Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-02-10
Opening Of the Metropolitan Mechanics'
Institute Exhibition.
ADDRESS OF J. III. BRADLEY, ESQ.

l ADUhEf5o Of ". III, DhAQLEIy EDNs +
Considering the inelemsncy OF the weather, this,
the opening Of second exhibition Of the Insti-
tute, may be considered ~ suspicious. The first
was appropriately held in the grand saloon OF the
Patent Office, and the second Is no less appropri-
ately held in this costly pile, the bequest of that
great man whose life was devoted 10 the pursuits
OF science, and whose death served to immortalize
him in this work. When these towers shall
| have crumbled 10 dust, the name of Smthson will
still be green In the memories Of men of science.
| (Applause
This is the era of great discoveries and great in
| yentions. The energy engendered by the success
of one, inspires Others to pursue still further the
mysteries Of nature. Science is no longer inn
prisoned in the closter, nor is thought arisocratic
but is free to all and all men everywhere feel that
they can contribute to the share Of general knowl
/ edge.
! Man is taking his place in the world and wher-
ever he is found, hope opens the way, and genius
guides him on. Every man finds his level in this
age. The rich become poor, and the poor rich
fortune seldom descends to the third generation;
the poor after long life OF toll, at its close
finds himself rich but these changes surprise men,
and take them unprepared,
The position of woman Is one great reason OF
this era OF discovery We accord to her the POI
sition she should occupy and she gradually takes
that position her hands lead u.s. her lips teach us,
and she moulds us as plastic material to her wishes
thus, when she is rightly taught, the fruits Of her
education is seen in her children.
| The reasons that few concocted the plan to
come together is, that they might by mutual hints,
raise the common stock of knowledge. And they
have done 80 not only men, but woman has con-
tributed largely toward carrying out the plan.
The designof the Mechanics Institute is to form
grand library, collect models of every thing use
| full, form museum and adorn the halls with such
statuary and paintings, as shall serve to instruct
those who may frequent the rooms and to establish
schools teaching every branch of science
The masses Of society are composed Of the la
boring classes, the farmer and mechanic, and in
| this country where rank is constantly changing,
| everything that can raise man above the baneful
reach of these changes and fit him for the differ
ent positions he is destined to occupy, is TO be
commended. This is one object of this society.
4 Let us visit the home ofone Of our city mechan-
4 les. We approach small dismal looking house,
and, as we come through the unhinged door, find
ourselves in a dirty freless room, with the wind
i whistling through the broken panes. This room
is vocal with the screams and shouts of quarrelng
children, while the tired dirty mother is trying
| equally in vain to calm them and lull the sick
babe at her breast to sleep. We hear heavy
tread approach the door; SO do these noisy boys,
and as the sound meets their ears they quit their
bosterous sports, and frightened, seek some corner
of the room. The father makes his appearance !;
he is large, heavy-built man, and his countenance
| shows traces of hard drinking He demands his
supper, and his wife tells him to get 1t himself
He barely appeases his hunger, and, despairing Of
comfort at home, starts for grog-shop, and the
more pleasing company Of his boon companions.
| He returns late at night to find his household
wrapped in quiet sleep. His drunken awkward
ness wakes the sick babe and the father curses
the child for preventing his sleep.
/ But let us look at another scene We come to
an humble cottage, and as we pass in, notice that
the door is well hung. A well-dressed woman is
sitting by the cheerful fire, and on her lap lays
cherub child; rosy-cheeked children busiy pursue
their quiet sports in the room, when bark they
hear footstep, firm and strong, then they run
with joyous shout to the door to welcome their
father from his daily toll, and in short time are
seated round the frugal board in the enjoyment Of
the evening meal After tea, while the younger
ones in bed, the good man and his wife, and per-
haps the older children wend their way to the loo
ture-the subject, is, perhaps, the details of the
very business that Is pursued by our worthy friend
SO when they return home, it is to talk over the
delights of the evening compare notes on the dis
course, and store away the fresh stock OF knowl-
/ edge. And in their turn the children receive from
the parents the substance of the DISCOURSE and it
is stored away for future use. Which scene do
| you most prefers The last is the product of this
society, from such material presented in the
| first scene.
| You may ask how this is done. win tell you.
II is accomplished are all great objects by uni
ting the single handed endeavors of the few, and as
in the scientific world, applying this labor in diff
| ferent form, and has by some concentrated power
accomplished vastly more than could that power
when more scattered. All labor-saying machines
are applications Of science to practical life. We
offer you great labor-savng machine In this soci-
ETY.. We propose to give the mechanic chance
TO learn-not merely Latin, Greek, OF Math-
| emathics-but to learn to think net TO open
college but TO diffuse useful knowledge among our
| working classes by other means We have already
| done much toward this end by our lectures. We
are doing much toward 1t by our School Of Design,
as you see in the Exhibition Rooms among
all those pieces sent from the School of Design,
none are executed by boys more than Is years Of
age. In this school are 80 boys learning what win
not only supply them with the comforts but in
some cases, the necessares Of life.
| We wish to open such school for girls /; In such
matters they do even better than the men their
hands are more steady, their eye more true, their
delcacy Of touch more apparent and with less train
ing than boys, this study opens 10 them a new field
OF labor, renders them Independent; and man Is able
TO hew out TO himself path; but woman, TO make
her what abe should be, her field Of labor should
be enlarged
AT the seat Of government, we have many stran-
gers in our midst who, after the contamination Of
the business that brings them here want food for
the mind To men Of science the Patent Office
the Observatory the Smithsonian Institute, furnish
places Of resort. But we wish 10 establish source
whence tho ignorant may learn something
which he may be proud Of and which win be use
ful TO him.
Mechanics daily leave this city-we wish to send
them into the world not only with knowledge Of
their trades but with knowledge Of the govern
ment under which they live. We wish that they
may not only know how TO vote, but who TO vote
for; not only who to vote for, but the policy they
sustain in thus casting their votes Then they win
think and act for themselves and cannot be swayed
by demagogues, and viii become much better citi-
Gems, and therefore safeguards Of our glorious
| Union.
From the Albany Register, Feb. z.
An election for United States Senator was held