The Portland daily press., 1885-06-17
AoNoRs TO MINISTER THOMAS.
Farewell Banquet to the Departing
American Minister.

Farewell Banquet to the Departing
American Minister.
Many of the chief citizens of Stockholm
united in giving Minister Thomas public
dinner ON the eve of his departure from
Sweden. The banquet took place at the
pavilion of Hasselbacken in the Royal Deer
Park on the evening of May 29th The
banquetting hall was decorated with group
of American colors, surrounding the shield
Of the United States; the stars and stripes
waved over the pavilion.
The band of the I'd Life Guards played
American and Swedish national airs during
the dinner.
AS Baron Hochschild, the Minister of
Foreign Affairs, was away from Stockholm
on leave of absence, the dinner was presi
ded over by the First Secretary of the
Foreign Office the Royal Chamberlain
Lagerheim.
Promptly at o'clock the doors of the
banquetting hall were thrown open, and
President Lagerheim escorted the guest of
the evening to the handsomely decorated
table. Next to the right of Minister Thomas
were seated Prof. Victor Rydberg, the first
writer of Sweden, and Baron NordenSkiold,
the renowned Arctic explorer. Among
many others at the board were noticed the
Royal Marshal Nordenfalk, Sweden's Anti
| quarry Hildebrand Prof. Retzius, Royal
Librarian Weselgren, the historical painter
| Hellquist, and Chamberlain Bildt the well
known eX-secretary to the Swedish Lega-
| ton at Washington
The following correspondence preceded the
dinner
STOCKHOLM May "a. 1885,
Mr.; y. ": Thomas, Jr., Minister Resident OF
the United States:
HONORED SIR:
In accordance with what l verbally told you at
the last meeting of "Idaties literary society," the
| knowledge that you would soon leave your pres
| eent diplomatic post in Sweden, has called forth
the wish that in an assembled circle of friends we
say may to you thanks and Jareceu You cannot be
unaware, Mr.. Minister, that the educated public of
| Sweden know how to value your work in dissent
| mating in the land of your birth knowledge of
Swedish literature and culture, and also that your
| services as your c0untrys minister at our court
| h We won for you many personal friends mum
Der OF these friends desiring to give expression to
the feelings Of esteem In Which you are held here
by tender you, through me, Iduies secreary,a pub
lie dinner, to be given at Hasselbacken on Friday
Chamberlain Lagerhem, Prof. Victor Rydberg
and Royal Antiquary Hidebrand, act with us as
| the committee of invitation.
Hoping that you will be pleased to accept our
invitation, have the honor to subscribe myself
Mr.. Minister, Your obedient servant,
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
Mr.. Thomas answer is as follows:
"LEGATIoN OF THE UNITED STATES
STOCKHOLM May %, 1885.
Mr. HdrdM WteSel9ren Secretary Of Committee
Of Inritdti0n:
My Dear Sir,-Be assured nothing could be more
pleasing to me than that my friends in Stockholm
representing as they do Swedish letters, art and
public dinner on the occasion of my terminating
my mission to Sweden and Norway and bidding
goodbye to Scandinavia.
From my boyhood have been filed with adj
miration for the Northland, and for the heroic
men who have made it illustrious on the pages Of
the worlds history.
1t has always been to me a labor of love to do
what little lay IN my power to make the name and
fame OF Scandinavia known and appreciated
among my countrymen beyond the seas, and to
draw more closely the bonds of friendship that
have ever united your land with my own.
That my humble efforts in this behalf are so
generously recognized Is to me cause of con-
graduation, and accept with many thanks the
Invitation of our friends, courteously extended
by yourself, to become your guest at dinner to
be given on Friday next at spot made classic by
the songs of Sweden's most melodious poet.
have the honor to be, Sir
Your obedient Servant,
A handsomely illustrated menu gave the
following list of dishes:
MENU.
Consomme printanier.
Rssoles la GODDARD.
Selle de Mouton Jardnere.
Jambon Westphalien au PURGE de Truffles.
Salplc0n dh0mard la MayOnnaiSe.
Lounch a la Romane.
BecaSSe TOti. Salade.
AspergeS Ell Branches.
Glaze.
Frontage.
Dessert.
After dessertlthe president delivered a bril-
liant post prandial speech
lie spoke with respect and admiration of
America the MIGHTY Youthful land hovnnd
the ocean, and in feeling terms expressed
the esteem and good will entertained by all
classes in Scandinavia for Americas Minis
ter
The business of diplomacy is not as some
seem to suppose to breed strife nor beget dis
| sensionS between nations, but to smooth
away differences for the common good of all.
| To this end he had always found stead
fast co-worker IN Mr.. Thomas. The pleas
ant current of diplomatic relations between
| the two countries had flowed on without
| even ripple to disturb its friendly current
| throughout Mr.. Thomas administration of
affairs. To hold diplomatic intercourse with
| such minister was more a pastme than
| labor.
The very cordial relations which Mr..
| Thomas had established with Scandinavia
| made it clear, the speaker playfully said,
| that our guest was descended from the old
| Morse seaman, who 800 years before Column
| bus, first discovered America. 1t was a mat
| ter of regret that the United Kingdom of
| Norway and Sweden were to lose such
| minister, and he expressed but the universal
| sentiment when he gave utterance to the
| hope that Mr.. Thomas would some day return
| to Scandinavia, land that the present part
| ing was not ddieN but an reroir.
The president then proposed the toast of
| the evening.
"Our honored guest,s
which was responded to with enthusiasm.
Mr.. Thomas speech in reply was in the
! Swedish language and is spoken of in terms
| of warm commentator by the Swedish
| newspapers. He thanked the president for
the eulogiStic terms in which he had spoken
| of America and was certain that the bonds
of friendship which now for more than
| century had bound together Scandinavia and
America would never be broken. As for
himself he had to thank the people of the
| Northand for a thousand kindnesses, of
| which the tribute of this banquet was the
last and perhaps the greatest. 1t was now
| nearly two years since he landed on the
shores of Sweden as the minister
of his country. He had been welcomed more
/ AS an old friend than as a stranger, and dur
| ing his entire sojourn had received naught
but kindness, hospitality and good will from
| all with whom he had come in contact
from that Christian gentleman who so
worthily wears the crown of two Kingdoms,
to the lowliest cottager he had met in the
backwoods of Sweden Mr.. Thomas re-
viewed at some length the history of Scand
navlan and eloquently portrayed the mighty
ueeuS Ol ner heroic sons. lie reclpr0caCed
fully the kindly feelings expressed by the
president, and could with truth confirm his
| statements, that a perfect "entente cOrdiar'
| had ever existed between His Excellency the
Minister of Foreign Affairs, the honored
| First Secretary and himself. He should
| carry with him to his home in the New World
| the liveliest sentiments of respect affection
and gratitude for Scandinavia and her
| sturdy sons.
| Mr.. Thomas remarks were frequently in
| terrupted by applause.
Many other toaSts followed, but our space
will not allow us to mention them. A mark
| ed event of the evening and one which
| created much merriment, was when the
| great Arctic explorer Nordenskiold, arose
and stated that on his last Polar expedition
| he had found at Iceland an ancient cup bear
| ing upon it a portrait of Erik the Red, and
| supposed to have belonged to that great Ice
| landc chieftain, who discovered Greenland
| before the year 1000. Abiding to the play
| full remarks of the President, he said he was
| glad to find here this evening in the person