Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1856-11-10

Rhctt, Jr, In a communication which appeared IN the
Charleston Mercury, before the election, over the signature
OF "A Nuuiher," SAYS:
probabilities tend in favor Of the election of the trsi-
tor Fremont To the Presidency; aud the Democratic party,
to which the South has 50 long given her confidence and
support, has, h. the midst OF the fight ABANDONED
EVERY PRINCIPLE OF ITS FAITH. the champion OF
ecouorny, IL ru>hcs into the Widest extIavsganee; the Toe of
internal improvement. It pours millions into the rivers ana
harbors OF the North and West; pledged to free trade, 1t
perpeirates it, determinations IN favor OF Northern manu-
iaeturcs. and ~rings millions Of surplus revenue from the
industry OF the people; the advocate oi the Nebraska bill
and squatier sovereignty, il invokcs Congressional inter
veutiou; and repeal, the territorial laws obnoxious To Ia
naticism. There is not a single article Of its faith, not a
single plcdgr, not a single principle, which the Democratic
psrtv io. not nov openly r~epadiste. 1t stands before
the ~ord Hdctenod rata the proofs Of ns fdihess"'ss
and corruption"
FrOa te London TImes. OS. Is. S.
There il an old Arabian tale in which three yoaug princes
are represented a. having obtained possession OF three inn
plements. the works of the geuii. which were esteemed the
most wonderful ct which man had yet heard. ThSre ~ss
= small telescope which could assist the sight OF the obscr-
yer to penetrate thousands OF mules from the -pot on which
ne stood. There was a carpet which transported any one Who
took his station upon it swift as a wish to any place To
which he desired to 90. There ~as an apple which heal.
ed all diseases il the patient but inhaled the fragrance Of
It, sunny riud. such we're the subjects OF the tales With
which til. Arabs soothed the moaotony OF their midnight
encampmrut :. aud which the Indian story teller related
TO his ssarthy audience under the arch OF the city gate in
the short t~ilights OF the East The imAginations OF
the most imaginative races had been taxed to their utmost
stretch to conceive what miracles could be performed il
t. supernatural po~ors might be made favourable to man.
and such we're the results. Scierce IN these morjern times
aud human reason, acting, A. We believe. under the imme-
,is,e guidance ui Providence, have outsiippcd these fan
ciiul legends of the Eastern world. There il no Oriental
poeG who ventnred to imagine that a d~eler in Damascus
90 BagdAd could communicate his thoughts to the utmost
| limits OF the hahitAble world insiAnianrOasl. a. Ihey were
e,,nc-iyr,i in his own brain. Their notions ut physical
,-,yr.uhV Ter - limited that the EISterns had no con-
crption OF the true form OF the planet which Ne inhab't
Had they, however, been told that the world wasa sphere.
and that the thought OF man could be made to encompass
it like a girdle, rapidly as the hA-h which rent the clouds
aSsunier aud passed away ere one eonld say that it had
iishtened. hoN poor ia comparison With such . result
could all the wonders have appeared, which, a. they sup
posed, Law hidden tom human eye aud sealed Tor agrs
to come under the sacred signet OF Snlomoni The cleo
tr;o telegraph j. the miracle Of modern times. A. vet
thus invention j. bot in it, infancy, bt already all Europe
is traverssd by its wires, aud the continent, too, OF North
;, America. In the course of the next TAO or three years
W. trust to see results far more extensive. The wire l.
already coued up which is TO be cast into the depths of
the Atlantic. The mountains and valleys OF that great
sea hove been h,hs,ned to ascertain the most convenient
course for is deposit In d bret space the electric spark
which is gcnei ated in London will pass a. swiftly a. the
rxigencies of its own nature require to the
, great cotton city on the delta OF the Mis-
sssipp,. aud to that rude to~u, whichever 1t
may be, which mss then lie idrthest westword in the do
mains of the buffalo aud the red man. Contenporaneous
IL with this ciga, &c result We have other iaboures ia the
SINE field at work. who are busily engaged in fixing the
ramroad for the electric spark between the European con-
tiuent and the n~ithetn shores of Africa This limit once
obtained. the lighming-thought eau fash freely ON it,
course aeross the OLE land OF tie Egyptian, whether by
the Red Sea or across the plains Of MesopotsniA, to the
cities Of our Indian empire, aud ~ due time, no doubt, TO
the great centres ut Chiue-e commerce. Nor j. this all.
The sire which had been laid down from London la one
direction viii -GOn be carried Ia the city oi the Californian
sulddigger. The corresponding wire, ON which We have
Just marked a tew stations, will then be borne across the
Chinese Seas and the Northern Pacihc-touching, it NAV
be, on it, way at the mysterious empire OF Japan, aud will
be linked on at San Francisco to the western chain. Then
l will happen that a man mas generate n spark at Lon
Ion which, with one hery leap, Hhl relAu back under lis
hand aud disappear. but in that moment OF time it will
have encompasscd the planet on which We are ~hirling
through space into eternity. That spark will be a human
thought!
