The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-01-17
The International Telegraph Conference ~
Rome-Achievements and Progress Of Med

Tue lutoruast0na1 Telegraph C0uieronoo -
acknowledgements and Progress Of Med.
ern Science.
The despatch which we published yesterday
from Rome shows that the convention adopted
by the International Telegraph Congress has
been signed and the delegates had left. There
was, however. grand display in the city in
honor of the Congress before the departure OF
the members. The Coliseum was illuminated,
and presented a magnificent spectacle. AT
given signal the whole of the majestic ruins
were instantly flooded with light. This was
produced, undoubtedly, by the electric spark,
and was, therefore, particularly appropriate to
the occasion. The beautiful experiment was
repeated, simultaneously with the firing Of
rockets, producing different colors in the gal
leries. much to the delight and establishment
of the assembled crowd. This was the crown
ing act of most interesting event. The in
cidents previously reported to us by telegraph
from Rome were also eminently interesting
and suggestive.
The Conference concluded its deliberations
at the expiration of the dying year, and on the
advent of the newborn year of 1872 the
members were entertained by Mr.. Cyrus W.
Field at a magnificent commemorative ban
quet. 1t was announced that the Conference
would reassemble at st. Petersburg in the
year 1875. On the following evening the
Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs also gave
dinner to the delegates to the Conference
The gentlemen who were present at the COM
memorative banquet we are told in our
special telegram, represented twenty-one
countries, six hundred millions Of people and
twenty-six different languages, while the finan-
cial interests of private telegraph companies
represented by the delegates amounted, in
francs, to three hundred millions. There is
an immense amount Of meaning in that single
sentence. 1t suggests theme which will
open up at once to the readers mind the history
of the whole human race-the rise and fall of
empires, the systems of civilization that have
existed at different times In various nation
alities, and, in contrast with them, the won
derful achievements of modern progress and
at the same time it will inspire the magma
ton with the amazing possibilities which the
future triumphs of Christian civilization will
attain with the universal communion of the
peoples.
An interesting item in the cable telegram was
the fact that the Conference met in Rome. 1t
is curious coincidence that such an assem-
blage, representing the progressive spirit Of
the nineteenth century, should have conven ed
in city which so many centuries ago was
mistress of the world. Gazing at the ruins
of the temples of antiquity and the crumblng
monuments of long departed ages that sur
round them, the members of the Conference
could not fail to be impressed with the sig
nificance of the facts that all the ages of des-
potism, such as had characterized the reign
of Infamous Emperors like Caligula and Nero,
had forever passed away, and that in the re-
deemed capital of new and united Italy they
were enabled to confer together for the
further amelioration and happiness of hui
manity. Very early in the Christian era, when
the Roman empire was at the zenith Of it's
glory, 1t included all Italy, Spain, Gaul,
Britain, Dalmatia, Macedonia and Greece,
Asia, Syria, Phenica and Palestine, Egypt,
Africa and the shores and islands of the
Mediterranean, and all its incorporated coun-
tries and provinces, gained by conquest and
controlled by force, contained an estimated
population of one hundred and twenty mil
lions of inhabitants. Rome was then mistress
of the world. But now the world is changed.
Twenty-one different countries, six hundred
millions of people and twenty-six separate lam
guages, we repeat, were represented at the
Conference which assembled the other day in
the centre of government of the ancient world.
The fact that we were enabled to chronicle the
event few hours after the guests sat down in
the banquet hall is one of the marvels of mod
ern science.
|, The improvements and discoveries in the
arts and sciences that have been made In
modern times, especially those that have been
made in recent years, have contributed to
work the wonderful changes that have been
wrought. Facilities for rapid transit by steam
on sea and land, instantaneous communication
between far distant points by telegraph, and
the general diffusion of information by means
of the printing press, have been the most
powerful agents employed in so quickly chang
ing and improving the condition Of the civilized
world. New lines of steamships, railroads
and telegraphs are constantly being estab
lished, and these important agencies are still
destined to penetrate regions not yet fully open
ed up to modern enterprise. The principal OBJ
iect of the Conference in Rome was to poin
out the necessity and adopt measures for Sc
curing the speedy union of interests in behal
of the cause of complete international tele
graphic communication. 1t was apparent tc
the delegates, as it is to us, that this desirable
result will be facilitated by the support of thu
governments represented by the delegates tt