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' ' ' ' ' . .. . . ,
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VOLl ilii-JVUMBER 30
0SIIEVILLB, N.C., FEBRUARY 17, 1843
whole Number 134
... V v.- 'V. ..
-Published weekly
' BY J. H. CHRISTY & CO.
-. if
1. m.kluhMl at Two Douam a roor,
f HUWPVI . "
i. rr TV.nra and FiAt Cents In
v mx month-, Three DqlUwa at the end of the
, ear. (Se proapectue.) . . r
m 1 ,! i. t.rtA ml thta Dollar DCT Win a TO
,, the fint, end Twenty -Five Cent for ech
conUnoaaco. Court unlets wu pe cuargeo.
twenty-five per cent, extra. - r
HIGHLAND MESSENGER.
Friday, February IT, IS 13.
! W A Western paier riominate Johw
McLeak, of Ohio, and VVi. Gaston, of
North Carolina, "e candidates for lha Pre.
Bidcncy ond Vice Presidency. Hoi a
sensible man. That would be a strong tick,
et There aro scarce two abler men in the
Union than Judge McLean and Gasto
ond if IIemht Clat were to dio before
1844, Judge McLean is the man to whom
we' would givo our fecbto support for Pre
sident. ' '
lore DcmoerneT.....Goir. Poktes, of Ponn.
Bylvania hosvetoed the bill passed at the
last session of the Legislature of that State,
Jislricting the State for members of Con.
grew. The 'bill, he says, was handed to
liim on tho25th of July last, and the very
next day the Legislature adjourned, and the
members set off for their homes.
E1THEE UNPLEASANT.
It will be recollected that in a late number
of the North Carolina Standard,- the editor
asserted that (ho -committee appointed to
investigate the affairs of the Literary Board
had ascertained that in all there had been
fifty-one borrowers forty.five of whom
were Whigs, and six Democratsthat the
Whigs had borrowed nincly.$cve thousand
Jour hundred and tixty nine dollars, and the
Democrats eleven thousand four hundred
ond eighty-six ; and then asks " was thcro
ever such favoritism known 1"! When
this puWicoiloa was made, Mr. Babb.m6kb ,
a member of tho House of Commons, and
a member of tho investigating committee,
arose in his place on the floor and pronounc
cd tho whole to be palpably false exhibited
a true view of tho matter, and challenged
any man to deny it. Subsequently the
Standard published a list of borrowers, in
which ho ranked as Whigs somo of the
most violent Democrats of the State sev
cral ladies and included in his list several
persons who had never borrowed one single
cent from tho Literary Fund. The Regis
ter now very justly calls upon th4 editor of
the Standard to retract what he has said on
th'u subject, and unless it is done, the Stan
dard will stand convicted of deliberate and
wanton fulsehood. We -suspect that the
whole has been another Chunn's Cove at
fair. '
03" From the tone of some of tho Demo,
cratic papers from Georgia wo learn that
the late election by tho Legislature of the
Hod. W. T. Colquitt as United Slates
Senator, was very far from being agreeable
to tho party generally. In truth, we sus
pert that the late elections in thai State have
caused that part to feel somewhat like their
brethren of this Sute, that they havs killed
themselves. This we believe to be about
the truth, whether they feel it or not.
iccrsTi mm.
As a great portion of our readers ia lb
western portion of this Sum, ia South Ca
rolina, and in Tennessee, AMtbtkt fed
interested to know the state of the ru
in Augusta we intend hereafter ,
them advised ou. that subject M'e
quote from the Augusta papers, and if mtt.
readers should at any time
Lahat we may say , it will bt ia consequence
of incorrectness In the AgusU papers ; of
this, however, there will be but UuW danger.
We shall give the prices of those articles
most commonly bought or sold by the pee.
pie of the upountry, and will faithfully
report these so long as they are reported bj
the'eit) papers and these papers will doubt
less at once see the propriety of such a
course, as well as the advantage-it will be
to their market. r .
This course will create a new inducement
for the Farmers' especially to subscribe for
our paper, in order that they may know the
price of produce before they carry it down
and the price of groceries before they go
after tbem. We are determined that hence,
forward the Messenger shall be just such a
paper that though a farmer or mechanic
may make out after a sort of fashion with,
out it , he can always get along much better
with it.
