New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-12-18
TILE BANQUET.

Boston. Dec. Ill Is three years auu wv" u"''
ago that the present publishers called Contributors
of The atlantic around their festive board ana re-
united many who had memories Of other DAYS when
they had enjoyed together the feast OF reason ana
the flow of soul and other things. Then Holmes
UoveUs. Aldrich Whipple. Mark Twain, Cranch,
aud many others told tales Of olden times, and gave
promise of the new To-day they met IN consequence
of similar invitation, not to do honor to Inc AHaHHo
alone nor to cement friendship, but to express so
far as possible the kindly and aiiectonae feeling
tbot thousands of Americans feel for one of her
Greatest poets John Greenleaf Whittier who to-day
completed his seventeen year. His modest love OF
retirement leads him To avoid occasions when he is
likely TO be made lion Of aud 1t would have sur
prised no one if he had not been here tonight but
he changed his mind at the last moment, after hay-
ing declined to be present
On the former occasion there were present less
than half the number tina gathered tonight.
Among the guests were Emerson and Longiellow'
Holmes Howells and Stoddard, Cranch. Clemens,
and HIggiuson Warner, Whpple, and Bishop,
Arthur Gilman, Charles Eliot Norton Luigi MONT,
Edgar Fawcett, G.. =. Lathrop, j. Boyle OReiliy'
Professor CIV. Green John Weiss. Joseph Wharton
of Philadelphia Charles Dudley Warner, D. Ham
mond lrumbull. Colonel Waring, c. {. Buell., ). K.
Osgood j. T. Trowbudge, Professor ). Is Green
ongh. and John Trowbrdge, Of Harvard Horace
Scndder and Edward Abbott, besides many whose
names escape me.
The contributors of The Atlantic are found in all
parrs of the country. and many were at points too
distant or were engaged in duties too pressing to
enable them to be present tonight. Among these
are q. ". Curtis. d. A. Wells. Whteaw REID, Bay
ard TAYLOR Francis Parkman. I. K. L2unsoury' II
II. B,yesen. c. 4. Dekay. john Hay, ). !. Fields.
l.. G.. SteIman, ". c. Bryant, J. j. Patt ). If. a.
Bone. C. f. Adams, jr., !. W. Defouest and General
Garfield Most of these sent letters regrcttng that
they were 10 be kept away.
MIR. HOMELESS SPEECH.
After the guests had partaken Of the banquet Mr.
Houghton. the proprietor Of The AiGRbc' made a
,.w introductory remarks Mr.. Howells, who pre-
sided spoke as iolows
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. AND FRIENDs OF IHE
ATlANTIC MONTHLY: The serious moment has APP
ii'gl', yivi-, ANGLO saxon race: moment
Mon each commun ST. ike tAe pampcrcd sacrifice OF the
AZr.cs -uddculy feels mat the JOYS which have Nat
f.Tsi huI mo fprgctfuiuess OF hs fate are 40 an
nd and that hc must give himself for
terrible eX patton. 10 Is ordinarily moment when tue
uareuar.d guest aOIuton- himself Go despair, ana wien
even tine most prophetic -prl finds memory forsakng H.
or thr ueacAerOu- ideas committed 10 paper NUlrIh@
away, ul tue manuscript IN ,ne or''t lyeHet rust
tl-. table u- Uulcr fearful apprehension. Ili,
sev To l.ue purpose an image oI tAt s.eal re
pubic OF Letters, tAe mint 0i any c!t zen might he
invaded and his lght 20 mold Ll- peace denied ANY
gentleman being called upoh ana having hotnhs 10 Say!
make h.s silent bow a-d FIX down "S'A "HA'ut as
-f,ir. It ma, e. with a dOpc OF
padse. Reluctant OiaDaI> tu IeIoLt' no. o.aIE '".I
iar dread bang sum ODcd 10 stand ana deliver an
xtorted eolueuc, aui have ALREADY begun tO mediate
repal- upon t1e person or tIe literature Oh le present
speaker, may safely suspend tleii prrpaIatonsi II SHAH
uol ne hi, odou. dlty 10 moIeet them.
