In 1838, Morse had been curtly and almost insultingly refused a patent for his invention in England, a humiliation for which he never quite forgave the English.  Now, eighteen years after this mortifying experience, the most eminent scientists of this same England vied with each other in doing him honor.  Thus was his scientific fame vindicated, but, let it be remarked parenthetically, this kind of honor was all that he ever received from the land of his ancestors.  While other nations of Europe united, two years later, in granting him a pecuniary gratuity, and while some of their sovereigns bestowed upon him decorations or medals, England did neither.  However, it was always a source of the keenest gratification that two of those who had invented rival telegraphs proved themselves broad-minded and liberal enough to acknowledge the superiority of his system, and to urge its adoption by their respective Governments.  The first of these was Dr. Steinheil, of Munich, to whom I have already referred, and to whom is due the valuable discovery that the earth can be used as a return circuit.  The second was the Englishman, W.F.  Cooke, who, with Wheatstone, devised the needle telegraph.

On October 9, a banquet was tendered to Morse by the telegraph companies of England.  It was given at the Albion Tavern.  Mr. Cooke presided and introduced the guest of the evening in the following charming speech:—­

“I was consulted only a few months ago on the subject of a telegraph for a country in which no telegraph at present exists.  I recommended the system of Professor Morse.  I believe that system to be one of the simplest in the world, and in that lies its permanency and certainty. [Cheers.] There are others which may be as good in other circumstances, but for a wide country I hesitate not to say Professor Morse’s is the best adapted.  It is a great thing to say, and I do so after twenty years’ experience, that Professor Morse’s system is one of the simplest that ever has been and, I think, ever will be conceived. [Cheers.]

“It was a great thing for me, after having been so long connected with the electric telegraph, to be invited to preside at this interesting meeting, and I have travelled upward of one hundred miles in order to be present to-day, having, when asked to preside, replied by electric telegraph ‘I will.’ [Cheers.] But I may lower your idea of the sacrifice I made in so doing when I tell you that I knew the talents of Professor Morse, and was only too glad to accept an invitation to do honor to a man I really honored in my heart. [Cheers.]

“I have been thinking during the last few days on what Professor Morse has done.  He stands alone in America as the originator and carrier out of a grand conception.  We know that America is an enormous country, and we know the value of the telegraph, but I think we have a right to quarrel with Professor Morse for not being content with giving the benefit of it to his own country, but that he extended it to Canada and Newfoundland, and, even beyond that, his system has been adopted all over Europe [cheers]—­and the nuisance is that we in England are obliged to communicate by means of his system. [Cheers and laughter.]