The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-09-18
SPEECH OF MR.. GEORGE FRANCIS TRAIN


BRITISH D0MGNIONS, ON THE Both OF AUG, 1860.
MR.. TRAINS SPEECH.
Mr.. Train, who was received with great applause,
said:
Unaccustomed as | am to public speaking, over
whelmed by the warmth of your greeting, don't
be surprised if, with the national tmiditv of my
character-so peculiar to my cOuntrymen-[ laugh
ter my knees shake. and my tongue cleaves to
the root OF my mouth. in rising On this Both of
August occasion to tell you how proud am to
throw back upon you many kind and honest
words of friendship you have showered upon
me- Having been called upon so unexpectedly
Delng totally unprepared, and naturally bashiul
laughter you must be generous in your Judgment
should break down while addressing YOU Want
OF confidence is great drawback to public
speaker, and an unassuming disposition almost
fatal. Laughter and applause. Possessing, as
you are aware, these unfortunate attributes, with
all possible humility beg indulgence of this most
noble audience of distinguished men during the
few minutes which are allotted to me in acknow.
iedglng the toast One would have supposed that
really good thing in this living age of competi-
tion would have been at once adopted; but as
sure you Bunyan's pursuit of knowledge under
difficulties was nothing to my endeavor to intro.
duce into the Old World one of the greatest luxu-
ries Of the New. Men are true to their Instincts
good or bad. The sacred fire burns to a greater or
lesser degree in us all.
When the instinct of travel got hold of me-
was not contented till had looked in at the win.
dows of all the nations. When the instinct Of
he'd till could order a Jitteb in many countries
Then came the instinct to write letters to make
books, to represent Young America on her nation
al anniversary, and during some years ! have been
sowing my wild cats in this way, to the great dis
gust Of all my Christian friends Laughter I We
are creatures of instinct. acting impulse. Edu.
cation directing our policy, our passions are modu
iated, and actions governed, by interest or fear
we are wonderfully alike in feeling, seeing hear.
ing, talking, with similar hopes and similar fears
Lord BrOugham feels the same sensation in sitting
down upon pin great aughter1-as would the
lowest menial of Exeter Hall. All of us are exces
siveiy yirtuOus until we are tempted History
states that if he had only felt five minutes before as
ne did live minutes after, he would not have done
II. Solomon was modern homGpath in practice
but an aliopath in theory. That Uriah story, in
our day, would have damaged David's chances for
the Presidency. Roars of laughter The world
commenced with bad lot, if the captain OF the ark
was the only one worth saving for seed Laughter
W When L found there were more contracts to
make for the Italian army, left France and went
to America, last year, to look after the extensive
domain, near an Atlantic city, of one of the roval
families OF Europe. The first things saw in Bos-
ton were street railways. They met me every
Where-street railways in New York, street rail.
ways In baltimore, street railways in Cincinnati,
street railways in Philadelphia, street railways in
ST. Louis, and street railways in Chicago Why
are they not in Europe, l asked myself but could
give no answer. One reason was everybody was
0ccupled-nobody had time, and nobody money
NHSCi NbNloh Has IduHuC me tnat the higher
IN IN llfe-soclaly, financially commercially and 20
iiucaliy-the shorter people are. TCheers.l Every
body seems hard up. Finance, like wind wave
aua weather, goes In cycles. Rothschild's bills
meet ABOUT once IN forty years, and when the Bank
OF England IS in tight place, they get an extern
sion from the Government. TfIear, hear, and
laughter Then it was that | sold myself to an
idea. The more reflected, the firmer was nv con.
ylctlon. some bankers joined me but only for
London Paris and st. Petersburg. Never mind
the instinct got complete control, and out came,
arriving IN the Mersey in October last.
While waiting for friend at the Birkenhead
railway station, entertained the cabman about
what | was going to do at Birkenhead GLauohter
Then came the tug of action. | argued-I eXpain.
ed reasoned-but to little purpose. Pamphlets
letters, engravings, | threw off by the thousand.
hnowlng that the tongue and pen were the batter
lng-rams of good or evil knowing that tbinkino
men were prosecuted, and inquiring minds thumb
screwed In every age, stuck by the ship Loud
applause. | went to Paris. The Emperor was
too busy with the armies. | came to England
London was too conservatives Liverpool seemed
asleep. Time presSed weeks flew past: months
were gong, and money too, when instinct ac ain
pointed to Birkenhead. Practical men met me in
practical way. ! showed them my cards. VIII
you take ali risk? Yes. Will you pay all lega
damages against the commissioners? Yes. Will
you take up the rails in case of being public nu
sance! 1es. Will you repave the streets at your
own expenSe-pay for lighting and watching the
road during the said work? Yes. Well, YOU
Know, Mr.. Train, we are business men, represent
ing business community; what security will YOU
glve-we don't know you personally?
