Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1857-05-19
9ts& G.gtL 2gisg5G
No. IL.

Il 3
and clothed and housed and transported. and
IS raised to Tefiaenent and the taste al .fbe
nne arts, and the enjoyment of an elevation
IN the moral scale which cannot be reached
out ,oy physical Improvements Morse is a
uecnanlc Fulton was a mechanic, Franklin
was mechanic, Sir Christopher Wren was
mechanic, Newton was; a mechanic-Go Tod Is
mechanic The triumphs of mechanics are
ssr 5ns 1rlrplmPhs ~ OF mankind (Cheers.)r A
Terman nooieman once, on a visit TO Italy.
beng man Of theiwofld and pleasure q, ant
most of his time at the theatfest ,yvbere he ,Sas
much annoyed at the derision constantly cast
/ upon his country for her Bostian temperament.
In turn, he proposed an entertainment for the
Italians. He procured a large diIapidated
house, and the whole scene presented was one
of the streets Of Rome. Tie time was niobt.
/ Just before the dawn of day, a weary travel.
er was made to appear in the desolate street
seeking where he might find shelter and ac.
commodation.S He could fiad no inhabitants
awake. he threw hmselfdow upon piazza
and waited for light and the inhabitants to
rise. Whilst he was sleeping, the ghost of
Cicero was made to appear, and approach the
stranger, who awoke, rose, took out a watch.
the barometer of that day, TO see the time of
night The ghost was surprised, and asked
what. it was? The stranger explained it was
a mechanical instrument to measure time.-
Wonderful, said the ghost .Who invented
that 2 The Germans said the stranger
| Next he took out an almanac to see when the
day would break and the sun rise. tWhat is
that y said the ghost. The stranger explained
! the art OF printing and the astronomical cal
culations of the calendar. Wonderful, most
wonderful said the ghost, and who invented
that The Germans said the stranger. By
| this time the day began to peep, and the
stranger being impatient to be taken in from
the street, he beat the doors in vain. and at
last drew pistol and fred it off, to arouse the
sluggish sleepers. The ghost started alright
ed and asked, What is thatT A pistol and
| gunpowder we're explained. 'More wonderful
STILL said the host. And who invent d that r
The Germans, sad the stranger. Great and
wonderful people! And whilst they have been
! progressing in all these arts, what have INV
people been doing IN the centuries since was
upon EARTH Just then one of the lazzaroni
| OF Rome appeared, and the stranger said =
There is specimen Of thy countrymen' Day
broke, and the ghost vanished. Germany had
invented printing, the barometer and punpow-
der. Rome had been sleeping to decay and
death, in her dreamy drowsiness over past
greatness, and the condition of hor lazzaroni
frightened away the ghost of Cicero. And,
my fellow citizens. have we done all which the
| ghosts of departed sages and patriots would
1
| ical science and mechanic arts
3. The third Object of the Mechanic Insti-
tutes is to multiply occupations among men,
particularly among US in the agricultural
States.
A few professions and vocations in a nation
| will not and cannot support dense popula-
tion and raise people to wealth and power,
and sustain them in any grand progress Vir-
g!nIa !a has heretofore been PeoPled BY planters,
diVines, lawyers, doctors and manual operatives
She has not been distinguished at ali for me
chanisI1, and has relied mainly upon one DOW.
er only of production-the source of agricul
ture. The mechanic arts have not been hon.
ored, fostered and promoted as they must be,
and as our best interests require. rejoice
that Richmond and Lynchbnrg, Petersburg
and Wheeling, are beginning to lay hold on
this lever of power and progress. Never Was
there such workshop for mechanics as Vir-
ginia now is. She has inexhastibfe mines of
iron, coal, copper and salt and intefrninahle
forests of timer. Wood, iron and COAL are
all that mechanics want. ALI we want is for
the popular mind to be aroused, and for the
proper beginning in the right way to be made.
And though we have reason proudly to thank
some benefactors, such as an Anderson of
Richmond, proprietor of the Tredegar iron
works) and Sweeney, of Wheeling, and 9th
ers, their fellow laborers and coadiutors, for
pioneering in the work, yet we can hardly be
said to have made a beginning. The ghost of
Jefferson would vanish with shame were II to
come and be told we still buy our household
furniture and utensils. our ploughs, hoes, axes
and helves, and OK yokes, horse buckets, broom
handles, brooms and clothes pins, and car
riages, and harness, and clothes, hats, shoes.
boots, coats, vests, pants, everything-some.
thing of everything, from Old England and
New England. How is our Independence of
this necessity to be achieved + answer. but
in one Way-by school for mechanics. We
have the most magnificent mass of population
IN the world for the personnel of such school.
The number of youths for common schools.
male and female, under IL years Of age, after
dlscounting 1898 who probably would not
be sent, is 1887. The number fit for aca-
demical education; after discounting 43.943.
which would not be sent, is 61,226. The
number for which we ought to provide colleges.
after discouuting 70,4s6 for the same reason.
IS at least 10000, leaving for the University IN
our own State no less than 1922. Of that
number 1,722) we must resolve tc have 500
at least in Mechanics and Farmers' Institute
or College, attached to the University. Throw.
ing from the calculation ST .692 youths. male
and female, we have 136,265 whose minds
need and must have mental food: and we.
fathers and sons and husbands, are worse than
infdels If we do not literally provide for this
host of a State household Of pupils. (Cheers)
yearn to ses the University of Virginia a
universitv in truth, fountain of knoWIedae-
univerral in its teachings and practical in its
application of knowledge. We want col 1
legs attached to it, which will embrace a prae-
tical sTTniiod sclsO0I- of