As to the jokes, caricatures, and comic songs that would have welcomed in Europe, and, above all, in France, the idea of sending a projectile to the moon, they would have been turned against their author; all the "life-preservers" in the world would have been powerless to guarantee him against the general indignation.

There are things that are not to be laughed at in the New World.
Impey Barbicane became from that day one of the greatest citizens of the United States, something like a Washington of science, and one fact amongst several will serve to show the sudden homage which was paid by a nation to one man.
Some days after the famous meeting of the Gun Club the manager of an English company announced at the Baltimore Theatre a representation of _Much Ado About Nothing_, but the population of the town, seeing in the title a damaging allusion to the projects of President Barbicane, invaded the theatre, broke the seats, and forced the unfortunate manager to change the play.

Like a sensible man, the manager, bowing to public opinion, replaced the offending comedy by _As You Like It_, and for several weeks he had fabulous houses..