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FIFTEEN: CAN’T! SIR, CAN’T!

After about ten/ Chatting: SFB to SM (copy), 19 Jul 1856, Y. Morse’s journey north/ Passport: SFB to SM (copy), ígJul 1856, Y. Services: P, p. 612. Morse considered his visit/ Foundation: ELM, II, 354–55. Through the American minister/ On SFB’s visit to St. Petersburg see ELM, II, 355–64, and M18, fr. 237–39 The test results/ Resolved: P, p. 645. After the downing/ The transcriptions of SFB’s long speech in several newspapers differ substantially. I have relied chiefly on an official report of the dinner, M18, fr. 327. But see also the discrepant transcriptions and summaries in NYO, 30 Oct 1856, and M33, fr. 57g–8o. London newspapers reported/ Entitled: European, 22 Nov 1856. Progress: London Times, 13 Oct 1856. F. O. J. Smith was suing/ Thorn: ELM, II, 371. KNIGHT: M33, fr. 567. The assaults left Morse/ Depressed: SFB to AK (copy), 2g Dec 1856, M27. Money-worshipping: SFB to Charles Morse, 10 Jan [185g but misdated 1858], M26. Nook: SFB to AK (copy), 2g Jan 1857, M27. Morse sought relief/ Problems: SFB to Peter Cooper (copy), 21 Mar 1857, M27. Hostile: AK to SFB, 4 Jan 1857, M18. Morse still hoped/ Onward: Peter Cooper to SFB, 10 Mar 1857, M18. A few days later/ Duplicity: SFB to Peter Cooper, 14 Mar 1857, M27. Field’s non-offer/ Scheme: AK to SFB, 22 Feb 1857, Mi 8. Morse thanked Field/ Something: SFB to Cyrus Field, 13 Feb 1857, M27. Sacrifice: SFB to AK (copy), 14 Feb 1857, M27. Morse’s ever more desperate/ Sacred: AK to SFB, 23 Feb 1857, M18. Bluish: SFB to AK (copy), 14 Feb 1857, M27. Morse anxiously longed/ Rupture: SFB to T. R. Walker (copy), 21 Mar 1857, M27. The bill for the appropriation provoked angry debate in the Senate. Southerners and westerners saw the transatlantic telegraph chiefly profiting traders and merchants in the industrial North. Others argued that, in case of war, the cable would greatly benefit England. See The Arguments in Favor of the International Submarine Telegraph, in the Senate of the United States (1857). The offer cannot have/ Waived: SFB to Peter Cooper (copy), 21 Mar 1857, M27. Morse did not say/ Satisfied: SFB to T. R Walker (copy), 21 Mar 1857, M27. As a world-historic/ GREAT: M33, fr. 681. Annals: NY. Tribune, 27 Aug 1857. Sublime: Times and Messenger, 23 Aug 1857. Morse received extensive/ Can’t: Harper’s Weekly, 2 May 1857, 282. Morse shipped for England/ Falls: SFB to Sarah Morse, 2 May 1857, M18. The following account of the laying of the transatlantic cable draws on Briggs and Maverick, Dibner, Field, Mullaly, and Saward, and on newspaper clippings in M33. A serious problem/ Splendid: SFB to Cyrus Field (copy), 15 May 1857, M27. Morse enthusiastically approved/ Conferred: SFB to Sarah Morse, 6 Jun 1857, M18. Ordinary: SFB to Frederic Van den Broek (copy), 2Jun 1857, M27. To reinforce the French/Withhold: SFB to SM, 15 Jun 1857, New-York Historical Society. Providence in some/ Jeopardy: Lewis Cass to John G. Mason, 31 Jul 1857, M19. Morse spent the rest/ Abused: SFB to Sarah Morse, 6 Jun 1857, M18. Morse and his fellow/ Delighted: SFB to Sarah Morse, 9 Jul 1857, M19. Morse reboarded/ Harbors: SFB to Sarah Morse, 28 Jul 1857, M33. Scholars: M33, fr. 705. News that the historic/ Fleet: Herald, 18 Aug 1857. For the sake of compression, I have connected parts of closely related sentences from two adjoining paragraphs. Glory: ELM, II, 376. An immense coil/ Steam-engines: ELM, II, 378. The squadron had moved/ Occur: SFB to SM, 7 Aug 1857, M1 9 Operations resumed/ Rumbling: ELM, II, 380. Morse telegraphed/ 214: SFB to [Edward Whitehouse], 10 Aug 1857, M33. Littleness: P, p. 659 As the Niagara steamed/ Thread: SFB to Sarah Morse (draft), 12 Aug 1857, M33. Also lost overboard/ Herculean: Tribune, 27 Aug 1857. Sanguine: M33, fr. g6. Disagreeable: Scientific American, 3 Oct 1857, 29 Morse contributed/ Fatal: Scientific American, 19 Sep 1857, 13. Demur: Briggs and Maverick, 114. In fact, Morse’s/ Engage: SFB to John Mullaly, 23 Oct 1857, Morgan Library. Meanwhile the company’s/ Providential: SFB to George Saward (draft), 18 Aug 1857, M19. Having sent