Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-11-08
STANLEY'S SPEECH.
His Neat Way of Approaching
American Hospitality.

NAn AANAA
occasion since his arrival. 1.-THE hos
pitality shown me has been" he said,
mo exception to that which every
Englishman meets with in this coun-
try, in the endless repetition Of kind
words and the overwhelming crush Of
genial entertainment which has been
thrust upon me. When Samuel john
son, that sharp critic and outspoken
Englishman, was asked whether on his
famous Scotch tour he had been dis
appointed, he replied: No. l was told
that | should find men Of rude man
ners and savage tastes. | have not
been disappointed. (Laughter.) So,
too, when / set out for your shores |
was told that | would meet a kindly
welcome and a friendly hospitality. |
can only say, with DIR. johnson, |
have not been disappointed. laugh
teri | have done much and seen
much, and | have had q vivid expert
ence of American life and manners,
and my only disappointment is that l
did not anticipate so much, and | was
compelled to remould my anticip-
atory impressions Of your country.
| can find it in my heart even to
forgive the reporters and the inter
viewers who have little left of what |
have said or done unnoted, and have
often given me credit for doing and
saying things of which | had no rec
objection, and was sure that | had no
personal experience in. daughter
Sometimes the questioning of the Gu
rious as to my impressions and views
of Americans have driven me almost
to the limits of endurance, yet | APP
preciate that there was no disrespect,
no wish to take me off my guard, but
only that pressing urgency which is
so marked a feature of American
character. When the questioners
came in extra force | have been tempt
ed to say with an Old-time English
man, This is the humblest moment of
my life that you should take me for
fool enough to answer all your quos-
tons daughter and applause.l If.
there is any criticism | would make it
is that the manifestations of kindness
and friendliness have been too many
and too strong. The two months
which | have spent on these shores has
been two years in actual work, or two
centuries rather, since | have lived
through all American history. In
Virginia | saw the era of the cavaliers,
or Of the earlier settlers, and, as it
we're, | met Smith and Pocahontas and
witnessed over again the drama of the
struggle in the great central State
among the States. In Massachusetts, |
saw the work and sacrifices of the Pill
grims, and in Philadelphia-well, l
lived in a way which would have
shocked the simple soul of William
Penn. Laughter.)
There are two impressions which
are fixed upon my mind as to the lead
ing characteristics Of the people among
whom l have passed, as the almanac
informs me, but two short months.
Everything seems to be fermenting
and growing, and yet | have been no
further West than Niagara. As |
stood in the moonlight at that great
work and ~ceaseless labor of nature and
saw it for the first time, it looked to
me like the incessant activity and
t~ireless, ccaselcss, beating whirlpool
of life and existance here. In the
everlasting tumult Of the abyss | saw
the undying push and activity of
America In the mist cloud that rose
in the moonlight | saw images some
how Of American destiny. In the sill
yer column that rose silent into the
night / saw the Watchful power that
should be the pillar Of light to the
posterity of each nation. The other
impression | have had very strongly
forced upen me is the ever-present
h~opefulness and buoyancy Of the peo-
pie. Ready ever to step forward and
try again what had been aban-
dOned as beyond the grasp Of
the older people Of Europe, they
work night and day to ~supersede
these progressions by new devices and
new methods. This will probably be
my last visit to this Western world,
and / have likened it to Wordsworth
Yarrow ~unvisited, Yarrow visited and
Yarrow revisited. The third stage
would not in al probability be a full
fruition, but IL It was, | should come
TO a land Of kindly homes, where | had
been treated as the best and with the
} best. But even were it never to ny
pleasure 10 repeat this visit, | can re
call il in the cordial greetings Of ny
American friends abroad. The two
lands are bound closely together, how
ever, BIZ the telegraph and BY m,
friend, Cyrus w. Field, who crossed
J the ocean 80 often that / hear Of hin
S in the same moment in London and il
New York. (Lalghter.) l shall hay,
my friends, Mr.. Harper and Mr.
Grove, TO help ny friendly recollec
p tons. Without them | could neve
= have come, and they have taken sue
8 good care Of me that | do not believ
D | have handled = in money in tn
q wholo two mopfha III INV stau n