New-York tribune., 1868-12-30


merug in its speech; but II had then All te dstnctYe
features and characteristics Of its present manhood
need not trouble you with the maadios OF It's unnedged
infancy, mainly the result or ltS parent suggies
against poverty, aud the influence OF the sunlal III
creduty of those who could have rescued ~ from JUS
obscury. IL found friend-an efficient IIlenu-ln Ai
brother furnished the means to give the cu -
dress preparatory to ITS Visit 10 inc se"e "
cate the time aud place Of the birth OF the IeiegiaP
In 1889 1t planned on board the snip III ,l lo2'
Its first operation was shown IN me Nc new olN Iy
versty. In the Winter of 1887 and 1888 was prsete
before Congress. Whether the telegraph had or hd o
in its composition anything IN common WIN the sotaeu
tclegraphs IN Europe out whlch were smply Slo,t
magnetic RemaphOres. ana not electiO-miShetlo toIe
graphsJ 1t is evident from tho dates that the American
telegraph could scarcely nave derived any 'huS ltO
them since these did not practically exist m sOe years
subsequent the conception and planning Oh tle tele
graph board the ship did the first Engsh electro
semaphOre exist until after the first praecal
operation Of the American eectromagnetlc Telegraph III
ths city In claiming for the United states the Urth-
place Of the telegraph do claim too muchi Am uh-
lust distinguished sayaDs or the Ola, anu hoio
also In the New World, whose patient labors and DIll
liant discoveries prepared way for its adyenti No
sincerely appreciates than lhysSH te acleh'I
researches of Ocrsted OF schweigger, OF Ampere Of
Arago of Sturgeon OF Ohm, OF Faraday, Of Dana aud
host Of distinguished workers In the mines OF scehce
from out of every couptry-withOut whose labOrs and
materials for combination which they iurlsheG inc
telegraph Of the day would stll have been uhbO lheSo
effective the electromagnetic semaphOre winch IOoWeu
almost immediately after the brilliant maghetoelectrlc
discovery OF the renowned Danish philosopher Oersteu
claimed, belongs the discovery OF principle III gaNah
ism which made practicable the electromagnetic Sema
this may be, there few IN the country to whom
than Professor Henry the eminent Secretary OF
immemorial have claimed honor to them
sriS~s t"r civins TO the world, through some
OF their subjects, valuable discoveries and inVentions
and spirited earnest and even angry contentious nave
arisen establish their respective claims 10 tue lhFen
discovery In the person OF some individual whon
they put forth tho originator and upon whom thty
YeIos aud discoveries there luIks species Of injustice
easy TO avoid. IL Is rarely, II ever, that any hVe
independents of all others tnat single lnG
ydua can justly appropriate 10 Iisel. .c etsS '
Of al It's parts IL Is only when the nature Or invention
properly understood that the justice OF inc ascIpuoh
~ honor To inc ih4ldhai Inventor Is ptrceVTu,
empAaticay combination, an assembling or put
ing together thus known whether discoveries or otuer
Inventions, to produce new elect 10 create heo H
Eut whittier aiI l strayingi Excuse me- gentlemen
dd not To INTO the metaphysics of inyen
ton, especially before 20 many whom sec Deior,
tour distinguished presiding OhCer among tue Iestl
10 hlG'n more ave lhteIIN'Hty " ut,
would briefly tOuch upon ah9tlet suHtyeet Eao.ahIs LIE
OF the great aud widespread extension OF the ele
occasion II allude 10 the movement JUST no" uhnk III
Congress attach the Telegraph 10 the POStOmce De
parmcnt. neither advocate nor oppose auy partlcuat
measure 10 that cnd when congress LAS thought proper
buug forward would simply alude TO some historic
f,cts, which Iuay be useful 10 remember II endeavoI
ius 10 retcA Ju, ,judEnc III te matter IL may nave
passed out oi memory Of most Of the present gem
crdtou thar the Idea 90 attaching tho Telegraph to the
ncst stacss Of tne invention II first broacned in
10y correspondence with the Treasury Depirtnent
thun thirty years agO-ln Ie3-but under very an
Iclout circumstance. from tie present proposed
Ia my letter Oi 2lth SEPTEMBER lsJI, 10 the sec
tcay the attachment oi 90, T! graph To the POsOmce
Department Tne Secretary. tLo lago Judge Wood
blIy, teconded tue proposal IN hs letter oi Decein-
her T. l,l7 To the Speaker Of the House. The
proposition was repeated my letter OF February l5
