Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1857-09-17
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DIGNITY OF MECHANIC ARTS.

by their Importance to mankind, there is
nothing, perhaps, which can rank above the
mechanic arts. In fact, they may be called
the lever, the fulcrum, and the power which
move the world. They do not want the
"whercon to stand" of Archimedes; they
have sufficient foundation in themselves.
What gives to civilized nations their
superiority over the savage? 1t is chiefly
mechanic arts. By them the beautiful and
convenient mansion is substituted for the
rude and uncomfortable wigwam; and 'scar-
let and fine twiued 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; anG
further, we may say, of the glory and the
grandeur of the world. By them the farm
er ploughs the land, and by them the marin
er 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 cbariots
and loll on couches; by them the sword is
polished and the axe is tempered; by them
the table is spread, the bed is decked, and
the parlor is furnished To them the poet
owes the perpetuation of his fame, aud 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 justice of Aristidcs and the he
roism of Leonidas.
And much of this is owing to two single
arts-that of printing and 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
printing would be ciroumscribed to very
narrow bounds. 1t is by no means of the
press chiefly that SO much of Christcndom
owes it's escape from the thraldom of super
stition; and it is to the same means that we
Americans owe our free and enlightened in
stitutops. To these means, which origin
ated in few rude types carved on block
of wood, is owing the present wonderful
diffusion of knowledge, which distinguishes
this from all former ages. But whether
book be printed on paper and sold for a
single dollar, Or laboriously written on parch-
mcnt 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 the emeans of books,
whether the rays of that light shine upon
few persons or many.
But in speaking of the dignity of me-
chauic arts, we would not con6ne them to
the mere hand that executes, without think.
ing of the head that plans; for without the
latter but little more credit would be due to
the person who exercises these arts than to
the automaton Turk who mechanically as
tonishes the world at the game of Chess
To produce the great effects we have men
toned above, to do so much to enlighten, to
beautify, aud improve the world; to labor
for the glory and happiness of others, and
yet be ignorant of the springs by which
these important movements are carried on,
would i'll comport with the dignity of the
mechanic He would be ('if we may COM
pare small things with great") like the sun
in the heavens, which renders light, and
warmth and comfort to mankind without it's
elf being conscious wherefor.
There is a 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 as