We met, gentlemen. on the seventeen birthday oi
man aud poet whose .ILc is dear 10 us al, but whose
I'm llsly Go meet Win He eOuid not come ue
said be sent us greeting, and good wishes b' eteF
10 lbs ,ary by rea l- CD YOU, together vita tue rea
sons winch Ills quaint humor alleged Tor his absence
".r a. 3" 1H u
.. nted the proposal duUer OF tLy part aud
sincerely thank and others who unite Win the
ann unused g. such taIa.s, Lave NJ relish lOr them
ii's hard enough 10 Ice cd without bang
' apr-c,a 81 osIyLat hive dolc. OF ted 10 10 And
- "a f. c,l saulcr uy icatl warns 90 an Inc AEIGhc
0t.ls. with wu0m have tel % all honor aHd vil'l Se
10 ,eeg company uout 'airy, without Je4iol'y IT,
ngip - oacA others ea,ulr OF success. aud proud OF
tnr rputaon Of oul magazine al nome ahd a'Ioa' Goa
bless ana prosper tAem all" And so oar honoleu AID
a.. fAehd d, his utmost TO stay away hi worst 10
class himself, y.tA .AJ.c absent "Io a4e always Hr1-E
IS Co t.c leriOIicu which uLltes u au without ley
clrv wit1ou, jclousy,' rs Nr Whittier sdys. t-e PAD
I-ntl i, already spoken and where thcft IS so AIeh
Tor The editor 10 say 40 cannot prI"hp sA' "o MIR.
FOR twenty years % has represented ana may ne 'nIo'i
said 10 have tmtoditd, American At'I"tHe. WIN
scarcely al exception every h'm' AHo"H iH
leIes tas "on lame from Us M. ~, -, oI
meut, tu.l OF q generous ne ana hsi u-dl mus
5 record there Ia vastly uuttcr meas lc thdu 90 any or
ai c,Acr places ~ career Is NOS onS Gis'nSu'sAeu
among American periodicals, Out upon ''c "u"It ~
unique. I; would not Dc pJso Die thk, 70 point Co auy
tAr allegiance Of it, great founders ana has added -
cout anty So many names o growing rpute 10 Us list OF
Those who made its renown as sci as those whose
DO has made, Oh IS making, Az 5 s frequent con
some Of their best WORK in H. If from time
% time valued atlantic writer ceases 10
appear, lie Is sute nnaIy u rcappeIr; Ee
cuuo! die without leaving ID Legacy Of uauu-
suVt All JOung writer's arc eager % a.iy t.cir names
win tie great memories on It's roll Of lame It's stamp
inc ,s & ~ f be-. nnb!i M The be- rolT1 + tbcr1,
oil Ii-fg 3D. VII
horn IN Boston but Wheu we ind CURSE m me tuo
TIC. 10 suller new change, aesthetic
renaissance; Igellcr literary stiIs Ius We
have ms fame 81 neart we must 90 our best FOR Mas
uonured name as well - for our own hope We arc
naturslzed Bosiouans IN the finest anG highest
W.tn greater reverence and affection than ca ex-
Vr our younger aud youngest writer's fol The t1,hc
regard the early contributions whom We arc so proud
and So GLAD to meet h.le, and i u with peculiar
and iuu the publishers welcoming them to this board
know very wei ihc dicitnte between an author whom
The 4tcatc hi. hyatld and author VINO has lOated
he Hatc. and, comioriet with this disparity, have
az official courage only u turning 90 unite tle poet the
WIT tue sayant whose Truuon gave ihs Auuttc -
and whose genius ArsJ proposed the adventurous
cutt.Ifte.
Mr.. Howell introduced Dr. Holmes in the follow
ing happy words
Ihave ielt authorized to salute the perpetual An
tocrat OK the breakfast Tables as the chief author
tie nr.t editor OF the ma gazine assert the fact
~, generous praise OF ms iurnd-8hen, in a
good cau7c, VAS DIS praise ever sunted Knight
be- ~ Zen wltn0ut fear that bis own part would be
fogO. H!- catholic taste, Die subtle SENSE Of beauty
bis hearty sympathy ana ottiih- "risAL oi chdfhciri
,4tt tAe magazine WOiI stamp when DO hI- been Tie
lie Impaired 10 " tht' puip"s' WHi'n' nope
.- forever -,larahe from 90, when ~ MS
cordial love of r.po Literature, hc stretched welcoming
CRASH OF recognition ." every }ouhs "iiici, last west
North W south. who gave promise az good WORK. H.
mrmberug his kindness iu those days o. One
young Wrllcr whose promise suh wait, luhImenu,
must not lft.urt 90 praise hm lest Emtitd memories
into forbidden paths of autobiography but when name
N lowell am sue s"a oI aliHe I,lgn.e 20
Mr Charlie EIo Notl"n' .on. I9ui q VI hose work gave