Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1857-10-03
VARIETY.
DienitY Of Meohanio Arts.

Dignity of Mechanic Arts. &.
IF the dignity of things may be measured
by their Importance to mankind, there is
nothing, perhaps, which can rank above
the p'echanic arts. In fact, they may be
called the lever, the fllcrum, and the pow
cr which move The world They do not
want the "mheycon To staWt(' of Archimo-
des they have asufIicient foundation in
themselves. \
What gives to civilized nations their su,
periority over the sayage? 1t is chiefly
mechanic arts. By them the beautiful and
convenient mansion is substituted for the
rudeand uncomfortable wigwam; and Oscar
let and fine twined linen" supply the ward
robe in place of the skins of wild animals
They are the foundation of nearly all the
Improvements and the comforts of life and
further, we may say of the glory and the
grandeur of the world. BY them the far
mer ploughs tile land, and by them the
mariner ploughs the ocean; by them the
monarch is adorned with his crown, and by
them the peasant is clad in comfortable
garments; by them the triumphal arch is
raised to the hero, and by them the temple
ascends to Deity; by them the wealthy roll
in chariots and loll on couches by them
the sword is polished and the axe is tenn
! pcrcd by them the table is spread the
bed is decked, and the parlor is furnished,
To them the poet owes the porpetuation of
his fame, and the warrior the evergreen of
his laurels by them Homer sings and
Caesar triumphs in all ages. Through
them we are instructed by the wisdom of
Plato, and charmed by the eloquence of
Cicero; through them we admire the JUS
! tico of Aristides and the heroism of Leoni-
dus.
And much of this is owing to two single
arts-that of printing aud the manufacture
of paper. BY the former, learning has been
rescued from the gloom of the dark ages );
but without the latter the benefits of print
ing would be circumscribed to very narrow
bounds. 1t is by no means of the press
chiefly that SO much of Christendom owes
its escape from the thraldom of superstition !;
and it is to the same means that we Ameri-
cans owe our free and enlightened institu-
tion To these means, which originated
in rev rude types carved on block of
wood, is owing the present wonderful diffu-
sion of knowledge, which distinguishes this
from all former ages But whether book
be printed on paper and sold for single
dollar, or laboriously written on parchment
and sold for thousand, it is still to the
mechanic art that the world is and has
been indebted for the transmission and diff
fusion of light, through themeans of books,
whether the rays of that light shine upon
few persons or many.
But in speaking of the dignity of me-
chanic arts, we would not con6ne them to
The mere hand that executes, without think
ing of the head that plansj for without
the latter but little more credit would be
due to the person who exercises these arts
than to the automaton Turk who mcchan-
ically astonishcs the world at the game of
chess. 10 produce the great effects we
have mentioned above, to do so much to
enlightcn, to beeutify, and improve the
world; to labor for the glory and happiness
of others, and yet he ignorant of the springs
by which these important movements are
carried on, would i'll comport with the dig
nifty of the mechanic. He would be (s'if
we may compare small things with great
like the sun in the heavens, which renders
light, and warmth and comfort to mankind
without itself being conscious wherefor
There is philosophy in mechanic arts
The mechanic who brings to his occupation
an inventive, enlightened, and inquiring
mind, who is master of his craft in theory
az well as in practice, has more of real phi
losophy in him than twenty of those ''miu-
ute philosophers" who spend their lives
in puzzlmg the world with empty meta
physical speculation. The man Who like
Franklin, or Fulton, or Count Rumford,
employs his inventive and studioUs MUD
to amelioIate the condition of his species
whatever his rank in life may be, is indeed
the genuine philosopher. But how much
of real practical philosophy may be found
among the mechanics of this new world, tc
say nothiugo the Wattses, and Arkwrights
and Brindleys of ooid " BY their fruit:
shall ye know them"
From the New York Journal of Commerce.
Only One Page Of a Ledger.
The experience of our money market fol
the last fortnight has. boon severe enough
to burn in some sehlllcssons on tie mem.
ory and yet, Judging from the past, these
will probably be forgotten as soon as we
are once more out of the breakers. 1t is
3 well, therefore, while our calamities ar,
sore upon us, that we should follow tn,
advice of Captain Cuttle, and make note.
of them. IF our merchants should devot,
q, single page Of the ledger to the posting
up of the errors and burdens of which they
are now so sensible, they might find it a