Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-01-19

hon9red with your invitation to attend
The dinner to be given on tho evening
of the 1ath inst. to tho Honorable
Geoge Gray by the Wilmington Board
of Trade, | expressed q hope that L
might be able TO bexprebcnt. regret
that circumstances have arisen which
compel mo to forego that privilege. SEN
ator Gray is man.thaf the country has
long delighted to honor. 10 youS bis
neighbors and friends, it must afford
peculiar pleasure to testify your ap-
probation Of his distinguished services,
and to know that while you have often
honored him, his career, in turn, has
reflected great credit upon you. 1t
was a happy thought which led the
President to invite Senator Gray to be-
come member of the commission to
negotiate the treaty Of peace betw ween.
this country and Spain. He gave to
that work with unremitting devotion
the benefit of his wido experience in
public aaffirs. thorough acquaintance
with our foreign relations, great skill
and profound knowledge in the law,
which has long given to him COM
manding place among the leaders Of
the American bar To these qualifica-
tions he adds the. tact, courtesy and
kindness, SO essential to the success of
the negotiations, and those graces Of
character and good fellowship which
won the admiration no less than the
affectionate regard of his colleagues
of the commission. wish to Join in
personal greeting on Saturday night.
(Applause.)
From Ex-senator J. c. S. Blackburn:
Mr.. Blackburn would have been
greatly pleased to have been present
at the dinner to be given to the Hon
orable George Gray by the Board of
Trade except for the fact that his little
granddaughter is to be buried this
afternoon and he will be forced to go
to New York with her mother tonight.
From Senator John G. Spooner: I
am in receipt of invitation TO attend a
dinner to be given to the Honorable
George Gray by the Wilmington Board
of Trade at the Clayton House, on Sat
urday, January 1t4h. / appreciate
tion, and regret exceedingly that tmy
engagements are such as to render it
impossible for me to be present.
i have the highest regard for the
ability, integrity and patriotism Of
Senator Gray, entertain for him
strong feeling of personal friendship,
and would be delighted if were able
to join his fellow citizens in the we'll
deserved honor so gracefully itendsred
to him by the Wilmington Board of
Trade.
Regrets were received also from John
G. Bullitt, Frederick @. Fraley and
George E. Bartol of Philadelphia, Chan
cellor John r. Nicholson, Representa-
tive-elect John Henry Hoffecker, Fed
eral Judge E. G. Bradford, State
Judges William G. Spruance, I2natius
G. Grubb, William H. Boyce and James
Pennewill.
CONGRESSMAN EVANS OF KENTUcKY.
Returning to the toast list, Col
Nields referred to an organization
which desired to build clubhouse.
appointed committee ON ways and
means and found many ways but little
means and wanted mortgage but did
not know whether they took 1t or gave
it, and SO we have these colonies. We
do not know whether they have lis OF
we have them, or. whether they have
a mortgage on us or we have one on
them. Atany rate, they are going to
increase our commerce, for it will take
a pound of SOAP and five yards Of shirt
ing for each colonist. All of this was
by way of preface TO the toast, ssOur
Relations With Tropical Colonies,' /.
which was responded to by Congress-
man Walter Evans Of Kentucky.
Mr.. Evans was in Is witty vein and
remarked that Congressman Handy WINS
fond of replying to people and gave
him to understand that he did not pro
pose to be held responsible for anything
he might say. Speaking seriously, he
congratulated the meeting upon their
distinguished guest and said they could
rely upon the proposition chat in all
the labors of tho commission in Paris,
Senator Gray did his full share in what
was done there, which we all hope will
be for the good of our country and
others.
Mr.. Evans remarked chat he was OPP
posed to war if we could avoid it, but
Spain was easier than he expected. He
remarked iokingly, after speaking OF
the complications which arose when
Dewey sent for Aguinaldo that we
could stand up to him if Spain is be-
tween us, but if Great Britain and
other nations got between US we might
have to take 10 the woods. We can
whip the world SO long as the SEQ is
between us. The speaker remarked
that he would allow Mr.. Handy to reply
to any of these arguments. daughter
WILLIAM MICHAEL ByENE.
A speech, full of patriotic feryer, was
delivered by William Michael Byrne in
responding to the toast ''Our Flag. :"
He said he was proud to Join in honor
to that great statesman and peace com
missioner, George Gray. (Applnuset.
Taking up his subject, he eloquently
declared that the flag which has never
trailed in defeat floats as proudly in
Delaware as anywhere in the Republic,
for at the birth of the nation there
were Dickinson with his pan, Rodney
with his, eloquenco and Hazlett with
his immortal sword, dyed with his pa
triot's blood, on tho field of Princeton.
When England renewed the war in 1872
Delaware again for the perpetuation of
the liberty Of man and the glory Of the
flag sent Macdonough and Jones to do
battle on the seas and humble the
naval power of Great Britain. Cur
nation, born an infant at Yorktown,
leaped at Santiago a giant slnorg the
nations of the world. Our history will
be written from the fathers to the ad-
ministration of William Mckinley, and
the second chapter will date from that
administration.
MIR. Byrne held that the true destiny
Of the Republic is the cultivation of
friendly relations with the Latin reo-
Piles of the South. We are, interested
in the cohim1hefcial development OF the
nation and we must make our flag the
synonym of honesty in dealing and
should be friendly with those differing
from ,t- ~, raca ap1 conditions hs IN