Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1853-02-11
Progress.

has been like the movements of a courscr
ere he reaches the starting point at which he
enters upon a full career The progress III all
dep rtments of the arts for the last century or
two has been Il continued subject Of surprise.
AS each successive step is taken, 1t is deemed
the culminatlng point of human advancement
but scarcely has the point been reached, and
momcnt's time been gwen to look forward, ere
still higher peaks are seen lifting their blue
submits heavenward, which, when attained,
in turn are found to be mere ou;works to still
loiter nights beyond. To whatever department
of the arts we turn our attention, the same
holds true; and this progression has gone on
in an increasing ratio up to the present moment
The press, which even twenty years ago could
he made to strike off only few hundred sheets
in an hour can now in the same time, with one
of Hoes eight cylinder presses turn out twen-
ty thousand. The single cotton spindle, twlr-
led by female hand, even within the nicIncry
of men scarcely yet grown grey, has been sup
crscded by the self-acting mule, which, as II
endowed with life, draws out the attenaated
threads aud wind them with mathematical pre-
,cision upon thousand speeds, without the in
,terventlon of human hand - In the preparation
,or the raw material for the market, as cotton by
means Of gin, hemp aud fax by the heckle,
lron by the forge and furnace the same pro-
gross has been made. In navigation, since
Columbus traverscd the waters Of an unknown
ocean with his half deckcd vessels Of less than
a hundred tons, the change has been even more
astounding. The clipper ship Of two thousand
tons, outstripping the race-horsc IL the celebrity
of its movements, finds is home in every Sec
and woos the zephyrs Of every cline. Within
"a few years,a distinguished English philosopher,
still living, labored to prove the impracticablh-
ty Of Navigating the Atlantic by means o.
steam; and his arguments was scarcely uttered
before fleet of vessels propelled By that
powerful agent was tra7ersing the ocean IN tri-
u.nphant It lutaton Of his scientific Theories.
When Stevens IN, the builder of the first sue
.cessful locomotive, stated to a Committee Of the
House of Commons that speed Of ten miles an
hour could be attained he was deemed an idle
visionary and dreamer; and yet the most SAN
guinc cxpectai, rs Of THAT ngenious man We're
UNNECESSARILY below the results of our own
time. News from California and Oregon tea
wears AFRO was five or six months in reaching
the Atlantic c.tcs--lt is now obtained in less
than one 4; and within the lapse Of FIVE years
more, it will undoubtedly be transmitted in the
.space Of as many minutes as it now takes days.
Nations which were far remote and compar-
,utively strangers, jealous of each others power,
and hostile rivals of each others greatness, are
now united in the strongest ties Of commercial!
interest and mutual good will. A fusion of
Independent elements is takin! place in the
ranks of society," III which the predominatng
influence Of the democratic principle is clearly
conspicuous.
Popular education, by elevating the standard
of intelligence anon! the mass, Is breaking
down the strongest bulwark Of exclusive priyi-
lege. Men will not regard as a superior order,
a class no wiser, no more vlrtuous, and no bet
ter than themselves. The divine right Of kings
and the hoary prerogatve OF arl.tocracy, must
succumb to the common claims Of humanity.
These results follow inevitably from the tri-
umphs Of mind, in benllng the resources OF
ply steal nature to meet the varied wants OF
man, administering to his bodily necessities,
and furnishing the means Of duplicating thought,
The original conception Of master mind goc:
forth in dillusvc steam to illuminate tic
world. In Europe, until within u very rcccn,
period, the occupations really the mos. bencti-
cal to mankind have been regarded with con
tempt by those vino deemed themselves within
the pale of the nobility The merchant was a
dishonest, sordil wretch the banker Gun
nlng and usurous knave the scribe
plotting and Jesuical chulchman the ag-icul
turalst base-born and ignorant clown. NJ
useful employment was Of sufficient dignity tO
the noble born, and no Instrument wodld ii
their hand except the baton of Office or til,
sword. But these false distinctions are fast be
coming leveled before the elevation Of the mas
of men. The successful merchant, the dis
tingulshed inventor i'll the mechanic arts, th
intelligent agrlculturallst. arc now reck onc,
among the most honorable classes in society.
The fortunate protector Of some pcacciii
enterprise in commerce or The arts, receives tn
nndisputed homage of mems MINES. The ii
dlvidual who raises hims elf from poverty AN
ignorance to position of wealth ana Inteec
aual pre-eminence, even though he is unabl
70 trace his prdigrce back single generation
is esteemed and honored, while the man VIII
boasts himself the lineal descendant even Of
'lnc of kings. if his Own deeds lns gn!tican
40 regarded with conteI apt Boston Jouna
0PGRowrm OF CIrIEs,-The Paris jon
,nd DIES Debais IAN able article relating to tn
census of the CHi,ed Stacs in lcj0, make
the following remarks:
"Thcre is, IN this youthful nation say
the Journalist, IAN extraordinary vIgor; aul a
II does and is, upon proportions hitherto unpnI
aIIclcd. The growth Of the cities affords til,
most remarkable example. In 1890, there wer
IN the whole country Only ibree agglomeraton
with more than 2O.CG0 sou :. Philadelphia
occupying the first rank, bad 1900 ; Ne,
Il. nn y