EXCITEMENT IN AMERICA.
Whoever shall write the history of popular enthusiasms, must give a
large space to the Atlantic Telegraph. Never did the tidings of any
great achievement--whether in peace or war--more truly electrify a
nation. No doubt, the impression was the greater because it took the
country by surprise. Had the attempt succeeded in June, it would have
found a people prepared for it. But the failure of the first expedition,
added to that of the previous year, settled the fate of the enterprise
in the minds of the public. It was a hopeless undertaking; and its
projectors shared the usual lot of those who conceive vast designs, and
venture on great enterprises, which are not successful, to be regarded
with a mixture of derision and pity.
Such was the temper of the public mind, when at noon of Thursday, the
fifth of August, the following despatch was received:
"United States Frigate Niagara,
Trinity Bay, Newfoundland,
August 5, 1858.
"_To the Associated Press, New York_:
"The Atlantic Telegraph fleet sailed from Queenstown, Ireland,
Saturday, July seventeenth, and met in mid-ocean Wednesday,
July twenty-eighth. Made the splice at one P.M., Thursday, the
twenty-ninth, and separated--the Agamemnon and Valorous, bound
to Valentia, Ireland; the Niagara and Gorgon, for this place,
where they arrived yesterday, and this morning the end of the
cable will be landed.
"It is one thousand six hundred and ninety-six nautical, or one
thousand nine hundred and fifty statute, miles from the
Telegraph House at the head of Valentia harbor to the Telegraph
House at the Bay of Bulls, Trinity Bay, and for more than two
thirds of this distance the water is over two miles in depth.
The cable has been paid out from the Agamemnon at about the
same speed as from the Niagara. The electric signals sent and
received through the whole cable are perfect.
"The machinery for paying out the cable worked in the most
satisfactory manner, and was not stopped for a single moment
from the time the splice was made until we arrived here.
"Captain Hudson, Messrs. Everett and Woodhouse, the engineers,
the electricians, the officers of the ship, and in fact, every
man on board the telegraph fleet, has exerted himself to the
utmost to make the expedition successful, and by the blessing
of Divine Providence it has succeeded.
"After the end of the cable is landed and connected with the
land line of telegraph, and the Niagara has discharged some
cargo belonging to the Telegraph Company, she will go to St.
John's for coal, and then proceed at once to New York.
"Cyrus W. Field."
The impression of this simple announcement it is impossible to conceive.
It was immediately telegraphed to all parts of the United States, and
everywhere produced the greatest excitement. In some places all business
was suspended; men rushed into the streets, and flocked to the offices
where the news was received. At Andover, Massachusetts, the news arrived
while the Alumni of the Theological Seminary were celebrating their
semi-centennial anniversary by a dinner. One thousand persons were
present, all of whom rose to their feet, and gave vent to their excited
feelings by continued and enthusiastic cheers. When quiet was restored,
Rev. Dr. Adams, of New York, said his heart was too full for a speech,
and suggested, as the more fitting utterance of what all felt, that they
should join in thanksgiving to Almighty God, and the venerable Dr.
Hawes, of Hartford, led them in fervent prayer, acknowledging the great
event as from the hand of God, and as calculated to hasten the triumphs
of civilization and Christianity. Then all standing up together, sang,
to the tune of Old Hundred, the majestic doxology:
"Praise God, from whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host,
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!"
Thus--said Dr. Hawes--"we have now consecrated this new power, so far as
our agency is concerned, to the building up of the truth."
In New York the news was received at first with some incredulity. But
as it was confirmed by subsequent despatches, the city broke out into
tumultuous rejoicing. Never was there such an outburst of popular
feeling. In Boston a hundred guns were fired on the Common, and the
bells of the city were rung for an hour to give utterance to the general
joy. Similar scenes were witnessed in all parts of the United States. I
have now before me the New York papers of August, 1858, and from the
memorable fifth, when the landing took place, to the end of the month,
they contain hardly any thing else than popular demonstrations in honor
of the Atlantic Telegraph. It was indeed a national jubilee.
