The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-05-25
rious branches of the United states
military and naval service
Welcomed by President.


AT the conclusion of DR.. Stafford's
prayer President Roosevelt stepped to
the front of the platform and extend
ed a generous welcome to the French
guests. He said in part:
am sure that / give utterance to
the sentiments of every citizen of the
United States, of every American to
whom the honor and the glory of our
republic in the past, as in the present,
are dear, when 1 say that we prize this
fresh proof of the friendship of the
French people not only because it is
necessarily pleasing to us to have the
friendship of a nation so mighty in
war and so mighty in peace as France
has ever shown herself to be, but be-
cause it is peculiarly pleasant to feel
that, after a century and a quarter of
Independent existence as a nation, the
French republic should feel that in
that century and a quarter we have
Justified the sacrifices France made in
our behalf. (Applause)
Il am sure, My Fellow Citizens, that
you welcome the chance which brings
it about that this embassy of the
French people should come to our
shores at the very time when we, in
our turn, have done our part in start
ing on the path of independence a
sister repubhc-the republic of Cuba"
(Applause.)
Ambassador CambOn Speaks.
Ambassador Cambon, the next speak
er, delivered his address in French.
After referring to Rochambeau's SER
vices to the American colonies, NJ
Cambon expressed his thanks for the
generosity of the American people to
the Martinique sufferers and conclud-
ed as follows:
The world gradually gaining in
self-consciousness, begins to frown
more and more severely on those who
seek to disturb it peace, and when we
measure the work accomplished and
the advance made since Washington
and Rochambeau fought together for
the good of humanity, we may we'll
conclude that they have not combatted
in vain.
This monument shall bear witness
to this fact, and shall endure as a
symbol thereof in the eyes of the gen.
erations to come"
Ambassador POrter's Address.
Following the French ambassador.
Gen. Horace Porter, the United States
ambassador to France, spoke at fol-
lows:
Gen. Porter said, in part:
Two years ago it became my pleas
ant duty to take part in the dedication
OF the statue of the distinguished
French marshal erected in his native
city, Vendome. When upon that &C.
casion 1 saw our country's flags ev-
erywhere displayed from the house.
tops, heard our national airs played
through all the streets and witnessed
the touching demonstrations of the
people without regard to class, express
sive of their sympathy for America, 1
felt that the effect of the treaty of
Friendship and Alliance made a cen
fury and quarter ago was still potent
for good.
upon returning from the land of
Rochambeau, it is an especial pleasure
to participate in the Inauguration of
his statue in the land of Washington.
Two countries claim share in the
glory which illumined his career. His
remains repose on the banks of the
Loire; it is fitting that his statue
should stand on the banks of the Po-
tomac.
In the heart of the nations capital,
in presence of this vast assemblage of
representative citizens of the old
world and the new, in memory of a
contest in which French and Ameri-
can blood moistened the same soil in
battling for a common cause, we meet
to dedicate statue in honor of hero
of two continents-the illustrious Ro-
chambeau.
Its purpose is to recall the record
of imperishable deeds, to testify that
his name is not dead memory, but a
living reality; to quicken our sense of
appreciation and emphasize the fidel-
ity of our affection. In erecting yon-
der statue in honor of this great rep
resentative. soldier, America has rails
ed constructively, a monument to the
I
| fought for the cause of her national
independence. Its dedication cele-
brates the joint victory which termi-
mated a struggle that gave freedom to
the American colonies and consecrated
all the New World eventually to liber-
ty and the rights of man.
There is among the unpublished
correspondence in the French War De-
partment a letter written by Washing
ton to Rochambeau soon after the close
of the war which contains this touch
ing phrase: I shall always recall with
pleasure that we have been contempt
raries and companions in the labors of
| the war for the cause of liberty, and
| that we have lived together as broth
ers in harmony and friendship In all
their intercourse they both showed
themselves adherents of the principle
] that it is time to abandon
| the PAIN Ol dulUIllOH WIEN II DSCOiHSS
so narrow that two cannot walk it
| abreast.
"Rochambeau in landing upon our
shores defined his policy towards the
Americans in the comprehensive words
I am the friend of their friends and the
foe of their foes His modesty was
proverbial. He says in his memoirs,
in speaking of the surrender of York
town, Lord CORVALLIS was ill and Cen
| O'Hara marched out at the head of the
garrison. On arriving, he presented his
sword to me. 1 pointed opposite to
Gen. Washington at the head of the
American army. and / said that the
French army being auxiliary upon that
continent it was to the American gen.
eral that he must look for his orders.
There is mute eloquence in the
very attitude of yonder statute, which
speaks of his accustomed modesty
| The outstretched arm which in life
had so often pointed out the path to
victory, is now extended towards
Mount Vernon as if obeying the gen.
erous impulses of the living subjects
heart in diverting attention from him.
self to his illustrious brother-in- arms
This statue is not simply to COM
| memorate war, but to tYpify peace ano
| good will between the newest republic
| of the old world and the oldest repub-
| lie of the new world. Seas made us
| distant, comradeship has made us
near. This Inauguration takes place
beneath the three respondent colors
which at the present day are those OF
the respective banners of the sister
republics Their folds have a right tc
be placed in close touch. for the old
| flags which they represent were