The Express.
London, England, 1868-07-02 00:00:00

THE EXPRM, THURSDAY EVENING,

B.4IIQUEI' TO la. CYROB F/RLD.
Last evening as tiatnd banquet wan given, at
Willis's Rooms, to Mr. Urns W. "as an acknow-
ent of the eminent seeders ho has rendered to the
New and Old World by his devotion to the interests of
• ty aud ihnibt." The Duke of ARGYLL took the
Atlantic
tolegrephy, through circumetauco4 Of protracted
chair, and the guests included Mr. Bright, M.P., Lord
Stratford de Radcliffe, Sir J. Pakington, Sir S. Northcote,
Lone Duffer* Lord Denbigh, Lord Airlie, Lord Morley,
Lord F. eavendiels, M.P., Mr. Limit, M.P., Mr. W. E.
Venter, M.P., Mr. Graves, M.P., Sir J. Ray, M.P., Mr.
Hadfield, Mr. Ralph Elliot, Mr. 0. S. Lefevre,
M.P., Capt. Moriarty, R.N., Mr. J. R. 'Robinson,
Sir W. Thompson, Mr. J. B. Potter, 11. P., Mr.
J. R. M'Clean, Sir A. Masse, Mr. Jacob Bright,
11. P., Mr. J. C. Parkinson, Mr. J. B. Smith, M.P., Sir S.
Canning, and a large number of scientific gentlemen. The
guests were so numerous (about 300) that the adjoining
drawing-room bad to be turned into a temporary dining
ball. The tables were profusely decorated with flowers
and with telegraphic specimens and models. The land
of the Coldstream Guards occupied the orchestra, and
their programme included a selection of American tunes
cleverly arranged by Mr. Fred. Godfrey, the bandmaster.
Mr. Toole wee toastmaster. A telegraphic apparatus
was fitted up under the orchestra, and the click of the in-
struments was occasionally heard above the clatter of
knife and fork. The result was the reading
of several telegraphic replies cm answer to mas-
sages previously sent) while the dinner was pro-
ceeding. Governor Monet telegraphed from Quebec,
" In the name of the people of the dominion of Canada,
I desire to express our hearty sympathy with the compli-
ment which you arc now paying to Mr. Cyrus Field. It
is specially happy and appropriate that I am enabled
to do so by means of that
°Tab instrument with which
his name is inseparably co the success of which,
and the consequent advantages to humanity and the pro-
gress of civilusation arc mainly due to the self-reliance,
enterprise, and energy of your distinguished guest.
Professor Nurse telegraphed from America Greeting
to all met to perform an net of national. justice. May
this divine attribute ever be the companion of the tele-
graph in its true mission of binding the nations of the en-
tire world in bonds of peace. Spreialgreeting to the guest;
to Cooke, Sir Charles Bright, and Wheatstone.'
Governor Seymour sent the following :—" Columbia joins
heartily iu the cheers with which the toast ' Cyrus Meld'
will be received. We owe much to the telegraph7three
days' news from England, instantaneous communication
with the gold mines 600 miles distant, police atrength vir-
tually doubled. Weather tine here, mines and farms
flourishing, wages high, revenue improving; your son.
Lord George, with us, and well." Peter Cooper. New
York, telegruphol—"The directors of the New York,
Newfoundland, and London Telegraph Company are re-
joiced that the services of their associate, Cyrus W. Field,
are recognised in England as they have been long recog-
nised in America; they beg leave to join you in con-
gratulating him, and they trust that his highest
claim to the gratitude of the world will be
found to consist in the establishmeut of a communication
which will bind together the nations in universal, per-
petual peace." Miss Field telegraphed—" I thank you
meet sincerely for the kin,l words you have spoken of my
father, causing me to feel that we are friends, although
our acquaintance is thus made across the sea, and in a
moment of time."
His Grace the Crtsnota.e, in proposing the preliminary
toasts, remarked that the Queen 'is health would be an
acceptable toast 014 both sitter of the Atlantic, and that if
the Prince with the Princess ever Haite4 Americo, they
would meet with, if possible, a more cordial reeeption than
when his royal highness visited that country.
