A history of the United States of America; its people and its institutions . urned to the country. Ocean Telegraph Cable.—For several years Cyrus , an enterprising citizen of New York, had been activelyengaged in a project to lay a telegraph line under the At-lantic Ocean. In 1846 a message had been sent under theHudson River, on a wire coated with gutta-percha. If thiscould be done for a short, why not for a long distance?The ocean was sounded between Ireland and Newfoundland,and found to be nowhere more than two and a half milesdeep, while its bottom was nearly level. At length, after
A history of the United States of America; its people and its institutions . urned to the country. Ocean Telegraph Cable.—For several years Cyrus , an enterprising citizen of New York, had been activelyengaged in a project to lay a telegraph line under the At-lantic Ocean. In 1846 a message had been sent under theHudson River, on a wire coated with gutta-percha. If thiscould be done for a short, why not for a long distance?The ocean was sounded between Ireland and Newfoundland,and found to be nowhere more than two and a half milesdeep, while its bottom was nearly level. At length, aftermany experiments, a telegraph cable was laid in 1858, Afew messages were sent across it and then it failed towork. But its possibility had been proved, and Mr. Fieldcontinued his efforts until a successful cable was laid in1866. 344 THE SLAVERY CONTEST. The Lincoln and. Douglas Debate.—During the periodunder consideration two citizens of Illinois came into na-tional prominence. One of these was Stephen A. Douglas,the Democratic Senator from Illinois who had introduced. LAYiNf, THE Atlantic Cable. the Kansas-Nebraska bill. He was again a candidate forelection to the Senate, and was opposed by Abraham Lin-coln, the Republican candidate, and a man who had risenby force of character from poverty and hard labor to theIllinois legislature and the United States Congress. Lincoln was remarkably able in debate, and he took thestump against Douglas, also an able speaker. They wentfrom town to town of Illinois, speaking on national this debate Lincoln grew famous. He forced Douglas tomake statements about the Dred Scott decision which losthim favor in the South and ruined his hopes of the Presi-dency, though he was elected Senator by a small the debate Lincoln took such a decided stand on BUCHANANS ADMINISTRATION. 345 Ihe slavery question as to make him the favorite of theRepublican party, and to gain him the Presidency in thecoming election. The Election o
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