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378
The Story of the Atlantic Telegraph
·
Henry M. Field
90
The
letter
to
the
President
called
attention
to
this
generous
offer--an
offer
which
it
was
manifestly
to
the
advantage
of
our
Government
to
accept--and
added:
"The
Company
will
enter
into
a
contract
with
the
Government
of
the
United
States
on
the
same
terms
and
conditions
as
it
has
made
with
the
British
Government."
They
asked
only
for
the
same
recognition
and
aid
which
they
had
received
in
England.
This
surely
was
not
a
very
bold
request.
It
was
natural
that
American
citizens
should
think
that
in
a
work
begun
by
Americans,
and
of
which,
if
successful,
their
country
would
reap
largely
the
honor
and
the
advantage,
they
might
expect
the
aid
from
their
own
Government
which
they
had
already
received
from
a
foreign
power.
It
was,
therefore,
not
without
a
mixture
of
surprise
and
mortification
that
they
learned
that
the
proposal
in
Congress
had
provoked
a
violent
opposition,
and
that
the
bill
was
likely
to
be
defeated.
Such
was
the
attitude
of
affairs
when
Mr.
Field
returned
from
Newfoundland,
and
which
led
him
to
hasten
to
Washington.
He
now
found
that
it
was
much
easier
to
deal
with
the
English
than
with
the
American
Government.
Whatever
may
be
said
of
the
respective
methods
of
administration,
it
must
be
confessed
that
the
forms
of
English
procedure
furnish
greater
facility
in
the
despatch
of
business.
A
contract
can
be
made
by
the
Lords
of
the
Treasury
without
waiting
the
action
of
Parliament.
The
proposal
is
referred
to
two
or
three
intelligent
officers
of
the
Government--perhaps
even
to
a
single
individual--on
whose
report
it
takes
action
without
further
delay.
Thus
it
is
probable
that
the
action
of
the
British
Government
was
decided
wholly
by
the
recommendation
of
Mr.
Wilson,
formed
after
the
visit
of
Mr.
Field.
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