The Duke of AROYIL next, ?amidst loud cheers, pro-
posed " The President of the United States," pointing out
that while our Queen was placed above the level
of political and party disputes, the chief magistrate of
America was bound by his position to take part in the
political controversice of his time and country. Whilst
leaving with confidence the final issue of the tremendous
questions with which they had lately had to deal to the
wisdom of the Americans themselves, he (the chairman)
felt that Englishmen desired to see the country speedily
restored to its normal condition, but not until all races
were equal before the law. (Loud cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN next gave "The Militaryand Naval Ser-
vices of the two countries," and hoped that the navies of
England and America would often be united in such pur-
suits as that which had led to the establishment of the
Atlantic Telefraph.
Sir here ?ARINGTON, in responding for our military
service, said—This toast, cembining as it does the armies
of two great and independent easpits, is one of so
unusual a character that, its reultarity implies some
81*(10 meaning, and I think '_ am not wrong when I
°P..; that that meaning a pellee and good-will between the
'United States and Eneatid. (Cheers.) Long may it be
before the 'annul Of those two great countries regard
each other with any other feelings than those of mutual
respect. Both of those armies have recently given signal
proofs of their great hraveryand prowess. The manner and
extent in which the United States put forth their military
power during that great civil war by which it was
convulsed for years excited the admiration of the world ;
and a considerable portion of the British army has but
just returned from a duty, small in comparative dura-
tion, small in theitnitude of the powers engagM, but
nevertheless an c lion which has reflected as great
honour upon the PO diem and upon their commander as
any recorded in the annals of this country. (Cheers.)
We have all read lately of the great struggle that has
taken place in the United States as to who should have
the honour of being the minister at war, and perhaps the
day is not distant when the same question may be raised
in England—(laughter)—but whichever party may pre-
vail, whoever is minister of war, whether it be at
Washington or London, distant may be the day when the
minister of war in either country has to devote his energies
in the preparation of armaments and expeditions to carry
on hostile operations between the two countries. (Cheers.)
The right hon. baronet then described his voyage to
America at a time when there were no steamers, and when
he was six weeks in railing from shore to shore ; he also
described the interest produced on board a French frigate,
where the Queen was dining, at Cherbourg, when a tele-
gram was handed to him announcing that telegraphic
communication between England and America was com-
plete and concluded. We may now say that America and
England are no longer separated by the Atlantic (keen.
We have been corresponding with America the whole of
this dinner-lime. We have had message after message.
Our noble president, with great good taste and judgment,
has interrupted soup, fish, and everything to tel us of
the communications which he had received at a few
minutes' notice from America, and while it took me six
weeks to go there, now six minutes are enough to bring
tidings, from that country to this. I cannot doubt what
must be the great effect of this triumph of modern science
—it must tend to soften prejudices and promote a good
understanding between two great peoples. It will
teach us better to know each other, and will tend to
cement that good feeling and understanding which
ought always to prevail betwftn the peoples of two great
free and iadependant nations. (Cheers.) As to the
military services of the two countries all I will say is, God
forbid that the day will ever come when we shall draw
our swords against each other, and in the names of those
armies with that hope I thank you for the manner in
which you have honoured the toast. (Loud cheers.)
Vice-Admiral Musre responded for the naval services,
regretting the absence of Admiral Farragut.
The Cuenimax then gave the toast of the evening,
"The Health of Mr. Cyrus Field." He called upon the
company to return to Mr. Field their thanks and acknow-
ledgments for the services which he had rendered to the
world at large in the establishment of the Atlantic tele-
graph. He viewed the triumph as a triumph of many
kinds. In the first place, it was a triumph of pure science ;
then a great triumph of engineering, mechanical, and
nautical skill ; and then a great and noble triumph of
the spirit of commercial enterprise. He believed that the
success of the enterprise would have been delayol for
many, many years, perhaps for generations, if it had not
been for the exertions, confidence, zeal, foresight, and
faith—amounting altogether to great genius—of the dis-
tinguished guest of the evening. The noble duke, after
speaking of the tendency of commercial enterprise to pro-
mote peace and goodwill towards men, read some lines
written by the American Quaker
.poet Whittier, apropos of
the telegraph of letsB lines, ho said, which expressed hopes
then defeated and now revived. Although ho did not
himself believe that commercial enterprise would bring
about a millennium upon the world, or of itself hasten
the time when swords should be beaten into ploughshares
and spears into pruning-hooks, yet he did believe that
with every step they took in the progress
of mutual intercourse amongst nations, preju-
dices and passions would be removed. There would
be a tendency to common brotherhood amongst the
peoples of different countries, and thus men would be
linked by theee material interests which were the
strongest guarantees for the interests of peace. The
noble duke concluded by speaking in the warmest terms of
Mr. Field's personal merits.
