The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-26
AMERICANS IN LONDON.
They Listen to Message from the
Queen and n Speech by Col. Hay.

They Listen to a Message from the
Queen and Speech by Col. Hay.
LONDON Nov. 25.-Over three hundred
American men and women and a few En-
gish persons celebrated THANKSGIVING day
by dinner at the Hotel Cecil tonight The
party included John Hay, the United States
ambassador, and his wife and daughter:
Henry White, secretary of the United States
embassy; j. r. Carter, second secretary of
the embassy; Lord Strathcone and Mount
Royal, of Canada; Archdeacon Sinclair,
Louis Aston Chanler and William Fuch.
United Staes minister to Uruguay. The
menu, which was specially designed for the
occasion, was ornamented with American
and British flags, and over the seat of the
chairman was an enormous eagle. The list
of toasts was long. The health of Queen
Victoria was proposed by the chairman, who
read letter dated Windsor Castle, from Sir
Arthur John Bigge, private secretary to
her Majesty, saying
THE Queen desires me to beg that the
American ambassador will be so good as to
convey to the members of the American
Society in London the expression of her
Majesty's sincere thanks for the beautifully
Ilumined address of congratulations she
received from that body. I have further to
assure your Excellency how deeply the
Queen was touched by the sentiments of
sympathy with the enthusiasm of her own
subjects on the sixtieth anniversary of her
accession to the throne which were con-
tanned in this address from citizens of the
United States"
When the health of Ambassador Hay was
proposed he responded with bright speech
He sketched the origin of the day. which
began. he said. lin that pathetic thank
offering of our forefathers when they were
keeping alight the spark of freedom which
was destined to kndle into such beacon
blaze, enlightening and admonishing the
world Some of our peculiar Institutions
continued Mr.. Hay. thank heaven, we have
lost; The worst passed away in the tempest
OF the war 1t caused, but this, the most I'M
questionably peculiar of all, we can trust to
abide with us forever. This is of the
few things we can do that offends nobody
threatens no one and completes with no one
There can never be too much gratitude in
the world.
Seventy millions of voices praising God
together would not Justify the addition of
one ironclid to any navy on earth. Tonight
we can hSrdly be said to be in foreign
land. A French statesman said the other
day, where there is one Frenchman. there
Is France So we have three hundred good
reasons here to believe we are in America
tonight, and may be pardoned for speak
about
Mr. Hay then paid an eloquent tribute
to the unknown, nameless artist who in
the days OF early New England first
brought TO perfection the pumpkin pie He
indorsed Benjamin Franklin's suggestion
that the turkey should be the national
emblem instead of the eagle. who. with
aristocratic profile, loud voice and preda-
tory disposition hardly commends himself
as the emblem of modest Industrious and
conscientious democracy, while the turkey.
like true altruist, exists only for the good
OF others and perishes by thousands yearly
for the public welfare
In concluding his speech Mr.. Hay enum-
Grated the causes for thankfulness and
said: we are thankful that we speak Eng
lish; or IL our friends on this side of the
ocean think that is Boosting, that we talk
United States. which answers equally as
well for telling the truth.
, Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal, of
Canada, responded to the toast "Our Next
Door Neighbors.' Archdeacon Sinclair pro-
posed the toast, The Ladies'" which was
responded to by Miss Genevieve Ward. the
actress.