Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-11-21

cyrus w. Fieid---The Triun1hs
Intelligent Perseverance.
a grand banquet was given to Cyrus Y
FIELD, by the New York Chamber Of Con
merce, on Thursday evening last, as test
monial to his industry, energy and perseve
ance in connection WITH the greatest ente
prise Of the age, the laying of the Atlanti
Cable. In response to the toast "CYRu
w. FIELD, the protector and handspring {
the Atlantic Telegraph, that gentlema
spoke at considerable length. The subioine
is especially interesting, as ombodyin
the chief Poiri, in tie history Of the enter
prise;
IL is nearly thirteen ycars since half
dozen gentlemen of this city met at m,
house for four successive evenings. anl
around a table covered with maps and charts
and plans and estimates, considered proiec
10 extend line Of telegraph from Novs
Scotia TO 81. Johns, in Newfoundland. thence
10 be carried across the ocean. II was a yer,
pretty plan on paper. There was New York
and there was ST. Johns, only about I.2OG
miles apart. IL was easy 10 draw line from
one point 10 the other-making no account
oi the forests and mountains, and swamps
and rivers and gulfs, that lay in our way.
Not one nf us had ever seen the country. or
had any idea Of the obstacles 10 be overcome.
We thought We could build the line in n
few months. Ii took two years and half.
Yet we never asked for help outside our own
little circle. Indeed l fear we should not
have got it if we had-for few had any faith
IN our scheme. Every dollar came out of
our own pockets. Yet ! am proud 10 say
%" man drew back. No man proved a de-
setler; those who came first into the work
have stood by il to the end. or those six
men four are here to-night-Mr. PETER
COOPER, MOsE5 TAYLOR, MARSHALL O.
ROBERIs and myself My brother DUDLEY
Is in Europe, and Mr.. CHANDLER WHITE
died III 1885, and his place was supplied by
Mr. WILSON G. Hunt, who is also here.
Mr.. ROBERT w. LoBER was our Secretary.
To these gentlemen, as my first associates. il
IS but just that ] should pay my first ac-
acknowledgements.
From this statement you perceive that in
the beginning this was wholly an American
enterprise. IL was begun, and for two years
aud Il bali was carried on solely by Ameri-
can capital. Our brethren across the sea
didpot even know what we were doing away
ia the forests Of Newfoundland. Our little
company raised and expendedo million
and a quarter Of dollars before an English
man paid a single pound st-r'inq.
Aud in preparing for an ocean cable the
first soundings acsoss the Atlantic were
made by American officers in American
ships Ourscientiiic men-MoRsE, HENRY.
BACHE and MAUHY-had taken great inter-
c-t in the subject The United States ship
Dolphin discovered the telegraphic plateau
as early as 1858; and the United States shin
Arciic sounded across from Newfoundland
to ireland ia 1886, a year before Her Mai
esty's ship Cyciops, under command Of Capt.
DANMAN, went over the same course. This |
! state naught from the just praise of Eng
land, but simply TO yindicate the truth Of
history.
1t was not till 1S56-ten years ago-that |
the enterprise had any existence in England. |
In that summer / went 10 London, and there |
with Mr.. JOHN w. BRETT, Mr.. (now Sir) |
CHARLES BRIGHT and DR.. WHITEHoUsE, |
organized the Atlantic Telegraph Company. |
Science had begun TO contemplate the neces- |
sity of such an enterprise; and the great |
FARADAY cheered us with his lofty enthusi- |
asm. Then for the first time was enlisted |
the support Of English capitalists; and then !
the British Government began that gener- |
Gus course which it has continued ever since |
offering us ships 10 complete soundings |
across the Atlantic, and 10 assist in laying |
the cable, and an annual subsidy for the |
transmission Of messages. The expedition |
OF 1887 and the two expeditions Of 1858 were |
joint enterprises, in which the Niagara and |
the SasQuehdARa took part with the AgaDlcn-
non, the Leopard, the Gordon, the Vaidrousj
and the officers of both nayies worked with |
generous rivalry Tor the same great object
The captal-eXcept one quarter which, as
you have said, was taken by mysef-was
subscribed wholly in Great Britain. The |
Directors were almost all English bankers
and merchants, though among them was one
gentleman whom We are proud TO call an
American-Mr. GEORGE PEABODY, a name
honored in two countries, since he has show
cred his princely beneiactions upon both
who, though a resident for nearly forty years
in London, where he has gained abundant
wealth an honors still clings to the land of
his birth, declining the honor Of Baronetcy /
of the United Kingdom to remain simple |
American citizen.
With tho expeditions of 1873 you are
familiar. On the third trial we gained a
brief success. The cable was laid, and for
four weeks it worked-though never very
brilhantly-neve giving forth such rapid |
and distinct flashes as the cables Of to-day.
IL spoke, though only in broken sentences.
But while it lasted no less than four hundred /
messages were sent across he Atlantic Noual /
remember the enthusiasm which il excited |
Ii was a new thing under the sun, and for a
few weeks the public went wild over it. OF
course, when it stopprd, the reaction was
very great People grew dumb and suspi-
cious. Some thought it was all hoax and
-
at all That kind OF odium we have had TO
endure for eight years, till now, I trust, we
have at last subdued the unbelievers.
Ailer the failure of 1858 came our darkest
days When a thing is dead il is hard to
galvanize il into life Ii is more difficult TO
revive an old enterprise than to start a new
one The freshness and novelty are gone,
and the feeling Of disappointment discour-
ages further effort.
Other causes delayed a new attempt. This
country had become involved in a tremen-
dous war aud while the nation was strug-
Cling for life, il had no time 90 spend in for
eign enterprises.
But in England the project was still kept
alive. The Atlantic Telegraph Company
kept up It's organization. IL had noble
body OF directors, who had faith in the en-
tcrprise and looked beyond its present low
estate 20 ultimate slcccss.
All this time the science of submarine
tclography was making progress The
British Government appointed a Commits
.ion 20 investigate The whole subject This
Commission sat Tor nearly two years, and
spent many thousands Of pounds in expert
lncnts. The result was a clear conviction
la every mind that IL was possible 10 lay
telegraph across the Atlantic. Science was
also being all the while applied TO practice.
Submarine cables were laid in different seas
in the Mediterranean, Ia the Red Sea,
aud the Persian Gulf
When the scientific and engineering pro-
blcms were solved VIC took heart again, and
began 90 prepare for a fresh attempt This
was in S63 la this country-thouph the
war was sill raging-l wen from city 10
city, holding meetings and trying TO raise
capital, bat with poor success. Men came
and listened, and said, 1T wasall very fine"
and chopped ! would succeed but did
nothing. la one Of the cities they gave me
q large meeting. aud passed some beautiful
resolutions. and appointed a committee Of
solid men to canvass the city, but ! did
not get a solitary subscriber In this city
did better, though money came 10y the hand
,,t. By personal solicitations, encouraged
BY YOU. sir, and Ither good friends, | sue
cccded in raising c10O00. Since not many
had faith, | must present one example 10