the Niagara and sail from Liverpool on the Arabia, on September 19, and
in due time he arrived at his beloved home on the Hudson.

While still intensely interested in the great cable enterprise, he begins
to question the advisability of continuing his connection with the men
against whom Mr. Kendall had warned him, for in a letter to his brother
Richard, of October 15, 1857, he says: "I intend to withdraw altogether
from the Atlantic Telegraph enterprise, as they who are prominent on this
side of the water in its interests are using it with all then: efforts
and influence against my invention, and my interests, and those of my
assignees, to whom I feel bound in honor to attach myself, even if some
of them have been deceived into coalition with the hostile party."

It was, however, a great disappointment to him that he was not connected
with future attempts to lay the cable. His withdrawal was not altogether
voluntary in spite of what he said in the letter from which I have just
quoted. While he had been made an Honorary Director of the company in
1857, although not a stockholder, a law was subsequently passed declaring
that only stockholders could be directors, even honorary directors. He
had not felt financially able to purchase stock, but it was a source of
astonishment to him and to others that a few shares, at least, had not
been allotted to him for his valuable services in connection with the
enterprise. He had, nevertheless, cheerfully given of his time and
talents in the first attempt, although cautioned by Mr. Kendall.

He goes fully into the whole matter in a very long letter to Mr. John W.
Brett, of December 27, 1858, in which he details his connection with the
cable company, his regret and surprise at being excluded on the ground of
his not being a stockholder, especially as, on a subsequent visit to
Europe, he found that two other men had been made honorary directors,