The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-11-26
Three Hundred Patriotic Amer
leans Yesterday
Did Honor to the Day at Hotel
Cecil, London.
QUEENS LETTER READ
In Which She Thanks the Amer
lean Colony
For Their Recent Address of
COngratulatiOn.

London. Nov. 26.-Over three hundred
American men and women and a few
English persons celebrated Thanksgiv-
ing day by a dinner at the Hotel Cecil
last night. The party included John
Hay, the United States ambassador
and his wife and daughter; Henry
White, secretary of the United States
embassy: J. r. Garter, second secreta-
~ of the embassy; Lord Strathcone
and Nountroyal of Canada; Archdea-
con Sinclair, Louis Astor Chanler and
William F7usch, United States minister
to Uruguay.
The menu which was especially de-
signed for the occasion was ornament
ed 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 a
letter dated Windsor Castle. from Sir
Arthur John BiggS, 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 ex-
preston of her Majestys sincere
thanks for the beautifully Illuminated
address of congratulations she received
from that body I have further to as
sure your GACellGIlEN IOW QGCR4y NAAC
Queen was touched by the sentiments
of sympathy with the enthusiasm of
her own subjects on the sixtieth ami
versary of her ascension to the throne,
which was contained in this address
from citizens of the United States.
When the health Of Ambassador Hay
was proposed he responded with a
bright speech. He Sketched the origin
of the day. which began, he said, in
that pathetic thank offering of our
forefathers when they were keeping
alight the spark of freedom which was
designed to kindle into such a beacon
blaze, enIightening and admOnishlng
some of our peculiar institutions
continued Mr.. Hay, thank Heaven, we
have lost. The worst passed away in
the tempest of the war it caused, but
this, the most unquestiOnably peculiar
of all, we can trust to abide with US
forever This is one of the few things
that 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 ad-
dition of one ironcIad to any navy on
earth.
Tonight we can hardly be said to be
in a foreign land. A French states
man said the other day, Where there
is one Frenchman, there is France.
So we have three hundred good reas-
Ons here to believe that We are in
America tonight and may be pardOned
for speaking of some little things that
Mr.. Hay then paid an eloquent trib-
ute to the unknown, nameless artist,
who in the days of early New England,
first brought to perfection the pumpkin
pie"
He endorsed benjamin FrankIins
suggestion that the turkey should be
the national emblem instead of the
eagle, who, with aristOcratic profile,
hardly cOmmendS himself as the en-
blem of modest, industrious and con-
scientiOus democracy, while the turkey,
like q true altrulSt, exists only for the
good of others, and perishes by thOuS-
ands yearly for the public welfare
In concluding his speech, Mr.. Hay
enumerated the causes for thankful
ness. and said:
I'VE are thankful that we speak
English, or, if our friends on this side
of the coast think it is boasting
that we talk United States which an
swers equally as well for telling the
truth
Lord strathcone and Montgomery of
Canada responded to the toast "OLA-
Next Door NeighbOrs.''
Archdeacon Sinclair proposed the
toast THE Ladies'" which was re-
actress.
Hon. Sir John Garen Barnes of the
high court of justice, proposed the
health of Ambassador Hay. dwelling
upon the great friendliness that he be-
lieves exists between England and the
United States, and saying: IF the
two countries will only put their forces
together they can rule the destinies of
the world"
Mr.. Hay, closing his reply to the
toast of his health, said:
The great body of the people of the
two countries are friends. We are the
fortunate heirs to English law and lib
erty, which both nations respect"
Lord ScrathcOne and MountroyaI re-
spending to Our Next Door Neigh
bOrs" said that Canada, while loyal to
the queen and to Great Britain had the
fullest feeling of friendship for the Uni
ted States and he was satisfied that if
either country should get into difficult