The New York herald., 1874-12-15
THE FORSTER RECEPTION
The Union League Club EntertainS Its
English Guest
NR. FORSTER'S Speech
English and American Unity-The Guarantee
Of Peace and Liberty.

The Union League Club gave reception last
might TO the Right Hon. W. e. Forster, of Bradford
England. The company included distinguished
citizens OF all professions and political creeds
Among those present were the Right Hon. E.
Childers, NJ. p, England; Cyrus W. Field, Charles
r. Butler, Howard Potter, Royal Phelps, A. T.
Stewart, Peter Cooper Jackson S. Schultz, Salem
IL. Wales, DIR. Chaplin, DR.. W. Adams W. E. Dodge,
T. @. Acton, Judge Hilton, A. Ii. Hewitt Judges
Brady, Van Buren, and Lawrence; Mayor vance
and Mayor-elect Wickham.
the company assembled in the theatre OF the
club about ten minutes past eight O'Clock p. M,
which was crowded in every part by distinguished
guests. Mr.. Joseph H. Choate, President, OF the
club made q few remarks and introduced the
guest OF the evening, Mr.. W. f. Forster.
MR. FoRsrER's SPEECH. G~
Mr. Forster said:- Mr.. President and gentlemen,
j have often had occasion to lament that want Of
power OF expression which has accompanied me
through lile have often wondered why under
such circumstances i should have taken SO
much part in public matters l never regret
ted that deficiency 80 much as I do
this evening. know no time IN the history OF my
life In which there much occasion for me to be
eloquent lean only say never was so impressed,
oyerpowered by Kindness, as have been by
your reception this evening try TO imagine to
myself that this reception Is not to myself person
ally, and yet you are at great pains to show me
shat 1t Is q personal welcome you give me. loud
cheers.) may say at the first mention of your
tnvitaton thought 1t was hardly fitting for you so
to honor me, but suppose that 1t was not right to
decline any meeting in which there was an op-
portunity OF the manifestation OF good feeling
between the American and English people. !
must not merely thank you for your kindness, for
] am leaving your shores Tor England In two
days from now. / am not able properly to express
my than kfulness for the kindness have received
thoroughout your great country, and this not
mercy to myself personally, for this has been
manifested to me wherever l was known and
wherever / was unknown. There are mis-
chief makers who sometimes, through very
recklessness and through malice upon both sides
OF the Atlantic, VIII represent that there Is an
I'll win between these two countries. Therefore
am glad to take this opportunity Of saying, that
not only from Boston to she Rocky Mountains, not
only from Niagara to New orleans, never heard
mention Of my native country that an Eng
Nshman would not like to hear.
THE CIVIL WAR
You sir Mr.. President, have alluded to some
facts connected with your great struggle In the
supjugation OF your rebellion. heartily
1ndorse the opinion Of tho President OF
this club, that as time goes on
and history ripens between the Amer.
that you had q larger number OF friends In our
country than at the time OF the civil war you sup
posed you had, and that you obtained these
friends as the actual facts OF the struggle became
more and more familiar to the public mind. This
was the case both with the people and the gov
eminent OF England. You said, and said with
great truth, that there were many in our country
who could not help being your friends in that grea,
struggle. can only say that ! sbhorred
blavery from the time first read q
book. ] should, therefore, have been utterly
without excuse II l had not appreciated
the meaning OF the terrible conflict in which you
were engaged, There never was q war upon
which was dependent greater Issues and IN which
the issue OF greater importance to the country
engaged In tnat struggle. History will develop
that 1t was the OF the century-tns war OF this
age. 1t was war tEzt vas to have two great re-.
suits. 1t was to preserve the union OF these
States and 1t was to abolish the terrible evil OF
slavery. What would have been the result II you
had not succeeded You would have had no
America; the country would have had large stand
ing armies, and 1t would nave had the effect
oi dragging the nations of the world into .
connlct, side or the other. As regards slavery
slave power would have obtained dominion over
every portion OF your lair country in TACT an i'm
pediment would have been put on the progress Of
civilization for many years.
EFFECT or THE WAR
There never was war in which there was q
suits summed up IN It's consequences. slavery
was abolished In the United states, and believe,
abolished IN such way that nothing can stand
against 1t. and uly believe abolished forever.
No one can read your history and not discover by
every tie that bound nations OF one blood and Of
one race without seeing that Oth1ng could be SO
destructive and OF so great an evil as slavery.
These are facts that acquired before came to
America. Travelling in your country has made
me more earnest in tins matter than when
merely read daily the accounts OF your struggle
e.
MED by great suffering, and l must say with
greater heroism and greater endurance But when
] say that do not say that 1t was on one side
only. There were fellow countrymen Of yours in
the South. Cheersl They were Americans.
descent daughter aud cneers.j They fought it
was on the wrong side, but many OF them thought
fought against the Unon and against slavery, for
they thought that they were hghtlng for their own
never was civil war which has left iess hatred
and less rancor among the victors and the van
9u,shed-ess ieeing among e the reemen @ and their
men OF the South and OF the North. 1t has not
been wiped out from their memories: but do say
this, and say II to the credit o. the race that on
The triumph side there has not been Tor any
very long time any ieeling Of hatred but such thar
which VIII enable you to make your country zone
country"
CONFEDERATE FEELING.
i was introduced last week by federal general
10 a confederate general on the floor OF the House.
figntine in direrent camps, and they were talking
over the battles in which they had been opposed
TO each other, and they said that II there was
any di1lculty now IL was not between those who
fought, but 1t was between those who had not
fought daughter and applause;) Asregards the
master and slave, DO not deny That 1t was
most terrible problem and most difncnlt prob
lem for you to deal with. Every man should con-
slider the Injustice oil slavery and what slavery
made the master. The problem Is found In deal
tng with these men IN their new situation. II is
one that may well call upon you for all the for.
bearance, all the wisdom and all the patience OF
your people. 1t is for you to follow
been made. l will tell you what probably,
you know much better than ! DO, but
Will relate to you my experience OF the little
that have learned In the short tour nave made
IN the south. That tour has been to me OF the
most Intense interest. We must remember that
these men have become free despite OF every DIM
Guilty, despite OF every encouragement, and with
the elemental fact which was the result OF their
early slavery, that oftneir utter dependence That
seems 10 me one OF the great problems which you