Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-11-04
INVOLUNTARY TESTIMONY.

Inc London Times canccdcs that, il. reference to m1c
meal Inventions Gen Britain has experienced mor'ifyn
bu useful defeats" from American exhibitors and he Lor
Don News does not spare lis countrymen, when il III
l"""lns strong language:
One great good ;!at tie Exhibition has done has leen
eAP'de Tie notion that anuunt ~ Gnnoicct IL
eht lies buried in tie various and vingrs U Eng
'h We h"!"v" safe n asserting thu; not siE"t
he@ principle not single 1r9re application Of q" old on,
hn" Gttn brought 10 tgat in he thousand and one model
n'ch hcrc been sent II! hy 1rortiny and amateur
t"ahcS on n cnhlrafy ineY exhibit the most whimsical
c"hcc and puefle vancts aud must hive rrl
ancny waste III Tine which would have heen prevented h
i''lc elementary education In This point OF ciew the cd
ectnn IS Instructive and may well occupy oil the clos
laG days Of the season."
IN this connection there valuable suggestions il
Tile following extracts from interesting letter Of Wm
Rives, Esq
II has been of patriotic, and legitimate
h'i'e to me as Nir2inu, that invention emanating
from 'ny own State, and may say from own neirhLor
nnu lndetd. has done much procure hDn0r Ia the
Aheilcdn name abroad and In vndcac The caims"f Anne
fca genius ard enterprise 10 the respect ana gratitude OF
DINER nutlons. In these feelings ynl aud ynur friends
around you, who know well both the invention and the
lHrentu will an sure, largely share. describe
ynl The feeling of home delight, unniNrd with enmph
WIN wnch uf the days that attended tho EXhol.
tinu Tho "pireinia Grain Reaper uur hy that
Mccormick himself entered his m,cne the "fici" cnt4.
l"gue "f the EXbin) mach surrounded br Gu ious and
Interested spectators the priceless Indian d mond-the
koe.i.nonr or Mountain of L!shi-whch usuny attracts
the largest and eager crowds IL is in the country,
however, when il is work sweeping with
h"tn or twenty ncres nl thick Standing wheat day thai il
cNces the strongest cnnsinsn achieves its greatest
rninphs On some Of these uccasiun; many fifteen
hundred nr two thousand prrsnn have ecn assembled ~
witness It's performance and they have ccered it with loud
and hearty faudits. when II ns finished or turned
corner ol the h"ld il il great living hero
cunqncror. Mccormick himself has been tcica and wien
III acknow lodging toast with Irur Nn.hinaJnan mrdrS-
~ aud Spartan bevty, ne sai lie so!r 10
working than speaking and preferred always that his
chine sinuId SPEAK for s.lf he b0ua. down thunder
erybody in England now wonders that mlchiae at
once so snp" and effective and precisely adapted To
the wants at BRUSH agriculture sl"ai have been in
vented and brought IN Perfection by Of their pcn-
nl" and that il should have been reserved for modest in
Eahant nj The mountains o Virginia. more Than three hou.
sand miles distant ~ cunceiye and and bring 10
them what exactly suited theu without their ha"ng been
able previously lpn distinct conception either Ui lis
nature or It's prac:aiiv. " Na' rtnr's is he EIore cN
aordlnury (lnd il i3 circumstance which greatly uhNn
ccS bath the mr and nTv Of the American nHen'inni IS
that the minds y! The Ingenious nechanci,ns in Gca
Britain had h' en- earnestly directed Ia Iii" same object Tor
the catalogue Of In: Exhibition registers no less than eight
different hut very impcr" ESSAYS towards lis accomplish
rnent MY own observation last yta.at the annual n,rra
OF the Royal Agricultural Sucirty Of England convinced
that good reaping machine Tie great dr5isritGm in
British agriculture. In the AMI and almost min
itey diversified collection Of agricultural implements cs
played there instrument Of that Sind seen, and yet
ii evident ihn In climate so humid and uncertain
accelerated and The lime economical process o! get
ting in their harvest mailer OF the highest importance
Immediately wrote 10 our friend J. &. Newelher, ~ he
will, doubtless rccnIcc, that il the Virginia Reaper were
the Great Exhibition uI The yenr lur which
the arrangements then commencing, II wund MAKE the
fortune of its inventor. II has only done th bur il
has redped harrcst Of honor and Tor himself his
native Sta'e, and Tie reputation Uf American genius IN gen.
ersl, which Is a result lar 10 be priced
With this encouraging example b.iUre US, are we not
strongly invited change In The direction which has
been h. reofore so exclusively given youthful talent
State? As young men Leave college, they
crowd by hundreds into what called the learned proes
sons, which already filled TO repe''n or they t+y"c
themselves n still sivrile and unprOhtablc employ
rlrnt Of hr faculties both for themselves and their county
in parlY politics II the amount Of mind and
energy applied tl.u, useful prhc'n pursuits, IN
which science is nuAiiin,y u arr in Indefinitely multiply
n4 results o Labor and unuidng the latent clrable.
Of nature what magical change Would soon DC manifested
in the prosperity and power Us ancient communicative
cl al! admit her /" BE- in every element OF mura intel
rcIu1l. and material wealth.
In rejecting upon This subject often do with soic
i alive - The honor and desnics U my native Stale
eucatin pu sura Ia st Of our public schools w1l3 aa
" contribute ana is perhaps Indispensable 10 introduce III,
change which appears utsirabc In the active dr ciDn
mental rGslirccs. Could that education be made
practical, without hba'iag any Thing from the yf
standard u and carG!ng which shuulI chnracciIf
science tie various branches n industry and rt Is d1t
in the admirable institutions Of this country TIE Ecole Poly
.erhgu the Ecoie Gcs Fonts CT Chauscts the EcUie d
Mines and the Eroe Cntruie dss irs et Manufactures
from which England with usual sagac!Iy taken
nbt in the establishment OF her "governm:n school o
mres and science applied to the arts beng able IA
.: these studies upon the ancient and chartered sts
TENS her universities Whether fh- object j. 10 be
corpsFcd with by modification in existing :ns:ltu
tons ny the establishment Of special nsurions is
question which not prepared TO pronounce npi
ion. Those VINO competent Than myself rcc"gniZ
iu- the utility of the end will trust, devise the prnpe
means and payerS will b: ihr III" o wiaicvt
they shall atp They are FOR TIC Happiness an pros
periiy in all III ms, OE my native land