Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-09-24
RECEPTION OF CYRUS w. FIELD.

the mouths OF the people Tor the last three
months than that of any other American
OF whom to think is to thi k Of the Atlantic
Cable. and to think If the Atlantic Cable is
to think Of him ,arrv Il in Burlington Monday
night 1t was nearly midnight, when he
came in the boat from Montreal, and there
had been only an hour or tw0's notice of his
cred at the wharf to greet him, and salute
Of thirteen guns was fired, in his honor, from
the battery. Mr. Field was accompanied by
his wife and daughters, aud by his venerable
father. The party on their arrival were es-
cortcd to the residence Of Mr. D. d. HOWARD,
whose guests they were for the night. This
morning Il public reception was improvlscd |
upon the spur Of the moment. Printed an
nouncemcnts Of Mr.. Folds presence were
scattered about town and mt nine O'Clock Il
large concoursa of our citizens, both gentle
men and ladies. had collected in the Town
Hall After a little delay Mr. Field and his
father came in. accompanied ny Mr.. Howard
and several other gentlemen. ind was well
coined to Vermont Ivy ITon.LtcusE. CHrrEy-
DEN, os follows
Mr. FIELD, LADIES ASn GENTLEMEN
have been requested to perform the agree
able duty Of giving expression to the welcome with
which the citizens Of this town receive that dis
| tinguished gentleman, whose name within the
last few weeks has become indissolubly connect
ed with the great achievement If the day. name
now us familiar in the hearts Of the American
people as a household word; the name of CYRUS
w. FIELD. [Applause,l When the history Of the
nineteenth century shall be impartially written,
the great fact which will give it consequence
throughout all future time will be its wonderful
discoveries in the mechanic arts and the field Of
science; with the extraordinary, not to say miracu
lous at adoption Of those discovere. to the want
the necessities Of man. The student Of that his
tory will look bacl, upon that century the one
that saw the first steamboat the first locomotive
engine the first electric telegraph; and will not
postcrity find place among tho honored names of
the Fultons, the Sephensons and the Morses for the
name of him, who, if he did not originate, at least
planned and carried forward to successful termi-
nation the project Of the Atlantic Telegraph Zap
plause.l
This splendid undertaking one which from
the outset attracted the attention and awakened
the interest of the civilized world. To insert into
tho body Of nature new ncmber--to join the
hearts of the old and new worlds by metallic
nerve thousand leagues in length along which
from continent to continent, over The mountains
through the valleys and across the plains which
lie buried beneath the waves Of the broad Allan
tic should dart the flashes Of human intelligence
with rapidly for which language gives nc
smile well indeed might such work receive
the sanction Of every thoughtful man
When the promoters IF this enterprise first wen
forth upon their mission in August, 1857, the,
carried with them the earnest wishes Of a worlc
for their success. The few who never believe
any great achievement possible, ceased thei
croaking aud joined in the hope with which tn,
great heart Of humanity full, that the Cabl
might be laid; and when the news Of that frs
5 failure came, the regret with which it was re
ceived was confined to community, circle o.
State-it the of tho nations. Such
tral-such failure, was enough to dshearten tn,
most hopeful man. Would any one have though
IL slIdHEe tudl, ut euCu lilHe, Tue
should be abandoned? as abandoned it would have
, been had not Providence raised up the for tn,
emergency in the person of Mr.. Field. Applause.
Again and again, during the present season, wcr,
unsuccessful efforts made, until the Niagara ant
the Agamemnon turned once more toward England
bearing back, not the remnant of the Atlantic Cabl,
only, but full freight Of gloom and dcspondenc,
to the heart of every friend Of the enterprise and
humanity. But all these failures were only t,
make the final success the more brilliant-th
name of the master spirit the more illustrious
Through all these days of darkness there has BEEF
one who knew such word as fail-who will
, the iron determination of the first Napoleon, ha
said that this thing should yet be done
And then, the final, the browning, the Successh
effort was made-the cable was once more Joined i
midocean, and the ships set forth across the bosom
c Of the quiet sea, for either shore. Who can de
= scribe, nay, who can imagine the intense excite
ment, the alterations Of hope and fear, of conf
= dencc and despair, which must have filled til
hearts of those whose hands were busy in such al
: sorbing duties? And, when at last the welcom
shore rose above the horizon-the anchor was cas-
in the shallow waters of the peaceful bay-th
c shore end Of the Cable was landed-and the grea
= work which was to wed its ruthors to immorta
c fame finished, well, indeed, might til
thoughts of those men find utterance in that ex
= quistely beautiful expression, worthy to be en-
gravcd upon pillars Of marble in letters of gold
: "Thc Cable is laid; God has been with u.s. to Hir
: be all the glory"
! To have been the life and soul of such a
1 | 4 Al. d:
, couragng circumstances to a successful concusio
, to have bound together the Eastern and Wester
Continents by the Atlantic Cable, is honor-is glor
D enough for one man. 1t involves dsrespect t.
. the numerous other gentlemen who contributed il
greater and less degree to the of the work
! to say that this honor and glory belongs to Cyru
W. Field.
r Vermont is inland State, her people
rural and agricultural people Here is Q
e that busting activity with which the marts G
S commerce arc full. In those public displays whic
welcomed this great success in the larger cities
Vermont did not, to a great extent, participate, bu
nowhere warmer sympathies found for thos
engaged in this enterprise during its days of tra
| than in the hearts of her people-none NOR
ready to honor and appreciate the energy and skill
, with which its master mind carried it forward Il
its examinations and when the first spark ofclectri
intelligence flashed across the broad ocean, it me
nowhere a heartior response-a more generous wei
, com ethan from the citizens Of Burlir gton.
In their names, Mr.. Field, I welcome you
friends and yourself to the State of Vermont, anC
in you the man to whom the world is indebted fo
the Atlantic Telegraph.
Mr.. Chittenden spoke heartily and well
, and ,yas froouontIv intorruptaI by applaus,