The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-07-10 00:00:00

"Ik4DEPENDENCE" DAY IN LONDON.

On Monday the Americans at present in London
celebrated the ninety-ninth anniversary of the declara-
tion of American Independence by a dinner at the
Crystal Palace (the following particulars of which are
from the Daily News). General Schenck? the United
States Minister at the Court of St. James s, undertook
to preside, and at a few minutes to six he received the
invited guests, many of whom had gone down early in
the afternoon and spent the day at the Palace, in an
ante-room to the marble hall, the room chosen for the
dinner. The latter had been very prettily decorated
for the occasion with groups of flags. Across one end
was a large painting of two hands grasping each other,
over them being written "England and America,"
while statues of Washington, Lincoln, and other
notable Americans were placed in different parts of
the room. The guests, to the number of upwards of
two hundred, many of whom were ladies, having taken
their seats,
The Hon. S. P. Carpenter, chairman of the Execu-
tive Committee, called the assembly "to order." He
said—l feel that I only echo the voice of Mother
England when I say "Welcome grandchildren to the
old English homestead ;" let as bring garlands of
peace to the altar of liberty, with malice towards no
one, and charity for all, showing that we appreciate
free Government, and our veneration for the wisdom
of our ancestors, who have given us such a goodly
heritage. This day and this occasion, if observed in
the spirit of unity and peace, may serve to strengthen
the ties of friendship between the two nations, and
their power united can lead the civilization of the
world. Again, I bid you welcome at this feast of
liberty and peace, and trust that you will all be
happier for being here. I have now the great pleasure
of presenting to you as chairman of the day our
Minister, General Schenck. (Applause.)
_ _

_
General Schenck thanked the assembly for the
honour they had done him in inviting him to preside.
He was glad that no confusion or delay had arisen
from any cause except from the number who wished
to do honour to their country and the day they cele-
brated. (Applause.) He should not detain them,
either then or afterwards with anything in the form
of oratory, real or attempted; his task would simply
be to engineer the occasion for others who might be
called on to address them.

A call was then made for a clergyman to say Grace,
but as none appeared to be present, the General said—
I know the hearts of all here are full of thankfulaess,
let that suffice.

Among the company present, besides the speakers,
were the Misses Schenck, Colonel Hoffman, and
Colonel Chesebrough, First and Second Secretaries to
the Legation; Mr. Woodhouse Stevens, of Brussels ;
Mr. U. S. Grant, son of the President ; Colonel
McCook and Miss Balfe •, Mr. Hugh McCulloch, late
Financial Secretary ; Mr. Torrens, M.P. ; Mr.
Richard, M.P. and Mrs. Richard; Sir Frederick and
Lady Perkins, Chevalier M`Koff, General Bradford,
Mr. W. Thomson, United States Consul at South-
ampton ; Mr. McDougall, United States Consul at
Dundee; Mrs. Balla, Colonel and Mrs. Muter, Mr.
H. M. Watts, formerly United States Minister at
Vienna; Mr. Livingstone, son of Dr. Livingstone,
&c.

Dinner having been eaten, the menu containinonany
dishes with American names,
General Schenck rose and said : I am requested to
give you a toast, which I am sure as Americans here
assembled you will all accept. My European friend
have very of ten asked me, " How is it that you in the
United States, with a Republican form of Government,
can have in your hearts anything which can be called
loyalty?" The answer is very obvious if we think of
the derivation of the word, for we are, as the Anglo-
Saxon race everywhere found is apt to be, a law-
abiding people. But our loyalty may be rightly in-
ferred. it seems to me. from the fact that our Govern-
ment and our institutions being, in the strongest pos-
sible sense of the word our own, we therefore are
attached to them. (Applause.) We not only love our
country, broad and expansive as it is, stretching from
ocean to ocean, from the frozen regions of the north
almost to the torrid zone, and are naturally proud of it
as the place where our fortunes have been cast, but we
love our Constitution and the institutions framed be-
neath it for the liberties which it secures; we love our
laws, and we love our flag. (Applause.)
''.r.‘'nuad mtnsannny aerli c}int
ehehasksyd.a.ced to see
But we are not confined to this mere abstract and
;cneral love for our country. As Americans we have
a right, if any people have, to be loyal in the concrete.
Choosing our own ruler, who by our choice becomes