The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-07-22
J.F. MCCLELLAN, Printer.
From the N. Y. Farmer and Mechanic.
Association Of Inventors at CiE2T,
Cinnati.

>, coming one of familiarity to the great mass
of society, particularly as connected with the
present almost inconceivably rapid progress
Of science and the useful arts, and the Won
derful developments OF genius, in the onward
/ progress Of the inventive powers Of the ace
We are constantly hearing OF new associa-
lions for improvements in the useful arts, i'll
which those of Mechanics and Agriculture arc
the most prominent and interesting. In Gin
cinnati, we learn from the May number of
the Herald Of Truth, " an Association for the
encouragement Of inventors, the development
of and application of useful inventions, and for
the advancement in the Arts and Sciences"
has been organized, which has for its purpose
the patronage of genius, and the protection of
the public from impositlOns now so often In
fcted by unprincipled money-makers upon
the unwary and unsuspecting This associa-
ton is instituted something after the plan re-
Gently proposed by DR.. Andrews, of Perth
Amboy, and it is supposed, will be profitable
both to the inventor and stakeholder con-
templating a large capital, and dividing the
stock into shares Of ten dollars each. In the
excellent journal above alluded to, we find
an Address delivered before this association,
which contains much that is valuable ana
worthy of consideration, some portions OF which
we transfer to our columns.
|
listing against every thing new,and the power
of ignorance and superstition in opposing ev-
cry improvement that inventive genius might
suggest, the author alludes to the present as q
period peculiarly favorable for the present OBJ
| Iceland time when old prejudiccs are near
ly overcome, and when such an institution is
eminently calculated to produce beneficial re-
suits, there being, under its auspices, no dan
GER of "losing discovery because its utility
could not be made apparent, while many
would be saved, and many more brought
speedily into use by the liberal assistance
| which indigent discoveries and inventors can
at all times receive" After brief glance CT
the field of invention, and the triumpAS OF
mind the writer contrasts the present ace
with that of former barbarism, when the no
bic Grecian philosopher was sentenced by
boosted enlightened people to drink the fatal
hemlock for his pure and enlightened prlncl-
pies, and human greatness, consisted IN SPLEEN
did despotism over wretched and degraded
millions ; he observes:
"The ancicnts were distinguished by their
poetry, painting, sculpture, researches in phi
iosophy and Mathematician by their heroic
qualities in the tragedy Of war. But,wlth I'll
their acquisitions, they brought little before
the mass Of the people, to startle them into
mental activity With all their time hororod
Announcements, they did not attain that position
| Of Intellectual sagacity and moral eXcellency,
which recognises and acknowledges the trHc
relations Of man to man; and hence, the mas
of the people were ever in the most abJec.
bondage and ignorance.
"To Judge something Of the effect Which
inventions and machinery have had upon civ
! lization, turn to the art Of printing, first
discovered in the early part Of the fifteenth
century, little more than four centuries ago.
| Previous to that event, books were written
with the pen, and, consequently but few
could have access to them, and fewer stil
were rich enough to own them. This prod-
gious art has risen from extremely small be-
ginnings. At first, it was confined to kind
of engraving-the figures and characters be-
inc cut in wood The earliest specimen now
known, bears date 1923. In q very few years
from this, the art was carried on to a more
important object, that of producing book
To accomplish this, the letters we're all cut
upon solid block of wood, and, consequently,
were of no service after printing the book for
which they were made. Several such books
are now in existence, and are known us block
books. One of them is commonly called
d" Bibla Pauperum," the Bible of the Poor;
though an ingenious writer has shown that
this was not the original title of tie book-it
being designed rather for the use of preachers
than the laty, as it appears TO be "a series OF
skeleton sermons, ornamented with wood cuts,
to warm the preachers imagination, and stored
with texts, to assist the memory This book
consists of forty leaves of small folio, each OF
which contains cut, with Scriptural extracts,
and other illustrative sentences. The second
most remarkable of these blockbooks, is en-
titled, 'Speculum Salutis,' the Mirror Of Sal
IL, tla noto rn ornO
extensive than in the one first mentioned. In
addition to these, wooden blocks were also
used, to print small manuals Of grammar, cali
ed Donatuses, which were used in schools
But the first great improvement in this art
was soon made, being suggested by the use OF
carved blocks, for the multiplication of play
ing cards and devotional pictures. These
pictures had short legends or texts attached
to them, which were engraved in solid piece,
as we'll as the picture. Now was brought TO
light the principle upon which this wonderful
art was to depend, to wit the manufacture Of
the letters separately, so that they might, be
rc-arranged after the impressions were taken
of, and be applied, without new cutting, to
other texts and legends. 1t was thus easy to
extend the principle from a few lines to q
whole page, and from one to many pagcs,so as
to form a book But the art was attended
with enormous expense, for the letters were
separately cut. Accordingly, third step
was soon taken, and mode Of casting the
types was invented. This process was slow,
also, because each letter was cast separately:
The great expense attending the practice OF
this art even in the third stage Of its pro-
gress,is seen in the fact that 1000 forms were
expended before the third quaternlon,or gath
ering of four sheets was completed
"But this art, which has accomplished so
much, had like to have persisted in the strug-
cles of its birth While Gutenberg was
! q - ~. r;nL hnnnnth thn hn,.llnn Of his dis