, One eftloM Greek Philosopher was once ask
ed What ia the caiksat Uiine done 7" To give
advice," he immediately wpliodY What ia the
hardent tiling to do V waa then oakod. " To take
advice," was the prompt answer of this eage.
, In this, there is much more truth than
poetry.- Every one you meet , is ready and
witling to give advice; but very few ore dis
posed to take rt. yvo scarce ever saw on
individual in bur lives but who seemed to
think themselves copabla of giving advice
on some subject young or old, malo or fe.
mate white, black J'red or brown rleh e r
poor bond or frec-rhigh or low every
one thinks himself 6 her?elf wiser about
some things than, you arc; bonce, their
readiness to advise. And their opinions on
the same lubject are as diversified as the
configuration of their faces or the, phrcno.
logical developments of their craniums.
Let a stranger, for instance, xido up to a
company of men and civilly ask tho way to
any given point ono steps forward ds the
spokesman of tho whole, and enters into a
description of tho. roads, houses, fields,
mills, creeks, rocks and trees ; but cro ho
is done or, like the servants of afflicted
Job while he Is yet speaking, iinothcr
comes up and announces a moro excellent
way, and forthwith he enters upon a long
history of the difficulties attending tho way,
and it is well for the confused traveller if he
gets off with hearing less than a half a do
zon different ways pdrtrayed tho directions
in each case are to him confusion worse
confounded notwithstanding each ono is
opt to close his instructions by assuring him
he can't miss the way. Ono tells him to
go .byJPetcr Jones, and Jakcja right hand,
and then take Peter's field on his left hand,
and tho barn on his lack, and keep straight
on. Another says : Better go by Uncle
Jake's, cross the creek, lenvo unclo Jake's
house on his right, turn to the left, then to
the right, then to the left again crossover
the mountain by aunt Sally's, and he can't
miss the way. Thus go on some eight or
ten, all insisting that the way they recom
mend is tho best tho bewildered traveller
all tho while knowing w mora.. at. SKuue .
Jones, uncle Jake or aunt Sally, than he
docs of the man in tht moon, and finally
sets off to find his wajj the best Jie can.
Reader, this is but a fpecimen of what is
going on in tho world every day, in refer,
ence to almost every thing. There are few
things about which men agree any better
than they do about the best road literally to
a givpn point. Start them to make money
gain honors acquire ease secure hap.
piness and it's thenmme way ; each one
takes his own road feels quito sure that
it's tho best that ever was plods along a
whiles-gets lost turns back trios ano.
thcr with no better success ; and this makes
pretty much the history of this world, and
in, reference to the next world, it's but little
if any better. If accompany of men and
women become alarmed about thoir future
welfare, and begin to amend, they set off
in as many directions as a covey of par
tridges when a hawk unexpectedly pounces
among them and how they will all come
out at last, this deponent saitbTnot.
ORobebt Woods, Esq., of the firm of
Yea t man At Woods, lately died it Nash;
villc. Ten., aged about 56. Tho banking
bouse with which he was connected was
long and favorably known.
V. M. Low at, Esq-, has been appoint,
ed Poatmaster at Grccneville,Tcn., in place
of W. Dtcisoa.doc'd. We never inquired
aftrr Mr. Lowr's politic. but woknow
bam to be a very worthy man and; a perfect
"-' rfcmaa, and believe he will make a good
ttcr.
fc A good story is told by the Fayette.
crrcr-of a member of the late Lc-
gislatttre an his return home being met by
one of bit party prominent fnan when
be remarked that they (tho Democrats)
would never get his vote again " that they
were e pi ft of fools wlu had donp the State
no service, tut had disgraced themselves!?
This was said by a Democrat to a Demo,
crat, publicly, in a public place and it's
the truth. :' "" " ' - ; - r -
Ma&shaix awd the Bakeel- The west,
ern-papers tell the following anecdote :
" An opponent of. this gentleman, some
few years since, exhibited his political gag.
ging by informing the crowd, which he was
addressing, that his father was a cooper,
and had made many a barrel for them.