The toast was then drunk amidst enthusiastic cheering.
Mr. Craps FIRLD was greeted with prolonged cheering.
He returned thanks as follows:—With all my heart
I thank you for the kind words which you have
spoken, and which are the more grateful to me,
coming as they do from one who was my counby's
friend in the hour of darkness and seeming dis-
aster. (Cheers.) Most sincerely do I wish that I had the
power to express to you all that I have it in my heart to
say, and to make my voice respond to the gratitude I feel
for all the kindness I have received in this country. I
know how anxious you are to hear the etaLossu who so
ably presides over the affairs of India; that great
maim, who is the friend of America because he is
the friend of mankind—(cheers)— and the other
distMgniebed gentlemen who are to follow them. I will
therefore not detain you with any lengthened remarks in
regard to the Atlantic telegraph, with its more than
fourteen years of varying fortunes; nor wills any account
of the anxious days sad sleepless nights which have been
pared by those who were engaged in bringing the nadir-
taking to its final consummatfbn ; nor with any earrative
of what has been done to realise apparent impossibilities
by so many who are now seated around this board. The

Isborious wientific inve4gations in the closet, the labora-
tory, the wor wee and beneath the sea; the aces-
rate soundingr7m
Rio Atlantic; the careful and in-
=Wisely perket manufacture of the cables • the
wonderfully efiletive mecluinical appliances used to
lay them, avid to recover and complete the
one that was lost; the skilful seamanship ere
hibited in the rum guidance of all the movements of the
vessels ; the unsurpassed enterprise of the capitalists with-
out whose profuse expenditure the Atlantic cable would
still have rc inuined a chimera ; the ability with which the
affairs of the several mammies wove conducted by the
directors and officers; the generous aid of the English and
American governments in connection with the successive
expeditions, and that of the governeneut of Newfuuualaud
in granting valuable privileges, in a word, the unex-
ampled combination of nautical, electrical, engineering,
flusucial, and executive resources.- all this is best told by
the simple fact that two cables are in perfect working
order across the meet stormy ocean in the world, a dis-
tsenoreveorf ntewaroly',.2,oooike (miles, more
scat
do two-tthirds of whichare
i
lishtunaingt
trianwenint.g (wCbeerith red.
entefro4nri.CullhastineLantsoMbecconaa-
pecuniary IRXIOCV4I is bent proved by the fart that on this
graph stork have receiveddiviaeud. (C)
very day the holders of every descnption of Atlanticeer TTh-
a
living are are too numerous to particularime and the fame of
many of them has not yet reached its climax ; but I may
he excused if I pay my reverent tribute of gratitude to
the memories of times who have departed from amongst us
but who
teful live,
ly and wi
record the ll ever lhonive,oured names of Faraday, in their works. In doing
Stephenson, Brunel. Brett, Statham, Woodhouse, Brown,
I gra
Bache, Berryman, White, and Hudson, who laboured so
scalously, and who, if living, would have rujoiccel
to be with us to-night. (Cheers.) But the pad
in matter of history. Let us do all we can in the
future to make the fruits of our experience beneficial to
the world. Do not be content with having connected
Europe and America together by the electric cord, but
remember that India, Australia, China, and Japan, South
America, and the isles of the sea, both in the east and in
the west, have yet to be brought into instant communica-
tion with Englund and Amenca. (Loud [lmre.) I most
fervently thank God that 1 have been permitted to live
to see this enterprise, which binds your country. to mine,
completed ; and that I am privileged this night' with
some members of my family to meet our English
friends, and with them to rejoice over its SUCCMI. I re-
joice became the cable brings into closer union the two
great Anglo-Saxon nations of the world, which have a
common origin, inherit the same glorious traditions, and
are so bound together that if one were to receive a blow
both would suffer from the shock. I, an American, feel pride
in remembering that my ancestors were Englieh citeeens, and
lived and died under your flag. And do not all true Eng-
lidunen glory in the fact that the small expeditions which
sailed from tliese shores sonic two hundred and fifty years
ago and settled at Plymouth and on the banks of the
James River were so multiplied and replenished that at
the time of the declaration of independent* the original
handful had increased to three millions of people;
while in lees than a century the three millions
have grown into a nation of thirty-five millions, and now,
thank God, not we slave among them, with a territory
extending from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from the St.
