Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1872-01-10

editor Of the cw York O5scrrer, which Is
liable TO convey erroneous impressions on
some points, and especially in regard to tho
frst school Biographies published ln this
country. Mr. Morse's father, Rev. Jr'lcdiah
Morsr, Ia sometimes called the father of
AmsrisAn geography. In 1884 ho prepared
email lsmc. geography for the use of school
Of young ladies at New Haven, but II does not
appear to have attained any considerable cir
culatlou. In lTaj Guthrie's Geography was
published by Matthew Carey, the celebrated
Philadelphia bookseller. In iTa6 "Wintcrbot-
toms Geography" was published In New
York. This wns soon after followed by an
other edition by Morse, much larger and quite
an improvement on hls first effort. Copies ot
some Of these early works are to he found in
the library Of the New York Geographical
and Statistical society, aud perhaps In other
libraries In our conntry
The fret edition OF Moraes enlarged geog-
raphy contains many thlngs that would he
Considcredqultc amusing at the present day.
Onc paragraph In particular contains blum
der which occasiuned many q emile In the
pact generation. In describing Albany he
says; There are over six hundred houses In
Albany, aud the population Is over ten thou-
sand, mostly Of the gothic style Of nrchi-
lecture, 'cih hsir gable end, htrAei 10 he
sseets." Ten Thousand people Of the gothic
style OF architecture, with their gable ends
turned to the streets. must have presented n
remarkable spectacle! lie probably means
this description to apply to the houscs, and
not 10 the people. Morsc did not hesitate to
copy from those who preceded him, and some
Of the topics referred to would be considered
quite out OF place In modern school text
hook. For Instance, "Gutbries Geography"
QTpj,) In speaking OF New Jersey, fays;
There Il at least "a great a number Of iu-
dustrious, Discreet, amiable, genteol and hand
some women In New Jersey In proportion To
the number Of lBhabitants as In any one Of
the thirteen staies."
''wlnierbotiom's (Sew Yo,k) Geography"
published the following year, quotes the
above extract, but the author thinking, per-
haps, such compliments unusual In such a
work prefaces his quotation with the remark
that ut Ia not the business Of the geographer
to compliment the ladies, nor would we he
thought to do so when we say that there Is
trious, Discreet" SC.
"More's Geography" lndorscs the remarks
OF both the above writer's, aud adds that 'Ihe
ladies Of New jersey are rs well educated
and intelligent as the Ladies' Of any other
State" II snch remarks were published in
the Biographies OF the present day men from
other States would he apt to food New Jer-
scy for partners To the aggravaiion ot the
girls they left behind them, and to the dis
gust OF Jcrseymen Rt homo. II Morse
monument Il ever built the ladies ot New
Jersey win undoubtedly contribute fair pro-
portion Of the expense In recognition Of his
kind word In their behalf.
Hdrpcr's Weekly says Sidney L. Morse en-
tered the freshman class of Yale college at
the unusually early age Of eleven years. His
aye as here given Is probably erroneous. He
was probably several years older, aud we are
confirmed In this opinion by consulting with
n classmate Of his, CJudgc Hlggcns, Of the
Fourth Auditors office, who Is an Instance
Of the truth OF the remark made by the paper
above referred to, to the effect that the class
to which Sidney T.. More belonged was re-
markable both for the distinction aud lou
gevity Of Ia members. Judge lIlggens,
though near iourscorc and four years old, Is
q fine specimen OF man with well preserved
physical aud mental energies; quite living
encyclopedia OF information, legal, political,
historical and general. jude Iliggcns well
remembers Mr.. Morse aud their comparative
ages, and Is quite confident that he was not
so young rs Hayper's Weekly represents him.
In the carly days of tue abolition move
msuL scmc thlrty-ave yeara ago, Mr.. Morses
paper, the New York Obserpcr waa particu.
larry obnoxious to the antl.slavery pioneers
OF orthodox religions faith, because OF wha
thew considered its trlrulrnry - tie "ia''
power. ocontroyertlts views on the slavery
question was a chief cause of the establish
ment Of the New York Epdngelist. Tht
EmdncipdtUr was one Of the earliest anti
slavery organs In New York, hut Its editor
now the veteran Rev. Joshua Lcayitt OF th,
New York IndepeHdriit was Que Of the lirs
to write In the Ecdngelist in opposition u
the sp-called pro-slavery views Of Mr.. Morse
His brother, the Morse OF Telegraphic fame
has also had many opponents among olC
time abollllOnlsts because Of hls adherence,
and at times prominence iu the old pro
slavery Democratic party.