Tom, in reply, indulged in the foljowing
strains : " Fcllow-citizens, I have no doubt
that Mr. P.'s (his opponent's) father was a
cooper, a first rato cooper a perfect smash,
er of a cooper, and made you many a good
barrel; but fcllow-cilizcnS, he made one
barrel (poihtlnglo P.) in which be forgot to
put a good head."
JLctter of Professor Morse,
to Hon. C. G. Febris, rn the system of
. r.!eclro.Magnettc telegraphs ,as invented
by htmserj v, , ,
New.Yok, Dec. 6, 1942.
Dear sir, In compliance with your re
quest; I give; you a slight history, or my
electro-magnetic iciegrapn. sincejt-was
presented lor the consideration of Congress,
in the year 18,13. - -
: During the session of the 25th Congress,
a report .was mada by' the Committee on
Cormneroo or the House, which concluded
by unanimously submitting a bill oppropri
ating au,OOL . for the purpose of testing
my system ot olcctro-maenetic telncranhs
Tho prcssurd of business at . tho close of
that session prcventetr nnyaction bems
taken upon it. ' ' ; ' '
ueforo tho session closed, I visited Eng.
land and France, for the double "purpose of
submitting my invention to the test of buro.
poan criticism, nnd to secure to myself
somo remuneration for my large expend)
tures of time and money in elaborating my
invention. In t ranee, after a patent had
been securca in that country, my telegraph
first attracted the attention of the Academy
of Sciences, and its operation was shown
and its principles were explained, by the
celebrated philosopher, Arago, in tho ses
sion of that distinguished body of learned
men on Septcmqcr 10, 1838. Its reception
was of tho most enthusiastic character.
Several other societies, among which wcro
tho Academy of Industry and the Philo.
technic Society, appointed committees to
examino and report upon mo invention,
from all which I received votes of thanks,
and from the former the lareo medal of
honor," The French Government at this
time had its attention drawn to tho subject
of electric telegraphs, several systems hav.
ing been presented for. its consideration,
from England, Germany, and France.
Thrbugh'tho kind offices of our minister at
the- French-Court , General CaBS, my -telo-
graph was also submitted ; and the Minister
of tho Interior (M. Montaliyet) appointed a
commission, nt tho head ; of which was
placed M. Alphonso Foy, th3 administrator;
ln.chief of the telegraphs of France, with
directions to examine and report upon all
tho various systems which had. been pre.
sontcd. The result of this examination (in
which the ingenious systems of Professor
Wheatstone, of London, of Professor Mas.
son, of Caen, and Professor Steinheil, of
Munich, passed in review) was a report to
tim Mintaicr in favor pfmfne." In smote
addressed to "mo by M. roy, wno naa ex.
pressed his warmest admiration of my tele,
graph in my -presence, he thus writes t
"I take a truo pleasure in confirming to
you in writing that which I have, already
had tho honor to say to you Viva voce, that
I have prominently presented (signate) to
Monsieur the Minister of the Interior your
electro-magnetic telegraph, as being tho
system which presents tho best chance of
practical application ; and I have stated to
him that if some trials are to be made with
electric tolcgraphs, I hesitate not to recom.
mend that they should ha made with your
apparatus."
In England, my application for a patent
for my invention was opposed bofore tho
Attorney General by Professor Whcatono
and Mr. Davy, each of whom had systems
already putented, essentially like ca:h oth.
er, but very different from mino. A patent
was denied by. the Attorney General Sir
John Campbell, on a plea which I am con.
fidenr "will rfot bear a legal examination.
But there being no appeal from tho Atlor
ney General's decision, nor remedy, except
nt enormous expense, 1 dm deprived of all
benefit from my invention in England.
Other causes than impartial justice evident,
ly operated against me. An interest for
my invention-, however, sprung up volun.
tarily, nnd iuito unexpectedly, among the
English nobility and gentry in Paris, and,
had I possessed the requisite funds to pro.
secutc my rights before the British Parlia
ment, I could scarcely have failed to sc..
cure them, so powerfully was I supported
by this interest in my favor : and I should
be ungrateful did I not take every opporta.
nity to acknowledge tho kindness of the
several noblemen and gentlemen who volun.
tcered to aid me in obtaining my rights in
England, among tho foremost of whom
were tho Ear of Lincoln, the late cele.
brated Earl of Elgin, and the Hon. Henry
Drummond.
