New-York tribune., 1880-01-01
PROGRESS.

Year to all. A new decade begins; may it
prove as full of prosperity to all the nations
as the decade that is dead has been OF dis
aster. The last fifth of the nineteenth GEN.
tury opens, but who can guess what marvels
and blessings this miracle working century
still has in store for us
Eighty years ago, Whitney's co.ion-gin had
barely begun to work. and the spinning mule
was not vet born. But these two have clothed
the world. Eighty years ago, men we're dream
ing of the steamship, which Fulton invented
in 1907. His thought has brought China
nearer to us than England was when he built
his first boat. FrauenhOfer taught the young
century spectrum analysis, and Fresnel the
polarization of light, and all the arts ana
sciences now owe them debt beyond measure.
Eighty years ago, JcNner was stoutly battling
against derision for the idea which, when the
century was still young, subdued its first great
scourge. To-day there is scarcely science or
useful art that is not constantly indebted to
photography, but when the century was born
the photograph, which Arago rightly styled
"a Gift to the whole world" was unknown.
Iron bands have almost annihiIatcd distance.
anda capital far exceeding the entire wealth
of any nation in 1900 has been expended in
making this the age of railways, but the CEN
tury was already thirty years old when the first
railroad was opened The use OF anthracite in
making iron, and the Bcssemer process for
making steel, have each revOlutOnized the
world; modern civilization would be simply an
impossibility if iron could still be treated only
in the ways known when this century was
young. The sewing machine has brought
blessing and comfort to the mother of every
household, and has saved much to every wearer
of clothes, aud yet the oldest patent of that
nature is not forty years old. Into the cot
tage of the humblest and poorest, the Oll-wcll
has sent light, but petroleum is one of the
latest children of the century. And the grandcst
of them all, the telegraph. which enables Lon
don and New York to whisper to each
other day and night, and brings news Of
the industry and the commerce OF the whole
world to the breakfast-table of every mer-
chant Or workman or employer. has been at
work only thirty years. Or its thousand
appliances and notifications. each miracle,
the signal service and tue telephone are among
the latest and most marvellous But who can
puess what the new year may bring forth
II ia no longer true that Science moves but
"slowly, creeping Oh from point to point"
For centuries science crept; then it marched,
then ran, and now it flies on the wings Of the
lightning. new year now means new
world. All our modes OF life, of industry. or
of enjoyment are revolutIonlzed as this won
der-working century sends forth IT. years.
each with its magic wand.
Other changes of political or social char
acter are to bc expected, as great changes
have already been witnessed during the CEN
tury. The slave trade has been abolished in
England, serfdom by Russia, and slavery by
the United States The mightiest conquerOr of
history has been sent to st. Helena, the
mightiest Empire in Europe has been trans
formed into Republic, and an Empire more
powerful still has been formed by the weld
ing of German States. But there is this
difference between the changes wrought by
science and invention, and those of any other
character progress in all other directions
ia irregular, and, to the human eye at
least uncertain in its rate. But In
science each step begets other steps; each
achievement clears the path for others
in great number; and progress is steady.
cumulative, and continually accelerated.
We cannot know what wonders invcn-
tion NAV bring us within the coming
wear or twenty years. But looking at the past,
and realizing what vast strides the human in
tellect is now making in the conquest of Ma
ture's forces, we may be sure that every year
of the twenty which we begin this day will
bring us some marvellous and revolutionary
change. Every hour adds to the resources Of
tho race, to the powers available for minioe-
ing to human happiness, and No w6apons
with which the work of bquest Is to be
Fpushed thencefOrward.
To live in such an see Is blessing for which
we may give thanks with JOY. TO enter upon
a new year, in such an age, is to be present
at the birth of new world, and to have Of
fered to each of us a part in the creative work.
NEW LEAF.
It is probable that the majority of individual