The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1858-07-20

that within thirty years from it's invention
printing presses were erected in almost
} every kingdom, aud from them were issued
editors Of the old clasic authors, dressed
in all the luxuries of Typography.
Although the art Of printing came from
the hands of It's inventor 10 wonderful per.
fection, and, like the fabled Baohus in his
cradle, was in its infancy endowed with
tho encrgeies and functions of ripper age
it has, as have other arts, been tho sub,
ject on which the spirit Of modern improve
mcnt has largely bestowed its favor the
result which is, that tho type is more
than formerly symmetrical and beautiful
in form, which adds attraction to the prin-
ted page. The mechanism of the press
has also essentially improved, and its ca
paclty to executc, greatly, yes, astonish-
ingly enlarged. These improvements have
been gradual, and each in its tarn valua.
bic, from the wooden press TO thai of the
iron-from the cylinder press by hand, to
the double and fourfold cylinder by steam
from its laboriously throwing off three
hundred impressions in an hour, to null
tiplying copies in the same length Of time,
by as many thousand. Such revolution
in printing on a large scale, has taken
place, that if predicted even quarter of
a century ago, it would have been listen
to with the samo incredibly which would
then have attended the announcement
that tho telegraph wires would annhilate
time ard space. And, what is no small
honor to American genius, these facilities
to save manual labor and to multiply with
so much repidity priatod natter arc the
results Of the intelligent aid ingenious
mind Of one of our own counirymen, Ss-
sisted no doubt, with knowledge impaired
to him by practical printers. Hoes press.
es, (espcc ally his newspaper prcsses,) have
been carried TO degree Of perfection
which may decy all future improvements.
They are sought for in Europe, even in
France, whore, it might be SUPP osed tho
press Of any kind is not needed, under tho
present national rule-whero it has been
pronounced a nuisance, offensive to impe.
rial sen5ibilitics, and where despotism die
tatcs and pratorian band enforce on the
people, by their pixies, opedicnce to pub
lie measures, however oppressiyely tyrani-
cal-cven into France Hoes presses have
been, or are about to be introduced. In
England, also, the thurders of Jupiter
tonans, seated on the Olympus Of the
British Empire, are soon to be rend more
terrific by tho genius Of Hcc.
Shade Of Ramagcs Rest in Peace!
Although the efTulgcnce Of thy famo be
obscued by the greater brightness Of that
of thy sorsowlul recollcclious while one af.
.Ricted sufferer shall remain to remember
thy last groaas. But all this by way Of
episode.
Tho inventions of printing and OF tho
FThcy simultaneously ;;ss5eared at a period
when the human mind was struggling,
with mighty throcs, to free itself from the
restraints OF ignorance, bigotry and super
stitou--when the bands which had bound
it up from expansion, were about TO give
away, and it began to feel the influence Of
its native elasticity. From the orc dis
covcry, the arts aud sciences spraug into
life and activity-and II flood # light from
awakened genius was poured upon the
world; from the sensitive vibration Of the
needle TO the pole, navigation was embold-
ened TO launch her bark on oceans hitherto
unexploicd, and commerce to dip her wings
in every sea, and visit every cline. In
tercoursc was sooa established between ma
tons before unknown, aud New World
added its treasures TO the Old.
At the epoch referred to, the word of
mind was lcinyenated by the operations of
the press, with new yigoF, and impelled
by new motives, to recover its native dig
nifty. Nor are wo authorized to set any
boundary to its onward course. 1t may
he that its career in the acquisition Of
knowledge will not stop until,
Peace to the world its fairest fruits shall bring,
| And earth shall bloom IN one eternal spring.
We will now tako leave Of the Old
World, which W. have seen furnished with
moral lever, unlike that which Archimc-
DIES desired to move the world Of matter,
but one Of equal power to move the world
Of mind. 1t is time that we cross the At
lantic, aud take view OF our art as it ox-
isted in the New World. Let us embark,
in imagination, on board of the vessel
which conveyed to the shores Of New Eng
land the first printing press aud printing
apparatus, set up at Cambridge. OF this,
the Rev. Mr. Glover was owner, who
embarked with il, designed as gift
to Harvard College. He dying on the
passage, the press became the property of
President Dunstcr, who employed Stephen
Daye as It's manageable first American
printer this side Of the Gulf Of Mexico
for presses had before been established in
Mexico and Lima. Our ancient fellow
craftsman is said TO have been not bad
pressman, but au awkward and bungling
compositor and proof reader However
this may be, (Which is somewhat doubtful
considering how liable are the conductors
of presses to be slanderod, even in oul
day. Mr.. Daye, as the first production o
his press, printed the "Freeman's Oath,
in 1889. In 1910, appeared the frs,
British Ameriesn Book-tho bay Psalm
Book" with Spiritual Songs" This pub
lication is laid up in the archives of Tho
Massachusetts, Historical Society, an ex
tract from which will read
, JaeI the Kentite, Heber's wife
, 'bONe woman blest shall be
Above the woman in the tent
blessed one is she.
lie water ask'd, she gave him milk.
In Iordlv dlth sha fetch'd