The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-12-24
DINNER on THE NEW ENGLAND SOCIETY
A Large and Brilliant Company at the
Fifth Avenue Hotel.
Two HUNDRED and FIFTY EIGHTH ANNIVERSARY
Speeches by Secretary Eyarts, James G.
Blaine, Secretary Sherman, Governor
Van Zandt and Others.

''moored their bark on the wild New England
Shore" The anniversary celebrated duly in
this CITY, the chief feature of said celebra-
ton being the dinner of the New England Society
in the big hall of the Fifth Avenue Hotel Six o'clock
was the hour fixed upon for the frugal repast in
which the memory OF the Fathers was to
be solemnly COMMUNICATED. About that hour
the reputed descendants of the aforesaid Fathers
made their weary pilgrimage to Madison square
and landed on the rockbound steps of the Fifth
Avenue Hotel. When they had assembled in the big
dining hal 1t found that they numbered 22s be-
sides the twcnty-one venerable men who had been
invited to attend in the capacity of guests at the
solemn ceremonies. These were provided with seats
at table placed upon dais at the upper end Of the
hall while the rest Of the company clustered about
ten big tables on the main floor. In the centre Of
this table sat the president Of the society.
Mr. Daniel f. Appleton. and ranged on either
side OF him were Secretary William M. Evarts
Senator James G. Blaine. Governor Van zandt. Of
Rhode Island; Rev. Dr. McCosh. of Princeton; Rev.
DR.. Storrs. of the Church of the Pilgrims, Brook
lyn; Commodore w. j. A. Nicholson, General W. I.
Sherman, Secretary Of the Treasury John Sherman,
f. d. Morgan Chauncey M. Depew w. II. Hurlbut,
Rev. Dr. Potter, of Grace Church. Rev. John Cotton
Smith Elliot G. Cowdin. Isaac H. Bailey, ex-President
Of the Society Borden President Brandt, of the ST.
Andrews Society Senator Bayard. who ex-
pectcd. did not attend. The tables pretily but
not extravaganty decorated with flowers and fruits
and the only addition to the permanent ornaments Of
the fine hall were number of national ensgns
draped curtains about the windows and the ensign
of the city of New York over the Presidents chair
NEW NEW ENGLAND.
There outside of this not the slightest emblem
symbol of any kind in the ROOM Neither picture.
motto design Of any kind suggested the
Pilgrims, the rock which they landed
anything connected with them The
only thing in connection with the affair
which had the slightest flavor of New England about
it was the bill of fare Among the "side dishes
set down pork and beans. and under the head Of
desert pumpkin pie" found q prominent place.
Shame to say not man patriotic enough to
order the beans; they all partook OF the other
side dish-sweetbreads with green peas-and for the
national pie single prize squash would supply all
that was consumed One could not help wondering
what the hardy handful of ascetics who landed on
Plymouth rock would have thought could
they standing on the bleak and desert coast,
have locked into the future and seen their
descendants in white cravats and dress coats sitting
in frescoed hall. smoking "the devils weed" and
with short rubicund countenances slipping foreign
wines with the sounds Of profane French opera boue
sounding in their There il a big gap between
the two The vast company that filled the hall
represented the business enterprise Of the metropolis
rapid glance the tables showed the presence Of
s. D. Babcock, Elihu Root. William A. Camp.
Cyrus W. Field Salem H. Wales. Henry NJ.
Day, Isaac v. Brokaw, John Sloane, Charles
b. Adams, Edward f. Brown. Dexter H.
Robert Bliss James Otis Hayt Charles G. Hastings.
william H. Fogg, Colonel Granville p. Hows District
Attorney b. X. Phelps and his assistants Daniel G.
Rollins, Mr. Bell and Mr.. Lyons, John Denny and
300 others equally well known.
When the material elements of the feast had been
fyv1l xvhi fha ha
filled, bevy Of ladies entered a room opening
into the hall where the speakers could be heard and
remained throughout the evening attentive listeners
unseen by the mass of the banqueters.
The speakers Of the evening were Secretary Eyarts
Chauncey NJ. Depew. Secretary Sherman Rev. DIR. II.
NJ. storrs. James g. Blaine Rev. Dr. Potter, Pres
ident McCosh. OF Princeton College, Professor Scelye.
OF Amherst College; Commodore Nicholson, OF the
President Bland. of the st. Andrews Society.
CHARLESTON AND NEW YORK.
The following telegram received from the New
England Society OF Charleston, =. CT
Prom New England Society Of Charleston s. c. greeting:
malice " ,e w' 10 sse ss s r In
strive finish the work in to bind the nations
and FOR his widow and his orphan to do ali which may
achieve and cherish lasting place among ourselves and
To this the following answer was SENT
The New England Society New York to the Now England
We aeknowedse cordially greeting. and hope
70. Il shssr to 81. asrs s our duties "
In brief and pat little speech President Appleton
disposed of the first toast The Day We Celebrate"
md introduced Mr.. Evarts.
RESPONSE EvARTs.
After few brief and witty illusions to the ancestry
of those present and to the objects for which they
were assembled which frequently interrupted
with outbursts OF merriment and applause. Mr..
Evarts said -
may. as having been .pcrvaded far and
wide BY the morals; the sentiments. the
which has been planted in the narrow compass
Of the old colonies, and which have grown larger
and broader and deeper from generation generation
In this country. There have been no steps
backward. Peaceful opposition never could re-
tarl the progress of these great ideas.
and war, opposing war. only aroused, in
famed and heated these influences until they
broke over the of war; and the longer peace
that prepared found new triumphs for moral and
intellectual influences. tApplause)
There was, ~ we all know. in the formation OF this
great nation by the of the Revolution
suture. to speak, by which the slaveholding
colonies while united with, were yet distinguished
from this Northern country and that suturc in the
progress of our politics, became ssurc. and then
at last 1t became chasm; but the chasm and the
IL one country. with the freedom and the same
legal and political equality all over y. Jap
preay and BY the conclusion of this great war
nation at one with itsclf-without opposing inter.
ests without jealousies or rival advanccments and
without conflicting uncertain alliances.
THE WAR.
We have thus out OF this war by those stages
OF realization and advancement into new
mates and knits together in one framework the
hearts and minds Of the people, and makes II possi-
BILE that they should 20 forward hereafter AS one
united country. The next great step. after
mere pcacc-a step which could be taken only
after the first was sccured-was in restoring
the dsordercd relations which the war pro-
duced in the debt and in the burden and in the
financial arrangement OF society. That end has been
ccomplishcd-appause)- and tonight you greet the
Secretary of the Treasury as your guest
(applause)-who has accomplished the crown.
Ing glory of restored relations to the Old
World in honest money. ApplauseD ! do not
forget, as am sure you will not, that you
have another guest here, ex-Secretary OF
the Treasury applausc). who in most DIFF
hcult times well began what has now been
10 we'll neutrality-suspicious. he has shown us
that In the battles of peace well those OF
the man who makes his fight boldly and yaliantly
may be quite as good soldier the man who wins
victory upon the held. Applause.
COMMERCIAL ADVANCE.
Now. that being 80, the next great step is the for
ward step Of united people. sometimes statesmen