Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-05-18
Paid Retiring Ambassador
Porter at Paris.
rendered Banquet, Seldom
EquaIIed In Its BriHiancy.
French Hotab|es and Whole Diplomatic Corps
Present. Gen. Poter's Speech.

Paris. May 17.-Gen. Porter, the re-
firing American ambassador, was CIV
en- notable farewell banquet. to-
night. which for sumptuOusness Of APP
pointments and the distinguished char
acter of the guests present, has not
been exceeded by anything of the kind
held in recent years in Paris.
President L.Oubet was represented
by Gen. Dubois, head of the Presiden-
tial staff. The cabinet ministers pres
ent included Premier Rouvier. foreign
minister Delcasse. Minister of Justice
Chaumie. Minister of the Interior
Eiteene and Minister of Public Work
| Gauthnr. and NJ. Falliers, president of
the Senate and NJ. Doumeer, president
of the Chamber of Deputies.
Prac tically the entire diplomatic
corps was represented. The American
guests. who numbered several hun
dred, included Henry Watterson. Rear
Admirals Watson. Casey, Jewell and
O'Neill, Levi p. Morton. Thomas F.
Walsh, J. PierpOnt Morgan. President
Kelly of the American Club. and Pres
ident Dalliba of the American Cham
Der Of Commerce, the latter acting as
presiding officer.
The banquet hall of the D'Orsay Pal
ace was deliberately decorated for the
| occasion with flowers and flags, por-
traits of Washington, Lincoln and
Grant occupying posts of honor. The
government assigned the famous Re
publican Guard Band of so pieces to
furnish the music.
a letter from Sec. Hay i'm which he
paid a tribute to Gen. Porters brilliant
career was read.
In presenting the e4lest of the eve
ming. Chairman Dalli5a summed up
General POrters public service in say
ing:
"A Congressional Medal Of Honor
crowned his Military career; the degree
Of LII. d., marked his literary career;
the Grand Cross Of the legion of Honor
rendered tribute to his diplomatic
career; the building y: the tomb of Gen
"ral Grant and the rerO"Cry Of the re-
mains of John Paul Jones signalize his
patriotic career"
General Porter, speaking in English,
said in part:
Flight years ago l was sent abroad.
do not exactly know why, unless It
was in consequence of the proverbial
ambition of Our Government to increase
its exports. Thinking that l could not
make my sOjOurn here immortal by
making it eternal. / gave notice last
year that this year I Should go home TO
obtain for the first time in my life Il
period Of repose after twenty-five years
of public service, ana surrounded by my
oh il1rnn an1 tho frinn1c n n
try to grow old gracefully. / can at
this moment say in the words Of an
other. 4 have thrown off the robes IF
office and have now no rank but that
of fellowship. no title but that of COM
rade.'
You have been good enough to asso-
ciate my name with that of my first
predecessor here. Reniana Franklin
| have while in Paris urpGrthed n new
witticism of his. When the news was
received of the battles Of Lexington an
Concord. an Englishman complained to
him that the Yankees did not fight fair,
that they lined up behind the stone
fences and shot down the Kings troops.
Said Franklin 4 understand there were
two sides to those fences
Upon coming from America to
France I conceived it to be the high 1st
duties of diplomat to aim to make the
two countries acceptable to each other,
and knew Of no better way IN which
an Ambassador could accomplish tina.
end than by endeavoring to make him
self acceptable to the country to which
he was accredited. If nave met with
any success in that direction it is be-
me much more than half way. While
the public duties Of the position have
been arduOus and at times exacting,
they have been of absorbing interest.
Here | have seen marvellous century
end and a promising century begin. 7
have been permitted 20 near an humble
part in the labors of two historic
rational administrations.
II have seen my country enter upon
her proud career as a.world power pre-
pared to secure her just portion of the
general prosperity, and at the same
time to do her full part IN sharing the
burdens of humanity AMI preserving
The peace Of the world by aiding to pre-
vent those disastrous wars which waste
a nations substance and displace thu
arts OF civilization by the science OF de-
structiOn.
MY term here embraced the period of
the war with Spain and the assembling
of the Peace Commission which signed
a second Treaty Of Paris. on the Same
table Upon which Franklin and his COL
Leagues after the Revolution signed the
first Treaty of Paris. Here assembled
the Bi-Metalic Commissions. tho
Venezuela Arbitration Commission. the
international Commission Of Inauirv
regarding the Hull incident in tho
north Sea. Here took place many inter-
esting negotiations between our coun-
trv and France regarding our cooner-
alton in the campaign Of the forces NJ
the great powers to relieve our repre-
aentatives besieged in Pckin. Here !,
was my agreeable duty to participate in
the marvellous Universal Exposition
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