large-heartedness, submitted gracefully. On October 15, he writes to Mr.
Curtis: "I ought, perhaps, with my experience to learn for the first time
that _Law_ and _Justice_ are not synonyms, but, with all deference to the
opinion of the excellent referees, for each of whom I have the highest
personal respect, I still think that they have not given a decision in
strict conformity with Law.... I submit, however, to law with kindly
feelings to all, and now bend my attention to repair my losses as best I
may."

As remarked before, earlier in this volume, Morse, in his correspondence
with Smith, always wrote in that courteous manner which becomes a
gentleman, and he expresses his dissent from the verdict in this manner
in a letter of November 20, in answer to one of Smith's, quibbling over
the allowance to Morse by the referees of certain expenses: "Throwing
aside as of no avail any discussion in regard to the equity of the
decision of the referees, especially in the view of a conscientious and
high-minded man, I now deal with the decision as it has been made, since,
according to the technicalities of the law, it has been pronounced by
honorable and honest men in accordance with their construction of the
language of the deed in your favor. But 'He that's convinced against his
will is of the same opinion still,' and in regard to the intrinsic
injustice of being compelled, by the strict construction of a general
word, to pay over to you any portion of that which was expressly given to
me as a personal and honorary _gratuity_ by the European governments, my
opinion is always as it has been, an opinion sustained by the sympathy of
every intelligent and honorable man who has studied the merits of the
case."

He was hard hit for a time by this unjust decision, and his
correspondence shows that he regretted it most because it prevented him
from bestowing as much in good works as he desired. He was obliged to
refuse many requests which strongly appealed to him. His daily mail
contained numerous requests for assistance in sums "from twenty thousand
dollars to fifty cents," and it was always with great reluctance that he
refused anybody anything.

However, as is usual in this life, the gay was mingled with the grave,
and we find that he was one of the committee of prominent men to arrange
for the entertainment of the Prince of Wales, afterward Edward VII, on
his visit to this country. I have already referred to one incident of
this