The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-06-10
The Morse Statue In Central Park.

| The Morse Statue In Central Park.
About twenty-eight years ago the Congress
Of the United States had before it petition of
an unknown man of science, praying that
thirty thousand dollars be appropriated to
enable him to erect line Of wire from Wash
miies-upon which he and Congress and the
world might fully test the practicabiity of his
| new invention, the electric telegraph. Con-
gress submitted his petition to Cave johnson,
of Tennessee, then Postmaster General, and
he returned an elaborate report upon the sub
ject, ridiculinq the idea and intimating that it
was the freak Of mailman. cit is fully as
practicable, said the sagacious Cave, ito run
telegraph line to the moon as to Baltimore"
In those days, however, we had Congresses
that appreciated science and had more leisure
time, owing, probably, to lack of political
business, to apply to scientific matters brought
before them. So the appropriation was made,
only after long delay, however, and just in
the last hours of the session, when the poor
inventor had almost given up hope. The
appropriation being made, the inventor worked
with will, and The line between Baltimore and
Washington was completed early in 1914. The
first trembling message that vibrated along the
wiry route, and brought back life and hope and
joy to the heart of the struggling inventor, was
couched in these words :-sWhat hath God
wrought"
1t seems to us that Professor Morse, when
he is present to-day at the unwilling of
his own statue by the loving and grateful
hands of his own countrymen, ought to
feel the same thrill of joy pass through his
heart that passed through it when those words
first clicked upon his ear in the electric
accents of his new creation. He was younger
then, and the wild dream of his life was just
upon the point of realization; he is an old
man now, and that life dream is about to be
fifty rounded off by an honor that is paid to
living men only once in many centuries.
s'What hath God wrought" indeed. 1t is
seldom that he Has wrought so much through
one human instrument as he has wrought
through Morse. The little instrument that
tremblingly clicked its message forty miles
while the heart of its master sickened and
tainted within him for fear it should fail has
knit together with its tiny metal bands all the
peoples of the globe in o more enduring bond
Of mutual knowledge and closer sympathies.
1t has brought all the civilized cities and
countries of the earth within few hours
trated, proselytizing as it goes, into the bar
barous wilds of India and the Orient. That
'impracticable idea of madman, in its sub
sequent improvements and its rapid and far
reaching ramifcations, has proven the
greatest wonder of the nineteenth century,
marvellous age of wonders as it is.
There will be most imposing programme
Of arrangements for the ceremonies day.
The statue will be unveiled by Governor
Clafin, of Massachusetts,, and Mr.. Orion.
Governor Hoffman will deliver the introduce
tory address, William Cullen Bryant the in-
augural address, Mayor Hall will receive the
statue for the city, and Rev. Stephen H. Tying,
of st. Georges, will make the invocatory
prayer. These will be the proceedings during
the afternoon, beginning at four o'clock. OF
course there will be music. In the evening
there will be public reception given to the
Professor himself at the Academy of Music,
whence, after various speeches by eminent
orators, he will send telegraphic message to
all the cities of the Union, aud to all the
cities of Europe, and to parts of Asia and
Africa, announcing his farewell to telegraphy,
and responses will be received by him from
those points within ten minutes. Governor
Hoffman will deliver congratulatory address
to the Professor aud the latter will reply in
person. Nhe thousands upon thousands that
will tbrong Central Park and the Academy to
view these proceedings will have an oppor-
tunity of witnessing an event the like of which
they may never see again. 1t is the highest
ideal of human honors-this erection of q
statue to living man. 1t Is grand compli-
ment that should only be paid to such men as
Morse and Washington, Fulton, Franklin
men who have won the great victories, not of
war alone, but of peace.
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