HENRY AND THE TELEGRAPH. 355 



a position so distasteful to liis sensitive and generous nature, it may well be supposed 

 that however reserved and cautious his attitude, and whatever his preferences, the 

 answers (necessarily conscientious) drawn from him by skillful attorneys defending 

 the alleged infringements, and the coloring given to such answers in their elaborate 

 arguments, would be little calculated to please the plaintiffs, — naturally intent on the 

 broadest scope and com])rehen.sion of their claims. And from this time. Professor 

 Morse, under the misjudging influence of interested supporters, seemed to forget that 

 Henry had been among the most serviceable and unselfish of his many friends. 



In 1854 Professor Morse's patent (of fourteen years from 1840) was about expiring, 

 and an application for its extension for seven years longer, according to the provis- 

 ions of the law, was pending before the Hon. Charles Mason, — one of the most able, 

 conscientious, and indefatigable of Patent Office Commissioners. Inclined from the 

 testimony he had examined, to believe that the merits of Professor Morse's invention 

 had been greatly overestimated, and that his patent from the breadth of interpreta- 

 tion it had received, was acting to some extent as an obstruction to further pro- 

 gress in the ai-t, he consulted with his friend. Professor Henry, as to the independent 

 value of the Morse system, in view of the antecedent state of the art. Henry, with 

 no other sentiment than that of impartial arbitrator, represented that Professor 

 Morse, without the advantage of scientific culture, had the great merit of having 

 combined and of having energetically developed and established a system of electro- 

 magnetic telegraphy, in its method of signaling and of recording, the most efficient 

 of contemporary methods. He referred to the needle-telegraph of his personal friend, 

 Professor Wheatstone (whom he regarded as one of the most intelligent and iu'i-enious 

 of modern physicists), as being in his judgment inferior practically to the Morse tele- 

 graph ; and he urged that care should be taken not to let the extravagant pretensions 

 of Professor Morse's would-be friends lead to the opposite error of underrating an in- 

 vention which was certainly of far greater value to the community, than any remu- 

 neration which had yet been reajied by its author from the short-lived monopoly. 



The application of the patentee was granted by the Commissioner ; and the patent 

 was legally extended for seven years from the 19th of June, 1854. Professor Morse, 

 in ignorance of this service, had at the time unfortunately written (or at least given 

 his signature to) the ungracious and ungrateful assault on Henry, as a pretender in 

 science, and a detractor of merit, when rising fiime excited his envy. And early the 

 following year, to the injury of himself alone, had the stricture published in a pam- 

 jihlet, and widely distributed. 



As a sufficient corrective of the strange misconception of his disposition and motives, 

 Henry inquired of Judge Mason, if he recalled their interview on the question of ex- 

 tending the Morse patent ; and the Commissioner of Patents responded in the follow- 

 ing letter : 



"United States Patent Office, March 31, 1856. 



" Sir : Agreeably to your request, I now make the following statement : Some two 

 years since, when an application was made for an extension of Professor Morse's pat- 

 ent, I was for some time in doubt as to the propriety of making that extension. Under 

 these circumstances I consulted with several persons, and among others with yourself, 

 with a view particularly to ascertain the amount of invention fairly due to Professor 

 Morse. The result of my inquiries was siich as to induce me to grant the extension. 

 I will further say that this was in accordance with your express recommendation, and 

 that I was probably more influenced by this reoonunendation, and the information I 

 obtained from you, than by any other circumstance, in coming to that conclusion. 



" I am, sir, 



"Yours very respectfully, 



" Charles Mason." 

 " Prof. J. Henry." 



