New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-12-04
FRANCE AND AMERICA.

LETTER FROM ARSENE HOUSSAYE.
COMPARATIVELY OF NATIONs-FRENCH AND ANERI-
CAN DINNER oRATORs--IABOULAYE ON LAFAY-
RrTE- LACORDAIRE's TRIBUTE TO AMERICAN
DEMOCRACY-A PORTRAIT ny CARoLUS DURAN
lFRoM REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF TIE rRiBUNE.l
PARIS, Nov THE United States of America
and the united states Of France gave each
other yesterday cordial shake hands The centenary
OF independence was celebrated here by preliminary
BANQUET II was organized by the FrancOA So
cety II the intention 10 bring together all the no
liabilities Of Paris the heart and brain OF France, to con-
tribute to the erection Of the colossal statue of Liberty
which is to raised next year. you know, on the oc-
the centennial OF American INDEPENDENCE a.
the entrance Of New-YOrk HarbOr.
We have enjoyed before you this magnificent spectacle
a picture largely and dashingy painted struck all eyes
on entering the dining hall. IL was more Ike drop
curtain than a work Of art but the effect was magical
and grandose the great statue standing in the center
Of a little fortified island dominating tie three cities
which appear in the distance bathed in the ocean 1t
was like dream but IL Will soon reality. The New
world has st the privilege Of largeness With ms every
thng runs 70 microscopic miniature. But working in
granite and bronze, the epic spirit is needed The effect
~ this statue Of BaThold Is worthy u the subject We
an bowed in reverence before the divinity which beamed
from that pharos OF the New World.
You see by the which send you that we assumed
for the night American aQpees; green turtle, tlets dc
neuf IA Lafayette, croustades Ia Washington. DR.
RicOrd, Frenchl1cd American Of the first OF our
prvsicans who sat beside at table, made his little
ioke on the let He said This beef Ia Lafayette will
soon be the beef la ptOde give you the pun for what
IL IL worth Dr. Rcord of never dreaming that It
would cross the Atlantic. Onenbach another of my
neighbors and in act perhaps the least severe
" all the tables containing Alexandra Dumas, Henri de
Pene Aurelen scao Jules Caretie and the Director OF
tho Opera. The dinner not bad although II was at
the Hotel Louvre The wine card was pOnp0us, but
would rather have the other side OF IT, Here
some OF tire names Of the guests Admiral Pothuau Leon
Saw Count OF Montebeo, Count Of BOuile, OF Tocque
VILE Of Choiscu Jules Swon, Henri Martin COrnelis de
Witt. Admiral Fourichon, Baron soubeyran, &c. The
Count OF Harcourt and Col. dAbzac represented Mar
shall MacMahon and the Republics Of the United States
md Switzerland were there the persons OF their En-
bassadors, WashbTTnc and Kern NJ. Labouaye, who is
as well known in America as at home, was the Pres-
dent.
There wac great deal Of wit consumed before the elo
quence was brought in. Henri Martin was the first
speaker historian Of great learning and little lnspra
zion. His pen is better weapon than his tongue For
tunatey he was followed by hr. Washburne, who Is an
orator he is not at for words because lie Is
OF his idea He If in familiar and profound. lie
thinks with Bacon that true el0quenee cares moth
ing for eioquence. He speaks as easily az he
l,reathes as easily Mr.. Martin takes his glass
of water. He reviewed the history OF the contra
terntty Of the two nations. lie retraced, with an
emotion that thrilled the assembly, the heroic efforts OF
France for American independence The speech
,reat success, and Mr. WasEbUTne seemed surprised.
II Labonlaye took the door, not to up the debate
"a presidents do but 10 talk politics little without any
political bias. He spoke with great tact He had the
good taste not 10 Republican assembly where
an opnions we're represented For instance, he had tho
courage in the face Of the radicals praise LOUIS XVII
who decided with admirable decacy that the French
Evolutionary corps should De under the command OF the
American army" He went still further in the hstor
zeal mpartaty. This enemy Of privilege mentioned the
ract that there exists at Versailles Han OF the Cru
sades when is genuine national institution. He said
he would Ike to see beside It Hall OF the American
War He inaugurated such hall by enumeratng the H.
ustrous nobcmen who at the first signal OF instruction
in America hastened to bear % the New World the
sstance of their swords" OF course ~ Laboulaye did
not fail mention the name OF NJ. de Castresa c0upli
ment TO Madame dc MacMahOn who is de Castries. His
mparality did not stop even here lie, who never
To MISE rendered iull Justice those brave Jesuit
fathers who first traversed Canada and who thought
they had forever gwen IL 70 France. This religious
souvenir recalls the beautiful words Of the Pere
Lacordaire at the French Academy when he
succeeded 20 the seat OF NJ. de T0cqueyille. II
another had spoken after NJ. Lab0uaye he might have
quoted them, for the day was sacred 20 America.
"The American spirit religious II has innate respect
for law IL esteems liberty dearly equality IL places
civil liberty the first foundation OF political liberty.
Il Ia the anupodes OI me spirit when diags rather than
guides great portion OF the European democracy.
mace it, IN Jesus Christ who saved Il, III the Gospel,
which the book OF both God and the soul the
European democrat with noble exceptions oelie'es only
/ in humanity, and III hcUtOus humanity which he has
created dream. This dream Is at once his soul, hs
God, his Christ and us Gospel ne has NO Thought Of
any religion however ancient or venerable, but 10
persecute ana destroy IT. " he can The American has
had who earned faith 10 the point VI inoier
He has forgotten their Intolerance ana preserved
only ftn. The European democrat has had inces
tors had faith bat VINO preached tolerance. lie
mas forgotten their tolerance and remembers only their
| nideliiy The American does not understand a man
yyfrn "A "A "a
religion. The European democrat does not understand "A
prtys IN heart, and still less citizen VINO
/ prays IN face of the leOuic.
THE same difference respect TO the law. The
American, respecting the law OF God respects also the
hw of and IL he thinks Il unjust, ne strives 10 OBJ
tain its aDrOgaon not by violence but by avaing him
self Of all the means OF persuasion which lac carries Ia LIS
intelligence and IN the more powerful means which be
uds proved devotion 10 TIE of Justice. To the
European democrat ana speak always with necessary
exceptions, law Is only decree rendered by force which
the night 10 overthrow. Although whole
tends tnat minority, or even single man. has the
rght oppose 10 10 his protest Dy TIE sword He boldly
proclams tine sovereignty OF the Almtha is the abso-
lutte superiority TO everything, even To the people, OF
whatever any regards the cause OF the people"
In that address Pere LacOrdaire has drawn a moral
portrait Of the American citizen. He shows that the
American coming from country where the aristocracy
of birth always had considerable part in public affairs
abolished hereditary nobility from his institutions and
reserved the h0nors or government for personal merit
But although passionatey devoted TO equality OF cond
tons whether regarded from the point Of view OF religion
or politics. liberty less, and If IL should be-
come necessary to choose tie two, he would do
like the true mother before Solomon; he would sayi
Do not separate them. their life is one in soul
and will die If either Of them perish" The European
democrat knows nothing this. In his equality IL
the great and supreme law that which prevails above
all others and " which everything ought 10 Dc ssci