Hannibal journal and western union. (Hannibal, Mo.) 1851-1852, 1851-11-06


tor. OF all the distinguished military
heroes, whose names adorn the page Of
history, nH one has conferred such bles.
sings on mankind. as our immortal Wash
ington. He led his counirymen to VIC
tory over ON insolent and naughty foe,
only 10 teach them moderation in the hour
Of triumph: he released them from the
dominion Of foEeign prince, only that
they might practice the difficult art Of
governing their own passions He made
his country free, that il might foEcvei
remain a beacon light TO other nations
guiding their steps from the darkness Of
idssPssisHa, to tho light OF a national and
liTell ordered liberty. He has therefore
conferred incalculable blessings, not on
" upon his own country, but upon man
kind at large. And yet it may well be
doubled, whether even to Washington
the world owes so heavy debt Of graf.
itude, as TO Fulton, to Arkwright, Il
Faust, and TO various other eminent in
ventors, who have stimulated industry
in thousand channels, and multiplied &
thoussn2 fold, the iDesns oe hans7iI ca
lioymens. OF all the warriors whose
fame has filed the world, Napoleon
stands unrivaled for his skill in arms
For cOnsummate generalship; for the num-
Der and brilliancy of his victories: for
the vastness'of his genius; and the pro-
digious influence he exerted upon the
age in which he lived; and yet how poor
is his fame, how pitiful in its results; how
contemplate his life, for all purposes Of
practical good, compared with the poor,
obscure German, who discovered the ART
Of printing. The Duke Of Wellington,
the Hero Of Waterloo, the Coaqueror Of
Napoleon, yet lives to enjoy the rewards
of his splendid achievement. He basks
in the smile of Royalty, and is every
where haiied with acciamaSions, Gas the
great Captain of the age; and yet how
slender is his chance for deaihess re-
nown, compared with that of the poor,
neglected Fulton, whose genius strug-
gled on through poverty and tears, to the
glorious contamination which is TO rem
der his name immortal. The first dis
played considerable skill in the strategy
OF war, aud at the expense Of many
thousands of human lives, cut short the
victorious career of an ambitious chief
tain. The last overcame by his genius.
the currents Of mighty rivers, subdued
.he winds and waves Of the ocean; rev.
olutiorized the commerce Of the world;
has sent civilization and refinement into
the remote parts of the earth, and in a
thousand ways promoted the comfort and
happiness Of his race.
Every individual whom / have now
the honor to address, is in a great degree
indebted to tho genius Of Fulton, Cor a
large portion Of the comforts he daily en-
Joys. Every one of the magnificent
tls .. i i;a,y1 az Jyc. w !irf, IS an
eloquent witness, not only to the power,
but TO the glorious results Of his genius.
Every note from the steam whistle, on
the majestic river in front of us, but
sings requiem to his memory, whilst
the prowof everysteam vessel that cleayes
the waves, inseribes his name upon the
waters. Nor is it upon turbulent rivers
and stormy oceans only, that we witness
the triumphs of his immortal genius.
BY slight notifications, the steam engine,
which was formerly employed only TO
propel floating palaces upon the water,
is now used to scale mountains, glide O.
yer valleys, and almost TO outstrip the
mind in its fleet career, as it ministers
to the comfort and luxury Of man. The
"iron horse," as it awalles the echoes in
our forests, and startles the deer in our
beautiful prairies, but pays an eloquent
tribute to the honored name OF Fulton.
A few months hence, | trust, that YOU,
the citizens Of Hannibal, will listen in
your own streets, to these notes of praise,
from the ''iron horse" to the memory of
this great beneractor of his race. AMI
not, then, justified in saying, that the
greatest warriors, OF ancient or modern
times, have but slender claims upon the
gratitude OF posterity, compared with
those of the great inventors, who, amidst
poverty and suffering, and in defiance of
the neglect and derision of the world,
have wrought out these magnificent res
sultsy The age in which we live, is
empha tically practical in its, tendencies.
From the earliest period of the world,
down to the present day, the tastes, pur-
suits and habits OF mankind, have varied
according to the circumstances by which
hey were surrounded. AZ one Dei.'od,
or example, during the palmy days of /
he Roman Empire, it was military [
arawess alone, which claimed the uadi- 4
'ided homage Of mankind. At another, 4
-as during the sunny days of Greece, L
sculpture and painting, poetry and song, |,
pound the popular mind, as in magic +
pell OF grace and beauty spell whose
harm was but to68soon to be dissolved
y low debauchery and degrading vices. Il
At still later period, religious
anaticism withered up the gentle cnari- Il
les OF life, and RECALLED itself upon the /
lood q martyrs. At yet another peri 4
d, as IT to atone for the austerities of {
he past, mankind ran into the opposite |
xtreme; and debauehery and vice for a |
me ruled supreme. But ours has been 7
istiy styled the unitarian age. Il is an q
sc OF steam, of iron, Of weaver's looms. +
railroads, of telegraphs, and, if YOU q
lease, gutta pereha, or gum-elastic y
&c. The last, perhaps, is the, best def r
ition of it. II has such elasticity that o
readily adapts itself to all the useful n
lrsluts OF life, whilst il is marked by a O
nacity of purDOse. which nansas at' No !,