New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-11-30
AMERICAN FLUENCE on Trance.

AN ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT WHITE BEFORE THE
HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
The seventy-seventh annual meeting of the
NwYork Historical Society held last evening in the
prick Church at Fifth-ave and Thirtyseventh-st The
rburcb vas filed. Benjamin IL. Field presided. The
animal address was made by Andrew d. White
president OF Cornell University. HIS subject
was. " American Influence the French Revolution"
II wight not he uniting he said this hundeth an
iveTs9ry o the time when the French helped Us pn an
End to the American revolution to take as subject lor
stnd the influence erered in by America upon the
Trb lie was here try trace the stream
let's of this influence their sources ana 10 SNOW no"
thev combined TO contribute the food OF revolution
,g6c ssnt over EUROPE He believed that, from The dc
cline of the Empire 20 the late cVil wal bd'hhg
has eve1 stronger proofs that human history "ohS - lLe
ires of the Divine purpose than the French revolution
Tne influence America upon France began al the very
the old Louis XIV. was laid away. the IDEAS when had
long been fenentng III secret 6una themselves iIee 10
work TheH the word liberty ana the icl eluaLty Lis'
came % France trom across the sea DaGes tus Sen
erS influence there were many sieclal nlllencss,
First among the later Was the power ~ IN
Tie Court initiated the repuChcah sIhpiC9 VI nIS
dress, poets wrote odes IN MS honor the Po,opIeIs
led by NOltaire hlmseli dld MN loDast cIs,S IT,
In showing admiration for the great American ne
sesd Oh France IhrouF Tbjs Vas SEN in the siE
ing similarity Of their political aims and
methods he also acted ON France through
Coudorcet, the chief thinker of the Grondists II was
Frankn'5 influence that made the great iheOrls pIac
cal ana diverted his study from the ancient republics to
The modern one. The extent OF ffanAuhs lnIuenco rs
best seen IN Coudorcets work on America; Ia
s 6ysaa of iegsStve A power and his trans
lation OF the Am, rican Constitution Franklin
acted on France also through the witty and emDlttered
Cbaupfor the Able MOreet, who recorded their table
talk and many others. Among these were Mirahea0;
with Washington and Franklin, the subject OF his
odes and HolDach, the atheist whose dinners became
The next exponent of American ideas in France was
Jefferson Perhaps ms influence was an tIf gleS'e DC
I.Gers6n the suggestion IN which he acted deserving
he mol
Through the GrOndlsts, who met at MS
Wholly in accordance with his views, and
who imbibed from him those federal ideas which did
time il often charged against hlm that he synpa
thzed and pOuded with Kebeperre; but Of this
thu speaker could hnd no evidence from TIE beginning
RObespcrre seemed 70 have been snguary free from all
American influence. The next class by whom American
ideas brought to bear upon France was me tIebGh
officers and soldiers who had taken par IN the war u
ideas and his alteration Of the character OF Washington
extent az 10 excite the Impotence OF his associates
Rochamteau was a hard, tough solder, yet even ne
lean Institutions. segur young noble who after,
ward became the personal friend OF most OF the crowned
heads of Europe Yet perhaps none was more deeply
infected b. admiration for America or throws more
hght than he upon the spread o. nus "s
fafned 10 Europe Ianiiarized with ideas Of liberty aud
equality. Another class was French travellers
IN America between 1875 and 1888; the Marquis de
CbastehuX, the influence OF whose kindly de
scrptiOn OF American character very great in the
period just preceding the revolutions; BTissot, the
famous GiTOudhist leader; Mazzei and Creoecgur.
To sum up the various elements Of revolution which
thus given to France: First there was familiarity
with the idea OF revolutions; second the strength given
10 French IDEAS Of liberty; again, IL America that
rave practical shape TO the idea OF equality; fourth
clement was the idea OF the practical combination OF
liberty and equality into Democratic institutions An
OTHER great thing which America gave to France
ideal Of republican manhood. Again Americas mtu-
ence was exercised only during the earlier years and
upon the truly great of the period In conclusion
Mr. White points out how tins American influence on
European liberty lost, aud how alone nay De re-
proper civil reform and greater sense OF Inuc,
3pal dignity At the conclusion OF the address vote OF
thanks was extended 10 him.