New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-09-05
LESSONS OF THE- ATLANTIC TIL gaRAPH

\ Inc history OF the Atlanuc Telegraph IS the
history of what can be accomplished by pri-
vate enterprise, acting under the stimulus Of
a great commercial necessity, without the
captivating, but really eneryating and deleter-
ious assistance of government subsidies, 1t
is extremely fortunate for the cause Of free
trade, and the progress of liberal ideas, that
the infexible laws of political economy have
been illustrated by the contamination Of the
greatest and most remarkable triumph over
the forces of nature, that industry, directed
by science, has ever achieved. This joint VIC
tory of the laws of trade and the laws of ply
steal science, of industry and philosophy, of
enterprise and genius, has been gained with
out any aid from governments, 1t is the
first unmodifed triumph of the ''let alone"
policy-o the policy which leaves the natural
forces Of society to work out their own results
unimpeded by the enervating influences of
governmental protection. All such victories
are fraught with benefcence, collaterally as
well as directly. They assist in enforcing the
great truths of social science and political
economy, by diminishing mems faith
in governments as instrumentalities of
progress, and by teaching them,
slowly, perhaps, but surely that the inter
ference of Legislative devices is just as PERM
cious in the complex, and still mysterious
machinery of the social system, as in the SIM
pier and more Ineligible departments of
physical science and political economy Men
will, finally, learn that the progress and de-
velopment of human society depend on laws
|
compass, Or regulate the course of trade.
Perhaps even the intermeddling politicians of
| New England viii, one day or another be
convinced that the patent plan of getting
wealthy by restricting industry is no more
sensible than the attempt to lift ones self in
the air by the waistband Of the trousers, or to
secure the liberty of one race by destroying
the liberty Of another. Perhaps they will dis
cover that the social forces are sufficient for
the solution of those problems which they
vainly strive to solve by means of constitu-
| tional amendments, and freedmen's bureau
bills, and other absurd expedients-just as
the laws of trade and the necessities of society
produced the Atlantic telegraph precisely
when Geographic communication between the
two hemispheres became necessary. In this
sense, even more than in its immediate results,
the success of the oceanic telegraph is a bless
ing to mankind
The history of the project which had so
suspicious a contamination is, therefore, es-
pecially interesting, and our readers will, pro-
badly, thank us for q brief resume of what
may be called the biography of the great en-
-. T1o-- I
brother of Cyrus W, Field. The credit of
originating the idea is, as usual in such cases,
claimed by more than one person, and more
than one, person seems to be justly entitled to
| it. The submarine line between ST. Johns,
Newfoundland, and the main land seems to
have been established by the efforts Of Mr..
Frederick N. Osborne, of Halifax, acting on
the suggestion of DR.. Mullock, Roman Catho-
lie bishop of Newfoundland suggestion
made public in st. Johns newspaper as long
ago as 1870. In 1851 Mr.. Osborne got up
a company to construct this line; but the en-.
terprise misearried and involved its protector
in financial ruin. In 1854 MIR. Osborne
went to New York with the purpose, of reyi-
wing the project. While there he accident
ally met at the Astor House Mr., Mat
thew d. Field, an engineer who had been
engaged in building railroads and suspension
bridges at the South and West Mr.. Field
heard Mr.. Gisborne's story with interest, and.
engaged to speak Of it to his brother, Mr..
Cyrus ". Field. Mr.. Field, the historian of
the cable, writes II
Accordingly Mr.. Matthew D. Field introduced
the subject, but found his brother dsincned to
embark in any new undertaking, Though still a
young men, his life had been for many years one
of nCessant devotion to business. He had ac-
cummuiated an ample fortune, and was not dis
posed to renew the cares, the anXieties, and the
tails Of scheme which had in it much to excite
interest, and which by its very difficulty stimu.
lated the spirit of enterprise, he at length con.
sented to see Mr., Osborne, and sent to invite
him to his house, Accordingly he came, aud
spent an evening describing the route Of his pro-
posed telegraph, and the points it was 10 connect.
After he left, Mr.. Field took the globe which was
standing in his library, and began to turn it over,
1t was while thus studying the globe that the idea
first occurred tohim thar the telegraph might be
carried further still, and be made to span the At
lantic Ocean. This idea, as will soon appear
was not original with Mr. Field, though he was to
be the instrument in the hands Of Providence, to
carry it out. It was indeed newiidea to him
but it had long been matter of speculation with
scientific minds, though their theories had never
attracted his attention. But once he had grasped
and led him to entertain the Newfoundland
scheme, as preliminary to the other. Had the
former stood alone, he would never have under-
taken it. He cared little about shortening com
munication with Europe merelyby a day or two,
by relays of boats and carrier-pigeonsl But it
was the hope of further and grander results that
inspired him, and gave him courage to enter on
a work of which no man could foresee the end.
In this incident the historian processes to
discover the germ Of the Atlantic telegraph );
but the thought had already been conceived
by Lieut.. Maury, then at the head Of the
National Observatory at Washington. When
Mr.. Field wrote to Lieutenant, Ma1ry,
he received a prompt reply, stating that
in letter to Mr.. Dobbin, secretary Of the
navy, the lieutenant had already called atten-
ton to The wonderful adaptation to this very
purpose of the ocean bottom between New
,foundland and Ireland, as revealed by the
soundings. of Lieut.. Bergman. In this letter
Of Lieut., Maury, which bears date February
%, 1854, there occurs the following passage
which seems almost prophetic;
Whether it would be better to lead the wires
from Newfoundland or Tahrador 10 mt -,,o4- tho