I returned to the United States in the
spring- of 1839, under an engagement en.
tercd
s wtttHhe- Kossian Coun.4
sellor - of --State, the- Baro"h A lexando-d
Meyendorff, to visit StrPetersburg-with a f
distinguished trench savan, M. Amyot for
the purpose of establishing myjelographic
system in that country. The contract,
formally entered into, was transmitted to
St. Petersburg, for the ; signature of tho
Emperor, which I was led to believe would
be given without a doubt ; and, that no lime
should be lost in my preparations, the con.
tract, duly signed, was to be transmitted to
me in 'New York, through the Russian am.
bassador in the United States, in four or
five weeks, at farthest, after my arrival
home. -
After waiting, in anxious suspense, for
as many months, without any intelligence,
I learned indirectly that the Emperor, from
causes not satisfactorily explained, refused
to sign tho contract. ''
These disappointments (not at all affect
ing the scientific or practical character of
my invention) combined with tho financial
depression of the . country, compelled me
to rest awhile from the further prosecuting
my enterprise. For the last two years,
however, under many discouraging circum
stances, from want of the requisite funds
for, more thoroughly investigating some of
the principles involved in the invention, 1
have, nevertheless, been ablo to resolve all
the doubts that lingered in my own mind,
in regard to tho perfect practicability of
establishing my telegraphic system to any
extent on the globe. I say, ' doubts that
lingered ia my own mind" tho principal,
and, indeed, only ono of a scientific char.
acter, which at all troubled me, 1 will state,
and tho manner in which it has been re
solved j ' " ' "
At an early stage of my experiments, I
found that tho magnetic power produced in
an elect ro-mairnet. by a sinsh) galvanic
pair, diminished rapidly as the length of the
conductors increased. Ordinary reasoning
on this fact would lead to a conclusion fatal
to tho wholt invention, since at a great dis
tance I eouu not operate at all, or, in order
to operate, should bo compelled to make
use ot a battery ot sucn a sizo as wouia
render thekvhole plan in effoct impractica
ble. I wair, indeed, aware that by multl.
plying the pairs in tho battery that is, in
crea8in: tie intensity of its ' propulsive
powers cirtain effects could bo produced
at great distances, such as tho decorhpost.
tion of water, a visible spark, ana tno do.
flection of the magnetic needle. But as
magnetic effects, except in the latter case,
had not tomv knowledge been mado the
subject of direful experiment, and as these
various encts of electrical action seemed,
in somo respects, to be obedient to different
laws, I did hot feel entirely assured that
magnetism cyuld be produced by a multi.
plication of pair sufficiently powerful at a
great distance to effect my purpose. From
a series of experiments which I made,, in
conjunction wh Professor Fisher, during
tho last summtr, upon thirty.thrcc miles of
wire, the interesting fact, so favorable to
my tclcgraphjfc system, was fully vorifiod,
that while the distance increased in an arith
metical ratio I an addition to the scries of
galvanic pain of plates increased the mag.
netxc power ma geometric ratio, f my pairs
of plates vt q-o used as a constant power.
Two miles M conductors at a umerirom
two to thirtylthrco, were successively added
to the distarico. Tho weight upheld by the
magnet fron) tho magnetism produced by
fifty pairs gradually diminished up to the
distance of ten miles ; after which, the ad-'
dition qf miles of voire up to Ourty-three miles
(tho extepf to which wo were ablo to try n;
rmiwr tipturtnervtatbie, atmmvtumvj jnrwert
ine weic.H men susiainea was a constant
ouantitv. I The nractical deduction from
these experiments is tho fact that with tr
very sma battery all the cnucts l desire,
and at ani distance, can be produced. In
the expedients alluded to, tho fifty pairs
did not occupy a space of moro than eight"
cubic incles, and they comprised but fifty
square indies of active surface.
