The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-10-10
AMERICAS POWER
FORMAL OPENING OF THE CONGRESS
OF AMERICAN NATIONS AND
ITS ORGANIZATION.
Address Of Secretary Blaine Welcoming the
Delegates to the United States in the
Name of the People Thereof.

WASHINGTON, October 2. -Delegates to the
international American congress assem-
bled at the state department this morning
at II O'Clock by appointment. They pro-
ceeded in body from the waiting room to
the diplomatic reception room. Here they
were presented to Secretary Blaine, who
delivered felicitous address of welcome.
The doors were closed to the public.
Following was Mr.. Blaine's speech to the
congress: Gentlemen of the International
American Congress Speaking for the gov
eminent Of. the United States, | bid you
welcome to this capital; speaking for the
people of the United States, bid you well
come to every section and to every state of
the Union. You come in response to an
on the special authorization of
no ordinary event. 1t signifies
much to the people of all America to-day
it may signify more in the days TO come.
No conference of nations has ever assem-
bled to consider the welfare of territorial
possessions so vast, and to contemplate the
possibilities of future so great and SO in
spring. Those now settic3 With. 49,.
walls are empowered to speak for the ma
tons, whose borders are both the great
oceans; whose northern limits are touched
by active waters for thousand
miles beyond the straits of
Behring; whose southern extension fur
nishes human habitations farther below the
equator than is elsewhere possible on the
globe. While considerations of this char
acter must inspire Americans both south
and north with the liveliest anticipations
Of future grandeur and power, they must
also impress them with a sense of the
gravest responsibility touching the charac-
ter and development of their re-
spective nationalities. The delegates
whom l am addressing can do much
to establish permanent relations of conf
dence, respect and friendship between the
nations which they represent. They can
show to the world an honorable and peace
full conference of seventeen independent
American powers, in which all shall meet
together on terms of absolute equality;
conference in which there can be no at
tempt to coerce a single delegate against
his own conception of the interests of his
nation; conference which will permit no
secret understanding on any subject,
but will frankly publish to the world all its
conclusions; conference which will toler
ate no spirit of conquest, but will aim to
cultivate an American sympathy as broad
as both continents; conference which
will form no selfish alliance against the
older nations from which we are proud to
claim inheritance; a conference in fine
which will seek nothing, propose nothing,
endure nothing that is not in the general
sense of all the delegates timely and wise
and peaceful.
AT the conclusion of Mr.. Blaine's adj
dress, which was received with an amount
of enthusiasm somewhat remarkable in .
body of this character, Secretary Blaine
retired, and the following resolutions were
adopted:
Resolved, That this congress names as
president pro tempore Hon, John B. Hen
derson, delegate to this congress, represent
ing the United States of America.
Resolved, That committee of five men,
bers be appointed by the president, whose
duty ii shall be to designate the
report to the congress on its
re-assembling in. November next such
appointed to facilitate the business of the
congress and the number of members each
committee shall have.
Mr.. Henderson, of Missouri, took the |
chair and under the last resolution the
following committee on organization was
by the chairman: = Senior Ro-
nero, Mexican minister Counsellor
Lafayette Roderiquez Pereira, of Brazil |
Dr.iAlberto Min, of Uruguay; DR.. Horatio
Guzman, of Nicaragua, and DR.. Jose NJ. |
Hurtado, of Colombia.
The committees retired and in a few
minutes returned with "a recommendation, |
which was Immediately adopted, that Sec |
rotary Blaine be made president of the
Another committee was then appointed, |
of Senior Hurtado, Mr. Bliss, Sc |
nor Valerde, of Bolivia; Dr. Arago, of Cos |
ia RIGA, and Senior Zegarra, of Peru, to no.
tify Secretary Blaine of his election
Meanwhile a resolution was adopted pro- |
ylding for the appointment of committee |
of seven to draw up parliamentary rules for |
the government of the congress. The COM
mittee will be appointed hereafter.
A further resolution was adopted provid- |
ing that in the absence of the president the |
chair will be occupied by one of the dele
gates of each of the nations represented in |
the congress, by turn, selected by lot. An
other resolution was adopted, for the APP
pointment of a committee to distribute the |
work of the congress among sub-commit-
tees This committee will also be appointed |
by the chairman hereafter.
On motion of one of South American |
delegates, the following resolution was
adopted:
Resolved, That members of International |
American congress accept with pleasure |
the invitation Of the president of the
United States of America to be the guests
of his government in an excursion through |
the territory of the United States, and that |
we express our thanks for said invitation
At this stage Secretary Blaine entered |
and was escorted to the presidents chair.
A recess of fifteen minutes was taken,
and at its expiration, on mo-
ton of Mr.. Henderson, the congress
adjourned until Monday, November 10,
when it will meet at noon at Wallach man
sion. After adjournment the delegates were
escorted to the White House by Secretary
Blaine, pausing for few minutes at the
entrance of the state department to
have their pictures taken in groups.