It was natural that this overflow of public feeling should express
itself towards one who was recognized as the author of the great work,
which inspired such universal joy. Mr. Field, much to his own surprise,
"awoke and found himself famous." In twenty-four hours his name was on
millions of tongues. Congratulations poured in from all quarters, from
mayors of cities and governors of States; from all parts of the Union
and the British Provinces; from the President of the United States and
the Governor-General of Canada. Mr. Buchanan telegraphed to Mr. Field,
at Trinity Bay:
"My Dear Sir: I congratulate you with all my heart on the
success of the great enterprise with which your name is so
honorably connected. Under the blessing of Divine Providence I
trust it may prove instrumental in promoting perpetual peace
and friendship between the kindred nations."
The popular estimate of the achievement and its author went still
farther. With the natural exaggeration common to masses of men, when
carried away by a sudden enthusiasm, the Atlantic Telegraph was hailed
as an immense stride in the onward progress of the race, an event in the
history of the world hardly inferior to the discovery of America, or to
the invention of the art of printing; and the name of its projector was
coupled with those of Franklin and Columbus. He who but yesterday was
regarded as a visionary, to-day was exalted as a benefactor of his
country and of mankind.
This avalanche of praise was quite overwhelming. It is always
embarrassing to be forced into sudden conspicuity, and to find one's
self the object of general attention and applause. While feeling this
embarrassment, Mr. Field could not but be gratified to witness the
public joy at the success of the enterprise, and he was deeply touched
and grateful for the appreciation of his own services. But probably all
these public demonstrations did not go to his heart so much as private
letters received from the other side of the Atlantic, from those who had
shared the labors of the enterprise--old companions in arms who had
borne with him the heavy burden, and now were fully entitled to a share
in the honor which was the reward of their common toil.
As a specimen of the congratulations which came from beyond the sea, we
quote a single passage from a letter of Mr. George Saward, the Secretary
of the Company in London, written immediately on receiving the news of
the success of the enterprise. Under the impression of that event, he
writes to Mr. Field:
"At last the great work is successful. I rejoice at it for the
sake of humanity at large. I rejoice at it for the sake of our
common nationalities, and last but not least, for your personal
sake. I most heartily and sincerely rejoice with you, and
congratulate you, upon this happy termination to the trouble
and anxiety, the continuous and persevering labor, and
never-ceasing and sleepless energy, which the successful
accomplishment of this vast and noble enterprise has cost you.
Never was man more devoted--never did man's energy better
deserve success than yours has done. May you in the bosom of
your family reap those rewards of repose and affection, which
will be doubly sweet from the reflection, that you return to
them after having been under Providence the main and leading
principal in conferring a vast and enduring benefit on mankind.
If the contemplation of fame has a charm for you, you may well
indulge in the reflection; for the name of Cyrus W. Field will
now go onward to immortality, as long as that of the Atlantic
Telegraph shall be known to mankind."
The Directors, whose faith and courage had been so severely tried, now
felt double joy, for their friend and for themselves, at this glorious
result of their united labors. Mr. Peabody wrote to Mr. Field that "his
reflections must be like those of Columbus, after the discovery of
America." Sir Charles Wood and Sir John Pakington, who, as successive
First Lords of the Admiralty, had supported the enterprise with the
constant aid of the British Government, wrote letters of congratulation
on the great work which had been carried through mainly by his energy
and unconquerable will. They were above any petty national jealousy, and
never imagined that it would detract aught from the just honor of
England, to award full praise to the courage and enterprise of an
American.
