The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1868-04-30
THE DICAEHS BANQUET.
Welcome Address OF Horace
Graesey-S,.e@Csa ca Gsr.
Dickens.

he press banquet 10 Mr. CDar'eS DICK
ems, the Eng lish novelist, at New York, on
Saturday evening. YVES magnificent al
tair. Two hundred gentlemen, connected
with the press, participated in the affair
The chair was occupied by Mr.. Greeley,
who upon the removal Of the cloth, made
the welcome address as follows:
Friends and fellow. laborers, we honor
ourselves tonight in honoring the mos!
successful, thoroughly successful, literary
man OF our times one who We may proud
Is say is not ashamed Of having come up
is most OF us have come up. from the low
er rounds Of the ladder OF the press, and
thou,.ll none Of us have reached such u
height as he, still say his success is a
| sign OF hope ana encouragement 10 every
one Of US. We are each successful in his
triumph. We are each. in seeing what
he has done, how ncble, hcw worthy he
has done, taught the road to our own sue
cess. He has preached the gospel of hu
maniiy until even mobiles and kings have
listened in admiration. We have in this
to go up higher, for there has been created
public, if there was not thirty years ago,
a public there has been created. a public
ready and eager to listen to it. 1t is the
noblest and most humaniz:ng thought
which tie best of us is prepared now to
put before the public.
Friends and fellow la borers. ss I am to
set you an example to MI @ht with a short
speech, | will, without further prelude
ask you to join me in this sentiment
I" Health and happiness, honor and gener-
Gus, because just, reeompense to our friend
and guest, Charles Dickens" Great ap-
pausc, aud three cheers for Charles Dick
ems.
Mr. Dickens responded to the toast
cannot do better that to take my cue from
your distinguished president ana refer in
my first remarks. 10 his first remark 10
connection with the old associations be
tween you and me, when | received an in-
vitatiO.. from a private asaocIi:lpn, OF
members Of the press of New York, to dine
with them to-day | accepted that compi.
meat in grateful remembrance OF a calling
that was once mine and in loyal sympathy
towards IA brotherhood, which. in spirit,
hlte never deserted. TO the whole som
training of severe newspaper work. whe,
| WAS Il very young man, [ constantly re-
fer nv first success, aud too, my sons wll
hereafter testify for their father, that he
was always proud of that ladder by which
he rose.
If it were otherwise, / should have hui
a very poor aud raean opinion Of lhcil
tAther. which. perhaps. upon the whole,
have not. Thus. gentlemen, under any
circumstances, this company would have
been unexceptionably interesting and
agreeable 20 me, but whereas, supposed
that, like the lairys prviion OF the Ara
ban Nights, 1t would be bul mere hand
iul, iind it drawn out like the same pa
vi!ion, capable Of comprehending a multi
tud,.. SO much the more proud Of tn,
hoii'r Of being your guest, for you vii
readily believe that the more widely rep.
rescntative of the press in America nv en-
tertainers. are, the more | must feel tn,
good Tand kindly sentiments toward.
me oi that vast institution. Applause
Gentlemen, Sd much of my voice ha
lately been heard III ali the iand-l hav,
for upwards OF four hard winter months 5,
costendcd against what have been some
tunes been quite admiringly assured was
great American catarrh-[grcat laughter
"a visitation which haze thoroughly
highly appreciated, though | might have
preferred TO be natu.alzed by any othc
social or physical means. Laughter.1
say, gentlemen. SO much of my voice has
lately been heard in the land that | nigh
have been contented not TO trouble you any
further from present standpoint, were l
not duty with which henceior,h charg,
myself, not only here but on every suitable
occasion whatsoever and wheresover. t,
express my high and grateful sense of m,
} second reception in America, AID TO bea
my honest testimony to the national genor
ossty and maspauimity. [Gseat cheering.