Lawrence and the Great Lakes to the ulf of Mexico.
There are undoubtedly many now within hearing of my
voice who will live to see within the limits of the existiug
United States 100 millions of people all speaking the
English tonpie ; while, when I think of the greatness
of England, I always remember the words of the Ameri-
can orator who said that she " is a power to which Rome
in the height of her glory is not to he compared; a power
which has dotted over the surface of the whole globe
with her (possessions and military poste, whose
morning drum-beat, following the sun, and
keeping company with the hours, circles the earth
in one continuous nud unbroken strain of the
martial airs of England." (Cheers.) To this I would add
the hope that ere long every ono of the numerous and
scattered dependencies which [suggested to Daniel Webster
the noble figure America has enshrined in her classics
will be united too the mother country by the electric bond,
and that it may be in the power of the sovereign and her
minister, or of the mere/lent on "Change," to heel jr,_
stentaneous converse with all or any of the races. 'nations,
,Mga sceptre of the
,
and tribes which yield obedience to the
good Quern Victorm____l tthe!ii[ereafter no jealousies
may bit 81•19W94.0 ,i
wall of separation between
England and America • that all the ill-feeling that
has been engendered between the two countries
may be buried so deep in the Atlantic that the ingenuity
of man shall never invent a grapple to drag it to the sur-
face; and that the only rivalry between them shall be the
rivalry of co-workers in efforts to promote peace, indus-
try, and commercial intercourse, and to exteud the blew.
Inge of civil and religions liberty throughout the world.
(Loud cheers.)
Sigeroten Hornet= propoeed "The Peace and
Commercial Prosperity of Great Britain and the United
States." The right hon. baronet dwelt upon the intimate
connexion there was between peace and commercial pros-
perity, and said that although, in political matters, gain
might arise from diplomatic verbiage. and the consequent
delay that would allow hasty passions to cool down, yet,
in commercial drain, it was of the highest impertance
that there should be rid communication. He quite
symteceed with Mr. Fithrs reference to the exteugion
. of phs cast as well as west. (Cheers.)
Mr. mow, who was called upon to respond to the
toast, was loudly cheered. He said—ln attempting to
respond to the sentiment that bas been submitted to us, I
have a certain anxiety with regard to the mysterious box
on them premises, through the instrumentality of which,
I am told-, every word we utter, be it wise or be it foolish,
will be immediately transmitted with more than light-
ning speed to the dwellers on that part of the
world's surface which we describe as the regions of the
Petting sun. But we are so entirely agreed there seems
no possibility that anything can be said to-night that can
be open to contradiction, that perhaps we may avoid even
the charge of saying anything that is foolish or ;lady.
Sir Stafford Northcote has submitted this sentiment
" The Peace and Commercial Prosperity of Great Britain
and the United States," which means, I presume, that
we are all in favour of a growing and boundless trade
with America, and at the same time of an unbroken
friendship with its people. With one heart and voice, I
presume we accept that sentiment. (Cheers). And without
any fear of contradiction, we assert that we are upon that
point truly representative of the unanimous feeling of the
-wFlleo of three kingdoms. Them are those—l meet them
uently, for there are cavillers and critics everywhere
condemn the United States, and sometimes with
something like scorn and lettermen!, because at this moment
the people there are bearing heavy taxes, because they have
a ruinous tariff. But if those per were to look
at our own position but a few years ago, they would see
how much allowance was to be made for others. During
the years which passed between 1790 and 1816, for nearly
twenty-five years the government and peo_ple of this
country were waging war of the most tem& character
with a neighboarnig State. The result of that war was
that which is, I believe, the result of every war—enor-
mous expenditure, great loans, heavy taxes, growing debt,
and, of course, suffenngamongat the people who had tobear
the burdens. But after the peace, during the 26 years which
=bfrom 1816 to 1841, there was scarcely anything
y the government of this country to remedy the
gross and scandalous inequalities of taxation, and to adopt
a more rational system in apportioning the necessary bur-
dens of the state amongst the various classes of the people.