Anything you like, gentlemen, say the rails the
materials on the ground. No, that won't answer.
what then? Three thousand pounds. Three
thousand ducats-well! All right-yOu shall have
1t IN soveregns or consols, and to day if you say
so. Hedged in with conditions bound down by
legal ties, went att without one word of actual
sympathy or encouragement. Applause. | knew
that 1T was natural law that prejudice could not
De removed by preaching against it. l knew that
the only way to dislodge bad thi%s VAS by pro-
posing better. E"o~ 'hat round tables always
looked oblon5 20 the shortsighted. | knew that
mnjOrlties don't always rule-that bankers seem to
have more faith in advancing on two good names
than on gold dust, and thought, up to the recent
panic, there was nothing like leather. knew that
was called fast, but have not yet discovered why
there Is more dignity in duness than in vvacity,
more dignity in going slow than moving fast
LCheers Is the owl really any wiser than the
eagle? nwhat respect is the donkey or the mule
superior to the race horse? | have long believed
that the hare was making the second Journey when
the tortoise passed him during bis siesta. Laugh
ter. Observing these things remembered that a
little ehink lets in great light Where there is a
will there's way. SO kept my own counsel, and
amused myself by noticing the shrugs and winks of
the doubters, and in listening to the sneers of the
skeptics.
Some people always strike when the iron is cold;
always doing the wrong thing in the wrong place
too late for battle, too early for victory In youth
men are bold radical, liberal, and in old age timid
cautious, conservative; the same applies to coun-
tries. Ripe fruit falls without shaking the tree
Street railways were just ready for Importation
when first went to America. Not wishing to for
get the seed time and have no harvest, to neglect
the tide and lose the voyage. determined to carry
my point. have done so; but it has been uphill
work. Those who had ears would hear not, ewes
would see not Some talked large but did moth.
ing sympathy, like subscriptions to charities usu-
ally commences with pounds and ends with shil-
lings. Tears over the pail sometimes end with
laughter over the wake. As rule, | never con-
tribute to charities without an express understand.
ing that it shall be reported in the Newspapers
Laughter. When you are in Rome do as the Ro.
mans do; but, Mr.. Witty will tell you, do not ap.
ply to the Irish brigade! [Great laughter There
are more slaves of fashion than of passion. Mans
memory is so defective it is almost impossible to
member kindness. Burns idea about seeing our
selves as others see us is simply absurd.
Others in this case thought me mad; member
of Parliament cautioned me against talking so
strong, urging that he did not dare to introduce
me to his friends. When the Irish committee,
some dozen NJ. P.'s headed by Mr. Cardwell came
is see my models, told them how | had been
crammed for the interview; that ! was told must
talk with great precision and dignity. begged
them to let me talk naturally first, and then
would assume the dignity if they desired it. In
nOvatiOn is my creed; something new was want.
ed; all were welded to old forms. | obtained
opinions from intelligent men, and whenever they
all concluded that the whole should be ARRANGED
one way, l was sure to order it Just the reverse
Here are some of the innovations: The rail- the
sleeper, the carriage opening at each end. The
rules printed for drivers and conductors; uniforms
for the drivers and conductors large horses bells
the harness, but no binders to the brides; new
style of banquet card order of t0asts introducing
the Prince of Wales, and placing the press, where
they ought to be, up among the sovereigns
LCheers. New fashions come in hard. Holmes
gives beautiful smile of removing old notions
and implanting new. After great exertion the
stone that so long lay upon the grass plot was
lifted up, when, 10 and behold look at the colony
of frightened conservatives-lizards running here
spiders and insects on this side, bugs and insects
on that, and all unclean things scattering to their
holes, Shiny, dark and cold.
The stone taken away A year later the
traveller passed, and 10 and behold the change
Violets and delicate grasses, and lovely flower,
had sprung up on all sides, happy in the sunshine.
[Applause.l Wishing to make sure that l alone
had faith in what was doing, | spoke about rails
ing some money. Like Copperield, trying to sleeT
with one eye open, l found it could not be dOne-
The thing was untried My timber merchant stooC
with sleeper in one hand and the bill in the other
[Cheers and laughter. The iron founder the same
One and all said, your money or your life Ny
highly conservative solicitors looked on, it seemed
to me, more in sorrow than in anger at what ap
peared to them reckless speculation. The only
live man in the whole party seems to be the car
maker, Mr. Main. He had faith q! The fact is
did not want their assistance, for | had thirty
thousand pounds as nest-egg to begin with. ]
only wished to try them Said of my banking
friends, why don't you realize-sell out? Pray
what would | do with the money? Place it in the
bank! Not mite Of it! Ny idea of a banker is
that he should lend me money, not that should
lend him money. Roars of laughter The mod.
ern banker always assumes the air of doing you
great service by allowing you to draw out the mo-
ney you have deposited with him.
The public gives the accommodation oftener than