The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-07-14

Without going into deais, it may be sufficient TO
say, that many of the applications of steam To loco
motion and manufactures, of electricity and mag
neii.m, to the production of mechanical motion, 10
the electrical Telegraph, to the registration of as
Economical phenomena, TO the art of multiplying |
engravings, the introduction and Improvements |
among us of all the mportsnt inventions OF the |
old world, are strikingly Indicative Of the advance
of this country III the useful arts. The network Of |
railroads and telegraph lines BY which this vast |
country is retculated have not only developed It's
resources, but united, emphatically, in metallic |
bonds, all parts of the Union The hydraulic |
works of NewYork, Philadelphia, and Boston, |
surpass, in extent and Importance, those Of ancient
Rome.
But we have not confined our attention to the |
immediate application Of science to the useful arts ; |
we have entered the field of original research, and
have enlarged the bounds of scientific knowledge. |
Sixty years ago, besides the brilliant discoveries
OF Franklin in electricity, scarcely any thing has
been done among us in the way of original inven-
ton. Our men of science content with re-
peating the experiments, and dltfusng knowledge
of the discoveries of the of the old world,
without attempting to add single fact or
principle to the existing stock. With the last
twenty-five thirty years, remarkable improve
ment has taken place in this respect. Our natural
history has been explored in all its branches our
geology has been Investigated with results of the
highest interest to practical and theoretical science.
Discoveries have been made in pure chemistry and
electricity, which have received the appreciation OF
the world. The advance which has been made in
meteoroogy in this country within the last twenty
years, is equal to that made during the same period
in all the world besides. In 1898, there was not in
the United States an instrument with which good
observation of the heavenly bodies could be made.
There are instruments at Washington, Cam
bridge, and Cincinnati equal to those at the best
European observatories, and the original dlscove-
ries in astronomy, within the last five years in this
country, are among the most brilliant of the age.
Our knowledge OF the geography and topography
OF the American continent, has been rapidly exten
ded by the labor and science of the officers of the
United States army, and discoveries OF much inter
est, in distant seas, have resulted from the enter
prise OF navy. In 1907 survey of the coast of
the nted States was commenced, which at that
time 1t supposed no American competent
to direct. The work has, however, grown within
the last few years under a native superintendent,
in importance and extent beyond any enterprise OF
the kind ever before attempted. These facts con-
cluslvey prove that great advance has been made
among US, not only in the application Of science
to the wants of ordinary life, but to science itself,
in its application to satisfy the cravings of the i'm
mortal mind. In respect to literature with the
cepton OF one or two spelling books, and other
school books OF an inferior character, and some the
illogical treatises of which none but those Of JON
athan Edwards have any permanent value, and
some works on local history and politics. like
"Hutchinson's Massachusetts,, 81 effersons
on Virginia. the Federa.t" )" Beknap's New
Hampshire" and Morse's Geography, and few
others, America had not produced single work of
any repute in science or literature. We were
almost wholly dependent on imported books. Even
our Bibles and Testaments were for the most part
printed abroad. The book trade is now one Of the
greatest branches of business, and work. OF stand
ard value, and of high reputation in Europe well
as at home, have been produced by American
authors, in every department of science and tera
| ture. w hile the nation has been expanding
dimensions, in numbers, and in wealth, the gov
eminent has applied wise forecast in the adoption
| OF necessary measures, when the world shall no
longer be at peace, to maintain the national honor,
whether by appropriate displays of vigor abroad
| by well adapted means of defence at home A navy
which has often illustrated history by heroic
achievements, though restrained in peaceful times,
| possesses in its admirable elements the means OF
great and sudden expansion, and is justly looked
upon by the nation the right arm of power,
an army still smaller, but not less perfect in its de-
| tails, which has, many field, exhibited the
military aptitudes and prowess of the race and de-
monstrated the wisdom which has presided over its
| organization and government.
| While the gradual and slow enlargement of these
military arms has been regulated by Jealous watch
fulnpss over ihe public treasure, there has, never
| theless, been fresly given, all that needed 10
perfect their quality; and each affords the nucleus
| of any enlargement that the public eXigenc es may
| demand from the millions of brave hearts and
| strong arms upon the land and water. The navy
| is the active and aggressive element of national
defence; and, let loose from our own coast,
| must display Its power in the seas and channels OF
| the enemy. To do his it need not be large; and
| 1t can never be large enough to defend by its pre-
| sence Mt home, all our ports and harbDrs But in
the absence of the navy, what the brave hearts
| and strong arms of the army and militia do gains
| the enemies ne OF battle ships and steamers fall
| ing without notice upon our coast What vii
| guard our cities from tribute, our merchant vessel.
and our navy yards frnm con1agration9 Here
again, we wise forecast in the system Of de-
fensive measures which, especially since the CLOSE
OF the war with Great Britain, has been steadily
followed by our government. While the peril
from " hich our great establishments had Just es
capped, were yet fresh in recollection, a system o
Notifications was begun, which now, though no
quite complete, fences in our important points witt
impassable strength. More than four ,hou.ant
cannon may, at any moment, within strong ant
permanent works, arranged with all the advantage
aud appliances that the art Affords be turned II
the protection of the sea coast, and be served BY
the men whose hearths they shelter. Happy for u
that it is So since these means Of security lha
| time alone can supply; and since the improvement
of maritime warfare, by making distant expedition
easy and speedy, have made them more probable
and at the same time more difficult TO ancipat
and provide against. The cost of fortifying all rh
imporia points on our whole Atlantic and Gu
of Mexico frontier will not exceed the amount ex
pended on the Notifications OF Paris In this con
J necllon one most important facility in The deienc
of the country is not to he overlooked. 1t is tn
, almost instantaneous ra rdity with which the sol
|
. militia corps may be brought to any poir
where hostile attack may he made or threatened
8 All his extension of territory embraced within tn
Q United States, increase of its population, commerc
4 and manufactures, development of Its resources b
. canals and railroads, and rapdty of intercommr
nication by nnumerable steamboats, and teegraph
q has been accomplished without overthrow of, ,
& danger TO the public liberties, by any assumption
8 military power; and indeed without any permit
ntnt increase of the army, except for the purpo,
% of frontier defence, and affordng slight guard
il, the public property; or of the navy, any larth.
& than to assure the navigator that, in whatsoev,
sea he shall sail his ship, he is protected by II
IL stars and stripes of his country. All this wthol
the shedding Of drop of blood for treason OF n
" bellion-all this while systems of popular repre.e
y la'ion have regularly been supported in the Sta
Il governments and in the general governments
this, while laws national and State, of such
IL character have been passed, and have been
81 wisely administered that | may stand up here t
day and declare as now do, in the face of all Il
Intelligent OF the age, that from the period whit
81 has elapsed from the day that Washington laid tt
80 foundation OF this capitol to the present time, the
o0 has been no country upon earth in which lii
W !, liberty and property have been more amply al
IN steadily secured, or more freely eujoyed than
IN these United STATES of America
y, Who is there that will deny this? Who is the
" prepared with greater or a better example? WI
is there that can stand upon the foundation of fact
. acknowledged or proved, and assert that these, o
III republican institutions, have not answered the tr
s. s. ends Of government, beyond all precedent in h
n man history? There is yet another view. The