Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1889-05-01
The Centennial Banquet.


tan Opera Housa, New York, was The great
est banquet possibly ever held within the
recollection of man. The decorations ex-
celled even the splendor Of the ball celebra-
ton of he previous night The stage and
auditorium connected in one continuous
fl oor was the foundation of over quarter Of
& hundred tables arranged in horseshoe
fashion, with seating capacity OF eight
hundred. Nearly eight Thousand wineglass
es were placed at intervals along the tables,
and two hundred walters were in attend
ance. The tables were elaboI ately deco
rated. The menu was the best OF everything
that could be bought for money. The chief
steward, seated at central point, directed
every move Of his subordinates by means oil
electricity. at touch OF his bell, every
roast was carved, every cork was drawn,
every course served, simultaneously. The
coat of the banquet is said to have been S355.-
COO. Over the Presidents seat, surrounded
by American flags, wss suspended huge
pictnre of the face and bust of the first Presi
dent of the United States.
Gov. Hill delivered the address of well
come. ex President Cleveland, responded to
the toast of "Our People," Chief Justice
Fuller to that of the Federal Constitution, y
Gov. Lee to 1.-The States" Mr.. R. B. Hayes
to 1.-THE Presidency" Senator Daniel to
THE Senate" Prof. G. w. Elliott to "Our
Schools and Colleges" aud Mr.. James Rus
sell Lowell to sour Literature" Mr..
Cleveland's speech was received with ap-
plause, and when he concluded, the cheers
Of the house almost drowned the strains OF
"Hail Columbia from the band.
The last toast Of all was THE United
States Of America" to which President Har.
rson responded.
Governor Fitzhugh Lsc of Virginia, re-
spending to the toast THE States" said !:
Ia The great dome above, the heavenly
orbits may differ in magnitude, motion and
periodic revolution, but their paths are fixed
and their laws immutabe. The States
differ il siz9 In commercial prosperity, and
! may say in their periods OF rcrOlutiOn but
the laws Of the United States are the same
for EACH aud lheir motions, though in some
! OF the States at times eccentric. must always
be equal, il we desire to preserve intact our
American constellation. Should the central
body, the light of which constitutes day and
| lis absence night, around which the earth
and the planets revOlve, and by which they
are held in their orbits, and from which
comes light and heat, do move as Brother
Jasper, of Richmond, says, and, moving too
much, march into the orbits Of the planets,
| eternal chaos would follow or, should the
! planets depart from their routes, and break
we'll known laws, eternal ruin would result.
The federal head in our system Of govern
meut j. the sun; the States the planets; the
first is regulated by delegated powers-the
second exercises all rights not given to the
first, except those specifically prohibited.
! Il the States break from their orbits and en-
crosch upon the national government dis.
aster and ruin follows; if the national
government invades the reserved rights
of the States, calamity comes; SO that OBJ
| seryance on the part OF both OF this
article 10 Of the amendments to the constitu-
ton assures the libeEties Of the people. The
republic of to day should be the republic oil
the fathers-the United States of 1889, un-
der our present distinguished Chief Magis-
trato. will th be the United States of 1871
and 1889. when the sceptre Of power was in
the bands of William Henry Harrison and
q George Washington. May it so continue,
| and may the contest hereafter between the
States be for the promotion of commerce
and civilization, the progress of agricultural
and manufacturing wealth and the develop
ment of the arts and sciences, while each
State is laboring at the same time to
promote the common glory of the United
States" In the course OF his remarks Gov.
Lee sci Virginia, in giving this illustri
Gus patriot to the whole country, recognizes
| the fact that though one State may contain
| the locality Of his birth. and he place OF his
burial, no one State can bound nis bound
ess fame"
Gov. Lee evoked enthusiastic cheers when
he rose, and his splendid voice filed every
nook of the big house as he paid his tribute
| to the greatest son of Virginia. His elo-
| quept picture of the fine balance of the pow
ers of the individual! States and the general
government WAS we'll received. Chief JUS
tice Fuller read his remarks. and therefore
| lost by comparison with the iGe delivery OF
| Gov. Lee.
Senator ]. W. Daniel responding to the
toast "The Senate" said High thoughts
seated in q heart Of courtesy" was Syndey's
notion of what constituted a gentleman !;
and are Of United States Senator donbly
enj oncd in the personal and representative
relations. Thus | have sought TO sketch
the structure and spirit of the Senate.
Neither Roman nor Greek furnished
its model nor Was it drawn from
the institutions OF our mother country.
lt ls purely American In It's origin anu was
the design of a great people under the inspi
ration of great MAJ. In the federal con-
vention which framed tho Constitution at
Philadelphia the question which most dis
turbed deliberations was that of Congress
sional representation, and Madison said
could this be adjusted oil else would be sur
mountable. I cannot claim for my own
State that che through any of her statesmen
suggested the resolvent of the difficulty pre-
sented The Virginia plan, outlined by
Madison and proposed by Randolph,
contemplated representation in both Houses
on the basis of free inhabitants Of
tax contributions and being then the
most wealthy and populous, Virginia
was 10th to discard these elements
of irflaence. But the smaller States, New
Hampshire, New Jersey, Connecticut, Della.