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Show gin and the perfecting printing press wore not dreamed of. Still the father) of the republic, recognized the importance impor-tance of encouraging the inventive genius gen-ius of the country; and it is not improbable improb-able that we ow e a great measure, of the advaneo that has been made to their foresight. We have celebrated the centennial of every important event that marked our early history, but few were more worthy of such attention thau this which it is now proposed to honor. W ith great pomp we honored the cjii-tonnial cjii-tonnial of the declaration of independ-once; independ-once; and the day that marked the completion of a century of constitutional constitu-tional government was made the occasion occa-sion of a great demonstration. '1 he declaration of independence and the framing of the constitution opened the j way for the peaceful triumphs with which a free people have astonished the world, but those triumphs have largely (lowed from the ingenuity of the people of the country working under the incentive in-centive given by our patent laws; and it is eminently proper that ti e centennial centen-nial of the system should be fittingly observed. FATKNT OrFICK ( tSTKSMtl., On the 10th of April, 17!)!, President ' tVASiiiN-TOX signed the bill by which ! the United States patent ollice was ere- ! Med. The centennial of the event will I be celebrated in Washington this week and the observance should attract the 1 attention of the entire country. The age of invention, as we understand it, had not dawned when congress enacted that measure. None of the great discoveries dis-coveries that have revolutionized the world's mode of life had then made! their appearance. The steam engine ! nd the electric telegraph, the cotton j |