Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-11-03

zone point that strikes US forciby on a survey othe
last few months is the extraordinary contrast which
the attractive and the useful features OF the display
present Il viii be remembered thatthe American de-
partment was, at first, regarded the poorest and
lie asst Interesting OF al foreign counee vi lae II mas
Justly assumed position of the first importance as
having broughtto the aid OF distressed agculturlss
m achine which, if it realizes the auticpat,ons OF
competent Judges, will amply remunerae England Tor
all her outlay connected with the Great Exhibition.
The reapiug machine from the United States Is the
most valuable contribution from abroad to the stock
Of our previous knowledge that have yet discovered
and several facts in connection with are not little re-
markable"
1t has been source of patriotic and trust legiti-
mate pride, to me as VirgiIian that an lnVenuoh
emanatng from nv own State, and may say rom
my own neghborhood indeed, has done SO mucn 10
procure honor 10 the American name Abroad ana 10
vindcate the claims OF American genus snu enter
prise to the respect and gratitude oil DINER NATIONS ID
these feelings YOU aud your friends around you, who
kRow SO well both the invention and the inventor,
will | am sure, largely share. cannot describe TO
you the feeling OF home delight not unmlXed with
triumph with which, one of the days that attend
ed the Exhibition the Virginia Grain Reaper"
ior by that name Cormck himself entered his achne
the official catalogue OF the Exhibon) much sur
rounded by curious and interested spectators the
priceless Indian oamond-the Koh-i-noor or Noun
tain OF Lght-a hch usually attracts the largest and
most eager crowds 1t is in the country, however,
when it 10 at work, eweeping with ease over its fiji
teen or twenty acres OF thick standing wheat day.
that excites the strongest enthusiasm, as achieves
Its greatest triumphs On some OF these occasions
as many as htteon hundred or two thousand persons
have been assembled to witness its performance and
they have cheeTed it with loud and hearty plsudits
when it has finished row or turned corner OF the
held. as 1t were some great living hero or conqueror
Mccormick himself has been teted; and when in
knowledgng toast, with true Washingtonian modesy
and Spartan brevty, he said he wss more accustomed
to working than speaking, and preferred always that
his machine should SPEAK for'itse" he brought down
as laundering applause ever greeted an orator in the
House of Commons. 7
Everybody in England wonders that a ma
chine simple and effective, and precise
y adapted 10 the wants OF British agriculture should
have been invented and brought to perfection by
some OF their people, and that it should have
been reserved for modest nhabtant OF til mountains
OF Virginia, more than three thousand miles distant to
conceive and execute and bring to them what
act'y suited them, without their hay ing been
able evlousy to form a distinct conception eth
er OF Is nature its praccabiliy What renders this
the more extraordinary land it is circumstance
which greatly enhances both the merit and the glory Of
the American inventory is that the minds OF the most
ingenious merchandising in Great Britain had been
uestlV directed to the object Tor the catalogue of
the exhibition registers no less than eight different but
very imperfect essays towards its accomplishment
My own observation last year at the annual meeting
of the ROYAL Agricultural Society of England convinc-
ed me that good reaPing machine was the great
des8derdtum III British agriculture In the immense
and almost infinitely diversified collection OF agricul-
tural implements displayed there instrument Of that
kind was seen, and yet it was evident that in cli-
mate so humid and uncertain accelerated and at
the same time economical process of getting in their
harvest was matter OF the highest Importance. i'm
nediately wrote to our friend c. j. Meriwether as he
will doubtless recollect, that if the Virginia Reaper
were to the Great Exhibition of next year, for
winch the arrangements then commencing, it
would make the fortune OF ts inventor. It'll has not
done this but has reaped harvest of honor and re-
nown for himself his native State and the reputation
OF American genius in general, which is result far
more to be priced
With this encouraging example before u.s. are not
strongly invited to changen the direction which has
been heretofore so exclusively given to the youthful tai>
en OF State? As our young men oleqe
they crowd by hundreds into what called the leaned
probes ions which already filled to repeton, or
they devote themselves to a still more sterile and un-
profitable employment of their faculties, both for them
selves and The country, in mere party politics. If the
same amount OF mind and energy applied to those
useful practical pursuits in which science is the auxiliary
OF art 10 indefinitely multiplying the results OF labor
and unfolding the latent capabilities OF nature what
magical change would soon be manifesed in the pros
pentY and power of our ancient Commonwealth, rich,
as all admit her to b., in every element of moral, in
tellectual, and material wealth.
In rejecting upon this subject as often do with
solciude ever alive to the honor and desnies of my
native State, have thought that modification OF
the systems OF education pursued in most OF our public
schools would greatly contribute and IS perhaps ndls~
pensable, to Introduce the change which appears SO
desirable in the active direction OF mental
loud not that education be made smore practical
without aoatlng any thing from the high standard OF
science and learning which should characterize Sim
ply by giving more Development to the applications
OF scsnce to the various branches OF industry and art
as Is done IN the admirable institutions of his country,
the Ecole Polytechuque, the Ecoe des Points ct Chaus
Sees the Ecoe des Mines, and the Ecole Centrae DIES
Arts ct Manufactures from which England, with her
usual sagacity has taken hint in the establishment
OF her government school oftnines and science ap
pied TO the arts not being able to engraft these new
studies upon the ancient and chartered systems OF her
universities w neither the object ia to be accom- |
pllshed with US by modification in existing ins-
uuons' or by The establishment OF and special in
sIlutions' Is question which not prepared to
pronounce opinion. Those who are more compe- |
tent than myself recognising the utility OF the end,
VIII trust, devise the proper MEANS and my prayers
VIII Do Tor the OF whatever they shall ADOPT a.
tey ever are Tor the happiness and prosperity in all
things, OF my native land.
most truly and faithfully yours,
w. G. RIVES.