The New York herald., 1870-03-23
THE YACHT AMERICAS TRIUMPH.
Speech Of Commodore j. c. Stevens, OF the New
York Yacht Club, a. Psaqus. Given Him
at the Astor House, October Q, 1881, Upon
HisRetrrn from Europe, Subsequent TO
the Triumph OF the Yacht America.

ohNfLsAsS-Before commencing my reply 10 tho
natter'ng and overwhelming euioglum OF the hon
oraole and eloquent chairman would claim your
Indulgence TO make brief statement In writing, 70
tue END mat there shah be no Misunderstanding II
question should ever arse as TO what did or did
not say. Have your consenta l'Aye aye,n from
AL quartersl In the diplomatic notes OF Invitation
forwarded 10 me here was letter enclosed from the
chairman, assuring ME that no harm was intended,
begging NE not to De afraid. and pedgng hmseU
and the committee, II should be Knocked over OF
stunned by the gun they were to nre at me, they
would be In readiness 10 pick me up and put me on
my legs again and to support me untn should re.
cover sufficiently TO stand alone Great laughter)
Remembering the awful risk had run some three
months since, on an occasion somewhat similar,
from an unexpected explosion, che alarming erect
Of which barely escaped oy lucky dodge deter
mined 10 come to an understanding with the com.
mitlee TO what the amount OF damage really was.
On ascertainng this concluded. alter mature de-
liberation, TO make the following one, Will would
agree to stand f possible without ninchlDg) one dis
charge from the biggest gun they could find, losded
with small shot and filed to the muzzle with can.
isters OF tropes and figures OF any sort or size,
best adapted to their purpose provided might re-
turn the nre NJ survivedl by SINGLE round shot,
bileed with the simple and heartfelt expression OF
my sincere thanks 10 you for your friendly attentions
and unvarying kindness II was further stipulated
that was at liberty TO reply TO any oner discharge,
either Dy making one Of my best bows which was
70 practice Tor the occasion. or by retreatng to the
shelter OF some friendly rampant. armed with metal
| as heavy as their own. How the committee have
carried out their part OF the bargain yon nave seen
and heard. owe my Acknowledgements TO the
chairman, which trust he Will accept Tor not risk
ing the bursting oil his gun by puttlnI In heavier
Hamilton and stevens FOR The great lney took
that snonld have nothiDg my own way without
! to play commodore 4 Ia Uncle sam. They would
not listen To H. oui sted n, Tree ana independent
duct considered mutnous; but nogging had
been done away win py law. and they mad contrved
to ,. yet ,,nMo the captain ,e. and crew on their
| and let them cut and carve, and alter
and nena eoHsohag myse .s ,e,s1 wa mart s
! yalor,n and WIN the reflection. iaa, II anything
| went wrong in The conduct ol tnis business might
| attribute II 10 he roa VIII OF tnis stony hearted
You may, perhaps. have observed ,hat my hair
! Is somewhat giayer than 1t was when lass
| met you Ia lei! Y0u how II happened. But am
trespassng on your good nature. l..io on 20 on,''
| from all sdes.) In coming from Havre we were
| obliged, by the darkness OF the night ana thick
| fog TO anchor some hye Or SIX miles from Cowes.
| In the morning early tide was against us and II
/ was dead calm. At nine O'Clock a gentle breeze
| sprana np ana with II came gliding down the
cutters OF her class. The news spread like
/ lightning that the Yankee clipper had
down to show her the way NO. the yachts and YES
sells IN the harbor the wnarvcs. and windows OF al
| the houses Dord ring on lhem. were 1ea wltu spec.
