New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-10-21
Nem'2lork Daily Grib1|nt.
THE EXHIB TION
AT THE
CRYSTAL PALACE.


In an age in which the progress of science and the
bumanzng influence OF the peaceful arts, have already
gone far to neutraze that thirst for military glory,
which seems to be OF the ruling instincts In the
breast of the subject Of the present article has
lost much of the Importance that once attached TO it.
We have reached period when the supremacy which
has been SO long maintained byphysca force, begins to
crumble and melt away before the influence OF those
great elements of progression The steam engine and
the powerloom are now the by which the ascen-
dancy of nations must be decided the war of has
been transferred from the brstlng fortress and tented
field TO the great factories and industrial of the
world its victories are counted, not by the number OF
victims it has slain but by the number of starving
wretches that it has made prosperous and happy. 1t
has broken Down the barriers OF ancient preJudlce'
aud swept away the landmarks of feudal monopoly, but
it has left track of desolatOn on it's train nor has It
delueed the soil with the tears aud blood of its ch
dren In this triumph of mind matter-this sub
sttution Of moral for phy steal powerwsr aud its de-
strucve implements will eventually be classed amongst
the traditions and types of barbarous ePochs and VIII
be looked upon by our children with that feeling OF
mingled pity and contempt, with which they VIII Dc
taught 10 regard al such deplOrbe evidences OF human
oily Until however this golden arrives, we fear
that we must continue TO look upon the manufacture
Otrcams as one OF the necessary evils OF our present
imperfect state OF social development
Tie period at which cannon trst came into use las
never been accurately determined. Some winters AZ
tribute the invention 10 the Chinese and Affirm that
there are cannon still in existence III that country
which were made in the S0th year OF the CArisan era
From the Chinese the SAracons probably learned 10
manufacture them; and Callnlcus, desertef Rom lie
ioIolis in Ibenicia made them known IN the year 90
to tie Greek Emperor PagOnatus IL Is said that S)i
oInon King OF Hungary used them at the siege OF Il
grade in 1873 but notwithstanding these statements
tie Germans persist in sscribng the invention to
monk named Albertus Msgnus, about the middle OF
the thirteenth century Bombards were hrst broueh'
into use in France in the year 1855 o! this fact there
can be question from the proofs quoted Dy Father
Daniel in his life of Philip OF YaOls and the more Re-
cent discovery within the last few years, by NJ Lac,
bane of an old parchment, in which il Is stated that
the Segneur de Cardallac himself made the ten can
oIs necessary 10 the defence Of Cambria, and Iaat the
powder prepared by Etienne MOrel, MS squire IL
is pretended, by some writer's thar 1t was with great
reluctance than the French knights could be brought 70
and that even Duguescin refused those that
we're offered 10 him at the siege OF the Abbey OF PERI
eord IN 1909. Louis Napoleon, in bis able treatise on
artillery completely refute those assertions and shows
by careful reading OF the CarOEigve riRse OF Cugesr
Tat the Breton hero did not refuse cannon but engines
for casting stones some confusion existing III the
minds of tie chronclers Of the fourteenth century
to tie designation of the former which were
Originally applied to the same purpose.
Tie hrst cannon, OF which we have any distinct &c
count were made of wood wrspt IN numerous folds Of
luen. ard well secured BY iron hoops They were OF
g conical form being Wide at the muzzlean1 narrow
~ The breach They soon, however. assumed O. ia-
dlCal shape sui the noc5 was substituted 1y -'l bars