Tho psjcucability or establishing my
telegraphic system is thus relieved from all
scientific ejections.
Let meov turn your attention, sir, oneljlow many moro wo havo not yet ascer
moment ttJa consideration of tho telegraph
as a sourcjof revenue. The imperfections
of tho conjnon systems, particularly their
usclcssncs on account of the weather,
thrcc-quaArs of the time, have concealed
from vievt bo natural a fruit of a perfected
telegraphij system. So uncertain are tho
common olographs as to time, and so mea.
ger in thcuflntityj)f intelligence they can
transmit vder tho most Tovorabtd fcircum
stances, ctmt, the idea of making them n
source of Revenue would not bo likely to
occur. 4 farindced, from binR a source
of rovenu, the systems in common use in
Eilrone ait sustained at great expense ; an
expense vfiich, imperfect as they are", is
justified, it the view of thqGovernment , by
the great iolitical advantages which they
produce.- TTclegraphs with them are a Go.
yernmcnt monopoly, and usco oniy tor
Government purposes,. They .ore iu bar.
mony wiih the genius of those Govern,
ments. he peoplo have no advantage
from therd) except indirectly as 'he Govern
ment is benefited. Were our mails Used
soleiy for the purposes of the Government,
and privatb iudividuals forbiddon to corrcs.
ond by them, tney would furnish a good
illustration of the operation of tho common
European telegraphic system.
The olcctro-magnctie telegraph, I would
fain think, is more in consonance with the
political institutions under which wo live,
and is fitted, like the mail system, to diffuse
its benefits alike to the Government and to
-sa source-rotaMe, thentoahcGc4
ernmcmvfewrr icHeve,-Jiajre- seriously
computed the great profits to be derived
from such a system of tejegraphs as I pro
pose : and yet there are sure data already
obtained by which they can be demons! rated.
JiThe first fact is, that every minute or the
24 hours is available to send intelligence.
Tio second fact is, that twelve signs, at
least, can be sent in a mimic, instantane
ously, as any one may have proof by actual
demonstration of the fact on the instrument
now operating in the Capitol. ' r
There can be no doubt that the cases,
where such speedy transmission of intetli.
gence from one distant city to another is
desirable, are so numerous, (hat when once
the lino i mado for such transmission, it
will bo in constant use, and a demand made
for a greater number of lines.
The paramount convenience, to commer.
cial agents and others, of thus correspond.
in at a distance, will authorize a rate of
postage proportionate to the dutnnce, on the
principle of tating postage by the mails.
To illustrate the operation oOhe tele.
graph in Increasing the revenue, let us sup.
posq that but 18 hours of tho 24 aro effi.
cicntly used for the actual purposes of reve
hue ; that 6 hours are allowed for repetitions
ond other purposes, which is a largo allow,
once. This would give, upon a singlo cir
cuit, 12,900 signs per day, upon which a
rate of postage is to bo charged. Intelli
gence of great extent may bo comprised in
a few signs. Supposo tho following com.
morcial communication is to be transmittod
from New York to Now Orleans t
Yrs., Do?. "21, rec. J Buy 25 bales c., at
0, and 300 pork, at 8.
- Hero arc S3 signs, which take three mi.
nutes in tho transmission from New York
to New Orleans, and which informs the New
York merchant's correspondent at 'New
Orleans of tho receipt of a certain docu
ment, ond gives him orders to purchase 23
bulea-of jcotton at 9 cents per pound, and
300 barrels oTpork ut 8 cents per pound.
Thus may be completed, in three minu;,
a transaction in business which now would
take at least four or livo weeks to accom.
plish.
suppose that one cent per sign bo charged
for the first 100 miles, increasing the charge
at tho rato of half a cent each additional
100 miles, lha postage of tho sbovo com
munication would bo 82 83 for a distance
of -1,500. It would be sent 100 miles for
30 cents. Would any merchant crudo so
small a sum for sending such an amount of
information in so short a time to such a
distance 7 If time is money, and to save
time is to save money, surely such an im.
menso saving of time is the saving of on
immense sum of money. A telegraphic
line of a singlo circuit only, from New York
to New Orleans, would reulize,thcn,tothe
Government, daily, in tho correspondence
between those cities alone, over one thou.
sand dollars gross receipts, or over $300,.
