Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-10-03
BLAINE PRESIDES.
Formal Opening Of the All.
America Conference.
DELEGATES OFFICIALLY GREETED.

Outlincd-The Secretary Chosen Tor Per-
manent President - Gen. Henderson
Makes Few ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS by
the President and Mrs. Harrison-A
Banquet mt the La Normsndic.
| WASHINGTON CITY, Oct s.-For the first
time since the discovery OF the Western
hemisphere representatives of the nations es
tablisled upon that hemisphere INST to-
gsther yesterday to discuss ways and means
Of est bliShing permanent relations In mat
ters oI commerce between each other The
meet NJ, which took place in the diplomatic
c.iainb r OF the state department, was thers-
| fore u Notable one, and brought into associ-
ion some of the most distinguished men of
the countries interested. The particular oc-
cesion was the formal reception by Secre-
tary Blaine of these eminent foreigners to-
gether with the delegates appointed by the
United States to the conference
The United States Delegates.
| The Amer can delegates were the first to
put N an appearance at the department They
entered Two and two in the following order:
| John r. Henderson, Missouri, and Cornelius
/ T. Bliss, New York; Clement Studebaker,
Indiana, and John F. Hanson, Georgia;
Morris NJ. Estee, California and Charles r.
Flint. New York; William Henry Trescott
South Carolina, and Andrew Carnegie
Pennsy lvania; Henry G.. Davis, West Vir-
ginia, and I. jefferson Coolidge, Massachu-
sets.
| Representatives. OF South America.
A few moments later the Brazilian com.
misSiouers, Senior Lafayette Pereira, the
leader OF the Liberal party and formerly
secretary of the treasury, Senior Salvador
Mendonca aud Senior Vslente, accompanied
by their attaches, Seniors vas Comedies and
Martens, were introduced, and very soon
the others came in as follows: Senors Vim
cente q. Qlesado, Rogue Saenz Pena and
Manuel Quntana, Argentine Republic;
Senior Juan f. Velarde, Bolivia; Seniors j.
Hurtado, Carlos NJ Silva, and Chinaco
Cslderon, Colombia; Senior Perez Zelodon,
Costa R,ca; Senior Jose Maria Camaano,
Ecuador; DIR. Fernando Cruz Guatemala;
Ssnor Jeronimo Z,aya, Honduras; Seniors
Mathis Romero, DIR. J. n. Navarro. and
Jose Mes Lymantour, Mexico; DR. Horacio
Guizman, Nicaragua; Senior Alberto Min,
Paraguay; Senior F. C. C. Zagsrra, Saliva
dor and Seniors Meanor Rolet Perasa and
Alexandra Urbanefa, Venezuela
| Secretary BIsine's Address
The delegates being assembled Secretary
Blaine, who had been busy doing the
courtesies of the occasion, arose and called
the congress TO order and delivered the fol-
lowing address:
GENTLEMEN oF TIE INTERNATIONAL Con-
| FERENCE: Speaking for the government Of
the United States. | bid you welcome to this
capital. Speaking for the people of the United
States. bid you welcome to every section and
| To every state in the Union. You come in
Spouse To an invitation extended by the pres
ident on the special authorization OF congress.
Your presence here Is no ordinary event. 1t
entities much to the people of all-America
to-day. IL may gnify far more in the
days to come. No conference Of ma
lions has ever assembled to con-
slider the welfare of territorial possessions
so vast and To contemplate the possibilities OF
IA future so great and so inspiring Those now
sitting within these walls are empowered to
speak for nations whose borders both the
great oceans, whose northern limits are
touchedby the arctic waters for 90 miles be-
yond the straits OF Behring. whose southern
extension furnishes human habitations far
Their below the equator than elsewhere posi-
| bic on the globe. The aggregate territorial
| extent OF the nations here represented falls
| but little short Oi l=.OO0O Of square miles
| more than three times the area of all Europe
and hut little less than one-fourth part OF
| the globe; while in respect to the power Of
| pro luCing the articles which are essential to
human life and those which minister to life's
| luxury, they constitute even larger proper
| ton of the entire world. These great posses
siOns to-day have an aggregate population ap-
preaching la.OOD.U0. but IL peopled AS densely
| ss the average of Europe the total number
! would ex eed UO0O.s0
| What the Conference Can DO.
While considerations Of this character must
inspire Americans, both South and North,
with the liveliest anticipations of future
grande ur and power, they must also impress
| them with sense of the gravest re-
| spOnsibility touching the character and
| development Of their respective nation
| alities. The delegates whom | am now
| addressing can do much to establish
permanent relations Of confidence, respect and
| friendship between the nations which they
| represent. They can show To the world an
honorable and peaceful conference Of seven
| teen independent American powers, in which
| all shall meet together on terms of absolute
| equality. "A conference in which there can be
| no attempt to coerce a single delegate against
his own conception OF the interests of his ma
| ton; conference which will permit no Sc
| Cret understanding on any subject, but will
| frankly publish to the world all its conclu-
| siOns conference which will tolerate no spr-
it of conquest. but will aim to cultivate an
| American sympathy broad as both CONT
| nents; conference which will form selfish
| alliance against the older nations from which
| we are proud To claim inheritance a confer
| ence, in fine, which will seek nothing, pro-
pose nothing, endure nothing that Is not in
| the general sense of all the delegates timely
| and wise and peaceful
| A Plea Tor Closer Relations
our on mn f f SHnnoI be expected to FORGET that
the two continents which. at the close of four
| centuries, are still regarded beyond the sea as
the New World. lAh" situations beget Iik .
svmpathies. and impose like SA..sl-- W. -.
in the firm belief that the nations of America
ought To he, and can he. more helpful. each 10
the other. than they now are, and that each
will find advantage AID profit from an en-
| larged int recourse with the others. We be
lievr that we should be drawn together more
| closely by the highways of the sea, and that
| at no distant day the railway systems of the
north and south will meet upon the isthmus
and connect by land routes the political and
| commercial capitals of all America We be
lieve that hearty cooperation. based on hearty
| confidence. will save all American states from
the burdens and evils which have long and
cruelty afflicted the older nations of the world
Some MiIIrnniai Suggestions.
We believe that "a spirit of Justice. of CON-
mon and equal interest, between the Amer
lean states will leave room for an artifi-
cial balance OF power, like unto that which
| has led To wars abroad, an drenched Europe
IN blood We believe that friendship. avowed
] with candor and maintained with good faith
| will remove from the American states the
| necessity Of guarding boundary lines between
| themselves with Notifications and military
| fore =. We be ieve that standing armies be-
| You'd those which needed for public order
| and safety Of internal administration. should
be unknown on both American continents
| We believe that friendship and not force, the
spirit of Just law, and not the violence OF
the mob. should he the recognized rule of al
| ministration between American nations and
In American nations.
| De-i, able Communications
| To these subjects. and those which are cog
ma q thereto the attention OF this conference
Is earnestly and cordially invited by the gov
eminent OF the United States. 1t will be q