The dinner which was given a day or two ago to Profes
spr Morse was highly creditable to all concerned H. il, aud
Ee are pleased TO see that IN the speech which the Pro
ft-Sor delivered on the occasion he significantly took the
more ~ennobliug Vie~ Of the subject with which hi tame
has been connected. 1t il one thing to grub on from
~heel 10 cog, and cog to wheel, Inserting u sores here and
adding an cscapenent there, but unless We raise our ewes
every uow and then from the tedium OF detail TO reflect
M how much has been gained, and to take a long earnest
gaze into futurity, We shall uias the greatest Incentives 10
, future eXertiOn. Now, man caunot afford to loose q Sli--
per from the unseen world. lei the spirit in shich We
work that signifies, and that spirit should swell with
\ the pIomptngs OF the Divine Being Who thus give.
rs the earnest of our immortal destiny. Professor
Morse was speaking OF that most certain point in the his
tory OF inventions, that when the time has arrived when
a discovery j. to be made which is To exercise a great in
huence upon the destinies OF man there occurs a remark
able coincidence of discovery and harmony Of invention
in many minds far separated from each other, and will
. no obvious knowledge Of each Others thoughts. The
recollection OF every mau who is familiar with the hist ory
of great scientific discoveries, aud Of the hcrrt.burni ng
: aud rivaies in the midst Of which they have b0ei
e Gt.llsd, viii confirm this view, professor morse i
e reported To have spoken thus:
81 avn sure ] may venture before a Christian British
audience to suggest as its proper solution that the Grea
Author Of all Good, the Giver OF every great gift To tn
n world, intends when such boon IL bestowed that lie frs
and prominently shall be- recognized "a the author an,
" 30, in His wisdom, lie first prepares the way-Hc elimi
. | uataa fronu lutuireIa ul uiuiz ia yainua narf. nj Hi rro.
Il lion The minor inventions and lesser discoveries necessar
Ia be made before the greater aud more striking inveH
ton l. brought forth, and then il is that the same thought
e struck out at the same time, or at least so near the sam
N time that MI perceive the impOssibilty Of any intetcOH
- nunicatnn, leafs one to eXclaim a. by an irresistible ia
pulse. What hath God wrought y And this impulse
~ the heart is true. So, too, when the historian has mad
his -carch. and brought together the facts. il any one cor
I nected with a great invention or discovery has attractc
To him4lf tn more concentrated regard or honour d
y mankind, or of particular nation, bow signifcirtitis tbs
I, time aud more research bring out other minds and othe
10 names To divide agd share with him the hitherto eGclusiv
hOnOur- ~
lie vent or to quote the instances Of Cabot, columbus
= aud Of the northern adventurers in connection with III
discovery Of the American continent; Of Gutenberg, an
. Paas,. sud CASTOR in connection with the art Of printing
, Of Watt and Fulton IN connection with STAN navigation
of Adams and Leyetrier a. discoyerers Of the planet Ne,
tune. The name Of our own ilustrious c.untrymi
Wheatstoue stands prominently forward a. one Of N
three or four which have been chiefly mixed up with III
wonderful discovery. So has that Of Oerted. the Dan,
n II IL not FOR Us to say 10 whom the palm should be assigl
=, ed. II may b" that one has been more concerned in evo
:, wing the theory, the Other in applying IL in practice. 7
~ do Professor Morse but simple justice, . spoke with III
utmost modesty ~ his own share in the invention, Whic
= he described a. the application Of the discovery to III
practical purposes of hfc. We might, pc, haps. have d,
= sired a few sarmer words Of praise for the original disc
IN verers than the following MAN is but nm instrument
good, il he will iulEl hi mission lie flat uses the IL
-trumvnt ought 70 have the chief honor, rnd lie thus il
dicates His purpose to have H. II Il surely sufficient hC
nor for any man that he be a cOlaborer H. any secOndaf
capacity ~ which he may be- appointed by such
H. head in a great heneiaction 70 the wOrld' But, thong
We miss the names Of WheatstOnc aud Orrsted, We NJ
quite aware Of the merits oi Professor Mo Sc. The que,
~ 81 the Albion on Saturday last has deserved well of III
Of world, and IN his generation has done much 20 advance IN
e Rgusc n human progress. We rejoice ~ aee England nm
h. America united Ina project N honorable ~ both ration
and we applaud ihis gonefOls rivalry, which expendsi ts u
creies for the Interests Of peace IN the attempt, which "
Z cannot doubt will bee succcssul, ~ link together two cor
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