Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1857-08-29
The Ocean Telegraph and the Poems Of
Homer,

Homer
The Grafton delivered by the Hon. Edward Ev-
erett, at st. Louis on occasion Of the inaugural
ton Of the Washington University of the State of
Missouri, of which the material parts were re-
peated at Cambridge. in the address before the
Alumni Association of Harvard College, is now
in the press Of Messrs Little, Brown, & Co., of
Boston. This Grafton is universally pronounced,
by all who heard it at Cambridge, to be the
most brilliant oratorial production which has
emanated even from Mr.. Everett That part of
e. in particular, in which the wonders of the ocean
telegraph are compared with the wonders of Ian
guaee, as illustrated by the preservation of the
poems Of Homer during thirty centuries, besides
being exceedingly beautiful and eloquent possess
peculiar interest at the present moment. The
Boston AdUsrtiser of Thursday has the following
extract, being the passage in relation to this sub
ject from theproof sheets, in advance of the pub
LEGATION. The present temporary failure Of the
magnificent enterprise of connecting the two
hemispheres by submarine telegraphic commu-
nieation, instead Of defeating its eventual accom-
plishment, merely indicates the magnitude of the
obstacles necessary to be overcome, for the com.
pletion Of the undertaking, and will serve only to
augment the glory of the final triumph, which
is bound to be fixed fact at no distant day -
EXTRACT FROM NH. RvERETTs GRAFTON
Such is language, the representative of thought.
Dwell upon it, pray you. moment longer 1t
is great mystery of our being. By the use of
few written printed lines paper, so like each
other, that, in languages with which we are I'M
familiar.-witness Malay or Japanese manu-
script,-there seems scarce any difference between
them this unseen, intangible, mysterious men,
tai essence, compared with which a perfume
sound, lunar rainbow is gross and material. ex-
presses itself to the eye by the gentle impulse,
the soft vibrations, which the lips impart to the
elastic air il expresses itself to the ear To give
the. spoken word duration, l translate it into
written character ito give the written sign VIZ
tai emphasis, translate it into vocal speech, By
one divine art the dead letter. charged with liy-
ing meaning, sounds through echoing halls, and
wins or storms its way to sympathetic hearts ;
by another, the heeting wayelets Of the air are
crystallized into most marvellous performance
and become imperishable gems OF thought, whose
lustrc no lapse Of time can obscure while by
the union Of both. this incomprehensibe being ,
the mind gently wooed from the vestal chambers
Of our Utmost nature comes forth like a bride
adorned for her lordly spouse, the word ; clad in
the rich vesture OF conversation, OF argument, of
eloquence, Of poetry, Of song to walk with him
the busy the secluded paths Of life to instruct
and delight the living generations ethereal es.
sences as they are, to outlive columns of brass
and pyramids Of granite and TO descend in eter-
nal you'll the unendiDg highways Of the ages.
Does it seem much that the skill of man has in
these latter days contIived the means of commu.
nicating intelligence almost with the rapidity OF
thought, across the expanse Of continents and be-
meath the depth Of oceans by the electric wire
That message despatched from Boston at mid
day. will so far out.tavel the sun as to reach St.
Louis an nonr before he arrives at that meridian
1t is much, aud we contemplate with just amaze
ment the wonderful apparatus which, when laid
down, as sooner or later II perhaps will be- so as
TO connect the three continents, may, by posi-.
bility, send the beginning Of such sentence as /
am now proncuncing around the terraqueous
globe and return II TO the lips Of the speaker be-.
fore be has completed its utterance. But this
amazing apparatus is but another form Of Ian :
guaRe IL transmits intelligence only as il trans.
mits words. IL ID like speech, like the pen, like
the press, another piece Of machinery by which
language is conveyed from place to place. The
really wonderful thing is language itself by which
thought is made sensible and communicated from
mind TO mind, not only in the great living con.
gregation Of the civilized world for the time be-
ing, but through the vast general ASSEMBLY o.
the ages--by which we are able at this moment,
not only TO listen 10 all the great utterances
which express the thoughts and emotions Of the
present day throughout the world, but 70 soar
with Milton 70 the green fields Of Paradise in the
morning Of creation to descend with Dante to
the depths Of penal woe to listen to the thun-
oe,s Of rully and Demosfhenes and, by the
soioen cham Of etymol0gy, trace the affinity and
~seert oinatons back, through the labyrinth of
me pas. almost 10 the cradle Of the race. n
4 hold IN my hand n portion Of the Identical
electrical cable, given me by INV friend NJ pesl
BODY, which Is now [Aprii l2,l in progress N
manufacture TO connect America with Fnrons
read upon II the following words IA nay, ~
thesuomarine electric telegraph cable, manuiac.