Washington sentinel., 1855-01-09

other.w
The WORLD WORKSHOP; on, the PHYSICAL
RELATIONSHIP OF MAN TO THE EARTH.
By Thomas Eubank, author Of "Hydraulics
and Mechanics" NsW York: A. appleton
d Co., 1856: pp. 1877.
We have here new production from the
fertile pen Of the exCommissioner Of Patents,
which shows that, with his Office, he has not
laid aside his habits of mental activity, or his
interest in the progress Of those industrial arts
on which depend, in SO great a measure, the
present comfort and happiness and the future
advancement Of our race.
In his Introductory chapter, the author thus
states the problem he has undertaken to dis
cuss. Speaking of the earth, he says: Let
any one whose mind the subject never entered,
think within himself-for what was this spheri-
cal mass Of materials made? To what spe
cial, or partial, or general uses was man to put
them? Or was he to do anything with them
The questions involve the character and de-
signs Of the Creator, and the very basis of
human welfare; for how are we to work out
our destiny il we know not what it is?
The work is divided into three sections:
l. Of the earth: its general features, mate
rails, mechanisms, and forces.
q Of man: his structure, instincts, and
achievements.
3. Observations on prevailing mistaken
&c &c
with thoughts on the universe of matter and
of mechanism.
In the first section his object is to show that
our planet presents, in the minerals of which
its mass is composed, and in the plants and
animals that TEEN upon its surface, a vast and
admirably arranged storehouse of materials
and forces ready for the forming hand and
guiding mind of the artisan man. Nor to the
activity Of this magnifcently furnished, though
as yet imperfectly manned workshop, does the
author look for anything like speedy termi-
nation. After describing the two rival and
diametrically opposite theories, one Of which
maintains that the earth is gradually assuming
the condition Of dead and frozen body, and
the other that in consequence of the heat ac-
cumulating from the sun it will become heated
into gas, and that gas dissipated in flame, he
continues:
"This disposition to anticipate evil in the
earth and in the heavens is a relic Of the ages
Of horoscopes and omens and 80 is that which
fingers over an early winding up Of the affairs
of the earth, as that Of an establishment no
longer profitable; its occupants to be killed
off by freezing or by fire, its roofs and walls
torn down or dispersed, and its elements used
for building up better one. Can better one
be made2 Infinite wisdom may produce diff.
ferent one but not one more perfectly suited
in every imaginable respect to us. IL might
be occupied by better tenants, but then there
is no limit to our improvement if we choose to
pursue it; and our species will improve. Men
will advance spiritually as science and arts
advance"
The second section is devoted to showing
that the physical and mental structure of man
point out him and him alone as the operative
to whom is intrusted the task OF working up
this bountiful provision Of raw materials into
forms Of use and beauty, in humble imitation
Of the great Arti6cer Of all.
The following observations in the third sec
ton reply to the charge Of materialism,' y
which this view Of the physical world, and its
important relations TO man and his destiny, is
apt to provoke:
"Those who depreciate matter, know not
what they owe to it. They view it regardless
OF the mind, the infnity of mind that pervades
il. They forget that it is the agent Of thought
that every object in nature is visible stere-
otyped truth, Just as in the world of art, saw,
q nail, or printing press is another; that
man, like his Creator, makes matter not only
the recipient of thoughts, but sends it forth a
missionary TO circulate them. Take away all
our ideas that emanate from and are allied to
matter, and how few would be lefti Our minds
would be nearly blanks. This is not world
for the cultivation Of thought in the abstract
that is of fpurelyintelectual conceptions. There
are few such, and few minds to pursue them,
while those flowing from outward things are
exhaustless in variety, attraction, and value
Matter is the universal teacher and preacher
| Il has broken no laws, it sanctions no disputes
but silently exhibits its doctrines, which no one
can interpoate or corrupt, with illustrations
infinitely diversified from day to day. All its
manifestations, from snowdrop to q world
exclaim, the hand that made US is Divine"
| The few extracts we have given to aid the
reader in appreciating the general character
and tendency Of the work will suffice to show
that the glowing admiration for Natures works
the cheering views of mans destiny here Oh
earth, and the warm sympathy and encourage
ment for the toiling myriads who carry on tn,
worlds labor, which characterize the hydraul
les, and mechanics, and the essays in the Pat
ent Office report for ls49, are exhibited here
in style more chaste and correct, while dis