Since 1841, as we all know we have seen a revolution in
this noun in regard to taxation and finance,
and I need not remind you that that has been
mainly done by the teaching of one who is not with
us to-night, but who would have rejoiced as
much as we now rejoice over the great
event which we are here to celebrate, and whose spirit
and whose mind I believe for generations to come will sti-
mulate and elevate the minds of multitudes of his country-
men. (Loud cheers.) But this revolution of which I
a k is not confined to this country, because notwith-
standing what we see in the United States it may be
affirmed positively that it is going on and onward, and in
the course of a not remote period I believe it will embrace
within its blessed influence% all the civilised nations of the
globe. The United Staten have had then four years of app-
pulling struggle and disaster. It was II time, notwithstaua-
ing that phrase, in some sort of unspeakable grandeur,
and it has bad the great result that it lies sustained the
life of a great nation, and given universal and permanent
freedom over the whole continent of North America.
(Loud cheers.) But as was the case with our war, so
with that in America ; it has been attended with enor-
mous cost, with teens, with grievous taxes, and with
a tariff which intelligent men will not long
submit to. But at this moment, and for some
time, the strife has been ended, and wounds
that were inflicted are beginning to heal; freedom
is secured, and the restoration of the Uuiun, sur-
mounting the difficulties that have interposed, is being
gradually but certainly accomplished. I conclude that
such a nation as the United States—a people so free and
so instructed—will not be 2.6 ears before they remedy
the folly, the blunders, and unequal burdens of
their taxation and tariff. (Cheers.) They will dis-
cover in much less time than we discovered how
much a great nation is advanced by freedom of in-
dustry and of commerce, and they will find, further,
that without that freedom all other bind of freedom is but
a partial good. The sentiment of the toast speaks, too,
off-unbroken friendship. May I say now, in a moment
of calm and realm, that with regard to the United States
both our rulers and our people, and especially the most
influential clam of our peojfle,-have greatly erred. Men have
forgot that after all we are but one nation having two
governments—we are of the same noble and heroic race.
Half the English family is on this side the Atlantic in
its ancient home; and the other half—for we have not
room for them here—is settled on the American continent.
It is thus with thousands of individual families through.
out the country. No member of my family has emigrated
to America, so far as I know, for 40 years past, and yet
at this moment I have far more blood relations in the re-
public of the United States than I have within the limits
of the United Kingdom. That is no doubt true of
thousands in this land, and I maintain that he is an
enemy of our English race, and of the human
race, who puts the slightest obstacle that shall interfere
with the permanent peace and friendship between the
members of our great English speaking family. (Load
cheers.) One other sentence upon that point. No man
will dare to say that the people of the United States or
the people of the United Kingdom are not in favour of
j saes. Whence then should there come any alilllCO.Of war?
he fad is, in dealing with nations we do not deal

Afori tIM hale of morals which we apply to individuals.
