New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-05-31

going out inclining his majestic hgnro'9sS'u WIN =,
manning smile: any dear NJ. Gambetta' l Shni
always believe thatTt was great misfortune lor
France that Henry Fonrth coined 20 hoa' pn'"''
to take the city of Paris."'
Rut percsive that I let myself wander away TOO
.as;Iv and NAV truant when think of the persons
whom had tho pleasure of meeting in that hrs'
Journey
Ibavs of necessity seen much of the world ana
anna strong friendships remain to mo. product as
IL were. Of the moral freemasonry which rules III
humanity and brings it about that certain persons
enter into each Others thoughts at the ontset as
thew hal known each other for long time.
stonned TO speak of those two mon, the honor
and boast of tbs United States. because 1t was
delightful to me to call up thcaemembrance OF them
and TO bring to them the tribute OF my respect III
recalling the sympathy with which they -honorou
me.
Among the notabities to whom had tho hohor
of beino presented | will mention General Grant,
President of the United States at that time General
Melde General Sheridan, Mr.. Peter Cooper, Mr.
9,vrns Field. Mr. Agassiz, Colonel Forney and other
members of the press All .g MINES m mro ~ corial
welcome at the Union League Clnb in New OK
and in Philadelphia. Finally the kindness wl ta
which | was welcomed eyeryW,hesre snowou ent
isllow-countrymen under whose auspices hau
come to the United states. ,,, a
was difficult Tor me 10 establish Boou
understanding on which to lay the FOUNDATIONS Oh
the plan of my Partisan friends. had maze
sketch in watcr-colors of the monument CT Liberty
on nv kindly approving friends OF impress
sion that the plan would produce, l. acquired tne
certainty that when should begin IN france Tue
IInited States would second aud that tho dratt
drawn by Messieurs Labouaye, Lafayette. Henri
Martin and their friends upon American sehtimeh's
Eu NV retnrn NJ Laboulave called together his
friends at his house impaired the results OF my
journey, nv impressions the welcome 'n.s ion mid
count and presented the plan oil the monument
NJ Henri Martin Whose place in the Academy has
inst been Ied bv the illustrous DE Lessspsl spoke
Of that rsnnioD in an Official address. | quote ms
words IN sp;te of tho praises which they contain,
because 1t is necessary for mo 10 snow .ne watiat
OF the sentiments which were mlniiestcd Oh thaI
occasion:
ct was needful for US TO discover thought in
harmony with the object to be attalned. nc nc
artist presented it to us i'll form that pore tno
stamp OF genius. He had conceived the celebration
of the anniversary of Independence, applying {" ~
sublime phrase which SUNS up au ,p VIA
an Bartholdi proposed To represent TINS great
idea by O statue OF colossal proportions WnIyh
would snrpass all that have over existed since the
I've adopted this plan with enthusiasm. com
mittee was organized Artists .puDlic men, conSt'-
tinted bodies general councils municipal councils
and Chambers OF Com ncrce associated themselves
in the enterprise, and the movement which had
started from modest an origin became genuine
""'''"' "HESRl MARTIN. May 81. 1872
will not enter upon the detailed recital of all
that the committee did; will conhne myself To
recalling thsnain points when narRea inelr actol:
The plan of the french-American Union was not
launched upon the public until the end oil the year
1874. Up TO that tune 1t HAD been organized the
means had been prepared and had made the nrS'
Subscription lists were circulated throughout
France ut that time, They bore ut tho head tho
following prepared by NJ. Labonlayo:
"The Monument of Independence Will be executed
in common by tho two peoples associated IN this
fratsrnal work. as they were OF old "a establishing
Independence In this way we declare nv an
impcrshabe memorial the friendship that the blood
splel by our fathers of old scaled between tho two
nations IL is a treaty of friendship which should
DO signed by all hearts which fcol the love OF their
country. H. LAboULN@
This appeal hal a considerable response. The
birth of the work was celebrated on November q,
1870 IN the Hotel Of the Louvre by banquet
which has remained memorable: The arts. letters
the press politics, sent there lnstr0us representa-
tlyes both from America and from France.
In that ball. whose echoes repeated again and
again tho names OF Franklin and OF Washington.
were seen near each other the repres natYos OF te
names OF Lafayette and OF Roch1mbeau.
Near Mr. Wasaburnc. Minister Plenipotcntiary
from the United states. near Mr. forney. COMMITS
ton OF the same States were seen tho memoers OF
jules ,le Lasteyric. Paul do R6musat. Waddington.
Count Serurier. Corneis de Witt, Jean Mace, victor
l}orie Caubert. A. Blrtholdi. de LagOrSse dc
Tocaueyille. Vollet-ieduc. VOlowsN. .,
That banquet brought together men ot All
opinions the chef Ministers. Deputies, the aide de
camp and tho secretary OF the President OF the
Repnblic tho President Of tho Municipal Council oil
PARIS. American and French Generals Academl-
clans authors sayants aud journalists representing
all varieties and all shade, OF politics. -
The success OF tho work was assured. 10 ralse
the necessary funds there were festivals ana eroi
lions. The ilustrious author of Faust Council
Ind cnmposed "a hymn for tho Statue OF Liberty. IL
was sung at the opera, and VI. LabonlaYe hold
conference. Going upOn tho stage he sad 70 ms
friends: Soc how much love the Americans J!
AZ my great age, mount tho platform for them"
10 give at that time in America an idea OF tho
work the right hand of tho statue was executed IN
its colossal proportions and sent to tho Exposition
at Philadel phia.
n member OF the French jury. In tho same year
took Mace i'm New.York the Inauguration Of tho
statue Of Lafayette. with tho execution OF which
had been intrused by the French Government and
which was presented To the city IN acknowledgment
of the sympathy New-York had testified to France
by her numerous shipments at the time of tho
suferings caused by the siege OF Paris.
Thess circumstances. which awa<enei pntrlotic
feelinQs Rave an opportunity for getting the
American pnblic earnostly interested In tho grand
project of their French friends. preparatory
meeting was organized ~ the century Club upon
the call of W. NJ Evarts. y ID. Blbcock John Jay,
w. II. Wickham. William a. Appleton and Richard
| Butler. secretary.
At that meeting n committee was'orglniyod and a
memorial was addressed TO tho Government OF the
| United States. asking approval aud support Tor
| what had boen done by tho French concerning the
site Of the monument
| Congress on the 22d Of February 1877 voted in
favor of accepting the gift of France and setting
| anart Bedoes Island for the site, In terms mosl
| iattering TO the work ana 10 the frrnch natl"h