On his part, Mr. Field was equally anxious to acknowledge the invaluable
aid given by others--aid, without which the efforts of no single
individual could command success. On his arrival at St. John's, he was
welcomed with enthusiasm by the whole population. An address was
presented to him by the Executive Council of Newfoundland, in which they
offered their hearty congratulations on the success of the undertaking,
which they recognized as chiefly due to him. "Intimately acquainted as
we have been"--these are their words--"with the energy and enterprise
which have distinguished you from the commencement of the great work of
telegraph connection between the Old and the New Worlds; and feeling
that under Providence this triumph of science is mainly due to your
well-directed and indomitable exertions, we desire to express to you our
high appreciation of your success in the cause of the world's progress,"
etc.; to which Mr. Field replied, recognizing in turn the cordial
support which he had always received from the Government of
Newfoundland. The Chamber of Commerce of St. John's also presented an
address in similar terms, to which he replied--after acknowledging their
kind mention of his own labors and sacrifices:
"But it would not only be ungenerous, but unjust, that I should
for a moment forget the services of those who were my
co-workers in this enterprise, and without whom any labors of
mine would have been unavailing. It would be difficult to
enumerate the many gentlemen whose scientific acquirements and
skill and energy have been devoted to the advancement of this
work, and who have so mainly produced the issue which has
called forth this expression of your good wishes on my behalf.
But I could not do justice to my own feelings did I fail to
acknowledge how much is owing to Captain Hudson and the
officers of the Niagara, whose hearts were in the work, and
whose toil was unceasing; to Captain Dayman of her Majesty's
ship Gorgon, for the soundings so accurately made by him last
year, and for the perfect manner in which he led the Niagara
over the great-circle arc while laying the cable; to Captain
Otter, of the Porcupine, for the careful survey made by him in
Trinity Bay, and for the admirable manner in which he piloted
the Niagara at night to her anchorage; to Mr. Everett, who has
for months devoted his whole time to designing and perfecting
the beautiful machinery that has so successfully paid out the
cable from the ships--machinery so perfect in every respect,
that it was not for one moment stopped on board the Niagara
until she reached her destination in Trinity Bay; to Mr.
Woodhouse, who superintended the coiling of the cable, and
zealously and ably cooperated with his brother engineer during
the progress of paying-out; to the electricians for their
constant watchfulness; to the men for their almost ceaseless
labor (and I feel confident that you will have a good report
from the commanders, engineers, electricians, on board the
Agamemnon and Valorous, the Irish portion of the fleet); to the
Directors of the Atlantic Telegraph Company for the time they
have devoted to the undertaking without receiving any
compensation for their services (and it must be a pleasure to
many of you to know that the director, who has devoted more
time than any other, was for many years a resident of this
place, and well known to all of you--I allude to Mr. Brooking,
of London); to Mr. C. M. Lampson, a native of New England, but
who has for the last twenty-seven years resided in London, who
appreciated the great importance of this enterprise to both
countries, and gave it most valuable aid, bringing his sound
judgment and great business talent to the service of the
Company; to that distinguished American, Mr. George Peabody,
and his worthy partner, Mr. Morgan, who not only assisted it
most liberally with their means, but to whom I could always go
with confidence for advice."
Such acknowledgments, constantly repeated, showed a mind incapable of
envy or jealousy; that was chiefly anxious to recognize the services of
others, and that they should receive from the public, both of England
and America, the honors which they had so nobly earned.
After two or three days' delay at St. John's, which the Niagara was
obliged to make for coal, but which the people spent in festivity and
rejoicing, she left for New York, where she arrived on the
eighteenth--two weeks from the landing of the cable in Trinity Bay.
These had been weeks of great excitement, yet not unmingled with
suspense and anxiety. The public, eager for news, devoured every thing
that concerned the telegraph with impatience, but all was not
satisfactory. Despatches from Trinity Bay said that signals were
continually passing over the cable, yet no news reached the public from
the other side of the Atlantic. This was partially explained by a
message from Mr. Field, sent from Trinity Bay to the Associated Press as
early as the seventh:
"We landed here in the woods, and until the telegraph
instruments are perfectly adjusted, no communications can pass
between the two continents; but the electric currents are
received freely.
