Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-08-30
pecE,ves REINSTATEMENT.
A. VIII. Holds Reception and Thanks
Tvs Them for Cooperation.

{
witte at 1880, tonight, received the
newspaper correspondents III the re-
cention room Of the annex Of the hotel.
His reception was simply a cohtlnua-
ton of the ovation he has been re-
ceiving all day. He addressed them as
follows:
Gentlemen. having heard that come
of you are leaving Portsmouth, tomor-
row, I asked you to meet me here. to-
night. in order that 1 might have the
pleasure of shaking hands with you
all and thanking you cordially for your
cooperation. If punctuality DE the
politeness Of monarchs impartiality Is
the courtesy of newspapermen and TO
my thinking one of the most valuable
qualities they could possess. And If
you will allow me to say so, you, gen.
tlemen. have manifested it-and when
I say you. l mean all here, American
and foreign correspondents-in de-
gree which. provoxes my unfeigred ad-
miration.
II belong to the ever increasing
number Of statesmen who recognize
the vast power Of the newspaper press
in general and the American branch
in particular. I am qualified there
fore to give an opinion of the value of
the services you have rendered to the
cause of peace and humanity in pre-
senting to the world the various stages
of evolution through which the peace
negotiations passed before they at
tanned the wished for result.
: Under conditions of which your CO.
operation forms a certain part, work
has been accomplished which I. gen.
tlenlen. am not qualified to estimate.
An actor is seldom a god self-critic.
should lie, however. to state that my
action was in complete harmony with
the Instructions which 1 received from
my imperial master, was in fact, the
direct outcome of those instructions.
".rhe primary duty of q man who I'M
dertakes any task is to discharge that
task honorabiy and well and that Is
what 1 set myself to achieve. Whatev-
er judgment the historian may pass
upon the concrete result, I shall COM
fort myself with the reflection that
endeavored to fulfill to the best of my
ability the mission confided to me by
His Majesty, the Car and sought to
further the highest interests of my
country and my people. From whatever
angle of vision men may look upon
passing events all people are as one in
holding that honesty in the discharge
of ones duty and the love of ones
country are. so to say. the salt of hu-
man society.
Now, gentlemen, that we are about
to part, should like to say that l owe
you a debt of gratitude, which I OPEN
ly acknowledge and were it possible,
would gladly repay. Since the day OH
which you first honored me with your
presence on the steamer in which I
reached New York, ! have often wished
to tell you this, but various causes
and mainly the pressure Of work COM
PEELED me to put 1t off until now. l fear
that In consequence of that sameness
Of work or the effects OF indisposition,
I may at times perhaps. have spoken
to you less freely. less attentively. less
often than you and would have liked
If so. I now apologize frankly and as
sure you tnat every such act grossly
misinterpreted my intention. which was
to show you all the consideration due
from one honest worker to another
Gentlemen, accept for yourselves, and
convey to your colleagues throughout
the states. my heartfelt thanks and my
best wishes