The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-05-24
Mseh.ni.m-No. 1.
BY JOSIAH HoLsRooK.


Simplicity and vastness mark the works of God.
These are especially the strong features in the
chaism OF the universe. The term mechanism,
in the largest and minutest of the word, pre-
sents vast idea-a subject inc xhaustiby rich, in
expressibly beautiful, and illimitably useful. A
telescope and microscopic view of the subject is
indispensable even to a limited comprehension of
it. The mechanism Of the heavens is vast as to
require telescope even to get glimpse Of it, The
work OF infusora, or microscopic animals is wholly
beyond the power Of the naked eye. Vegetable
mechanism. in thousands Of forms, 10, when viewed
by a powerful microscope, unexpectedly minute
and beautiful. Within square inch Of surface in
certain leaves of plants microscope has shown q
hundred and seventy thousand openings or mouths
for receiving carbonic acid gas from the air, to
form the substance of the plant-an important fact
for farmers.
The animated universe, or living moving things,
exhibit mechanism incxpressiby varied, rich, and
beautiful both in their forms and motions. A fsh
never moves fin, bird wing, centipede n
foot, qundruped limb, or human being I'm
ger. without an exhibition of some principle or
form of mechanism. The infinitely varied forms of
natural objects, embracing animal, vegetable, and
mineral creation. are far beyond the comprehen-
longest natural life. Able Hauy, of France, spent
his whole life the subject Of crystallograpby-
the forms and relations Of mineral substances.
The most finished human architect. either in an
cient or modern times. though producing works to
be admired through ages, is mere point, we'll
nigh dark speck when compared with the Great
Architect Of the Universe. When compared with
the vastness, the richness the beauty, the sublimi
ty the glory of the architecture of the heavens and
Of the earthhe orbits of the planets and the struc
of leaves and the microscopic work of nsects,
human architecture is poor indeed.
While mechanism, in the broadcast sense of the
word, has q stretch too far, and division too mi
nute, for any human power, during any human
life, to comprehend, the elements Of the whole are
entirely within the reach of the child Of five,
of three years old. The most important element is
the most simple object of human observations
simple three sided figure. equilateral triangle.
Such figure every pupil in any school of five or
five hundred scholars may form, at lcastapproxi-
mate, any moment when the opportunity should be
afforded by their teacher simply by placing before
them states and pencils, with permission to use
them. Several of these figures combined exhibit
the mechanism of the snowflake. Combined in a
different form, they show the crystal of the dia-
mond, of gold, ofiron Of lead, and OF nearly hun
| dred forms of mineral crystals.
| The next most simple figure, the square, ia the
next most rich and varied in its combinations. For
human mechanism, ii is even more important than
the triangle, and scarcely less within the skill Of
| the child.
BY short series of short articles on the subject
of mechanism, an attempt will be made to show the
| importance to every human being of familiar ac-
quaintance with its elements, and its entire fitness
for practical exercises in the primary instruction Of
every pupil the moment he enters school,