Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-03-04

Thompson, secretary OF the Lafayette
monument commission, as special COM
missioner of the United States repre-
senting President Mckinley and in his
name presented to President Loubet
this morning the first of the Lafayette
dollars, which was enclosed in cas-
ket costing $1,000 The presentation
took place at the Elysee palace.
Mr.. Thompson, accompanied by the
United States ambassador, General
Horace Porter, drove from the embassy
to the palace in the ambassadors car
riage. On arriving at the Elysee at
HAD a. M, they were received by M.
Mellard, sub-director OF the protocol,
and Captain Haguet, Of the French
navy, who was The officer on duty. The
Americans were conducted to the pres
ident cabinet (study) where M. Loubet
was awaiting them. BY his side were
NJ. Delcasse, the minister of foreign af-
fairs, and Gen. Baillaud. the chief of
the presidents military cabinet, several
members of the presidents military
household were also present.
General Porter introduced Mr..
Thompson to President Loubet and the
presentation of the dollar was then
made by Mr.. Thompson in
A Few appropriate Remarks.
He said:
Mr.. President:-lIn the name and
on-behalf of His EXcellency, the Pres
ident Of the United States, have the
distinguished honor of extending to
you, the high representative OF the peo-
pie OF France, salutations and greet
ings of friendship.
ION the nineteenth of October, 1898,
the anniversary OF the victory OF
Yorktown of the French and American
arms in the cause of liberty, the
American school youths were invited
by the President and governors of the
several States of the United States to
contribute their pennies toward the
erection of the monument in Paris to
a son of France, our great and veneer
ated ally, General Lafayette. The re-
Spouse OF the children was universal,
the movement a splendid success. In
further aid and in honor of the work,
an issue of fifty thousand souvenir
silver dollars was appropriated and
ordered struck by Congress.
"Of these fifty thousand Lafayette
dollars, the first to issue from the mint
was especially preserved for your ex-
celency by the President of the United
States, and have now the distinguish
ed honor, Mr.. President, of presenting
to you this coin, a
Simple and sympathetic Token
in his name and for the people Of the
United States.
81 voice the sentiments of my coun-
trymen when l express the hope that
this memorial dollar, stamped with
the likeness of Washington and Lafay-
cite, may remain always, as 1t is to-
day. an emblem of the amity and the
unity of purpose of the two great re-
publics of the world"
In reply the President said he was
deeply touched by the kind though of
Americas President and people, and
particularly by the gracious manner in
which the coin had been presented to
him by Mr.. Thompson. He begged
the latter to be the interpreter to the
President of his warmest thanks and
sentiments towards President McKin-
ley and the American nation which
animated the President and govern
ment of the French republic. NJ. Lou
bet added that he congratulated him.
self on receiving this souvenir. which
was a fresh pledge of the reciprocal
ties of esteem and friendship which
had so long united France and the
United States, and which he hoped to
sec draw closer and stronger more and
more.
President Loubet concluded with
saying that it was especially agreeable
to him that the mission was entrusted
to Mr.. Thompson in view of the in
itiatory part which he took in the sub
scriptions of the school children of the
United States to erect a monument TO
General Lafayette in Paris.
The French President then invited
General Porter and Mr.. Thompson to
stay to luncheon, at which Madame
Loubet and NJ. Delcasse were pres
ent.