"You shall have the earliest intimation when all is ready, but
it may be some days before every thing is perfected. The first
through message between Europe and America will be from the
Queen of Great Britain to the President of the United States,
and the second his reply."
But as the public grew impatient, and friends sent anxious inquiring
messages, he telegraphed again from St. John's on the eleventh:
"Before I left London, the Directors of the Atlantic Telegraph
Company decided unanimously that, after the cable was laid, and
the Queen's and President's messages transmitted, the line
should be kept for several weeks for the sole use of Dr.
Whitehouse, Professor Thomson, and other electricians, to
enable them to test thoroughly their several modes of
telegraphing, so that the Directors might decide which was the
best and most rapid method for future use: for it was
considered that after the line should be once thrown open for
business, it would be very difficult to obtain it for
experimental purposes, even for a short time.
"Due notice will be given when the line will be ready for
business, and the tariff of prices."
Still the public were not satisfied, and many were beginning to doubt,
when, on the sixteenth, it was suddenly announced that the Queen's
message was received. It was as follows:--
"_To the President of the United States, Washington_:
"The Queen desires to congratulate the President upon the
successful completion of this great international work, in
which the Queen has taken the deepest interest.
"The Queen is convinced that the President will join with her
in fervently hoping that the electric cable which now connects
Great Britain with the United States will prove an additional
link between the nations, whose friendship is founded upon
their common interest and reciprocal esteem.
"The Queen has much pleasure in thus communicating with the
President, and renewing to him her wishes for the prosperity of
the United States."
To this the President replied:
"Washington City, August 16, 1858.
"_To Her Majesty Victoria, the Queen of Great Britain_:
"The President cordially reciprocates the congratulations of
her Majesty the Queen, on the success of the great
international enterprise accomplished by the science, skill,
and indomitable energy of the two countries.
"It is a triumph more glorious, because far more useful to
mankind, than was ever won by conqueror on the field of battle.
"May the Atlantic Telegraph, under the blessing of Heaven,
prove to be a bond of perpetual peace and friendship between
the kindred nations, and an instrument destined by Divine
Providence to diffuse religion, civilization, liberty, and law
throughout the world.
"In this view, will not all nations of Christendom
spontaneously unite in the declaration that it shall be for
ever neutral, and that its communications shall be held sacred
in passing to their places of destination, even in the midst of
hostilities?
"James Buchanan."
The arrival of the Queen's message was the signal for a fresh outbreak
of popular enthusiasm. The next morning, August seventeenth, the city of
New York was awakened by the thunder of artillery. A hundred guns were
fired in the City Hall Park at daybreak, and the salute was repeated at
noon. At this hour, flags were flying from all the public buildings, and
the bells of the principal churches began to ring, as Christmas bells
signal the birth of one who came to bring peace and good-will to
men--chimes that, it was fondly hoped, might usher in a new era, as
they should
Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
That night the city was illuminated. Never had it seen so brilliant a
spectacle. Such was the blaze of light around the City Hall, that the
cupola caught fire, and was consumed, and the Hall itself narrowly
escaped destruction. Similar demonstrations took place in other parts of
the United States. From the Atlantic to the Valley of the Mississippi,
and to the Gulf of Mexico, in every city was heard the firing of guns
and the ringing of bells. Nothing seemed too extravagant to give
expression to the popular rejoicing.
The next morning after this illumination, the Niagara entered the harbor
of New York, and Mr. Field hastened to his home. The night before
leaving the ship, he had written to the Directors in London, giving a
full report of the laying of the cable, which he closed by resigning the
position which he had held for the last seven months. He wrote:
"At your unanimous request, but at a very great personal
sacrifice to myself, I accepted the office of General Manager
of the Atlantic Telegraph Company, for the sole purpose of
doing all in my power to aid you to make the enterprise
successful; and as that object has been attained, you will
please accept my resignation. It will always afford me pleasure
to do any thing in my power, consistent with my duties to my
family and my own private affairs, to promote the interests of
the Atlantic Telegraph Company."
