New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-06-12
THE MORSE TRIBUTE.
H0NORS TO THE INVENTOR OF TIE
TELEGRAPH

HOFFMAN, WIN. c. BRYANT, WIN. ORION,
PROF. MORSE AND OTHERS.
The unyaling of the Morse Statue in the
Central Park Saturday was an event OF no ordinary
significance Beyond the display Of bunting the City
Hall there little TO catch the eye Of the people Sim
pie, undemonstratiye, dgnined the exercises embodied
recognition the part OF intelligent and
patriotic citizens, OF the worldwide services OF
INC Master Electrician. The universally OF the
DEMENT'S derived from the discovery Of telegraphy
iouhd lifting expression in the character OF the
assepage that witnessed the unvang Of the statue.
Juriss and men of science Legislators and tradespeope
statesmen ana workinmen, shared alike in this crown
ing tribute 10 American Invention. The audience at the
Academy OF Music In the evening, comprehendng the,
best elements OF the social and intellectual life OF the
metropolis, was, after its kind as fine tribute TO tho
genius OF Morse as the statue unvaed IN the afternoon
The addresses pertinent TO the historical suggest
iveness OF the occasion and at the moment when the
veteran electrician teegraphed his greeting the ends
OF the earth, the enthusiasm unbounded handker
chiefs futtered from the galleries. and the spacious nall
reGchoed with plaudits.
pleasant episode in the days proceedings an ex
cursion in the harbor given in the forenoon by L. G. Til
klotson Co. to telegraph operators visiting the city The
steamer James Fisk r left the dock at the foot OF
Chamberst at 10 M, with 200 guests, including ele.
graph operators from California, Louisiana,
Nova Scotia, Canada, and all parts Of
the country. Abundant supplies of refreshments
were provided By the hosts and the 65th Regiment band
added materially to the pleasure Of the OCCASION Ad
dresses were made by the Rev. Matthew Hale Smith, the
Hon. Erastus Brooks, James W. Slower, Charles Mackn-
tosh and Others and resolutions thanking Tilotson d
Co. for their hospitality and courtesy were adopted.
The steamer, after coastng down the Bay TO Staten
Island, returned to the wharf at p IN.
-. THE CEREMONIES AT CENTRAL PARK.
IA wealth Of genial sunshine, the concert the Mall
and the impressive exercises connected with the unya
In no off In
largest concourse Of visitors that has gathered
lin the Central Park The statue taken from the
foundery early In the morning and placed upon granite
pedestal, eminence south Of the Casino. Two
stands for the accommodation OF invited guests bad
been erected and shielded from the sun by canopes On
the sward were garden settees ranged in long
|. rows. The statue, standing at angle between
the platforms and facing Fifth-ave was draped In
large American flag The aeness OF the hour at which
the exercises took place ample opportunity for the
arrival Of spectators and least 10000 persons gathered
In the vicinity. Among the invited guests who occupied
the platform Gov. Hoffman, Gov. Clafin OF Massa
chusets the Hon. W. orion, Cyrus W. Field, Gen. Me-
iQuade, Marshall o. Roberts, Judge DAILY, j. Agnew
W. G. Hunt, Mayor Hall. the Rev. DR.. Tying, Byron NJ
Pickett, Peter Cooper, VIM. Cullen Bryant Gen. J. G.
wson, and others. The less privileged guests seated
themselves over the sward under the shadows of the
trees
The exercises we're pleasantly introduced by over
Hoffman addressed the vast assemblage as follows
ADDRESS OF GOV. HOFFMAN.
L LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: We met TO witness the
completion Of statue erected In honor OF American
citizen who is still living. In the most conspicuous and
the beautiful of the public grounds OF tho chief
city OF this Western hemisphere this statue OF Samuel
b. Morse shall stand for ages The enduring material OF
which IL is made may, in the long lapse of time, crunbe.
yet his will not be lost to the memory OF man BY
his own works he has secured for it Immortality So
long lasts IL VIII be spoken ana hOnOred.
The faculty Of speaking is the gift whereby God he's
are enabled TO utter to neighbor wants, our
sqfeTngs our synpathles, every idea and feeling
its highest honOrs the world has sought during all his
bet BY means OF we were empowered to speak TO the
eye well as to the and to transport to the most
remote parts of the earth the utteTances of mind and
heart in visible and lasting FORM Hours, days. weeks
months may elapse before that which we would have
destinaton; but thanks TO the alphabet, 1t reaches
| them at last fresh and in perfect keeping. Tie
anSHas man and oa ho the
how greatly has the blessing been expanded! BY it
utterancos aud BY speak 10 generations yet
born Centuries and centuries passed away and this
ton was all the improvement to which human invention
was equal In our day new era has dawned. Again.
power OF language is increasedby human agency Thanks
to Samuel d. Morse. men speak TO one another now.
The mentor Of the ALPHABET be- deserving Of tRe bei
honors, is he whose great achievement marks this
epoch in the history anguage-thc inventor OF the
electric teeg graph We intend that so far as IN Us lr,
the men who come after shall at no loss to dis
cover his for OF the recorded testimony of his
cotempOraIes. In doing him. during his lite, the ex
traordluary honor which are met this day TO make
complete, contribute little 10 his well earned glory
nevertheless the people OF the great city represented by
their Mayor and the people OF two Satethe State OF hi.
birth and the state of his adopton-untng IN this
mOnial In the persons Of their chosen chief
lind great qualification for themselves in this opportunity
to testify Their spPTecG5n OF te honor ana The
country tApplause. The Governor OF Massachusetts,
the native state OF Morse will unya the statue.
and then william Cullen Bryant viii speak to you he
only speak. How fitting that lac who-hayng before
him the letters of the ancient alphabet which Cadmus
brought into Greece, has by his great translation
bled oil Engshspeakng men 10 realize to-day, in their
our leader on this occasion in paying a Just tribute 10
who is his friend, and who, like himself has from
the pursuits Of private life, east real and enduring stcr
upon the American name. lAppause
After Gov Hoffman Ladlresumed his seat, Gov. 0ahin
and the Hon. Vim. orion threw aside the drapery, and
displayed the statue to the vast assembage. tumut-
ouburst Of applause followed the band playing
the Star spangled Banner" When the applause had
subsidized, william Cullen Bryant was introduced and
ADDRESS OF MR. BRYANT.
There are two lines IN the poem OF Dr. johnson the
"Vanity of Human Wishes" which have passed Into a
proverb: ,,,
To burned ment raise the tarty bust
It ia our good fortune 70 escape the censure implied in
these lines We come together the occasion RAISING
statue not to buried but to living mertto great dis
eoverer who yet sits among us, witness OF h0nors
which are but first fruits Of that ample harvest which
his memory will gather in the long train Of yet
70 come [Applause.l Yet we cannot congratulate
selves on having set an example OK alaerty in this
illustrious friend, TO whom we now gladly pay
these honor had not lived beyond the common age OF
man, We should have sorrowfully laid them on his
grave In what about TO say shall not attempt
relate the history of the electric telegraph discuss the
claims OF our friend be be acknowled as its in
ventOr took up the other day OF the 46 volumes
OF great Biographical Dictionary compiled by French
authors, and Immediately after the name Of Samuel Fin
ley Breese Morse read the words, inventor Of the
electric telegraph" am satisfied with this description
lApplausel IL is made by nation which, having
claims OF its own 10 the invention IL naturally impartial