ls..s 20 Chairman OK the House Committee OI Com
nercc. IL was again proposed by tho lion. c. g. Ferris
from the same committee. December 30 1872, and remark
from Report worty Ot quotation: " 80 inviting
he says ae the prospects Il profit 10 ndiyd enter
g "A
Ic Government should not on tins account alone seZe
te present opnOrtuny " securing itself tie regula
ton Jf T., stem which, Il mOuOpo1cd 10y private com
pduy. might he used 10 tho serious INJURY of me Pos
OL.ee Department tand please note Mo remark Whcn
folows which cOuld not be prevented without such an
Interference with the rights OF tie inventor ana OI the
S me onpo, Tas far'seeing aind Of Mr. Ferris com
pretended the future Of The Telegraph ana In prophetic
Vision oi lust state of things as now exists land
th. AZ period IN the history the Telegraph before its
practical had been aCcOmpllsbed lie urged The GOV
rn % OF the Iuyenou when none of the
difficulties could occur. which lie foTesIw must arise
~, .'uei. f the committee disregarded In that day
brief narrative Of certain events tile carly history OF
the invention when II snppant FOR aid IN the halls
Congress- will give tho answer TO this question must
not deln yOu with too much detail, but the contrast Of
s and no0 cannot fan al least 10 amuse you. The ses
Of So and 1858 passed away with 40 other acton on
he report from the House Committee of Commerce. An
interval or for years occurred before the attention OF
Benton. M the abridged debates, gives In brief
KIND of reception the bill for aid to the telegraph
narrative Is very snort. allow me 10 quoteit
House oF RsPKEsENrIrIvEs, Feb 81, isi3
KLE'Tro aNp ANIMAL HAGNkIsN
o. r A,ass ,Mar the COImittse took the
Dan alore Of rs to be- maize order to te's the
~ 900 to be expended direction
M cave Joausoa Nuei 10 have Wori to say upon h h A.
Ito Msros neglected and overlooked he
.. Z, s,dt's ., ,sss@s ors = Washington Gs,4sr,a
ensbr am 10 experiments a. vel az Prof Mors
% Houston ;hoasht bat l" should also be included the
Mr. say , b. ,sesd tr, no objection 90 ,he appropriation for
,psneuts prot dd tue gentleman hom TenHssses lM
Mr. Cav. Johnson ,,d be 6sa lave no objections provided III.
AoIiL CtsrOns N SLyJ tie operator Gresi
gentlemen e,ed r the reading OfAs amendment and it
Pme ma. oaeh of ths sad sum shall be appropriated
under She direction Of the Secretary Of the
r Mason oto rose Of order he mnaoed tS.t
ate, the character fthe hou'. lie appealed to the Ch.ftO
The Cb,as1 ,s il vas not iot him to adg, Of
hers eus aGeamen ,gd hs could net therefore, undertake 70
that Isuty susogOn, character % the
b confederation but tie opinion Of he Chs would re-
anaos that 70 be employed telegraph, augher
Therefore ruled amendment order On taxing the vote the
amendment r,e's-Ae, ~ Noes not counted The bill ""
thcn lad aside % be rrr)rtst'
Tho temper OF the House Is easily inferred from this
narrative To those who thus rdcucd the telegraph It
WAC "A Chimera, a visionary dream like mesmerlsn,
rather to be matter Of merrlment than seriously enter
tanned Men o character men OF erudltlon, men who In
ordinary affairs had foresight. were wholly unable to
forecast the future Of the telegraph was told at the
by many personal Ithus III IDo nOnst INC
bill finally passed. out OF Difference to personal
standing than from just appreciation or the impOr
tnncc Uf the invention compliment, however crafty
ug persona pride. fully Offset by perceying the
low estimate or the result or my labors Olher motions
dparaug TO the Invention were made, such as prop0si
tiuns appropriate part " the sum 10 telegraph TO the
moon. The majority OF Congress did not concur IN TINS
attempt 10 defeat the by rldcule, and the bill
was passed by the close vote OF SO 10 3d. change or
votes however would have consigned the invention to
oblivion. That this not ats fate Is mainly due 10
the perseverance and foresight Of the distinguished mem
her from Maryland the Hon. j. =. Kennedy. and tho
Hon G. g. Ferris OF New York and the Hon Col Aycrigg
New Jersey. and Mason OF Ohio The struggles or The
telegraph before Congress not en- Ted with the
passage Of tho BILL TO test It's capacity between two dis
Another year witnessed the triumphant sue
OF the test OF its practcabiy. The invention vim
fcated lts character as substantial reality 10 was no