Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-10-18

From the american Register, the official
organ of the Americans in Europe, and
which is published in London and Paris, we
learn that on the 26th ult. a number of
prominent members of the American colony
In Paris, desirous Of giving expression to
their satisfaction at the temporary presence
in their midst Of two of their distinguished
countrymen - Hon. Emory A. Storrs, of
Chicago, and General John B. Gordon
invited those gentlemen to dinner at the
Continental Hotel.
At the appointed hour the guests of the
evening took their seats at the dinner table,
together with General George W. Walker,
Consul General OF the United States at Paris,
who presided, General J. B. Kinsman, Hon.
u. j. Brulatour, General j. G.. Wilson, DIR.
Thomas W. Evans, General Gibson, Vice
Consul Hooper, George A. Newell, Franklin
W. Smith, c. j. Roosevelt, j. Staigg, B.
Gordon, Jr., Edward King, j. F. Tuttle,
Watson G. Case, Henry Havemeyer, T. w.
Tone, q. W. Ballon, r. Garrett, John
Monroe,J. II. Beach, N. G. Chapman, ,Bradish
johnson, q. Montague. G. j. Trowbridge,
z. Il. Coolidge, D. NJ. Ferguson, Senior
Eduardo ScoullO and T. D. Dick. The
dinner itself was very ENJOYABLE affair, and
full of pleasing incidents, enhanced later In
the evening by the appearance Of the ladies,
the wives ard daughters of many OF the
gentlemen present, in the room adjoining
the dining hall. After the removal of the
cloth Consul General Walker, Ia a very
happy speech, In which he alluded to Georgia
as 1.-THE banner State of the South" and
said that Storrs and Gordon belonged "not
70 Illinois and Georgia, but to the
United States" introduced the speakers of
the evening. He was followed by Hon.
Emory Storrs, in an eloquent and patriotic
address, full of the spirit of harmony aud
peace. After he had concluded General Cor
don was introduced, and spoke as follows:
MIR. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLEMEN-In re-
sponse to the compliment paid to myself as
an individual, need do nothing more than
assure you OF my sincere appreciation and
make my grateful acknowledgements. In re-
sponse, however, to the very eloquent and
able speech to which we have Just lis eued,
and which leaves little to be said by me, you
will indulge me in few brief observations.
agree with our friend, that we in n.America
have much to learn and much to improve
but wish to add that in my Judgment, no
history OF any country is so full of encourage
ment to mankind as our own. And no epoch
in our history is so pregnant with lessons of
value as that period from 1860 to the present
revolution and rebellion, should have at
tanned in one century-I had almost said
to primacY among nations-I will say to a
rank, which has required ten centuries for
others to reach, is fact worthy of special
and distinguishing notice; but tnat that Re-
pubic should have passed through a civil
war-a war Of such dimensions, of such
duration, OF such passions and of
such cost in blood and treasure. and
ChOnIn i
cades after its termination, become stronger,
more prosperous and more unite than be-
fore, Is the marvel of political history, and a
fact before which the scotfers at republican
institutions must be confounded and dumb
War Is great evil. Most wars are uumixed,
unmitigated evils. All wars are the result
OF either unrlghteous or unwise coun-
sells on the one side or the other.
But ali wars are not all evil Our
war was far from resulting in evil
only. Indeed. with all its horrors, it's pas
sions, its bloodshed and burnings, with its
legacy of debt burden to the whole country.
and OF absolute poverty for the time to one
sectl0n OF the country, am almost ready to
say that, In making up the balance sheet,
there are 6enefcent results to compensate
largely for all its woes. Let me enumerate
some OF these results. The frss which I
note is the fact that It has served to increase
ana make permanent the respect and esteem
which the people OF each section entertain
foc those OF the opposing section. The
splendid exhibition of courage on both sides,
to which cur distinguished friend has SO
eloquently alluded, the display of general
snip, and the self-consecration of both sec
tions to conceived duty. could not fail to
produce this important result.
The second result to which l invite your
attention, is this: 1t has enhanced self
respect Ia both sections. Thisresult is DOS.
stblY even of greater importance than the
fact to which l have already alluded, for
self-respect is the foundation Of all charac.
ter, and national character is but the
expression of the collective self-respect OF
people. Whatever differences OF opinion
may exist as to the righteousness Of this
cause or that, we must all agree that the
self-respect, and therefore the individual
and collective manhood of people, are
exalted by those high considerations
which lead men to leave their homes,
abandon their pursuits, surrender their
comforts and give wealth and life for con-
science or country. IL this be true, and no
proposition is truer, It follows that one of
the compensating results of that great civil
war Is, that 1t has laid for our people, deep
andldrmlY, the foundations of higher, more
robust and grander character. But, more
than this, those influences for good are to be
transmitted to the American youth and
affect the fibre Of our national character
through all the generations which follow.
What could be more effective in developing
the character of American youth than the
record which their fathers made in great
conflict, In which the blood they split and
the courage they displayed are witnesses Of
their devotion to great principles. At the
North they will read Of a people forgetting
party differences and uniting as one man in
the defense of the Union, which meant to
them the defense OF republican govern
ment. To them the life OF our form of gov
ernment seemed wrapped In the union of
the States, and the union of the States could
not be broken without shatterlng the fabric
OF government, which conserved the hopes
and liberties Of the whole people. Such,
say. is the lesson to be learned by the Am
erican youth as to the purposes of their an
cestors at the North
What of the Southern cause? MY friend
says we fought to protect slavery. 1t is
true that the South felt compelled to pro-
tect property which was guaranteed in
the fundamental law, a property in which
their earnings and inheritance were invested,
and for the Introduction of which the men
then living were In no degree responsible.
But my friend will permit me to add that,
far above all considerations of property, was
another thought, as high, as eRnobling and
holy as every impelled men to arms. The
thought which pervaded our people, which
filed its armies, which beat in every pulse,
throbbed through every brain, from the
commanding General to the private with
his knapsack, was the conviction that they
waged war OF defense. Defense of their
homes; defense of their soil; defense of the
rights Of their States, whicn to them was
the synonym OF liberty. Such, l say, was
the conviction whi h stretched along the
Southern border that Gordon of brave
breasts ready for anV fate which the for
tunes of war might decree. Tell me not,
sir, that such high purposes Of self-conse-
Grafton can fail to ennoble character and
develop an exalted manhood. Tell me not
that war is all evil which evokes such a
spirit, leaves such a lesson, and calls into
play those fountains of living water where
Of, II people drink, there shall course
through the veins Of its national life purer
and richer blood.
The next result Of our war, to which l
beg to allude, is the one mentioned by my
frtend-namelY, the abolition Of slavery.
The destruction Of that institution made one
race free and another race poor; but the
time is near at hand when the verdict of all
men will be that it was best for both races.
The means employed for its extinction, nv
friend will agree, were not the mildest nor
the best; but, perhaps, 1t is fair to say that
they were the only means. l cannot consent
to pass from this subject without one other
remark, which cannot be Violative of the
proPrieties Of the occasion, because Justice
and truth seem to demand It. That remark
is this: The evils Of that institution, as It
existed at the South, have been vastly ex-
aggersted. 1t is a thing of the past,
and we can therefore afford to discuss
II In spirit of philosophic fairness.
That there were incident to its management
evils, wrongs, and sometimes positive