000 per annum.
But it is a well-established fact, that, as
facilities of intercourse increase between
different parts of tho countryYiorcaTcF
is that intercourse. Thousands travel, in
this day of railroads and steamboats, who
never thought of leaving their homes before.
Establish, then, tho means of instantaneous
communication between the most distant
places, tho telegraphic line of a singlo cir
cuit will vory soon be insufficient to supply
tho demands of tho public they will re
quire more.
Two circuits
will of course double the
facilities, and double the revenue ; but it is
fwiriipouimrftteT. mat trie expense or urton
wards establishing a second, or any number
of circuits, does not proceed on the doubling
principle. If a channel for conveying a
single circuit bo made in tho first instance
of sufficient capacity to contain many more
circuits, which can easily be done, addi
tional circuits can bo laid as fast as they
arc called for, aTbut 'littlo more- than the
cost of the prepared wire. The recent
discovery of Professor Fisher and myself
shows that a singlo wire mny bo made the
Common conductor for at least six circuits.
tained. So that, to add another circuit is
but to add another wire. Fifty dollars per
mile, under these circumstances, would
therefore add the means of doubling the
facilities and the revenue.
Beiwccn New York und Philadelphia,
for example, tho wholo cost of laying such
an additional circuit would be but $5,000,
which would bo more than defrayed by two
months' rccclpls""'only"ijrom tho telegraphs
between those two eiiies.
There aro two modes of establishing the
line of conductors.
The first and cheapest is doubtless that
of erecting spars about 30. feet io height
and 350 feet apart, extending tho conduct,
ors along the tops of the spars. This me
thod has somo obvious disad vantages. 1 he
expense would be from $350 to $400 per
milo. . . ,
Tho second method is that of enclosing
the conductors in leaden tubes, and laying
them in the earth. I have made the follow.
ing estimate of the cost of this method :
Wire, prepared, per mile 8150 00
Lead pipe, with solderkigs ' 250 00
Delivery of the pipe an 1 wiro 2d 00
Excavations and filling in about
1,000 yards per milo, or 4 feet ,
deep, at 15 els. per sqr. yd. 150 00
Laying down the pipe . 3 00
$593 00
Ono, register, with iismachincryr
- JL pairs of my doubjcjcjip Jat ijLlPQijQ
One battery of-20Upaif s
400-00
Expense for thirty. nine miles 22,737 00
Two registers 209 00
Two battcrkie 200 00
Services of chief superintendent
of construction, per annum 2000 00
Services of three assistants, at
61,500 each per annum 4500 00
$29,737 00
As experience can determine the best
modo of securing the conductors, 1 should
wishjho means and opportunity of trying
various modes, to such an extent as Will de
monstrate the best.
Before closing my letter, sir, I ought to
give you the proofs I possess that tlw Ame
rican telegraph lias the priority m the time
of its invention.
Tho two European telegraphs in practw
cal operations arc Professor S'.eilieil's, of
Munich, and Professor Wheatstone's, of
London. 'The former is . adopted by the
Bavarian Govern me tit r the latter' is estab-
lished about 200 miles in Ena'and. under
j the direction of a company in London. In
u iiui-ii-siiug pnpur Oil UIU SUCCl OI
telegraphs, translated and inserted in the
London Annals of. Electricity, March and
April, 1839, Professor Steinheil gives a
brief sketch of all the various projects of
oloctric telegraphs, from the lime of Frank-.
lin's electrical experiments to the present
day. , Until the birth of the science of
eloctro-mngoetism, generated by the im
portant discovery of Oersted, in 1820, of
hho action of electric currents upon the
magnetic necuie, tliu electric telegraph was
but a philosophic toy, complicated and prao
tica'ly usljles8. Let it be here noticed, that,
after this discovery of Oersted, the drjlcc
lion tf the needle became the prjncip'e upon
which tho savans of Europe based all their
etterrpts to construct an electric telegraph.
Tho celebrated Ampere, in the some year
of Oersted's discovery, suggested a plan of
'elf graphs, to consist of a magnetic needle,
and u circuit for each letter of the alphabet
and tho numerals making it necessary to
have some 60 or 70 wires between the two
termini of the telegraphic line.
