THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH. 



answer was immediately returned, and we acted accordingly; 

 probably much to our customers' surprise. The charge was a 

 dollar for each message, distance about 500 miles, but much 

 further by telegraph, as it has to go a round to avoid water. If 

 my brother goes to Philadelphia, he telegraphs, 'How is the 

 family ? What is doing ? ' I answer, * All well. Sales so 

 much,' and so on." * 



It has been contended by some, with much reason, that one of 

 the most serious drawbacks to the general extension of the use of 

 the electric telegraph is the impracticability of preserving that 

 secrecy which the seal confers on written correspondence, the 

 absence of which would utterly annihilate the utility of the post- 

 office. The imperious necessity of guarding this secrecy inviolate 

 is apparent in the heavy penalties attached to the rupture of the 

 seal, which can only be effected with impunity by a special 

 authorisation of a secretary of state. To confer on the electric 

 telegraph all the public utility of which it is susceptible, means 

 must be adopted, and will, no doubt, be ultimately adopted for 

 the attainment of this object, the vital importance of which is 

 implicitly acknowledged by the heavy penalties, the smallest of- 

 which is dismissal, imposed in all countries on the agents who 

 disclose the contents of private telegraphic correspondence. 



Such expedients must nevertheless be ineffectual, for it would 

 contradict all the results of the common experience of life, if 

 what must inevitably be communicated to half a dozen persons at 

 least, and a copy of which is retained and filed in a public office, 

 could remain secret from any parties who might have a sufficiently 

 strong motive to come to the knowledge of it. But even though 

 the disclosure of private communications to parties not employed 

 in the telegraphic offices should be effectually prevented by the 

 present expedient of swearing the clerks to secrecy, and inflicting 

 the consequent penalties for the violation of their oath, still 

 individuals communicating in private confidence one to another, 

 wives to husbands, sisters to brothers, or children to parents, 

 have things to say which it would be utterly intolerable, as is 

 most justly observed by the reviewer already quoted even "to 

 see strangers read before their eyes. This is a grievous fault in 

 the telegraph, and it must sooner or later be remedied by some 

 means or other." 



The object might be accomplished by the use of any species of 

 cipher, but this supposes that the parties corresponding have 

 previously prepared the cipher, and are mutually possessed of its 

 key. Such a condition could only be practically fulfilled by 



* " Chambers' s lepers tor tne Jfeople " vol. ix. Kb. 71. 

 92 



