The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1858-08-26
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher on the At
Iantic Telegraph,


lantic Telegraph.
There was a celebration on Monday,
at Fi,hkill, New York, of the laying OF
the Atlantic Telegraph. Henry Ward
Beecber was present, and he made the
following address
have been brought up, fellow citizens,
in such habits of obedience, that never
think of disputiDg a command that has
been given NE. Therefore, although |
am stranger among you. and it seems
to me should have been preceded by your
own citizens to mig t--tberefore l obey
the injunction, aud speak first, and prob
ably shall speak the briefest and the
worst; therefore if tire you, remember
that | am the soup, and the solid courses
come soon. am glad to meet such an
assembly. 1t is good once in while for
all sorts of people-people of all sorts, ali
kinds, prejudiees, party connections, re-
ligious feeling, from all neighborh oods--
to come togetheraud to feel common
magnetism. On the Sabbath day We
gather together in groups, according to
the elective affinities of orr religious
feelings. At various times we come to-
gcthcr to our public mcetings-now and
then it happens in every year that there
are some such that bring all men togeth
err, and that no difference of creed aud
none Of party; aud to night we are gath
cred together cannot say in common
with thousands of men, for | know not
whether or not anywhere else there is
such a celebration - but In our own pla-
and residences We have come together,
forgetting everything but this, that we
are men and common citizens.
To other lands it may be proper for JOY
to be expressed merely by squib, and
muskets and cannons; but in q country
where public education has so long pre-
vailed, where newspapers belong to every
man that can read-and for a native of
the country not to be able to read is con-
sidered disgraee-in such country it
needs be that something else besides mere
animal excitement must grace the celebra-
ton. There must be speaking, there must
be thinking, that shall satisfy the under
standing and touch the heart also; and,
therefore, you have most appropriately
come together, and it is not an i'll omen
that you have assembled in this sacred
enclosare-it is fit that religion should
deck our celebration to night.
We are gathered to express our JOY at
the apparent coDsummation of one OF
those enterprises peculiar to the century
in which we live. Do you reflect that
there are men living among you to night
that lived, and were not very young, be-
There are men here that lived before
they ruffled the water With their wheels,
aud since their day and within more easy
RENE eu br aace railroads haze heen inven-
ted. remember when the first one oil
these was laid very distinctly. 1t is with
in our remembrance that the telegraph
was invented, and by an honored citizen
in this vicInity-all this coming Tar With
in the remem brance of our young men -
But now this is not SO much an invention
as an applicatiou, We have tried the
air-we have learned that by stretching
wire from pole to pole We can grid the
land. We have come TO the sea coast
and said, Who shall guide US across thit
great deepl Who shall bridge it And
there, it was thought, would be an end to
our enterprise. But no; enterprise said,
if We cannot ballon the doep. nor bridge
it. we can telegraph it, aud so they de-
termined to do III aud what \ ankees de-
termine to do, generally is done. Scarce
ly does plant break from the ground
sooner than this enterprise showed--hrst
root. then trunk, then blossom and fruit.
It is one of the most marvellous things
that this has been done with so few mis-
takes, Last summer the ships went out
and put their legs down; this summer
thew went out and put down the soles OF
their feet. They then went bact to take
another start; now it is done, and the two
continents are connected By this cord. |
eanuot of course-I shall not trespass
much upon the themes that are kindred