he subject justified him in doing
so.

A few years afterwards Morse and his associates became involved in a
series of bitterly contested litigations with parties interested in
breaking down the original patent rights, and Henry was called as a
witness for the opponents of Morse.

He gave his testimony with great reluctance, but it was tinged with the
bitterness caused by the failure of Vail to do him justice and his
apparent conviction that Morse was disingenuous. He denied to the latter
any scientific discoveries, and gave the impression (at least, to others)
that Henry, and not Morse, was the real inventor of the telegraph. His
testimony was used by the enemies of Morse, both at home and abroad, to
invalidate the claims of the latter, and, stung by these aspersions on
his character and attainments, and urged thereto by injudicious friends,
Morse published a lengthy pamphlet entitled: "A Defense against the
Injurious Deductions drawn from the Deposition of Professor Joseph
Henry." In this pamphlet he not only attempted to prove that he owed
nothing to the discoveries of Henry, but he called in question the
truthfulness of that distinguished man.

The breach between these two honorable, highly sensitive men was now
complete, and it was never healed.

The consensus of scientific opinion gives to Henry's discoveries great
value in the invention of the telegraph. While they did not constitute a
true telegraph in themselves; while they needed the inventions and
discoveries, and, I might add, the sublime faith and indomitable
perseverance of Morse to make the telegraph a commercial success; they
were, in my opinion, essential to it, and Morse, I think, erred in
denying this. But, from a thorough study of his character, we must give
him the credit of being sincere in his denial. Henry, too, erred in
ignoring the advances of Morse and Vail and in his proud sensitiveness.
Professor Leonard D. Gale, the friend of both men, makes the following
comment in a letter to Morse of February 9, 1852: "I fear Henry and I
shall never again be on good terms. He is as cold as a polar berg, and, I
am informed, very sensitive. It has been said by some busybody that his
testimony was incompatible with mine, and so a sort of feeling is
manifested as if it were so. I have said nothing about it yet." It would
have been more dignified on the part of Morse to have disregarded the
imputations contained in Henry's testimony, or to have replied muc