Once more with his family, Mr. Field hoped for a brief interval of rest
and quiet. But this was impossible. The great event with which his name
was connected was too fresh in the public mind. He could not escape
public observation. He was at once thronged with visitors, offering
their congratulations, and his house surrounded with crowds eager to see
and hear him. While making all allowance for popular excitement, yet
none could deny that a service so great demanded some public
recognition. Even in England, where the enthusiasm did not approach that
in this country, still the wondrous character of the achievement was
fully acknowledged. Said the London Times on the morning of the sixth of
August: "Since the discovery of Columbus, nothing has been done in any
degree comparable to the vast enlargement which has thus been given to
the sphere of human activity." "More was done yesterday for the
consolidation of our empire, than the wisdom of our statesmen, the
liberality of our Legislature, or the loyalty of our colonists, could
ever have effected." To mark the public benefit which had been
conferred, the Chief Engineer of the Expedition, Mr. Charles T. Bright,
was knighted, and Captains Preedy and Aldham were both made Companions
of the Bath, and other officers were promoted. Thus England showed her
appreciation of their services.
But in this country titles and honors come not from the Government, but
from the people. Popular enthusiasm exhausted itself in eulogies of the
man who had linked the Old World to the New. It seems strange now to sit
down in cold blood and read what was published in the papers of that
day. A collection of American journals issued during that eventful
month, August, 1858, would be a literary curiosity.[A]
Nor was it merely in such outward demonstrations that the public
enthusiasm showed itself. The feeling struck deeper, and reached all
minds. While the people shouted and cannon roared, sober and thoughtful
men pondered on the change that was being wrought in the earth. Business
men reasoned how it would affect the commerce of the world, while the
philanthropic regarded it as the forerunner of an age of universal
peace. The first message flashed across the sea--even before that of the
Queen--had been one of religious exultation. It was from the Directors
in Great Britain to those on this side the Atlantic, and, simply
reciting the fact that Europe and America were united by telegraph, at
once broke into a strain of religious rapture, echoing the song of the
angels over a Saviour's birth: "Glory to God in the highest; on earth,
peace, good-will toward men." Poetry at once caught up the strain. The
event became the theme of innumerable odes and hymns, of which it must
be said that, whatever their merit as poetry, their spirit at least was
noble, celebrating the event chiefly as promoting the brotherhood of the
human family. The key-note was struck in such lines as these:
'Tis done! the angry sea consents,
The nations stand no more apart,
With clasped hands the continents
Feel throbbings of each other's heart.
Speed, speed the cable; let it run
A loving girdle round the earth,
Till all the nations 'neath the sun
Shall be as brothers of one hearth;
As brothers pledging, hand in hand,
One freedom for the world abroad,
One commerce over every land,
One language and one God.
The sermons preached on this occasion were literally without number.
Enough found their way into print to make a large volume. Never had an
event touched more deeply the spirit of religious enthusiasm. Devout men
held it as an advance toward that millennial era which was at once the
object of their faith and hope. Was not this the predicted time when,
"many should run to and fro, and knowledge should be increased?" So said
the preachers, taking for their favorite text the vision of the
Psalmist, "Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words
to the end of the world;" or the question of Job: "Canst thou send forth
the lightnings, that they may go and say unto thee, Here we are?" Was
not this the dawn of that happy age, when all men should be bound
together in peaceful intercourse, and nations should learn war no more?
