New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-01-22
THE MOTORS:
ChiefLe,ers OF Civilization

the progress already made, Dat u'a' "'"cH IS IN
-.,.t,. ., the ratare We believe the following
,h,,,er on The MoroR.. Or proPelling powers
smoloved by man. viii be found as interesting and
.,-ge.,vs I, the inventive and laboriag classes e.
s,v thing ,lst has ever enanatcd from either OF
The Departments at Washington:
Thar is one subject more intimately allied than
suy Other wih progression. and Of unrivocd int.
rest IN the p.esen, and Prospective condition OF the
void viz. that Of tie .Wtoys. /, is deemed not
;,,or,,er ~ diate briefly Gu these chief levers q
civilization. with the view ol bringing them more
,r,oeaately u the notice Of inventors and 81 IN
yoking The attention VI Congress D. series Of pro
Used przes i0r primo movers and other disco
yeries IN science snd or hint to tho ingenious
IL 70 word % the wlse-tO name d9siderats has
often led 20 their realiZstlOn
Physical forces are everything on our orb =. they
must be on every other II is motion that iuipsrt,
viyur ard beauty animation and coiOrs tO nature
And nations are merely manifestations OF forces
Derived Of these the earth. instead Of her dive.
s6ed harnonies, would present liieless and chaoti
mass There could be no transition or change
breath oould not blow nor tree gro'y. nor animals
nor atoms move. They are the conservative
agencies Of creation. snd the bases Of even Inte
iectua a aud moral development.
o. Their nature little is known. ssvo that. like
most natural phenomen9 they are infinitely diver
slfsd in their manifestations Not Hmenabe H.
env faculty Of the senses, they are known only b.
their results Apparently strangers D.. yet the'
dwell and onergetioaly at work IN tho most
silsnt and quioscent of bodies -Ceaseessly deCOm
posing and recOmposing them. az oil as the rest
less and the living They whirl planets round their
orbits and cbildrcns tops on our floors. are dis
closed IN the movement o an eyoid, tho buzzur
q az insects wing the struggles u an cleph1nt or
& whale--in the spTOuiIug Of plant and the
upheava Of a continent in tho imperceptble ascent
ri vapor as in descending torrents. IN cOnbIna
tons OF scidulous and alkaline solutions, IN the
poles Of magnet explosive mixtures, volcanoes,
thuuler, lightning. snow. bsIl, and whenever
change OF temperature takes place.
The primal clements of civilization It was neces-
sary tibet chemical and mechanical forces should
be found in abundance. So as b. keep pace, pm
yassu. with mans progress And such IS the fact
the earth il storehouse Of them, in winch they are
furnished, It were. in packages q oil sizes, quail
itos and intensities so 10 meet all possible ok
eencies And it will appear that as he calls them
into his service they become the proofs and the
measure Of his Advancement, for IN proportion as
he employs them, intellectual and moral attributes
accumulate upon him.
Inventions for modifying and conveying motion
from one machine to another. on for distributing It
10 various parts OF the same machine frequently
e,ince striking ingenuity, bat the disclosure OF use
fu forces indicates a higher order OF research, and
is iraught with vastly more important results I'm
pr0vemenls IN mechanism are 20 certain extent
limited aud local. but the advent al new motive
agent would be felt throug hout the circle Of the
sciences-as exemphhed IN the case OF Steam. II
would open new channels OF industry and wealth,
and give rise to devices and applications novel and
nnumerabe
Man rises with the Motors His growth Begin
with them, aud only he extends these applications
or adds to their number can he increase IN real
stature Nothing can compensate for their absence,
70 nothing valuable can he acquire but through
them Steps Of u ladder resting upon earth and
reaching to heaven he is without thom. an earth.
worm. with them almost a God. Has destInieS aie
and ever must be bound up IN them.
The chronology of human condition is comprc
hended in the cycles Of the motors, and IN them is
that condition best studied and understood. We
are not to suppose that the annals oil nations art
forever to be melted out in petty dynastes or those
Of the species BY mere cycles Of years on the COZ.
trary the probability Increases that cras will be
determined by revolutions IN science and the con
dton of generations measured by the chlei me-
tive agents
MONACO Oh IHR MoToRs.-Take up mans biog-
raphy where We will. the first page opens with hun
roaming the iOrest--an untutored animal praying
upon inferior tribes they prey on one another
He knows no force but his own, dreams not oil EN-
pioyiug any snd hence is his own servant m every
thing By and by. as game becomes shy and scarce
he ckes out tho means OF living by culuVatlhB
patch OF mandiviR or maize-uslnS STAKE lor n
plough and a shell for sickle In tins condition
properties of some Of the elementary mahlnes an
sod themselves as those OF the wedge, inclined
plane and lever. In his club he realizes those OF
the hammer. which has claims to place among
them Still he remains wild mana savage
Such is the MONACO OF the Motors. and such mans
inevitable condition whore they are not.
While there is wide disparity between man
nl NlN
ton, there is an observable proportion between II
and his wants as an unreclaimod snlmal The re
qlircd outlay to procure the first nccessanes Is
neither too much nw too little In the savage anO
semi savage condition he has strength To build
hut hunt dig, plant and reap suticioncy for HIM
self and family. but had those essential tasks re
CURED double the labor that they do the race wouo
have sunk under il ere tho art OF calling IN foreig
a,l bad ben acquired. On the other hand II iood
clothing and fuel had boon sttaiuabie with han the
exeItion. Incidence and every eNh passion wouu
have prevailed hence the wisdom OF frONluence
in jorbiddns the earth 10 yiold the means OF exist
encc except IN return f,r such an expenditure OF Ia
hor as would train him in the first stages Of his ca
reer to habits of industry and prepare HIM tor dlscI
dining higher faculties by another species ~ &C
uviy
tits true the amount Of indispensable labor differs
IN different parts OF the earth In the Toriit Zone
the so is prolific, fruits are perennial snd IN rich
clothing. an e9ualising principles, however every
where apparent. There are less able to work.
and then energies are sooner exhausted than III
temperate climes bu, exertion is inevitable. IhsN
also are torved to labor in order to hive.
ERA OF ANIMAL FoRCEs-In the next stage he
plants more and hunts less The social qualities
Of his being opeu and higher views OF existence
fit before him His but IN the woods rs abandoa
ed for the village cabin. Primitive manufactures
arise. improve sDd multiply Agriculture is more
and more appreciated. and with increasing de
mands for IT, the value OF labor Is felt he wants
more than he human strength Is not Sreai
and is soon exhau' "a Ia his need he rejects sno
reflection brings help There are qasdrupeds
stronger than he and u greater endurance why
should they idle swsy Aeir existence and he be
compelled 10 daily tod Why not make some Of
them work or HIM
Tins bs reasons ard scordins 70 climate and
cher exisencles. acts t@sce Lapanders yoke
reindeer and EsquimsUx DON to their sedees
Ths Arab early seized the a Nuejsry and camel
a. M. drudces aud other Pecrt he OK The slen
der VnSoo and hthe Malay hr'' Ain the elephant
FINN his native jungles .cr the seq purpose Fl
nsIhr he horse mule and ass wen added 10 the
Ts, and the era OF Animal Forces exhibited IN re
hei - .s,..,s g. -.