New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-05-31
aware .nforine. AWAY. hopeful always with faith

Twas sept to Bordeaux to get somo arms anu
munitions which Dame from America on poaro VI
the vessels of the Transatlantic Company. i' wa,
with pain that heard the officers OF inc Fo'''i
speak OF the demonstrations in the Unlteu o'a'o. "
favor of Germany. One of them however oeieh"ou
the Americans. He said those clamorous demohs''s-
tions were the work Of Germans VINO hau ooon =.
America only a short time; that those VINO h,'o
been long in the United States respected the 'rau
tons of their country that the greater par.
them remembered how they had been ground under
foot. condemned to DEATH obliged to fly from their
native land. when they had dreamed OF possessing
some liberties of enjoying equality that those VINO
reoiced over the of Germany reoiced raenei
in the fact of United Germany and Ill the nope vi
seeing that unity result in the political anu sum"
development of their former country 1or INC happ'
ness of their relatives and friends VINO reha'no'
therein: but that these very men were 700 muon
Americans and citizens of the great free people 10
feel hatred toward France or to rejoice over 'no
misfortunes of the nation which heiped 10 crea'0
their new country whose prosperity they enjoy TO-
day.
AN those comments, those varied opinions e1-
| citod nv lively interest: / had always felt a
| sympathetic curiosity concerning A"oii0" "'N
| lively desire to know the country
When the war was over l could not go 10 my
native land Asace which was shut against mo py
| the Germans; at Paris the Commune was In power
\ and civil war was raging. After snort stay III
Switzerland resolved to take Journey III ordcr W
withdraw myself from all the painful IMPRESSIONS
! of the year through which had just passed. anu
| the idea came to me Of going to visit America
went to Versailles to again the friends whon,
| I had not seen for so many dolorous mouths !
| found myself again at the house OF NJ Lao"ui'Se'
| with Messieurs Lafayette Henri Martin. Remusat
l L. and nj
| whose svn,pathies toward the United States were
! well known They talked again of American sentl-
ment of the shipments which the Americans had
male To Paris of the diverse opinions when
prevailed In America | repeated all that h"u
heard said on board of the Transatlantic steamships
| NJ Laboulaye took up again his views as OK
pressed above and declared that without any douot
there would no at tho hundredth anniversary OF the
! Jndependence of the United States movement
| natriotic and French in America. Go TO see that
ronr+rv ~ said he to mo. "You will study it. you
will hiring back to us Your impressions Propose TO
our friends over there to make with us monument.
n common work, in remembrance of the ancient
fria,dsbin of France aud tho United States we
will take ND a subscription in France. If you find
bappy idea plan that will excite public ehthnsl-
asm we are convinced that it will be success I'll on
both continents. and we will do Work that VIII
have far-reaching moral effect"
It was then in these convictions OF NJ Laoou'"ye
that the germ of the monument of the French
American Union was found.
have related these fragments of conversation IN
order that they may show how the idea had It's orth
and development; but do 10 still more TO answer
those who with an evil spirit OF dsparagemeht'
have desired to diminish the value of the work by
treating it as the personal fantasy OF an artist.
may fairly claim a certain merit in tho invention OF
A. in
Undertaking TO completion: but it has value
greater than that; it has roots deeper than an
artists ambition. The popular subscription IN
Franco has shown it, and Mcs,leurs Laboulaye,
LAFAYETTE De Tocqucville. De Lasteyrie aud Others
foresaw that depth of public sentiment when they
said that il method of stirring the pubic IN tHe
two countries by means OF some thrilling suggestion
some soand and luminous idea coald be found, the
success which would follow would astonish every
Above all then. should DO honored those faithful
friends of the United States who have shown IN
this matter their faith and their enthusiasm. This
is the moment IL to recall them to mind Alas!
thev are no longer here to the complete accom-
pli,hment of the work, but before leaving rs they
saw the certainty OF and their benediction
will accompany the Statue of Liberty.
Imbued with the thoughts of those eminent men.
| furnished with their letters Of recommendation,
ENJOYING full authority to express myself or 10
| engage myself in their names. departed Tor
| America
I'm tne'course of the voyage formed some concep-
tions of plan of monument. but can say that NJ
| the view of the harbor of New-York the dehnite
| plan was first clear TO nv eyes.
| The picture that Is presented to the view when
ono arrives at New-York is marvellous when. after
| come DAVIS of voyaging in tho pearly radiance OF
| beautiful morning is revealed the magnificent
snectaele of those immense cities OF those rivers
extending as far as the eye can reach, festoonei
| with masts and Tags whon.oneawakes, so to speak
| In the midst of that interior sea covered win
| vessels, some giants in size, some dwarfs, which
| swarm about putting, whstling, swinging tho great
| arms of their uncovered walking-beams. moving to
| and fro like q crowd upon public place. 1t ~
| thrilling It is, indeed, the New World. winch
appears in its majestic expanse with the ardor oil it
| glowing life Was it not wholly natural that the
artist was inspired sby this spectaclei Yes in this
| very place shall be raised the Statue OF Liberty
grand rs the idea which it embodes, radiant upon
the two worlds II then the form of the accom-
| plished work Is mine, to tbs Americans / owe the
tboucht and the inspiration which gave 1t birth. /
| was conscious when landed at New-York that l
had found the idea which my friends had hoped for.
| The second part of my mission remained to be
ACCOMPLISHED; to learn IL the dream could become
a reality For that it was necessary at the outset
to Amcricanize myself little, to become acquainted
with the country, the persons and the things, to
become familiar with all the difficulties IN order to
nit upon the means of triumphant success.
travelled from the East to the West. from the
North to the South and visited nearly all the great
| cities of the United States and great number Of
little ones that have perhaps become very great
ones which should not now recognize. In short,
| lotto OH IA cf nd
through the wild regions well. painting and