Such was the burden of the discourses that were preached in a thousand
pulpits from one end of the country to the other. Even the Roman
Catholic Church, so lofty and inflexible in its claims, soaring into
the past centuries, and almost disdaining the material progress of the
present day as compared with the spiritual glories of the Ages of Faith,
did not ignore the great event; and in laying the foundation of the new
Cathedral of St. Patrick, the largest temple of religion on the
continent, Archbishop Hughes placed under the corner-stone an
inscription, wherein, along with the enduring record of the Christian
faith and the names of martyrs and confessors, he did not disdain to
include a brief memorial of this last achievement of science, and the
name of him who had conferred so great a benefit on mankind.
These public demonstrations culminated on the first of September, when
the city authorities gave a public ovation to Mr. Field and the officers
of the expedition. In accepting these honors, Mr. Field had taken good
care that the British officers should be included with the American. At
St. John's he had been notified of the intended celebration, and at once
telegraphed to the British Admiral at Halifax:
"I should consider it a very great personal favor if you would permit
the Gorgon, Captain Dayman, to accompany the Niagara, Captain Hudson, to
New York. English officers and English sailors have labored with
American officers and American sailors to lay the Atlantic cable. They
were with us in our days of trial, and pray let them, if you can, share
with us our triumph."
The request was granted so far as this, that the officers were allowed
leave of absence, and came on to New York to take part in the
celebration, and in all the honors which followed, the officers of the
Gorgon were associated with those of the Niagara.
The day arrived, and the celebration surpassed any thing which the city
had ever witnessed before. It was a mild autumn day--warm, yet with a
sky softly veiled with clouds, that seemed to invite a whole population
into the streets. The day commenced with a solemn service at Trinity
Church, which was attended by the city authorities, the representatives
of foreign powers, and an immense concourse of people. The vast edifice
was decorated with evergreens; in the centre hung a cross, with the
inscription: "Glory to God on high; and on earth, peace, good-will
towards men." When the audience were assembled, there entered a
procession of two hundred clergy, headed by Bishop Doane of New Jersey,
who was to deliver the address. Prayers were offered and Scriptures were
read, and at intervals the choir gave voice to the general joy in the
anthems in which for ages the Church has been wont to pour forth its
exultation: "O come, let us sing unto the Lord," the Gloria in Excelsis,
and the Te Deum Laudamus.
At noon, Mr. Field and the officers of the ships landed at Castle Garden
and were received with a national salute. A procession was formed which
extended for miles from the Battery to the Crystal Palace, which stood
on the plot of ground now known as Bryant Park, between Fortieth and
Forty-second streets. In the procession were Lord Napier, the British
Minister, and officers of the army and navy. For the whole distance the
streets were crowded. The windows and even the tops of the houses were
filled with people. Everywhere flags and banners, with every device,
floated in the air. So dense was the crowd that it was five or six hours
before the procession could reach the Crystal Palace.
Here its coming was awaited by an assembly that filled all the aisles
and galleries. An address was delivered, giving the history of the
Atlantic Telegraph. The Mayor then rose, and presenting Mr. Field to the
audience, spoke as follows:
"Sir: History records but few enterprises of such 'pith and
moment' as to command the attention and at the same time enlist
the sympathies of all mankind. In all ages warlike expeditions
have been undertaken on a scale of grandeur sufficient to
astonish the world; but the evils which are inseparable from
their prosecution have always sent a thrill of horror through
the anxious nations. The discovery of the Western continent
even, the grandest event of modern times, was made by an
insignificant fleet which left the shores of Spain without
attracting the notice of the civilized world. Far different has
been the history of the daring and difficult enterprise of
uniting the Old World and the New by means of the electric
telegraph. From the very outset the good, the great and the
wise of all lands beneath the sun, have watched with intense
anxiety, and even when doubt existed, with warm interest, every
step taken toward the accomplishment of what was universally
acknowledged to be the most momentous undertaking of an age
made marvellous by wonderful scientific and mechanical
achievements. The two greatest and freest nations of the globe,
