Urbi Et Orbi

           Theastronomical,mechanical,andtopographicaldifficultiesresolved,finallycamethequestionoffinance.Thesumrequiredwasfartoogreatforanyindividual,orevenanysingleState,toprovidetherequisitemillions.

           PresidentBarbicaneundertook,despiteofthematterbeingapurelyAmericanaffair,torenderitoneofuniversalinterest,andtorequestthefinancialco-operationofallpeoples.Itwas,hemaintained,therightanddutyofthewholeearthtointerfereintheaffairsofitssatellite.ThesubscriptionopenedatBaltimoreextendedproperlytothewholeworld—Urbietorbi.

           Thissubscriptionwassuccessfulbeyondallexpectation;notwithstandingthatitwasaquestionnotoflendingbutofgivingthemoney.Itwasapurelydisinterestedoperationinthestrictestsenseoftheterm,andofferednottheslightestchanceofprofit.

           Theeffect,however,ofBarbicane’scommunicationwasnotconfinedtothefrontiersoftheUnitedStates;itcrossedtheAtlanticandPacific,invadingsimultaneouslyAsiaandEurope,AfricaandOceanica.TheobservatoriesoftheUnionplacedthemselvesinimmediatecommunicationwiththoseofforeigncountries.Some,suchasthoseofParis,Petersburg,Berlin,Stockholm,Hamburg,Malta,Lisbon,Benares,Madras,andothers,transmittedtheirgoodwishes;therestmaintainedaprudentsilence,quietlyawaitingtheresult.AsfortheobservatoryatGreenwich,secondedasitwasbythetwenty-twoastronomicalestablishmentsofGreatBritain,itspokeplainlyenough.