The daily union., 1852-12-02
From the Scientific American.
Influence OF Great Men.

There is subject, apparently upon which we differ
much from The opinions expressed by authors aud ed
iios in general 10 what constitutes "a great man"
When mighty statesmen and triumphant warriors belong
ing any nation fall before the scyhe OF death, the
whole land puts sackcloth and goes into mourning
We have two recent instances Of this kind in differ
enl parts OF the word-we allude to the death OF Web
ster among ourselves and that OF Wellington in England
lRtelects be measured by rule and square,
greatness be measured by public equems and mon
uments We can only form opinion as To the great
ness OF men by what they have done" BY their works
ye shall know them" We hear men frequently boast oil
the genius OF Hannibal Cesar, Napoleon, and yelling
ton, of the intellect of Burke, Pit Hamilton. and Websier
but neither warriors nor orators stand In the front rank OF
Inellectthey must take lower place than many men OF
science whose greatness we seldom hear word about
What intellect among warriors and statesmen take
rank with that OF Calico keper, Lebnilz, Bacon, New
ton, Euler Woason, La Place, Black, Lavosier Dayy,
Watt, Boyle, franklin &c! We might mention others,
bnt these enough for purpose The works which
these have accomplished affect all men they meet
the right hand and the left every day and every
night, and they will do TO others through all coming
ages The victories of Hannibal were all shattered and
blasted by the single defeat Of Zama. and the whole Of
Napoleons conquest sunk forever the single field OF
Waterloo. Ii is true that the speeches and writings of
statesme and do perish suddenly they go
down and read by succeeding generaions but at the
time circumstances arise which lead men who
were considered in generation TO be looked upon
by another doubtful precepos, or as false lights for
age. II is different with those profound thinkers and
dscoverers in the scientific world they the intellect
ual Tans When we hear people speak OF & eat man.
ask what he has done and we try his works see II
thew are the genuine coin lke rolling stars by night
continually remind OF Calico, Keple Herschel, and
La Place There is not apple falls to the ground but
reminds us OF the great Newton. The lightning heeting
from cloud TO cloud reminds OF our own franklin,
who brought il down from the skies the hunter brings
down the eagle in his flight The lives of hundreds
saved every year by Davys safety lamp The invention
of Watt has multiplied the power OF man orer inanimate
matter than million fold; and the genius of Full
ten has made turnpike of the Atlantic. We would not,
perhaps, have written upon this subject present. but
recently have much in papers about great
and great inteects and much has been said about
them by orators and others; and comparisons between
this and that having been made and seeing moth
ing at all said about men OF science and inventors,
whose reasonings often took submer flights than
the Imagination OF Shakespeare, have said this much,
and could say great deal more, TO fortify our
position that warriors and statesmen must take
lower rank for genius and intellect than those
men whose names have mentioned There
also others, OF whom have not room TO speak, but
assuredly our OF science. discoveries. and invent
ors, the great (speakng OF intellecD OF the
earth Time would fail to tell how kepler discovered
the laws which govern the planets 10 their orbits how
Newton arranged the whole universe before his mind,
and discovered the force which guides planet IN lis
course, sparrow in its flight and the great tides OF the
which refresh and irucy our shores; OF Wollaston,
making metal threads finer than those oil the spider; OF
Davy resolving metals out OF stones by galvanism; OF
Stephenson driving hts iron horse mountain and
moor OF Daguerre using the beam for pencil and
OF Morse, the lightning for his pen. Ignorant and cir
cumscbei in intellect must that be who in speak
ing oil great fails 10 perceive and mention the claims
OF philosophers and men ol science