The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-07-16
THE JOHNSON BANQUET
Com pIImentaTy Disnsr From the Clti I.
zeSs Of baltimore To Our Minister TO
emgIamd.

zsSs OF Baltimore To Our MinIsser TO
sngIand.
The banquet rendered by a large number of
prominent citizens of Baltimore to the Hon.
Reverdy johnson, our Minister to the Court OF
St. James, prior TO his departure for England,
can oil last evening, in Baltimore, and was In
every respect pleasant occasion. Quite
large numO DER OF the first citizens OF the city,
together with the leading statesmen and poItl-
Clans ct the country were present. John W.
Garrett presided. After the cloth had been
removed Mr. Garrett in apDropr ate remarSs,
proposed, "Ihe, health OF Mr.. Johnson" who
RESPONDED as tollows:-
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen:-For the cor
dlality of this reception return you my most
grateful thanks Having been citizen of
Baltimore for upwards OF hfty years, you have
been the observers of my conduct in social,
professional, and public life. With this oppor
tunity OF judging me, you offer ne this tesTi-
moLial OF your confidence and esteem. l am
alike grati6ed and proud OF 1t. 1t fully CON-
pensates me Tor the devotion 10 duty wh co. in
your opinion, entities me 10 il. Nor could 1T
have been expressed at any period when il
would have been more acceptable. On the eve
OF my departure upon a mission to England
entrusted to me by our Government, wnere l
may bnd questions OF much delIcacy and I'M
portance, affecting more or less the iliendlY
relations between two great nations, nothing
could contribute more to encourage me than
such mani est alton OF your regard. Relative
to these questions have but this 10 say, that |
entertain a confident hope that they will be so
disposed of as to remove whatever embarrass.
ments they may have occtsioned and secure to
bo,h Governments an enduring ana honorable
peace. Both nations great IN power and alike In
fiuenced by a Christian civilization, neither
should look on the other with a jealous, hostile
rivalry, or faIl 10 see that the interests OF both
greatly depend upon the prosperity of each.
Speaking the same language, interiors OF the
same common renoRn, possessing To great de
gree the same political prlnc ples-derived from
a common ancestry, essential 10 the secur ty OF
property, liberty, and lie-shHring equally in
the admiration OF thelrpoets, their orators, their
statesmen, and their philosophers, eudo we'd
with The same love OF rational enterprise, they
must see that Providence designs tnem to be
friends, not enemies, and to this end that 1t is
the duly of each not to do or to suffer to be
done, without full redress, wrongs to the other.
MIR. Johnson, after giving various statistics
and information about the City OF Baltimore,
sald:-
Recently line has been established con.
Meeting us With another English port aud vi b
Bremen, and fortunately tor us aud its triumph,
il is placed under the charge OF our esteemed
fellcw citizens, Messrs. Schumacher u Co.
Through these instrumentahtles Baltimore is
destnt to be one OF the most important snip
ping ports IN the country: result greatly to be
promoted by the completion OF the several rail-
roads to the Pacific enterprises at Que time
thought TO be impossible, but which it
is now certain will be in successful
operation in a year or two. When they
are finished the almost Unlimited wealth
OF the East will ind its way to Europe through
the United States and to a great extent through
our port. This is admitted by English mer-
chants of intelligence, AS l have reason to
know. Indeed, facts a0out which there can be
no controversy demonstrate it. At present the
distance from London, by way or the Suez
canal, to Yokohama, Japan, is IL, mules, and
the tine of travel sixty days; while the dis
tance from Yokohama via San Francisco, to
New York, is 1920 mills, and the time out
twenty.six days-a difference in favor of New
York of 39S9 miles, and of time thirty.fodr
HaVs. ard the distance from lnndOn
via SueZ, 10 Shanghae, China, is l0,460
miles, while the dis ance from the same
place, via San Francisco, to New York, is
6555 miles-a difference in favor of Ne York
OF 1914 miles. The Central Pacific and
southern branches of the Pacific road Will run
nearly in a direct line via Baltimore to New
York, and our port will, therefore, have the
advantage over New York of the distance be-
tween the two cities. Is it, therefore, eXtrava-
CANT to predict that the silks and teas, and the
other priceless products OF the East, Will, In
great measure, find their way to EIrope
through Baltimore? Am ] not ght, therefore,
wneu | say that large and extensive as our city
j., sbe Is, in these respects, but 10 her infancy.
/ believe that the next census will show popu
lation OF halt HON, and still greater ratio
OF increase IN material prosperity. And many of
those who hear me may live to see the city
contain a million OF souls. | hope. gen lemen,
that lhese considerations will not be thought out
OF place on this occasion. Sharing wi h you IN
a deep attachment tor our clty-relie ing
her present condiuon with prlde-I caunot be
mistaken IN believing tnat you Will enjoy as
much AS much AS l do unmiXed gTatihcaGIon at
the prospect OF her much brighter future. Her
advancemt mt during the past few years was de-
layed by that civil strife which brought so much
d stress ON every part OF our country, and par
ticulary in the States with which we had been
more especially assoclaled. That strife, thank
God, is now Terminated, but It's deadtul effects,
to great extent remain. These do not consist
only OF Cesolated helds and destroyed home
s eads before scenes OF intelligence and re0ne-
ment but o. the suspen ion of those feelings OF
friends hip which are so VII al to the happiness of
the people OF the same Government. But "the
night rs tar spent, the day is at hand"
l am convinced that a better condition OF
things is near ns-when the mOurn'ul traces of
the war will be obi Grated, and all sections be
bound together by the ties OF mutual affection.
This happening. il is impossible to imagine how
any pc pie can be hapOer than the people of
this country. With political institutions as wise
as were ever devised by man, the gut OF our
patriot fathers, with thor preservation by us in
per ect integrity, with 70 many commanding
motives to keep us In unity, with mans enjoy.
ment of well regulated liberty SO obviously
staked upon our example IL cannot be that In
the tutnre ANYTHING will be permitted 10 disturb
US or to arrest for moment the progress of our
Government to happiness and power, Peace we
want, peace every where, real peace peace,
without which we cannot have "the social CON.
forts and pleasure which alone make life a
blessing