PROCEEDINGS OF 7 HE EEGENT3. 89 



against the injurious deductions drawn from the deposition of Professor 

 Joseph Henry, (in the several telegraph suits,) with a critical review 

 of said deposition, and an examination of Professor Henry's alleged 

 discoveries bearing upon the electro-magnetic telegraph." 



The first thing which strikes the reader of this article is, that its 

 title is a misnomer. It is simply an assault upon Professor Henry ; 

 an attempt to disparage his character ; to deprive him of his honors 

 as a scientific discoverer ; to impeach his credibility as a witness and 

 his integrity as a man. It is a disingenuous piece of sophistical 

 argument, such as an unscrupulous advocate might employ to pervert 

 the truth, misrepresent the fiicts, and misinterpret the language in 

 which the facts belonging to the other side of the case are stated. 



Mr. Morse charges that the deposition of Professor Henry *' con- 

 tains imputations against his (Morse's) personal character," which 

 it does not, and assumes it as a duty ''to expose the utter non- 

 reliability of Professor Henry's testimony;" that testimony being 

 supported by the most competent authorities, and by the history of 

 scientific discovery. He asserts that he "is not indebted to him 

 (Professor Henry) for any discovery in science bearing on the tele- 

 graph," he having himself acknowledged such indebtedness in the 

 most unequivocal manner, and the fact being independently substan- 

 tiated by the testimony of Sears C. Walker, and the statement of 

 Mr. Morse's own associate, Dr. Gale. Mr. Morse further maintains, 

 that all discoveries bearing upon the telegraph were made, not by 

 Professor Henry, but by others, and prior to any experiments of Pro- 

 fessor Henry in the science of electro-magnetism ; contradicting in 

 this proposition the facts in the history of scientific discovery perfectly 

 established and recognized throughout the scientific world. 



The essence of the charges against Prof. Henry is, that he gave 

 false testimony in his deposition in the telegraph cases, and that he 

 has claimed the credit of discoveries in the sciences bearing upon the 

 electro-magnetic telegraph which were made by previous investigators ; 

 in other words, that he has falsely claimed what does not belong to 

 him, but does belong to others. 



Professor Henry, as a private man, might safely have allowed such 

 charges to pass in silence. But standing in the important position 

 which he occupies, as the chief executive officer of the Smithsonian In- 

 stitution ; and regarding the charges as undoubtedly containing an 

 impeachment of his moral character, as well as of his scientific repu- 

 tation ; and justly sensitive, not only for his own honor, but for the 

 honor of the Institution, he has a right to ask this Board to consider 



