HONORS AND REWARDS 173 
they foresee that a long, disastrous war would interrupt their 
plans. ‘To them the enterprise had seemed short and simple; 
it proved long and expensive. 
While Field was in England on this occasion, he received a 
letter from the Prime Minister, Lord Derby, expressing once 
more Queen Victoria’s regret at not being able to honor the 
American projector of the cable. ‘This letter indicates that it 
was not merely among the liberal statesmen, like Gladstone 
and Bright, that Field’s work was appreciated, but also among 
the aristocracy—a fact brought out during the next year, 
when additional British respects were paid to him. Lord 
Derby’s letter was as follows: 
St. James Square, March 17, 1867. 
Sir,—Understanding that you are on the point of returning to 
the United States after a short visit to this country, I am anxious 
to take the opportunity of saying to yourself, what in the Queen’s 
name I was authorized to write to the chairman of the banquet 
in the autumn at Liverpool, how much of the success of the great 
undertaking of laying the Atlantic cable was due to the energy 
and perseverance with which, from the very first, in spite of all 
discouragements, you adhered to and supported the project. Your 
signal services in carrying out this great undertaking have been 
already fully recognized by Congress, and it would have been very 
satisfactory to the Queen to have included your name among 
those on whom, in commemoration of this great event, Her Maj- 
esty was pleased to bestow British honors, if it had not been felt 
that, as a citizen of the United States, it would hardly have been 
competent to you to accept them. As long, however, as the tele- 
graphic communication between the two continents lasts your 
name cannot fail to be honorably associated with it. 
Wishing you a safe and prosperous return to your own country, 
I have the honor to be, sir, 
Your obedient servant, 
Derby. 
Cyrus W. Field, Esq. 
A somewhat similar letter of appreciation was received at 
this time from the Speaker of the House of Commons, J. 