by independent constitutional legislation, and by the aid of
their finest ships and their ablest officers and engineers,
combined together to insure success. Capital was liberally
subscribed by private citizens in a spirit which put greed to
the blush. The press on both sides of the Atlantic recorded the
details of the progress of the undertaking with cordial
interest, and secured the generous sympathies of men of all
kindreds and tongues and nations in its behalf. You were thus
fortunate, sir, in being identified with a project of such
magnificent proportions and universal concern. But the
enterprise itself was no less fortunate in being projected and
carried into execution by a man whom no obstacles could daunt,
no disasters discourage, no doubts paralyze, no opposition
dishearten. If you, to whom the conduct of this great
enterprise was assigned by the will of Providence and the
judgment of your fellow-men, had been found wanting in courage,
in energy, in determination, and in a faith that was truly
sublime, the very grandeur of the undertaking would only have
rendered its failure the more conspicuous. But, sir, the
incidents of the expedition, and the final result--too familiar
to all the world to need repetition here--have demonstrated
that you possessed all the qualities essential to achieve a
successful issue. It is for this reason that you now stand out
from among your fellow-men a mark for their cordial admiration
and grateful applause. The city of your home delights to honor
you; your fellow-citizens, conscious that the glory of your
success is reflected back upon them, are proud that your lot
has been cast among them. They have already testified their
appreciation of your great services and heroic perseverance by
illuminations, processions, serenades, and addresses. And now,
sir, the municipal government of this, the first city on the
Western continent, instruct me, who have never felt the honor
of being its chief magistrate so sensibly as in the presence of
this vast assemblage of its fair women and substantial
citizens, to present to you a gold box, with the arms of the
city engraved thereon, in testimony of the fact that to you
mainly, under Divine Providence, the world is indebted for the
successful execution of the grandest enterprise of our day and
generation; and in behalf of the Mayor, Aldermen, and
Commonalty of the City of New York, I now request your
acceptance of this token of their approbation. In conclusion,
sir, of this, the most agreeable duty of my public life, I
sincerely trust that your days may be long in the land, and as
prosperous and honorable as your achievement in uniting the two
hemispheres by a cord of electric communication has been
successful and glorious."
To this flattering address, Mr. Field replied:
"Sir: This will be a memorable day in my life; not only because
it celebrates the success of an achievement with which my name
is connected, but because the honor comes from the city of my
home--the metropolitan city of the new world. I see here not
only the civic authorities and citizens at large, but my own
personal friends--men with whom I have been connected in
business and friendly intercourse for the greater part of my
life. Five weeks ago, this day and hour, I was standing on the
deck of the Niagara in mid-ocean, with the Gorgon and Valorous
in sight, waiting for the Agamemnon. The day was cold and
cheerless, the air was misty, and the wind roughened the sea;
and when I thought of all that we had passed through--of the
hopes thus far disappointed, of the friends saddened by our
reverses, of the few that remained to sustain us--I felt a load
at my heart almost too heavy to bear, though my confidence was
firm, and my determination fixed. How different is the scene
now before me--this vast crowd testifying their sympathy and
approval, praises without stint, and friends without number!
This occasion, sir, gives me the opportunity to express my
thanks for the enthusiastic reception which I have received,
and I here make my acknowledgments before this vast concourse
of my fellow-citizens. To the ladies I may, perhaps, add, that
they have had their appropriate place, for when the cable was
laid, the first public message that passed over it came from
one of their own sex. This box, sir, which I have the honor to
receive from your hand, shall testify to me and to my children
what my own city thinks of my acts. For your kindness, sir,
expressed in such flattering, too flattering terms, and for the
kindness of my fellow-citizens, I repeat my most heartfelt
thanks."
The enthusiasm with which this address was received reached its height,
when at the close, Mr. Field advanced to the edge of the platform, and
unrolling a despatch, held it up, saying: "Gentlemen, I have just
received a telegraphic message from a little village, now a suburb of
New York, which I will read to you:
"London, September 1, 1858.
