The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1869-01-20

&c.
The banquet rendered to Prorcssc,
Samuel +. b. Morse, ain recognition
of his eminent services to his country
and tho world" took place in New
York OIL Tuesday evening, and was
participated in by company of gen
tlcmcn well Known in literature, law,
art, arms, commerce, and politics. The
Chief Justice of the Iluitcd States
presided, aud the whole affair was an
intellectual treat. Professor Morse,
in reply to complimentary toast,
made a speech; in which he related
the following interesting facts:
In 1882, on board an American
ship in her voyage from llavrc to
New York. the first telegraph was
conceived and its essential pcculiari-
ties brought forth and elaborated. In
1885, according 20 the concurrent
testimony of many witnesses, it lispcd
its first accents, and automatically re.
corded them in this city. 1t was a
feeble child indeed, ungainly in its
dress, stammcring in its speech but
1t had then all tho distinctive features
and characteristics of it's present man
hood | need not trouble you with
the maladics Of its .unhcdged infancy,
mainly the results of its parents
struggles against poverty, and the IN
flucnce of the substantial incrcdulity
of those who oonll. have rescued it
from it's obscnrity& It found a friend
an efficient fricnd--in Mr.. Alfred
Vail, of New Jersey, who, with his
father and brother, furnished the
means to give the child decent dress
preparatory to itsvist to the seat of
Govern mcnt. uA4G9i : ; ~
In the winter of 1887 and 1888 it
was presented before Congress. The
session of 1887 andilS3S passed away
with no other acton on tic subject of
the tolcgraplr than ~ unanimously
favorable report from the House Com
mittec of Commerce. An interval of
four years occurred before tho attcn-
ton of Congress ccild be again reused
to consider the maacr.
The temper Of ;hc House is easily
inferred. Men ofpharactcr, men Of
erudition, men whoin ordinary affairs
had foresight! wcre@holly unable to
forecast tho future Of tlsp lologropb T
was told at the tima by many person
al friends in the House that the bill
finally passed more n,t OF def,rencr TO
my personal standing than from any
just appreciation Of the importance of
the Invention, a compliment which,
however gratifying to personal Pride,
was fully Offset by pcrcniylng the low
estimate Of the rcsnlt Of my lnlors. Mo.
tons dsparagiiig to the invention were
made, such rs propositions to arpropri-
ate part Of the sum TO a telegraph to the
moon. =,
The majority Of Congress did MT
corcur in this attempt to defeat the
measure BY ridcule. and the bill was
passed by the close volc Of eigh,y.ninc
to eighty three. Another year witness.
ed the triumphant success of the Test Of
i,s pracli, ability.
The inventions vindicated Otis aharac.
ter as a substantial reality it was no
'"hSSi q CiiiiiltiH, u VISIONARY SCncInc 10
eStorl money from he public ctlf,rs,
Ito inventor was no more subjected 10
The suspicion Of lim,cy, nor rilrculed in
the halls Of Con grcss. g
My earliest desires, ail ':inte ntionS
were that The Govcfnhient should pos
sess the control OF such power as |
could not hnt forrscc was inherent in
the telegraph Vast as its pecnniary
value lo' med np in the mind4nf some,
in Tie contemplation ofns fninrt, riwas
ntilhcr dazzle with its visions Of untold
wealth. nor tempted to make an <ior-
tionate demand upon the Government
iprits possrssonI,h'1 81. ''" 80 -.
! offered the whole invention ITO The
Govef!imehL for The sum Of one hundred
thousand dollars. . Strange rs it may
now scom, 10 response was MADE .to'tliis
olrr-no no'icc was taken oft except
to request from the General
report on The general subject Of the
telegraph.
1t is true that sparscly Inhabited coun-
try is generally badly cultivated, but tho
remedy with us, for both, is nj hand I'm.
prove the agriculture of the country and
you will augment its population, It's pro.
ducts and its income. All these 20 togcth
CT, forming a natural consequence of first
efforts. We have the example Of othor