The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-11-23
mINIsTER DE nILLE.
III Visit Of the Distinguished Ambas-
sasIor to Emporia
A Dinner in his Honor at Senator
PlumB's

ID Q Visit Of the Df<tfngnished Ambas-
sasior to Imports.
a Dinner in Ills Honor at senator
PlulnB's
The Reception and Concert at whitleyss
Opera House
Last Fridays NEWS gave an account
of the movements that day If our dis
guest, the Danish minister,
up to the hour Of ihe dinner at Senator
Piumb's. Al The appointed hour most
elegant repast was seIYed. The follow
ing invited guests in addition 10 the
Hoa. Mr.. de Bile. being present: Measrs.
c. Hood, L severy, II. C. Cross, 1. L.
PeFiey. Thyge. Sogard, c. Y. Eskridge
and Jacob Stotier.
1t is the verdict of all who we're pres
ent that the occasion was most eDjoya-
bic, and cannot son be forgotten. The
hest and hostess displayed the most adj
mirable tact in the entertainment of
their guests, and their genial, no spitable
manners served to digsst the occasion
OF that disagreeable formality too often
characteristic of such events. Every
one felt al his ease, thought freely, and
particularly afFable was His Honor,
Mr.. de Bile, who often amused and ill.,
terested the circle with his quaint humor
and learned speech,
In the evening. as per announcement.
the honorable gentleman from abroad
was rendered public reception at
Whitley's opera house, which was large
ly attended and greatly enjoyed. Myaor
Eastman presided. and announced that
the first thing on the program would be
an address of welcome to the Honorable
De Bile, delivered by Senator Plumb,
whereupon the latter arose from his
seat and delivered the following very
able address,
SENATOR PLUMs's SPEECH.
Minister De Bile:
l have been deputed by the people of
Emporia to tender you a welcome on
their behalf. In doing SO take great
deal of pleasure in saying that | know
il to be welcome indeed. Ihave lived
| among this people for now more than u
quarter of century I know them to
be whole-souled and hospitable,
and that in deputing me to
give you a welcome it was to
be one which should be felt to be,
as it was INTENDED TO be-generous. In
welcoming you here We are not unmind-
| full of the fact that you represent one OF
that family of nations which, under the
| generic term of Scandinavian, has given
| to what we call in pride tue Anglo-Saxon
race much of that which is in turn its
pride; the love of home, of home life,
| of home virtues, enterprise and energy
which has moved from the east TO the
| west along that line On which has moved
| the immense and intelligent energy OF
that Anglo-Saxon Tacc-a race which
has along its entire march built up not
merely cities; not merely populOus and
prosperous communities; not merely
| railways and all the engineering oi
| modern travel and modern commerce
but at the same time kept intact those
home virtues of the north; that instinct
which has been at the foundation Of ouI
free government, and the government
too, that you represent which is free
government differing, it is true, in it:
form from our government, but still IL
ali its essence a free government as be
comes people who have built hahita
tons and brought comfort, convenience
and prosperity out OF surroundings the
reverse of pleasant and the reverse o
opportune; a country where the conten
tention has been largely with nature
and from that contention has come tn,
essence of free institutions and The kin
ship Of feeling with this government a
free government, and with this people
as free people, which was manifested
during the war recently over, which es
tablished finally free institutions upo1
American soil.
In extending to you this welcome in
this representative way We also desire t
express to you that feeling of regarC
which We have, growing out of the fac
OF what We know OF your own career
of your own deep interest IN the groYtl
and prosperity, and the history and de
velopment Of the United States; of you
sympathy with all that growth and de
velopment; Of your accurate and, on tn
whole, as we think, marvelou
knowledge of all the essentials of tina
growth; of the feeling which ha
brought you TO make this trip, of which
your visit here is part; a trip whicl
has embraced that country lying west o
the Missouri river. II is a section O
country which has not heretofore beer
visited largely by men situated as yol
have been who have limited more thei
observation TO that portion of the coun
try in which the convenience and lCXu
ries of travel and of life were more con
spicuOus. We see in this an apprecia
ton on your part of that which led u
and those like US to come to this coun
try, an appreciation of its benefits a
rare as 1t is to US welcome and agree
able.
And now | may say to the citizen
here assembled that it has been part Z
the pleasure of my public life to knoI
with more or less intimacy the gentleman
whom introduce 10 you to know hin
not only as diplomat of accredited an
approved reputation in the diplomats
corps assembled st Washington, bu
also as gentleman favorably known Ii
private life. carrying with him every
; where that genial temper, that good will
that kindly bearing and hospitalit,
which has wen for HIM friends outsid
f of the official circle, and has made hin
! and his and the surroundings of his HON
among the most attractive to be foun'
, in the capital of the union.
In saying this TO you [ only echo
part of what | myself feel in regard t
him. And / say To you. further, that hi
: visit here is significant, not alone o
what it may bring 10 US in some futur
time, but significant of the fact that mel
of worldwide reputation; that men o
far seeing sagacity, thai men who lool
over The entire scope of this broad LANE
and of all the world, from an impartia
standpoint OF observation, are apprecia
ting now in degree which We, twenl,
; years ago, could not have believed, thil
section of the country in which our foI
tunes have been cast This visit is I,
be followed by immigration; to be fol
lowed by others seeking investments
!, We shall fad coming to this section
soon more than we have ANTICIPATED o
that trade the hope Of which brough
us to this state.
1t is with sincere pleasure introduce
to you, ladies and gentlemen, his excel
lency, Mr.. de Billie, the Danish minIste
to the government at Washington. Ap
plause.
Minister de Bile then stepped for
ward and responded in a feeling man
ner, as follows:
MINISTER DE BILLE's RESPONSE.
l thank you, ladies and gentlemen, 70
the kind reception you have granted {,
me, and TO the mayor and to Senate
Plumb for the flatteTing words in which
they have mentioned me. | am afraiC
thatthe kindness of the senator has beer
rather too flatteTing to me, and that b,
has used terms perhaps a little too higt
to be deserved. But this can say, tha
I have come out west with grcai
of expectations, and that these expecta
lions have been more than fulfilled
We have in our country for a very
long time followed, with the deepest in
| saracf Tho nroUroca and fiayalorT,aa4 n
which this country has been the scene
On the very first beginning of th,
American difficulties, in the time of oul
great grand fathers, the names of Wash
ington and Franklin were as household
words even to our peasantry in the
small villages of our country, and
| think we know a good deal more about
| your Clays and Calhouus and Websters
| and Summers than perhaps you do OF