| Tney saw we could not escape, ior the Laverock
| stuck to Us sometimes laying TO- ana sometimes
tacking around US evidently $40 wing she had no In
| tention OF quitting W. we were loaded with extra
sails, with pcei and pork, anu bread enough for an
East India voyage aad were some four or i've inches
| too deep IN the water. We got up our sails with
| heavy hearts. the wind mad increased 70 a
| until we were ashamed TO wait longer, We
| let her get about two hundred yards ahead
! aud then started III her wake. ! nave seen
aud been engaged III many executing trials at sea aud
! on shore. maze tne matcn WITH Eclipse against
Sir Henry, ana had heavy sums, Doth Tor myself and
! Tor my friends, depending on tine result saw
Eclipse lose the FIRST heal and iour niths OF the sec
ond without feeling onc-hundIedh part of the re-
| sponsDlhty. and without leeing one-hundredth
part OF the repdaIion lett at the thought o beng
purns tae t nys minutes nol sound was heard
| save, perhaps, the beating of our anxious hearts
e sgt rpe OF sss waiter upon aw nsr IKE
floor OF the cockpit. his seemingly unconscious hand
upon the tier, with mis- stern, unatering gaze upon
tue vessel ahead. The men we're noionless ~
statues, with their eager eyes fastened upon the
Laverock with Gxedness and intensity that seemed
| almost supernatural. The pencil ol an ARTIST might,
| perhaps, convey the expression but words can
describe It. It could not nor did not last long, We
worked quickly ana surely to WiDdwara OF her
wake. The crisis was past and some dozen OF deep
| drawn sigbs proved THAI the agony was We
came to anchor a quarter, or perhaps third OF .
mile ahead, and twenty minutes after sncnor
| was down the Earl Of Wilton anu his family were
on Doara TO welcome and introduce US 10 his friends
| To himself and amiiy TO the Marquis OF Anglessa
and ms son, Lord Alired paget, to sir
/ Belngham Graham ana a host OF other
nopIelilen ana gensiemen, were We INDEBTED for q
reception as hospuaoe and frank as ever was gwen
10 prince or peasant From the queen herself we
received o mark OF attention rarely accorded even
TO the highest among her own SUBJECTS; and was
extended 70 mysef aud friends, but also a. proof
or the estimation IN when she held our country,
| thereby giving significance to tne compliment mn
| nitely more acceptable and valuable. Long may the
bonds OF kindred affection anu interest tnat bind
| together At present remain unbroAcn.
AS further proof OF the feeling OF the government
| AMI people toward us viii mention tue following
| act OF kindness:-we had the misfortune the day
hnta xxfttb
part OF our outer sloc. This reAuered 10 necessary
that we should maui ner ont; ana we repaired to the
government dock al Portsmouth Tor this pu pose. On
| the instant the applcatlon was made an order was
issued by the Admiral TO repair her IN tue shortest
| visor aud goodwin exhibited, IRON the Admiral
down TO the humbicst mechanic OF the yard, to COM
plete her for the next days race, you would, am
| sure, have felt the Obligation rendcred go donD.y
| binding by the manner III when 1t WAS tendered) as
deeply and sincerely as ourselves anu would relret
| a. much and as sincerely as ourselves THAT any
| cause oi quarrel should ailSe 70 separate Two
nations that want put to be better ao.
! quanted with eacn others good qualities 10
| become and remain fast illends. she was docked
at tweve and finished at cignt O'CLOCK the same
evening" For this important service no renunera-
ton, III any shape or way would be .istenod TO- The
Admiral, IN expressing The pleasure II gave him to
do Us service eDdeayoren TO prevail upon as
believe the Obligation TO be altogether on his side.
! trust, with confidence, mat u occasion should
! aud as delicatey reciprocated Ia the race with
| Titania, suspect, although do not know the TACT,
! that 100 much OF her baast was taken out it gave
her an advantage IN gong before the wind but told
very muon against her IN returGing. There was a
steady breeze and good sea running ana size fell 40
| rapidy TO eeward as to be huit down aud nearly
out OF sight We beat her, according 10 the secre-
| tarys report three or four minutes In going down,
and some iortyeight or nifty inmates IN returning,
on wfnf. In the race Tor the queens Cap there
were think. seventeen entries, most OF which
| believe, started. In addition 10 them there were
| seven,y or eighty, or perhaps 100, under weigh,
in ana about the harbor; and such another
sight other country save England furnish.
our directions from the saiiing committee were sim
pie and direct; we were TO start from the iagsnp
at Cowes, keep the Soman's buoy the starboa ru
| nand, and from thence make the best of our
way round the island 10 the flagship from
| which started. We got on before the
| wlnu and in the midst OF q crowd that
We could not get nd OF ior the first eight or nine
| miles; fresh breeze then sprang up that soon
! cleared Us from our hangers on ana sent rapidly
ahead OF every yacht In the squadron the Needles
! there was not yacht that started with sight,
| 80 that the answer said 70 have been given 10 .
! question from high parsonage OF 'Wno was brstN
| ssIuc Amprcav .Wno q IN no