This suggestion of Ampere is doubtless
the parent of all tho attempts in Europe,
both abortive and successful, for construct,
ing an electric telegraph.
Under this head may be arranged tho
Baron Schilling's, nt St. Petersburg, con.
staling of 30 magnetic ueedles, nnd up
wards of 00. mctnlic conductors,' and in.
vented, it seems, tho samo date with my
eleetro mageetic telegraph, in the autumn
of 1832. Under the same head comes that
of Professors Gauss and Weber, of Gollin
gen, in 1833, who simplified the plan by
using but a singlo ncodlo and single circuit.
Professor Wheatstone's, of London, invent
ed in 1837, comes under the same category;
ho employs five needles and six conductors.
Professor Stcinheil's, also invented in 1837,
employs two needles and two conductors.
But there was another discovery, in tho
Infancy of iho scTencb7elecTroTrnag7retTsm
by Ampere and Arago, immediately con
sequent on that of Oersted, namely i the
vlectro magnet, which nono of the savans of
Europe who have planned electric tele
graphs ever thought of applying, until with
in two years past, for tho purpose of signals.
My telegraph is essentially based on this
latter discovery.
Supposing my telegraph to be based on
the same principle with the European elec
tric telegraphs, which it is not, mine, hav
tngxuen Invented m i832, would atfll have
tho precedence, by some months at least of
Gauss and Weber's, to whom Steinheil
gives tho credit of being the first to simplify
nnd muke practicable the electric telegraph.
But when it is considered that all the Euro
pean telegraphs make use of the deflection
of tho needles to accomplish their results,
and that none use the attractive power of the
alectro magnet to write in legible characters ,
I think I can claim, without injustice tooth,
ers, to bo the first inventor of the electro
magnetic telegraph.
In 1839, 1 visited London, on my return
from France, and, through the polite soli
citations of the Earl of Lincoln, showed
nndexplained its operation at his house, on
tho 19th of March, 1839, to a large com
pany, which ho had expressly invited for
the purpose, composed of Lords of the Ad
mirulty, members of the Royal Society,
and members of both Houses of Parliament.
Professor Wheatstone has announced
that he has recently, (in 1840) also invent,
ed and patented an electro-magnetic tele
graph, differing altogether from his inven
tion of 1837, which ho calls his magnetic,
needle telegraph. His is, therefore, the first
European elect ro-mngnetio telegraph, and
wos invented j as is perceived, tight years
subsequent to mine, and one year after.my
telegraph was exhibited in the public man.
ner described at the. Earl of Lincoln's resi
dence in London.
I am the moro minuto in adducing this
evidence of priority of invention to you. sir,
since I havo frequently been charged by
puropeans in my own country with merely
imitating long-known Europcun inventions.
It is therefore due to my own country, as
well os to myself, that in this matter tho
facts should be known.
Professor Steinhcil's teleffronh that nrn.
fosses to write the intelligence. IIo record
however, by the delicate touch of the'peedle
in its deflections, with what practical effect
1 am unable to say ; but 1 should think that
it was too delicate and uncertain, purwlnl.
Iy as compared with iho strong andflVi"Pt-
power which may be produced in any do
grce hy-the-cfcctro-mignet.'-'
Inave dcvoledlrianv vears of mvlifo ta
this invention, sustained in many- disap.
pointmclits by tho belief that it is destined
eventually to confer immense benefits upon
my country and the world.
I am persuaded that whatever facilitates
intercourse between the different nortiona of
l ho human family will have the effects, uo
dcrthc guidance of sound moral principles
to nromotc the best interests of man. Task
of Cong rcss tlio means of demonstrating its
emciency.
I remain, sir, with great respect, your
most obedient servant, , ,
SAM.F.B. MORSE. ,
' Hon.. Chasi.es G. Fekbis.
Remember die poor, for the wheel of for
lune may, in its unceasing whirl, place you
among them in future years.
Remember the poor, for they are our
equals, and many of them infinitely our su.
ptriors, in all but clothing and food.
1