With our best bow, we present ourselves before our friends and the
public, in a new dress, from head to foot, and though conscious of
appearing rather plain and quaker-like, we can assure our friends that
in this, we conform to the newest fashion, and have no doubt of being
treated civilly by as large a portion of the public, as if we had
appeared with more gay feathers in our cap, with starched ruffles and
gilt buttons and trimmings. In this, however, we would not be
understood to boast, of any peculiar evidence of taste of our own, as
we have been induced in this instance, to submit wholly to that of our
tailors, who it must be conceded, understand these things much better;
while we have only to regard alertness and independence of movement,
with a little vivacity, and intelligence of conversation.--Our general
principles, and rules of self-government will continue according to
our original pledge, and the policy pursued in our first volume: we
shall endeavor to encourage and excite a spirit of enterprise and
emulation in artists, manufactures and mechanics, while we present
such instruction and useful intelligence in arts and trades, practical
science and new discoveries, inventions and improvements, as will add
to the facilities of enterprise, and conduce to the prosperity and
independence of the working class in particular. And that we may
furnish an acceptable family newspaper, we shall continue to give in a
brief and condensed form, the most useful and interesting intelligence
of passing events,--not omitting a small portion of serious matter,
suitable for Sunday reading, but avoiding the disgusting and
pernicious details of crime, with which too many of our public
journals abound, and which evidently produces a deleterious effect on
the morals of the community. With regard to political and sectarian
subjects, however, we feel much inclined to change our style of
neutrality so far as to advocate all parties, sects and denominations,
each in its turn, which course may be more in accordance with our own
maxim of "enlightening and pleasing," than either growling policy, or
the affected indifference and cold inattention which tends to produce
a reciprocity of coldness, and pleases none. On the subject of policy
and rules, we might say more; but having already said twice as much as
we at first intended, and finding ourselves near the bottom of the
scrap on which we scribble, we have only to find some suitable form of
sentence wherewith to round off this subject; and for this purpose,
without wishing to be suspected of any motives of interest, we would
gently and respectfully suggest to our readers the propriety of
advancing the intelligence, enterprise and consequent prosperity of
the community, by introducing and recommending to the patronage of
all, this same SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN.
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