Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-08-22
MECHANICS.
Ths Pazsr and Philosophy q MsehanIss
I'VE Must Study ESth---ksehasIes
q Necessity Of eur Growth.

Necessity Of ssF Growth.
DIR. Thomas Nicholson says that " every
mechanic should be q member of a me-
ehantes' institute, organized for iRstrue-
ton In science and mechanical kncwl-
edge"
EdSors Appeat-I am induced by cir
cumstences to introduce and write upon
the following subject:
TO MECHANICS.
It IL t~hirty-seven years ago, when I said
IN New Orleans thai amsehanics are the
bulwarks Of nations" and / say now that
they are the skillful workers of the mate
rial systems. Mechanical labor IN any
shape not only promotes the material and
physical happiness of man, but 1t creates,
besides, national pride and wealth, and
seals the prosperity Of the people. Sound
doctrine with me is practice and expert
ence- 1 am pleased, therefore, to notice
OF late a writer in the New Orleans Pea
g7sae whose text is, WHITTIER do we
tend?" by Thomas Nicholson, NJ. d. His
heading to this article Is To M~echauies.D
The writer Is a stranger to me in the field
OF mechanics, or in that capacity as a
writer; but whomsoever he NAV be. I de-
clare him, by his argument and principles /
set forth, IS the man who understands the
day he lives in, and who marks unmis-
takably the true meaning of /" pro bono
pN6tico." / mean by this that the genius
and lustre set forth In his true and bold
assertions are such as tends to be for a
high motive of good and reform, and is
stamped with b highest order of pro-
ound logic and philanthropic thought.
Now, MI. Editor, what do we understand
by b word mechanic, or better still, 1
ask what constitutes the mechanic? It is
The man whose occupation is to construct,
TO make. to form, TO fabricate, to adapt, TO
build, who originates machinery, inVents
objects of utility M usefulness, pertain
ing to the art of making goods, wares, in
struments, houses, roads, ships, and all
other things that sppertain to manual Ia
Dor. l think, Mr.. Editor, il is good logic
that the man who causes the
stone to break the rod" and who, |
arch and strength of civilization
ought to be considered mightier han the
man that Yields the sword or State. Now
let us notice what DIR. Nicholson saws. on
the power and philosophy of mechanic |
and their national strength. He saws:
ain my previous articles, special atten-
ton was DEVOTED to the ENCOURAGEMENT of
skllful workers. This was done by show
ing tina whatever mental energy Is spent I
in the creation, or If you please the in
vention of anything hat lessons and IA
e~ilitates labor, and thereby promotes the
material happiness of man, Is much more
appreciated now than at any other time in
the history of the world. 1 adduced ex-I
amples to show that mechanics are now
the active and solid men of history, and
that they have been and still are the most
efficient element in the pocess of eivilizs-
ton. To a nation they d more substan-
tial wealth than any other class of man. |
Now were these solid forces of a nations
strength non est, the nation would be as /
barbsrous as cannibals, stagnant and dark
as Erebus."
But how are these strong arms of this |
vigorous sge to be upheld? Already |
there Is a struggle for the mastery. There
is q battle between quilts and hammers. |
The quill, linked as with the glowing light |
of the sun, glories in its flaming deserip-
tins of the Lost Arts" and In is famous /
prestige of being ''mightisr than the /
sword, " a saying no less significant than /
the prOverbOf the wise man Solomon, is
quoted in the VindicatiOn OF the assumed
vantage ground "there is nothing new |
under the sum" You are transported bv !
its magic coloring 10 the land Of Egypt,
the place now prOverbial Ozark as Egypt.D
and with eyes conditioned as he in the
Holy Scriptures, who saw men as trees
walking" taught to behold the splendid
wreck Of a once glorious perfection in art.
r~valing all the gorgeous spIendor of the
most consummate art-work ofthe present.
even in its rust and the musty smell of its
rank-grown mould. But the sum
OF all this is classic gossmer and
visionary-unsubstantial a as dream.
There is an excessive veneration for the
ancients and their imperfect work of
every description. Poverty and impsr-
lection Is written in unmistakable eharae-
ters upon everything which their feeble
fingers touched. Their tools were of bone
and flint, but ours are from iron and Bes-
admar cfaQ1 Thar u-rCfn n0o- H.
with a stylus on papyrus, and in eharxe-
tiers more twisted and shapeless than
the Chinese write. We to-day write with
a pen of gold, tipped with the brilliant
diamond. Even Washington the father
OF this great and growing country, knew
nothing of the simple knife and fork with
which the poorest of us now eat, Wooden
spoons N sticks similar to the ~rattlers
John Chinamsn now uses, were then
fashionable. The inference, therefore, is
not altogether fancifu1 hat the world is
but in its infancy. Its vigorous ACTIVITY
commenced to make itself felt at the be-
ginning Of this century. In this century
the world has moved toward the goal of
perfection almost as rapid as the light
ming with which it now Transmits its
thoughts, from city to city, and even
along the ocean bed from nation to ma
ton. INC is there a mechanic who be-
heves that the world can move back to
"Deggarly elements" of a pre- historic
timer Groves doctrinerof the correlation
and conservation of physical force, ac-
oy all acquainted with theoretical
and practical mechanics, gives a decisive
negative answer to the question. The adj
vantage gained over the crude materials
Of nature, can never be lost until the
dreadful day of universal confiagration:
when heaven and earth shall melt with
heat, even then there shall be a
new heaven and new earth. Lost en-
ergy is an absurdity. If a thing wears
out, or a man dies, the respective places
are soon filled again, and he seeming loss
forgotten.
To hold his ground and make it re-
splendent with his productive genius,
mechanic should be a member of a
mechanics institute, organized for in
In science and mechanical
Let the enthusiasm on the
hame like s revival. Talk of
nanght but cutting, fitting and carving,
1rawtng and -ornamentation. Interest the ,
lecturers on science in your behalf.
md soon science and mechanism will be
he two robust and invincible arms of an
sYer-enduring strength peace and pros
A. L. p.
TFIDY A 90 q for fna Hats Ciou Pad !