The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1869-09-01

tne GATE OIL recorded history. received
from the hand of progress the marks of
Improvement. The crow builds his
nest, the beaver his dam, and the elk
it's yard, now, precisely as they did
when Adam first called them by. name.
But, saving only the potter at his
wheel, there is no human art or calling
that is practiced now as it was in the
days of old. The potters's wheel Of
the present day is the potter''s wheel Of
Biblical times. The exception proves
the rule. The potter's art has i'm
proved, through his simple wheel has
not; and SO it is with everything-all
other implements and machinery em-
ployed in the affairs of men, from the
nail to the ship, from the pot to the
steam boiler and engine, show improve
ment and indicate progress. These
improvements and this progress are
simply the result of an increase of
mans knowledge as to the forces of ma
ture and the properties Of matter.
That sort of knowlG,ige il accumula-
ting daily, for the discovery of every
new fact in physics, the development
of every new principle in nature, the
detection of every new property in
matter, is fresh clue placed in our
hands. 1t leads into chambers of
knowledge; it guides US through laby
rinths into which orr fathers could not
find their way and abont the doors of
which they CROPPED in the dark but it
brings us out into the presence of ever
lasting truth. What slender thread
was that simple fact that was first OBJ
served in the Kitchen; and touch of a
knife impaired muscular action to dead
muscles. Here was new fact "a clue
more attenuated than the finest gos-
| samer but, being once observed. no.
| ticed, and placed in the hands of the
student, and followed up, into what
glorious chambers and splendid man
sions of light and truth and everlast-
ing knowledge has it not brought us
1t has compelled the lightnings to wait
on mortal man; to go and say to him;
"Hcre we are--we, the tiery-footed
messengers of heaven-ready to
plunge through the depths of ocean, to
leap over mountains, to fly through air
,,d commence caa- ont land ~ 10 tl,y
bidding" So it is with steam and its
powers /; with the polarization OF light
the daguerrotype the spectrum analy.
sis; and all the great human inventions
and improvements, both ancient ant
modern.
/ So far as we know, and with the sin
gle exception of the alphabet, all the
great inventions, discoveries and i'm
provements that have marked the pro
gress of the human family in its marcel
upward and onward, have been firs
suggested by nature herself, ant
caught up seemingly by chance, ant
when developed, they have been fount
to consist merely in the application o
some physical force or otller-in itsel
the most simple--to the practical at
fairs of life. The falling of an appl
was clue to the laws of gravitation
The absence ola single ray in the spec
, trum was, with its suggestions, a clu
placed in the hands of philosophers 70
the first time the other day. 1t ha
led them into the very chambers Q
light, and revealed to us fresh lcaus
for wonder, love and praise towards tn
Author of all.
We now begin to suspect that gray
, ity is not the only universal law; tina
there are other forces, we'll as certai
/ material substances, that are cosmica
! that light and heat produce effects j
! the stars similar to the effects the
A produce here; that throughout the ste
= lar spaces they are amenable to tn
. laws-so much so that sound treats
on optics here would hold good in til
: stars also.
! We suspect that there is continnit
in the universe; that certain forms I
G matter that are familiar to US, and pc:
sessing the same properties by whic
q they are made palpable to our sens
. are present in the sun and stars. w
6 know there are metals in the sun, CAST
], in the stars. Solar iron and sideret
+ hydrogen, so far as we can apply tes
q to them, are the same there as they al
). here. Does it not ennoble your mine
I enlarge your sympathies, and elevat
9 the soul, to reflect that terrestrial sui
( stances, such as gases and metals, 0xy
f gen and hydrogen, silver and cope
q iron and zinc, each one invested wit
Q the very properties by which we kno
: it here, are present in the stars 7 tn.
+ they are known to the inhabitan
q there for the same properties and b
], the same peculiarities by which "
distinguish them. The thought-t.lil
. as when man did cat angels food"
brings as closer to things above an
3 makes us disposed to exclaim involul
! tarily as we look aloft 10 the silel
,on,s of tho nivllt and cOntemnlate II