American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-05-11
Personal Incidents in the Life of
Professor Morse.

| CI SUHA1 tHt Lie Vi
Professor Morse.
THE following is stenographic report,
kindly furnished by Mr.. Volney Hickox,
of Springfield, of some remarks made in
| the course of the service at st. Johns
Church, in this city, yesterday, by the
rector, Rev. Sidney Corbett apropos of
the late news of the death of the author
of the electric telegraph. They involve
personal incidents of general interest:
Some fourteen years ago while cnGa ged
in my theological studies, 1 was ordered
to take a sea voyage for my health. l OBJ
tanned my passport and took passage for
France
| Just before the steamer left the wharf
| lawyer came on board and introduced
me to Professor Morse, and learned in
that voyage much of him and his noble
| life. He was a man of most excellent
character. He was, as st. Paul says, a
living epistle known and READ of all men,
Asa small hint of what Professor Morse's
life was, the following incident may
serve to illustrate. Among the $50 pas
| sengers were some of the most gay people
of New York city. The passage was
very smooth, and they were given up to
pleasure. One Sunday morning Profess
or Morse, knowing that l was studying
for the ministry, came to me and said:
u
for worship, used as it is intended to be
spent here. We profess Christianity
If you will read the church service,
have obtained permission of the Captain
to hold service on board. 1 consented
read the service and he read sermon,
and almost all the passengers on board
attended that service.
A rose bush, placed wherever it may be-
never loses its identity. 1t is known to
be rose-bush. You may place it in the
conservatory, you may have it in the par
lor or in the open breeze, wherever it is,
it is rose-bush still, and sheds forth its
| beauty and fragrance, at all times and
| under all circumstances Precisely so is
it with Christianity. A man cannot be a
Christian at home under the eyes of his
rector and his family, and. fail to be a
Christian when he is on ship-board and in
| a foreign land. He must be Christian
wherever he is. He must show his Chris
| tianity. And this is the character &C
corded to him whose name is brought be-
fore us now.
| Professor Morse was one of the men
whose names are hidden with Christ in
God. Wherever he was, under all circum-
stances, he always strove to inculcate
| Christianity. For one year l attended
chapel in Paris, and always his tall form
| was there.
| He was one of the most modest of men.
His character was that of refined lay
man. Nothing of what is called here ar
| istocracy-though that is misnOmer-
there can be no such thing here-nothing
of that spirit pertained to him. And if
there ever was another American who had
right 10 claim such a feeling, it was
Professor Morse. He was decorated by
| almost every sovereign in Europe. His
passage at that time was at the request
of Louis Napoleon, who had secured for
him $50, 600. 1t being impossible for him
| to procure a patent on his telegraph in
England, they being ready to use his in
vention, desired to give him this token of
their esteem-$SO, 900.
Subsequently attended grand din
ner, when he rehearsed the whole history
of his telegraph, and in that history his
character shOne out cOnspicuously. He
admitted he had received hints from
others, and above all things he wanted to
give the glory to God.
If you will suffer me, should like to
give you an account, as he gave it to me,
of the last session before he received
help for the purpose CT putting up the
Geographic wires between Washington
and Baltimore.
He had been Professor of Chemistry,
and surrendered his position to push
through this bill and furnish the requisite
information to members of Congress. He
said he had waited in vain through three
sessions and the last night of the last
session. At 10 o'clock he called upon the
Senator from Connecticut and asked him
what he should do.
He said to the Senator, You know the
merits and dement's of my case; and
now, If l were your brother, what would
be your advice?"
The Senator replied, Professor Morse,
if were you would go back to New
York and abandon this idea 1t is now 10
O'Clock, as you see, and there are forty
three bills before yours But if it were
possible for yours to be reached, it would
be defeated, because Congress has no
sympathy with your bill"
He said with a heavy heart he went to
the hotel, bought his ticket to New York,
paid his bill until after breakfast, kneeled
down, opened his heart to God and com
mitted all his affairs to Him. He said:
81 had then but thirty seven and half
cents in the worlt g." This, however. was
when he had done everything possible 10
be done. He felt that he had been anx-
ious to benefit the world by an invention
which he knew needed only a trial, and
he retired and slept like a child.
In the morning he arose early to take
the train, and then came rap at the
| door, with message that a lady wished
| to see him.
! 1T must be a mistake" he said to the
waiter; "the message is for some other
person."
The waiter, however. insisted lie de-
scended and found it to he the daughter
of the Senator from Connecticut, who, as
{ he entered, exclaimed:
professor Morse, | come here this
morning to congratulate you on the pas
sage of your bill"
How can that be, he replied 81 was
there until 10 O'clock last night, and there
were then forty-three bills ahead of
mine"
"Ah, but, Professor Morse" she said,
'father watched there until five minutes
before mid night, and then saw the Pres
ident put his signature to your bill. And
| asked of him the privilege of bringing
you the news"
{" If that is true" said the Professor,
! "tbe first message that ever passes over
those wires shall be yours"
And when those wires were all ready,
the first electric telegraph, he forbade