The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-04-30
The WsausSs that are RsvoIusienixing
KurOpo.

published opinions Of European travellers who
visit us for the purpose Of book-making, while
the really influential writings in relation to the
United States, that are changing the thoughts Of
the old world, opening their eyes to the advsn-
tages Of our form Of government, and the
blessings Of our institutions, not one in thou
sand ever thinks Of No essayist or periodical
reviewer that we are aware Of has ever taken
into consideration or even alluded to the writ
ings in question. They have been wholly
overlooked by political spectators on both sides
Of the Atlantic. Neither the Pope nor any other
potentate has ever thought Of excluding them
from his dominions accounto of their republican
izing tendency. No index expurgatorius makes
mention of them; vet they are daily multiplied,
constantly circulated, and unerring in producing
the effect intended They have done more to
revolutionize opinions in the old world than all
other writings published during the present
century; they operate chiefly among the illite-
rate masses Of Europe, and, as they make the
most eloquent and touching appeals to the feel
ings, they are the chief instruments of filling
our country to overlooking almost with the OPP
pressed population Of Europe. These writings
are the humble, but eloquent and truthful let
tiers of the poor immigrants, who tell, in their
simple but sincere language, their happy ex-
perences in this land of freedom, and, by their
glowing encomiums, induce the friends left at
home to follow after them. We had one Of
these stirring missives put into our hands the
other day which had been written at the die
tation Of chambermaid in friends family, a
boy Of fifteen having acted as amanuensis. II
ran thus:
"To Mrs. Betty Rork, Bally-, in the county
Antrim, Ireland Dear mother arrived in
'- just six months ago to-day. Dear mother,
this il great country for the likes Of US. have
had q good place ever since came over, and 20
has Janc Murray, who is cook in q gcntleman's
family, and gets good wages. Dear mother, Tim
Riley and Patrick Donovan and his sister are all
doing well. Dear mother, you must send over
Peter; he must come from Liverpool by the ship
I send draft ON the Bank Of Ireland for
two pounds, and certificate for his passage.
Dear mothsr, this is from your loving daughter,
'BRIDGrr RoRK."
II requires no very powerful Imagination to
conceive the effect which such piece Of writ
ing as this will produce when it is read in the
circle for which it was intended in Bal'y--.
Possibly the person to whom it was written is
unable to read it herself, but she calls in the
aid of the priest, or the shop-keepcr, or some
other learned person; and it is read aloud to adj
miring groups of hunger-pinched and halfclad
listeners, whom its contents inspire with
golden opinions of the fruitfulness Of the
land Of freedom and the unspeakable blessings
of republican institutions. Letters of similar
import, written in all languages, are constantly
flying, like winged seeds, all over Europe,
and dropping and terminating wherever there
are human beings and human habitations. In
every county of England and Ireland, in the
highlands of Scotland, the mountains of Swift
zerland, by the habitatons of the Danube, on
the shores of the Baltic, on the plains of Italy,
among the vineyards Of France, and all over
Norway and Sweden, these flying leaves
are constantly dropping, dropping, dropping,
and imbuing the minds of the people where
they fall with extravagant ideas of the glorious
privileges Of free government, and the hap
piness and prosperity Of those who make their
own laws and elect their own rulers. Is it
surprising, then, that all over Europe there
ouVuA0 cuVuCuiy hAVO uiohCu ous, WttAAous o"y
concert of action, such widespread, vigorous
and confident demand for the right Of free gov
eminent. And is it likely that, while the self
same causes are still actively at work, there
will ever be an abatement of that revolutionary
spirit which has been awakened by such writ
ings as we have limited at2
Prof Pages electromagnetic Locomotive.
Agreeably to public announcement, Professor
PACE yesterday, at one o'clock in the after
noon, made another trial of his electro magne-
tic locomotive. There were not SO many per-
sons present as on the previous occasion, but
yet large number witnessed the experiment.
The progress Of the locomotive when it
started was SO slow that boy was enabled to
keep pace with it for several hundred feet.
But the speed was soon increased, and Bla-
densburg, distance Of, we believe, about five
miles and quarter, was reached in thirty-nine
minutes. When within two miles Of that
place, the power Of the battery being fully up,
the locomotive began TO run, on nearly a level
plane, at the rate of nineteen miles an hour, or
seven miles faster than the greatest speed
heretofore attained. This velocity was con-
tinued for mile, when one of the cells crack
ed entirely open, which caused the acids to in
termix; and, as a consequence, the propelling
power was partially weakened. Two of the
other cells subsequently, met with similar dis
aster.
The Professor proceeded cautiously, fearing
distractions on the way, such as the coming Of
cars in the opposite direction and cattle on the
road. Seven halts were made. occupying in
all forty minutes. But, notwithstanding these
hindrances and delays, the trip to and from Bla-
densburg was accomplished in one minute less
than two hours.
The cells were made of light earthenware,
for the purpose Of the experiment merely, with
&c Al