The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1846-08-04

valuable meIalsi ana our Inte' IN
s,ts, and inexhaustIble ceal mines
CHEAP fuel for metallurgicsl uses. bu' WIN.
nature has supplied us thus ahunaan''y WI"
the means and the materials Tor inc eHeieis.
of mechanical industry. she mas care" ",'o
the susteuance Of the mechanical iaooi..;
The portions of cur country Vnlcn Suou"S
IN waterfalls, aud those which cniehy istn's',
de wool aud cotton, the coal. the wood. ano
the metals. are comparatively, uusu'eu
,br Growth OF breadstuffs; while the residue
efsm domain is blessed with Inc mos' oo1u-
,.ous baryes,s. both Of our own indigenous
80 aud If all the cere ii grains Of the old
world. Here, then. is abundant domestic
r.o,,, for that interchange Of food and cloth
inc which the advocates oil commerce wonid
MT. a bond of union between US aud Eu-
rome and there is every desirable opportu-
IT. for the unlimited increase aud extension
of that internal trade, which ayen now quite
c.,,s an, foreieu commerce into the shade
Such. then, are the relative wants oil our
,,sonIe. and such the means Of meeting them
in a country which extends almost from
rh. tropic, 10 the realms Of perpetual rest
I. r,untry. at once divided aud bound toSe'n
ar nv an UNPARALLELED web Of channels oil
.,,uraI navigation. aud susceptible, IN an
extraordinary degree, of increased facilities
,fcommuuication; a country, where political
-..,-,;r,. impose no barrier 20 the ireest IN
,rrcourse aud commerce, and where passports
and custon- houses are known only upon The
extreme frontier; county, whose Tree
.ystsm recognises no governmental monopo-
,ie.. and restricts 10 man 10 the choice oil his
calling: a county, in short, where nature
and the institutions Of man cousPire 10 create
. greater variety Of demahd, and greater
facility of supply, than the widest commerce
b elsewhere known.
The manufacturing system is the great pa
nj ofintsrnal Improvement. The facilities
Of tr nsooriariou it demands and rewards, the
encouragement il givesto the exercise oil me-
cbanical talent, To improvements Ill metal
lursv and the working Of metals the exten-
sive hydraulic works ii requires, seem TO POM
TO it as one Of The must important agencies
10 lbs process which We heve just begun oil
developing our internal resources. Nor IL
less valuable, or less suited 10 the peculiar
character Of Americ IAN institutions, III lis po-
sitical relations. 1t is a policy emlnenuY
popular, emineuty democratic. 1t tends 10
Sev.l I'D, to humane and refue,by diilusIug'
sharpening. and improving in quality the nee,
sssaries. the coufurs. the convenIences' and
the elegancies of social life. BY bringing
within The reach of The poor the same physl
cal enioyments aud advantages which are
sttainable by the rich it breaks down that
difference in exterior, winch constitutes the
only artificial distinction that can exist under
q system Of equal laws aud privileges ana
mikes II meu seem, what in the eye oil Tie
nv they are, each others peers. The Eu-
rspsan world is now exhibiting abundant
erempliGcations of the democratic tendencies
Of the manufacturing system, and OF the re,
eiprocal influence of popular institutions and
abe progress Of the mechanic arts. In pro-
per ion as tho lower classes are emanclpated
and admitted 10 a participation 10 the legal |
privileges Of their superiOrs, they aim TO rise
10 an equality in social condition; 10 exile
rior appearance, in mental cultivation, and |
i physical enjoymcnls. Every step, there
fure, in tho elevation Ct the humber ranks |
brings new patronage to those whose bust |
usss il is TO supply The comforts and elegan |
ries of life. On the other hand, the me-
chanical arts. BY cheapening aud diss9mlna-
ting these comforts and elcgances, and bring |
lug them within the reach Of every class |
alike, inspire the inferior ranks with 81 ar
de IT desire to equal in privilege those whom
sbey rival in the means Of material enjoyment |
These arts, therefore. arc the great propaga- |
tors of democracy. Make men alike 10 sx-
1eruals. give them the same physical elesan-
ries.and refinemcnts, abolish visible dIferen-
cas-. and artificial distinctions cannot long |
s and their GROUND. These arts are more |
over the great dispeuscs Of that best OF charl- |
sirs--the opportunity oflabor. They furnish |
direct employment 10 the poor. in the con-
struction of the buildings, the hydraulic |
works, Or the engines they require, and oil
She machinery they drive, in the various pro-
cosses they uss, and the navigation or other
{ .rriase they encourage. They benefit the |
moor indirectly. by Withdrawing rival labor,
from rural emplIyments; by creating de-
maud for agricultural prodocls ard raw ma
serials; by cheapening in price, and imPro- |
vim in convenience, Durability, and finish, |
the implements of rural and domestic toll |
and even by leading 10 important improve |
meu,s in the processes Of the husbandman. |
A icullaraI che .nistry, of which we hear so |
much, had lis germ in The shop of the chemi |
cal manufacturer; ami one such laboratory |
q, the chemical works of Roxbnry ID worth |
more, both TO science and 10 all useful art |
than score of professors, though MAIN |
tsiued by the mun.hcence Of Smlthson. |
The improved quality Of American manufac- |
t.res. and the Increased damand they occa-
siou fur tho raw IL Iterial. have not been so
much insisted on as their importance merits. |
The Improvement extends TO almost every ar
ticle which has been fabricated in this coun
try, but il is most conspicuous in cutlery
mud the metallic wares in common use. 1t
is consequence Of the application of ma
chinery TO the performance Of much Of the
i.bor which iu Europe is sill executed by
band. The subsi:uiun of machinery for
human labor. ofan engine Tor tool, by re-
duciug the cost of some Of The processes 10 |
,he manufacturer, enables him 10 expend
moro upon others. and thus TO give his ia
bries finish or a temper whict would 9th |
srwise prove too expensive. But the princi- |
pal canse is, perhaps, that property Of ma
ehiuery, consisting in precise repetition oil
action. which has been called indemnity Of |
production. By means Of this, all the arti- |
elss produced by given machine are exact
" alike each other. and strictly comfortable |
10 that prescribed model which experience
has approved. II tina article is a complex |
enc. then all its several members are by the |
Same means made exactly alike, each to
f. Z