"To Cyrus W. Field, New York:
"The directors are on their way to Valentia, to make
arrangements for opening the line to the public. They convey,
through the cable, to you and your fellow-citizens, their
hearty congratulations and good wishes, and cordially
sympathize in your joyous celebration of the great
international work."[B]
A gold medal was presented to Captain Hudson, with an address, to which
he made a fitting reply. Similar testimonials were presented to all the
English captains through Mr. Archibald, the British Consul, who replied
for his absent countrymen, after which the whole audience rose to their
feet, as the band played "God save the Queen."
It was long after dark when the exercises closed, and the vast multitude
dispersed.
The night witnessed one of those displays for which New York surpasses
all the cities of the world--a firemen's torchlight procession--a
display such as was afterward given to the Prince of Wales, but which we
shall probably witness no more, since the Volunteer Fire Department is
disbanded.
But one day did not exhaust the public enthusiasm. The next evening, a
grand banquet was given by the city authorities, at which were present a
great number of distinguished guests. Lord Napier spoke, in language as
happy as it was eloquent, of the new tie that was formed between kindred
dwelling on opposite sides of the sea, and awarded the highest praise to
the one whom he recognized as the author of this great achievement.
While these demonstrations continued, every opposing voice was hushed in
the chorus of national rejoicing; yet some there were, no doubt, who
looked on with silent envy or whispered detraction. But who could grudge
these honors to the hero of the hour--honors so hardly won, and which,
as it proved, were soon to give place to harsh censures and unjust
imputations?
Alas for all human glory! Its paths lead but to the grave. Death is the
end of human ambition. The very day that a whole city rose up to do
honor to the Atlantic Telegraph and its author, it gave its last throb,
and that first cable was thenceforth to sleep for ever silent in its
ocean grave.
FOOTNOTES:
[A] Such a curiosity exists, prepared by the industry of a gentleman who
was one of the most careful collectors of the events of his time--by
which he gathered up the materials of future history--Mr. John R.
Bartlett, formerly Secretary of State of Rhode Island. This gentleman
kept files of all the papers referring to the Atlantic Telegraph, from
which he compiled a very unique volume. It is in the form of a
scrap-book, but on a gigantic scale, being of a size equal to Webster's
large Dictionary. It is made up entirely of newspaper cuttings,
classified under different heads, and neatly arranged in double columns
on nearly four hundred folio pages. The matter thus compressed would
make between three and four octavo volumes of the size of Prescott's
Histories, if printed in the style of those works. Every thing is
included that could be gathered from European as well as American
papers, touching the claims of the inventors and projectors of the
electric telegraph in general, and of the Atlantic Telegraph in
particular. The historical sketches are set off by illustrations taken
from the pictorial papers. Altogether it embraces more of the materials
of a history of this subject than any other volume with which we are
acquainted, and well deserves the title prefixed to it by the laborious
compiler:
"THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.--Its Origin and History, with an Account of the
Voyages of the Steamers Niagara and Agamemnon, in Laying the Cable, and
of the Celebration of the Great Event in New York, Philadelphia,
Brooklyn, Montreal, Dublin, Paris, etc.; together with the Discussions,
Sermons, Poetry, and Anecdotes relating thereto; also, a History of the
Invention of the Electric Telegraph. Illustrated with Maps, Plans,
Views, and Portraits, collected from the Newspapers of the Day, and
arranged by John Russell Bartlett. 1858."
[B] The history of this despatch is curious. Though dated at London, it
was sent from a small town in Ireland. The directors were on their way
from Dublin to Valentia, on the morning of the first of September, when
Mr. Saward remarked: "This is the day of the celebration in New York--we
ought to send a despatch to Mr. Field." Accordingly, at the first
stopping-place (Mallow Station) the message was written, and forwarded
to Valentia, and thence sent across the Atlantic. It was put into Mr.
Field's hand as he was getting into his carriage on the Battery.