The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-12-21

The GENIUS OF TIE UNITED States We'll
did Mr.. Fillmore observe, in his MESSAGE to
Congress- that the inventive genius OF tho American
people was excited to its hishes. pitcn, aoa that
nothing distinguished this country and this people
in . moro marked manner than the numerous
applications which are constantly being made
for patents for valuable improvements. Tho
genius of people is eminenty practical and con.
structive. We build, and contrive, and combine,
while other nations thoonse and speculate. In
Fiance and England, eloquent essays and treatisss
on the steam engine are written every day by mon
Of learniDgbrilant perfsrmsncss rcaolent OF clas-
sic lore, and polished ad ungIem. We, meanwhile,
with less ceremony and noise, invent . cog wheel
which economies motive power, or accelerates 10.
ecnotion. Their poets indite splendid odes to the
"links Of lightning, which chain together distant e-
Ties and States mechanics elaborate an improve.
ment on the Morse or House Instrument, and help
tho links aforesaid to little faster or moro
smoothly. Philosophers with world wide fame
publish at Paris London magnificent dissertations
on agriculture, and show how the vilest materials
known have thcr proper and destiny la the coon
ony Of the world some Obscure farmerin New Eng.
lard devises plough which beats oil former inven-
tions hollow. Great Britain continues to boast Of
her g wooden walls" and vast appropriation. are
annually made to improve the dockyards and marine
nurseries at Brcst and Cherbourg -hcre, thu while
some inglorious ship builder on tho East River
builds yacht which outstrips the feetsst craft on
the Channel, and EaElish merchants drd it their in.
tersst to import their tea md spices In American
clippers Enormous sums Of money are expended in
England in the erection Of palaces ut railroad ermi-
ni-We content ourselves with protecting the cars
and passengers from the rain and sno v, and devote
thcremainder OF our funds TO new lines. In short.
without renouncDg our claims to rival foreign n,-
tions in abstract science, the fne arts and ali that
pertains to the ornamental, We have directed ocr
energies, in the first place. to surprising the res. Of
the world in practical pursuits, and we may safely
consider that We have succeeded.
Let us compare, for instance--our space will not
afford US to allude to more than one Of the many
triunphs Of practical science-the telegraph in
America with the telegraph in England. The whole
extent Of the wires in Engard ia not equal 70 two
or three Of our great lines. They can hardly realize
the fact that continuous line two thousand miles
long, is worked ~ easily here Is q abort line
Of nifty miles there. Thousands upon Thousands Of
miles Of wire are being erected in .his country,
while our noighbors are debating On the propriety
Of Undertaking . new branch line between two
nsighboriDg cities. They are content to use tho
imperfect indicating machine Of Whsa.stons, which
keeps no register Of the messages sent and oblses
the operator to keep his eye constantly fixed On The
dial to note letter after letter. while eur Morse or
House instrsments raoeiye and register message
without any assistance from the operator, and even
drri1 his absence. They lack the enterprise neces-
sssy to encourage the bsaytiful adaptation of
Houses printing instrument recently patented
by Brett II 10 employed bs. in few places,
ard ON short Inca. The fault does no; lie with
the telegraph proprsto and engine ss lies clear
y viii the public. People In England are shary of
their pence. They prefer the penny ptstto any mere
expensive means OF conmu oioatiop, even thsagh Is
be more spssdy. For one message transmitted
over tbs lines In England, fifty are sen. here.
MERCHANTS in this country ast practically on tho
principle that tine is msnsy; in England, they
seem 10 think that shilling 10 worth more than .
delay Of twenty four hours A Newspaper is con.
sidered cnterpritins in London when il has sum
mary Oftventy lines Of the An,rican news, on tho
arrival o. the 'tssmsri here, tho Nsw YoRr HERALD
had verbatim speeches Of Kossuth, two and three
columns long, SAINT over the limos, and presents II.
readers every day With foil sum aary of the de-
bates Ia Congress, by tn, Same channel.
As with the telegraph, so il il with every other
practical application " rcienco, Whatever In dy-
namics mechanics, draulics, chemistry, sny Of
the other branches Of science, may b. mads 10 coz.
tribute TO the advancement Of civilization aud the
comfort OF mankind, is eagerly seized on by Ane-
rcsps and men OF intellect in every section Of the
country. set their minds earnestly to work 10 turn
it to account In the year 1886. the report Of the
Secretary OF tho interior inform, us taers were
ot9 models In tho Patent 0i,e; in January, 1851,
hes lad increased W 1887; and, ~ the present