will still order all things well."



CHAPTER XXXIII


JANUARY 9, 1848--DECEMBER 19, 1849

Preparation for lawsuits.--Letter from Colonel Shaffner.--Morse's reply
deprecating bloodshed.--Shaffner allays his fears.--Morse attends his
son's wedding at Utica.--His own second marriage.--First of great
lawsuits.--Almost all suits in Morse's favor.--Decision of Supreme Court
of United States.--Extract from an earlier opinion.--Alfred Vail leaves
the telegraph business.--Remarks on this by James D. Reid.--Morse
receives decoration from Sultan of Turkey.--Letter to organizers of
Printers' Festival.--Letter concerning aviation.--Optimistic letter from
Mr. Kendall.--Humorous letter from George Wood.--Thomas R. Walker.--
Letter to Fenimore Cooper.--Dr. Jackson again.--Unfairness of the press.
--Letter from Charles C. Ingham on art matters.--Letter from George
Vail.--F.O.J. Smith continues to embarrass.--Letter from Morse to Smith.

The year 1848 was a momentous one to Morse in more ways than one. The
first of the historic lawsuits was to be begun at Frankfort, Kentucky,--
lawsuits which were not only to establish this inventor's claims, but
were to be used as a precedent in all future patent litigation. In his
peaceful retreat on the banks of the Hudson he carefully and
systematically prepared the evidence which should confound his enemies,
and calmly awaited the verdict, firm in his faith that, however lowering
the clouds, the sun would yet break through. Finding relaxation from his