One or two hundred years ago almost every gentle-
man' in this country went about with • deadly
Weapon. In those days there were, of course, duets
and violence' and fatal encounters constantly between
men of our order in life, and if you turn to Ned ews-
papers and magazines of that period, you willcon-
stant reference to calamitous events of that kind. Now,
segarneate
I n lamentable
othing of i
We hadavheap
all the nations of Europe have; and the mo-
_gren'at ortaptanbi
meet anything happens to create the slightest
dispute the mode of settlement is, how is the
army. how is the navy, have you ships, have you
men, have you armaments equal to Mow of your imagined
opponents 1' Indcad of turning to the question of suffi-
ce my of armaments the moment anything like disputes
arise if our diapoeition was one which cultivated peace
insteadi of the means of war, we should turn as a matter
of course to courtesy and to negotiation, and to arbitra-
tion, and to settlement, which do not in the slightest
degree lead men to the heetile passions from which war
almost inevitably springs. (Cheers.) But leaving that
for • moment--in fact, having altogether the sen-
timent of the toast which hoe been submitted to us, you
will permit me to turn more immediately to the purpose of
thielariquet only for • sentence or two. I rejoice very
much at this banquet, because we are met to do honour to
a man of rare qualities who has conferred upon us, and I
believe mein mankind, rare services. I have known
Mr. Field for a good many years, and although,
I dare say, to any sailor who is here it will
not be much, to me it seems a good deal to say that in the
prosecution of this great work not being a sailor—
always bear that in mind—(laughter)—he has crossed the
Atlantic more than 40 times. He has, as you know, by an
energy which to me seems almost without example, by an
energy that nothing could daunt, by a faith that nothing
could make to falter, by sacrifices beyond estimate, for there
are sacrifices that he has made which I would not in his pre-
sence relate to this meeting—and aided by discovery and by
science and by capital, I believe he has acceraplinhed the
grautlud triumph which the fiCiellCe and intellect of man
have ever achieved. (Cheers.) Soon after the ,uesxs.ssful
laying of the cable, I bad an opportunity of making
reference to it in a speech I made in the North of
England, and I then took the opportunity of describing
Mr. Cyrus Field as the Columbus of the 19th century.
But may I not ask, when that cable was laid, when the
iron hand grasped in the fathomless, recesses of the moan
the lost and broken fragment, if it he given to the spirits
of great men in the eternal world to beheld the great
actions of our lives, how must the spirit of that grand
old Genoese have rejoiced at the triumph of that hour,
and at the new tie that bound the world that he
discovered to the world to which but for him it might
have been for ages unknown. (Lend cheers.) I confess
that I join in the mentiment of the beautiful verses
which were read by our noble president. I believe n
man, not even Mr. Cyrus Field himself, has ever been
able to comprehend the magnitude of the grad discovery,
and of the great gift to mankind which we have
received though the instrumentality of him, of
his friends, and the scientific men by whom
lie has been assisted. (Cheers.) I say it with all sincerity,
that my heart is too full when I look at this question to
permit me to speak to it in the manner in which I feel.
e all know that there aro in our lives joys, and there
are sometimes sorrows, that are toe deep for utterance,
and there are manifestations of the goodness, of the
wisdom, of the greatness of the Supreme which all our
modes of speech aro utterly unable to describe.
We can only stand and look on, and wonder and adore.
But to the human agencies concerned we may more freely
speak. I honour the great inventors. In their life time
they seldom receive all the consideration to which they
are entitled. An old and valued friend of mine is one
of them—l speak of Mr. William Fothergill Cooke.
I do not see him here. (A voice : " Oh, yes, he
is here.") Then I hope he is able to take conso-
lation after his long days of patient investigation, from
the feeling which he has seen exhibited here til-nigh;, and
from the services which have sprung to the world front
the javeritle; which he certainly was one of the chief
diecovmers. I honour, ton, Professor Wheatstone, Pro-
fessor Morse, and I honour all those men of science
who have made this great marvel possible. 1
honour, too, the gallant captain of that great
ship whose precious cargo, not landed in any pert, but
sunk in ocean's solitary depths, has brought the measure-
less blessings to mankind. (Loud cheers.) And I
honour our distinguished and eminent—may I not say
illustrious guest of to-night; for after all that capacity,
invention, science, and capital it required the unmatched
energy and perseverance of Mr. Cyrus Field to bring to
one grand completion the mightiest achievement which
human intellect in our knowledge of the world has ever
asaemplished. (Loud and protracted cheering.)
Amongst the remaining toasts were those of "The
Literseare and Prose of the Two Countries," proposed by
Lord Stratford de Redeliffe and responded to by Mr.
Harts Godwin, and "The Extension of Telegraphy
through the World," proposed by the Earl of Morley and
responded to by M. Ferdinand de Lamps.