The daily union., 1846-10-24
INTERESTING STATEMENTS.

The following letter from correspondent IN
Europe contains some very important facts We
youeh for his integrity. His own letters are the
best vouchers for his intelligence. We beg oul
readers to con this letter over first and second
time. Extraordinary those developments are
We cannot doubt their correctness. They relate To
one of tn greatest discoveries Of the age, ia which
we are particularly concerned-to the potato pest.
lence, and the consumption Of corn-another sub
ject which, of course, deeply interests US; to rail
roads, and TO the supply Of iron-a third theme also
which touches one Of our most important articles oi
supply.
l. The eOmbusiibiliiy 0prepasd cotton appears
to have been discovered about the same time by two
the chemists of Europe. Il destined super
sede gunpowder itself IL is more eombustible than
gunpowder--more powerful in its sxplosion--heat-
ing and fouling the gun much less, and probably
endangering less the lives of those who fire the
gun, from its danger of bursting II is much
more efficient and economical, because it is four
times strong, and costs much less to make il and
it is simple in its preparation that il be man
ufactured by the most common operatives. If there
be any truth in these statements the discovery in
hoHuSe1 u cio III AhO PibBicoo VI
II opens new demand and new markets for the
consumption Of one of our most valuable staples
This II another decided advantage which 1t presents
to the United States. The question comes up,
whether with these experiments before US, so d-
recty youched for, as they are, by one Of our most
intelligent citizens, il does not become the duty Of
the War and Navy Departments to investigate the
subject and to institute series of experiments as
soon they communicate with the authors or
the patentees. We say patentees, because we un.
destand that the first step has already been taken TO
take out patent right in our own Patent Office.
Improbable as these experiments appear on the
first blush, yet must reeollect the spirit of the
age itself in which we live. What wonderful i'm
proyements have burst upon within the last thir-
ty years-the virtues Of steam applied to such va
riety Of purposes: to the steamboat (under the
auspices Of the American, Fulton) and to the flying
car, and the thousand forms in which it is employed
upon manufactures, sufficient alone to prepare
our imaginatons for the other prodiges Of the
age. The invention Of the magnetic telegraph,
from the inventive genius Of another .4m>riean,
Morse,) which seems almost to annhlate time and
space themselves, strips nereduty itself Of almost
every excuse to dispute any innovation. Our own
country, too, is sngularly favored in these changes
The potato decays in Europe, and this failure in
creases the demand for our corn A German chem.
ist discovers a virtue in cotton, and this ere
ates new demand for our staple production.
Q The information which our CORES spondent gives
the potato pestilence confirms everything that
have heard about the probable extent OF the de-
mand for our own breadstuffs.
,. The statistics which he furnishes upon the i'm
mense extent of the railroads in Europe, and the
demand which they will create for the productions
Of the iron mines of England and Wales, are calcua-
ted TO bear directly upon the iron business and the
present tariff Of the United States. IL il be true
that the railroads which are about to be erected will
absorb, nearly so, all the iron which may be dug
out OF the British mines; und that the present supply
from those mines falls short Of the supply of four
years ago, then what danger have our ironmongers
to apprehend from our competition with the for
egn iron' But we detain our readers too long from
the letter Of our correspondent.