The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-01-07
Il BIT OF HISTORY.

Il BIT OF HISTORY.
The Magnetic Te1egraPh--Its carly His-
tory-How it was Kfdieuled I'm Com
cress-Interesting Statemcn mt from Pro-
fessor Elerse.
A grand banquet was given at Delmonico's,
in New York, on the 29th ult., to Professor
Morse, the father Of modern telegraphy, in re-.
cosnition of his services in the cause of sci
cnce. Chief Justice Chase presided, and the
company consisted Of men distinguished in
science, art, literature, arms. and the profos-
sons and trades. The chief feature of the
occasion was the address Of Professor Morse,
and one of the most striking portions of his
address was that referring to the difficulties he
encountered in cnlisting public interest and
confidence and the recognition and assistance
of Congress. 1t was the old tale of inventors
-one continued struggle against popular in
credulity and ridicule. Wequote tlom the ad-
dress
VOYAGE, from Havre to New York, the first telc-
oraph was conceived and it's essential pecu-
iiarities brought forth and elaborated. In
1885. according to the concurrent testimony
Of many witnesses, it lisped its first accents
and automatically recorded them in this city.
It was feeble child Indeed, ungainly IN it's
dress, stammering in its speech; but 1t had
then all the distinctive features and character.
lstics of it's present manhood. need not
trouble you with The maladies OF its unfledged
infancy. mainly the results OF its parents
struggles against poverty, aud the ltltiEence OF
the Substantial lncrednity OF those who could
have rescuedit from its obscurity. It found
friend-an efficient friend-in MIR. Alfred>yail,
of New Jersey, who, with his 'tather and pro-
ther. furnished the means to give the child
decent dress, preparatory to its visit to the
seat Of government.
To the winter Of 1887 and 1888 it was pre-
sented before Congress. The session OF 1887
and 1888 passed away with no other action on
Che subject OF tho telegraph than unanimous
IL favorable report from the House Committee
OF Commerce. An interval OF four years oc-
Cured before tho attention OF Congress could
be again reused to consider the matter. Sena-
Tor Benton, in the abridged debates, gives IN
brief the kind of reception the bill for aid to
test the telegraph met with in the House from
certain members. As the narrative 1s very
short, allow ME to quote it:
"HoUsE OF REPRESENTATIVES, February 2lst,
1s43.-E,ec.ro and Animal Magnetism ON mo-
ton OF MIR. Kennedy, OF Maryland the com.
mitteo took up the bill TO authorize series OF
merits Of Morse's Magnetic telegraph.
The bill appropriates thirty thousand dollars,
to be exIeuded under the direction OF the
Postmaster-G General.
s.Mr, Cave johnson wished to have word
to soy upon this bill. As the present Congress
had doae much to encourage science, he did
not wish 10 see the science OF mesmerism ne
elected and overlooked. He, therefore, pro-
posed that ene-haif the appropriation be given
to MIR. Fisk 60 gentlemen at that time lsctur-
ing in Washin gton on mesmerism), to enable
him to carry on experiments as we'll as Pro-
fessor Morse :,
"Mr. Houston thought that AtQsrisn should
should also bo included in the benefits OF the
appropriation.
to the appropriation for mosmeric experiments,
provided The gentleman from Tennessee (Alr.
Johnson) was the subject a laugh.l
chr. Cave johnson said he should have no
objections, provided the gentleman from North
Carolina (Mr. Stanley was the operator. [Great
Several gentlemen called for the reading of
the amendment, ard it was read by the clerk
as follows:
"'Pro,ided, that one-half of the said sum
shall be appropriated for trying mesmeric e1-
perinonts under the direction OF the Secretary
OF the Treasury
s.Mr. Mason, OF Ohio, rose to a question OF
order. He maintained that the amendment was
not bona .Jide, and that such 'amendments were
calculated to injure tue character OF the House.
He appealed to the chair to rule the amend
ment out Of order.
"The chairman said it was not for him to
Judge of the motives of the members in Offering
amendments, and he could not, therefore, uu-
dertake to pronounce the amendment not bona
tide. Objections might be raised to 1t on the
ground that it was not sufficiently analogous IN
character to the bill under consideration, but
in the opinion of the chair it would require
scientific analysis to determine how far the
magnetism Of Mesmerism was analogous to
that to be employed in telegraPhs (laughter);
he therefore ruled the amendment in order.
On taking the vote the amendment was reject
ed. Yeas "a, nays not counted. Tho bill was
then laid aside to be reported"
The temper Of the House is easily inferred
from this narrative. 10 those who thus ridl.
cuIed tho telegraph it was chinera, vision
ary drcan-ike mesmerism, rather to be II al
ter OF merriment than seriously entertained.
Men OF character, men OF crudltion, mon who,
in ordinary aft lrs, had foresight, were wholly
unable 10 forecastthe future OF the telegraph:
I was told at the time by many personal
friendsin the House that tho bill finally passed
more out OF Difference to my personal standing
than from any Just appreciation Of The impor-
tanco OF the invention; compliment, however,
gratifying to personal pride, was fully offset
BY parcelYing the low estimate of the result OF
INV labors. Other motions disparaglng to the
invention were made, such as propositions TO
appropriate part OF the sum to telegraph to
the moon.
The majority rf Congress did not concur in
.his attempt to defeat the moasuic b. ridlcule,
and the bill was passed by the close vote OF
clghty-nine 10 oighty-thlec. A change OF three
votes, however, would have consigned the in
ventiou to oblivion. That this was not its faro
is mainly due to tue perseverance and foresight
of the distinguished member from Maryland.
Hon. J. p Kennedy, and Hon. c. g. Ferris; of
New York, aud Hon. Celouel Aycrlgg, OF New
Jersey, aud Mason, OF Ohio. The struggles OF
the telegraph before Congress were not ended
with the passage of the bill to test its capacity
between two distant cities. Another year wit
messed the triumphant success OF the test OF
IT'S practicability.
The Invention: yindicated its character rs a
substantial reality; it was no longer chimera,
visionary scheme to extort money from the
public coff0rs. It's inventor was 10 more sub
jected to the suspicion of lunacy, nor ridlculed
IN the halls of Congress.
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