The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-08-19
The Magnetic Telegraph and the Press.

as it were, the work of yesterday 1t becoming every
day, however OF greater Importance, the wires
spread more extensively over the Union Indeed, both
agents Indispensable the of newspapers
News flows through the mail in detail 1t flies through
the telegraph in shorthand After it is collected in the
newspaper, passes into general circulation through the
public mail of the United States
Both these agents contributing TO the of our
political institutions, by imparing political light and in
formation OF the acts OF their public servants to the peo
pie. But the Improvement of roads, and the extern
sion of our rail cars, by reducing the space of time
that is necessary 10 pass from section of the Union
another, essentially contributes the same result
brings distant points together Boston is now
nearer to Washington than it formerly to New
York. The time is coming when the rail car will
bring Little Rock, in Arkansas, the metropolis
for all purposes OF the transportation of members of Con-
gress, and sending forth information to the people, as
Raleigh was to New York when the constitution was
established Thus the problem of the practcablity of an
extended federal government is solved by the art of man.
and the Improvement of the modes of communication
AS every day adds to the rapdity of intercourse it
moves some objection to the extent of territory MIR
Madison met the objection to the then of our con-
federacy by predicting, in the l4h number of 'he Fed
eralist that "the intercourse throughout the Union will
be daily facilitated by new improvements; that roads
will everywhere be shortened and kept in better order
accommodations for travellers will be multiplied and me-
liorated and that the communication between the west
ern and Atlantic districts, and between different parts OF
each, will be rendered more and easy by those nu-
merous canals, with which the benefcence of nature
has interseced country" Yet even Mr. Madison
himself was not aware OF the immense improvements
which then concealed in embryo from the eyes OF
the most sagacious The railroad and steamboat
were then unknown. The magnetic telegraph had no,
entered into the dreams of the most enthusiastic phoso
piers.
| Thanks be TO the genius of Morse for his brilliant in
venton His electric wires almost equal speed the i'm
aginaton itself The time is coming when news will fly
from ~ Orleans to Boston with the apdty of the winged
lightning. We TO talk to our friends hundreds of
miles apart, if they at elbow One minute
sends off the question, and almost the next moment
brings the desired answer If the invention of letters
the first theme OF the poets song, how much more
astonishing is the communication of the telegraph With
how much rapdity does this simple yet mysterious
machinery
"Speed the soft intercourse from soul to soul,
And walt Il sigh from Indus 10 the pole"
Thanks be to the American inventor Let gratitude be
his, and let adequate rewards attend his ingenuity But
the community and much mistake the interests of the
enterpsing inventor and his associates if they not find
adequate, perhaps better compensation in liberal and
moderate rate of charges To the newspaper press
some arrangement for economzing the expense, and
sharing it more equally among the editors, has be-
of great Importance. We surprised, there
fore that movement has been commenced in the south
for adjusting the matter upon wel-devised and
liberal, and general system of compensation We wish
to spread the work far as we can. Whilst no man is
more sensible of the obligations which to Pro-
lessor Morse, appreciate distinctly the
value Of the newspaper press than do At all events,
full and general investigation may be OF great to both
paresthose who WELD the telegraph and that large class
of editors who find necessary to employ it. We trust it
will lead to some general and convenient arrangement
on the subject We greet with much pleasure therefore,
the which foot in the SOUTH and which
happily explained in the following article from the
Augusta Georga) Constituencies OF the 18th Instant
and invite the attention of all the editors in the
try to participation in this movement We second the
motion for the convention in Washington the 18th
December, and shall be happy to meet our brethren of
the press at that time, and in this city.
| The MAGNETIC Observation-Disclosures CoNvENrIoN.--The
suggestion that the editors in Georgia inter-
eed in the magnetic telegraph, should take place the
Mountain the 1h instant, had the effect Of bring
ing together several of the editors of the Savannah Macon,
and Augusta papers. Mr. Chester, agent of the Washing
city and New Orleans telegraph ne also present.
This intended to be meeting merely for consultation,
and preliminary general meeting at future
day. editors and propetors of papers along the entire
lines of Geographic communication from Boston to New
| Orleans
The convention therefore, confined itself to the discus
| sion of the following questions:
lst such general convention desirable and feasible
| ID. What the objects to be attained by it
| 3D. In what could they be attained
4th When and where should this convention assemble
Views freely nterchanged on all these points, and
there diversity OF opinion the general questions
Details left for future consideration. But the advan
agcs result from general convention manifest
provoke much discussion It agreed that
contemporaries Of the press be invited together
make combined and harmonious arrangement by which
would be secured each press embraced in the arrange
men the time, the Information, commercial
and political, along tue whole line lines of telegraph
This be accomplished at expense each, under
arrangement made in unison, moderate to place it
within the reach OF papers in the smallest cities. 1t will
thus be desderatum to them. 1t will, ALSO by the
means, immensely reduce the heavy expenditure to which
presses large cities subjected by their
plan of obtaining separately their teegraphc news To
accomplish this, number of presses combine. This
will lessen the EACH while the aggregate will af
ford compensation sufficient TO remunerate the telegraph
ic companies, and make the arrangement an inducement
! to them.
The arrangement ,es the furnishing to the
ISOLATED presses only those general items of news from the
chief commercial marts, in reference to markets. Sales
|