical
department of the British Association for the Ad-
vancement of Science. After enumerating the causes
which have occasioned such result decrease
ofmanufacture, he says, "Ihe produce in England and
Wales, in l845, is less than u pGain l94O Hou The
enormous, demand eristing and 10 arise from carrying
out the raii,cay schemes already sanctioned, is 10 be met
IL ,oouid be difficult 10 say The laying dopn Of the
lines and propidng them oih The aeedfutaock Of car
riages &c. tcouid absorb all The iron ,chich IL is
able 10 erpec ,oH be made in Great Britain during the
nsIt three years; and affords no satisfactory solution
of this difficulty to say that the quantity required ,cih
only be caied for progressively, and that The demand ~h
be spread The same three years 10 render this SER
sboyIJ he oqStred