Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1869-01-15
The IncentiOn Of the T'eiegrdph-
Speech of Professor Morse.

| DPCtO0 W a fOI tooOf hOfocs
Professor Morse, at the recent banquet
given him in New York, made lengthy
speech, in which be gave an interesting
sketch of the obstacles be encountered in
The invention and introduction of the tele-
groph. In referring to the invention Of the
telegraph, be said
In the minds Of some, perhaps, the quos-
tion may be 8gitated Whence and when
did the telegraph, now universally adopted
throughout the world, originate Is it an
invention originating here or was it for
eign invention, first imported from abroad,
receiving Improvements on this side of the
water, and then returned to the Eastern
contnentH These questions, think, can
be satisfactorily solved. Let me premise
that the instrumeptalities for the purpose Of
intercommunication at distance, which
have bceE used from time immemorial, are
naturally divided into semaphoric and tele.
graphic the former, as its name indicates,
conveying signal evanescent in its nature;
the latter, as it's name indicates, permanent
ly recording a sign. Although both those
sN stems have been conlounded under the
general name of telegraph, none are strict
ly telegraphic but those which propose and
ard accomplish a permanent record. In
considering the paternity of modern tele
graphy, therefore, this essential distinction
should be borne in mind ; and in claiming
for my country the paternity, /, at the
same time, discaim the origination of any
semaphoric system, except as the natural
concomitant or result of the telegraph.
A proper observance of this distinction
between the semsphore and the telegraph
would long since have removed many OF the
causes Of apparently conflicting claims to
priority. For example, the English system
elaborated in 1886, and established in Great
Britain in 1887, through the energy and skill
of the Ingenious Mr.. Cooke subsequently
aided by Professor Wheatstone, is a sema-
phore. Whatever its merits, however, as
semaphore, it is a fact universally acknowl-
edged, as we have shown, by all the nations
OF the Eastern as well as the Western con.
tinent, that it has giveu place to the tele-
grsph. The telegraph has everywhere sup
planted it, and this not only in the conti-
mental nations, but extensively in the Uni
ted Kingdom itself, and in all the British
colonies. Whence then, aud when did the
telegraph come into existenceY
need not go into detail further than to
recapitulate two or three essential dates,
familiar, indeed, to all who have read any
authentic history of the invention. In 1882
on board an American ship, in her passage
| from Havre to New York, the first telegraph
was conceived, and its essential peculiari-
| ties brought forth and elaborated In 1885
according to the concurrent testimony of
many witnesses, it lisped accents, and au-
tomatically recorded them in this city, a
few blocks distant from the spot from which
now address you. 1t was a feeble child
indeed, ungainly 10 its dress, stammering in
| its speech; but it had all the distinctive
features and characteristics of its present
manhood. | Deed rot trouble you with the
maladies of its uDAedged infancy, mainly
! tie result of its parents struggles against
poverty, and the influence of the substau-
tial incredulity of those who could have
rescued II from obscurity. 1t found a
friend, en- efficient friend, in Mr.. Alfred
Vail, of New Jersey, who, with his father
and brother, furnished the means to give
the child decent dress, preparatory to its
visit to the Government. These few facts
suffice here to indicate the time and place
OF the birth of the telegraph.
In 1882 it was planned on board the ship.
In 1885 its first operation was shown in
New York City University. In the winter
of 1887 '38 it was presented before Con-
gress Whether the telegraph had or had
not in its composition anything in common
| WIN luG rO-NhiNu tClfkldDnh III EUROPE,
(but which were simply electro magnetic
semaphores, and not electro magnetic tele-
graphs) it is evident from the dates that the
American telegraphs could scarcely have
derived anything from them, since these
did not practically exist till some years
subsequent to the conception and planning
OF the telegraph on board the ship nor did
the first English electro magnetic telegraph
in this city. In claiming for the United
States the birthplace Of the telegraph, do
claim too muchY Am / unjust to the dis
tinguished SdUdnts of the old, and some also
in the new world, whose patient labors and
brilliant discoveries prepared the way fol
its advent
No one more sincerely appreciates thar
my self the scientific researches of Oersted
of Schweigger, of Ampere, of Arigo, q
Sturgeon, of Ohm, of Faraday, of Dana
and a host of distinguished workers in the
mines Of science, from ont of every coun
try, without whose labOrs, and the material
for combination which they furnished, tn,
telegraph of to-day would still have beer
unborn. Those labors and researches ver,
equally necessary in making effective tn,
electro magnetic semaphore, which followed
almost Immediately after the brilliant mag
netic discovery Of the renowned Danisl
philosopher, Oersted.
To distinguished Sauant of our owl
country, it is also claimed, belongs the dis
covery of principle in galvanism which
made practicable the electromagnetic sema
phore and also the electromagnetic telegraph
However this may be, there are few to whom
this country is more indebted for vslnabl.
labors and researches than Prof Henry, tn,
eminent Secretary of the Smithsonian In
stitute. Nations from time immemorial
have claimed honor 10 themselves for Rivip,
To the world, through some of their subject
valusble discoveries aud inventions ah,
spirited, earnest, and even augry conten
tions have arisen TO establish their respect
i've claims to the invention or discovery ii
the person Of some individual whom the,
put forth as the originator, and upon whom
they concentrate their regard.
In this individualizing OF inventions an,
, discoveries there turks a species Of ininstic,
, not easy TO avoid. Itis rarely, II ever. tina
! any invention is - Independent Of all other
that single individual can justly appropri
ate to himself the entire credit of all IT.
parts. IL Is only when the nature of inyen
tion is properly understood that the jnstie,
, of the ascription honor TO the individual ia
yentor is perceived. Invention is emphati
caly combination, an assembling or puttinl
together OF things known, whether diseov
! cries or other Inventions, TO produce a ne
effect. to create a new art.
$ THE PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHUrcH.-
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