Memoir of the Life of Eli Whitney. 247 
will despise it: the weak and visionary only will be decoyed by it, 
and your patent office will be filled with rubbish. The number of 
those who succeed in bringing into operation really useful and im- 
portant improvements, always has been, and always must be, very 
small. It is not probable that this number can ever be as great as 
one ina hundred thousand. It is therefore impossible that they can 
ever exert upon the community an undue influence. ‘There is, on 
the contrary, much probability and danger that their rights will be 
trampled on by the many.” 
Notwithstanding these cogent arguments, the application was re- 
jected by Congress. Some liberal minded and enlightened men 
{om the cotton districts, favored the petition; but a majority of the 
members from that section of the Union, were warmly opposed to 
granting it. 
_ tna correspondence with the late Mr. Robert Fulton, on the same 
subject, Mr, Whitney observes as follows:—The difficulties with 
which I have had to contend have originated, principally, in the want of 
‘disposition in mankind to do justice. My invention was new and 
distinct. from every other: it stood alone. It was not interwoven 
with any thing before known; and it can seldom happen that an in- 
Yention or improvement is so strongly marked, and can be so clearly 
bos specifically identified ; and I have always believed, that I should 
ve had no difficulty in causing my rights to be respected, if it had 
Nless valuable, and been used only by a small portion of the 
“ommunity. But the use of this machine being immensely profitable 
t0 almost every planter in the cotton districts, all were interested in 
trespassing upon the patent right, and each kept the other in counte- 
mance, Demagogues made themselves popular by misrepresentation, 
tnd unfounded clamors, both against the right, and against the law 
made for its protection. Hence there arose associations and combi- 
Tations to Oppose both. At one time, but few men in Georgia dared 
© come into court, ‘and testify to the most simple facts within their 
Wledge, relative to the use of the machine. In one instance, i 
tad great difficulty in proving that the machine had been used in 
*orgia, although, at the same moment, there were three separate 
~'8 of this machinery in motion, within fifty yards of the building 
"Which the court sat, and all so near that the rattling of the wheels 
= distinctly heard on the steps of the court house.”* 
otter 2 ee 
® 
Tn one of his trials, Mr. Whitney adopted the following plan, in order to show 
how ny > . : : Ss ‘Ndveiuariog They 
Satory were the methods of evasion practised by his adversaries. ey 
