II

EXERCISES IN THE CITY HALL

The official exercises were held in the Aldermanic Chamber of the City Hall on September 6, 1916, beginning at 3.30 P. M. The American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society was requested to act as Historian of the occasion. The large oil portrait of Lafayette by S. F. B. Morse belonging to the City (see plate 21) was hung back of the rostrum, and the national colors of the United States and France were draped on the wall. The Hon. Alton B. Parker presided.

The guests of honor were His Excellency the French Ambassador Jean J. Jusserand and Mrs. Jusserand; Mr. Gaston Liébert, Consul General of France in New York; and the staffs of the Ambassador and Consul General, including Colonel Vignal, Military Attaché, and Mrs. Vignal, Commander Antonin Martin, Naval Attaché, Mr. Maurice Heilmann, Commercial Attaché, the Misses Liébert, daughters of the Consul General, Mr. Nettement, Consul of France, his sister Miss Nettement, Mr. Stanilas d' Halwyn, Vice Consul of France, and Mrs. d' Halwyn. They were first received in the Governor's Room and then, to the strains of the Star Spangled Banner and the Marseillaise, played by the band of the Lafayette Guards, were escorted to the Aldermanic Chamber.

In the assemblage, which filled the seats on the floor and in the gallery, were members of the Citizens Committee, representatives of patriotic organizations, and many leading citizens. The British Naval Attaché and several French officers and journalists were also present.

Address by Hon. Alton B. Parker

Judge Parker, presiding, spoke as follows:

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen:

"In common with others of our fellow citizens in different parts of the United States, we meet to-day in appreciation and honor of one who, as Major-General of the United States Army and in other ways, rendered such service to our country in our great struggle for liberty, that while this Nation lives, his memory will be fondly cherished — General Lafayette.

"In the light of that service it is with thankful hearts that we recall his last visit to us. He came in pursuance of an invitation of Congress to visit the United States of America as its guest. That invitation was followed by a letter from the President offering to place a war vessel at his command. He accepted the invitation to be our guest, but declined the vessel. After his arrival, the President and Congress, all of the Governors and the Legislatures of the States, the Mayors of the cities and other officials of cities and towns, together with all the citizens joined in presenting him a welcome such as no one else ever received in this country. When he reached the City of New York, the people turned out en masse to welcome him. Among many celebrations and entertainments which were given in his honor was the notable banquet on his sixty-seventh birthday. This was described in the press of the time as surpassing in brilliancy the many banquets of the past in this city given in honor of men whose public services endeared them to the people. Not only the Governor, the Mayor and other prominent officers of state and city, but also more than forty of the survivors of the Army were present to greet the last surviving Major-General of the War of the Revolution. All over the country he went, visiting every single state, grown from the thirteen states when he first came to us, to twenty-four prosperous and populous states.

"His sixty-eighth birthday was fittingly celebrated at the White House, where for several days he was the guest of President Adams. This occurred on the day preceding the one on which he sailed for home. The words of farewell were spoken on the Eastern steps of the White House in the presence of a multitude of people by the President, in the course of which he said: 'Your visit has been to the people of the Union, a time of uninterrupted festivity and enjoyment inspired by your presence.' Congress appropriated $200,000 in part payment' for the services which he had rendered to the people of the United States and the Government sent him home in a new frigate, named after the battlefield on which he was wounded Brandywine. He sailed away to the home he loved with a heart overflowing with thankfulness that he had been able to serve us so well and assured of the affection, admiration and gratitude of all of the people of the United States, by evidence, the like of which had never before been presented to any other man in this country.

"Now we meet in honor of that great friend of the people of the United States. The celebration of ninety-two years ago in this city is one it has been determined shall be continued from time to time on his birthday. It began last year. It is to go on in this

country so long that people will understand that Republics are not ungrateful to those who serve them both well and unselfishly. This great city of ours, with a population more than two millions greater than that of the thirteen states when he came to us extends to you a hearty welcome and for that purpose, our Acting Mayor, Mr. Dowling, will now present to you the good wishes and the welcome of the City of New York."

Address by Hon. Frank L. Dowling

Mr. Dowling spoke as follows:

"Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen: In behalf of the City of New York I welcome this opportunity to great this distinguished assemblage, gathered here to-day to do honor to a great Frenchman, whose single-hearted devotion to the principles of liberty led him to give his personal aid and undoubted influence to the cause of freedom in this country at the most critical period in our national history. His services, his example, were of vital importance to the struggling Colonies. I am glad to be one of those present to-day to do tribute to his memory. I hope that the Lafayette Day Celebration will be most successful."

Judge Parker then said:

"Mr. Acting Mayor: We thank the city for its welcome and we beg you to be assured of our appreciation of your courteous expression of its kindly welcome and greeting.

"I now have the pleasure of presenting to you our neighbor and friend, Mr. Robert Bacon, who has among his other public services represented the United States in France as our Ambassador, and I would ask him if he will be so good as to extend a welcome to the Ambassador from France to the United States."

Address by Hon. Robert Bacon

Mr. Bacon spoke as follows:

"Mr. Ambassador, Mr. Acting Mayor, and Mr. President: It is a very great pleasure and privilege for me to speak to you here today. I appreciate more than I can tell you the honor that is done to me in asking me to speak to you briefly of Lafayette. As for the welcome to the Ambassador, my friend, I may say, I can add very little to the eloquent words of your President, and of the Acting Mayor, but he knows, I think I am sure my heart goes out to him.

that

day

"On the sixth day of September, in the year 1757, honored by the peoples of two republics, and destined to be a day

set apart in the history of mankind, a child was born, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the realization of political freedom. By birth a subject of France, by Act of Congress an American citizen, his name is sweet as honey on the lips of men.'

"Of proud and ancient lineage, reared in the lap of luxury, he discerned across an ocean the flush of liberty as of a sun strangely rising not setting in the west, and putting aside place and position as unworthy of ambition, he associated himself with the lowly anad oppressed of the new world. 'When I heard your cause my heart enlisted.' But although he came single handed, as it were, offering his services without rank and without pay, and his life a sacrifice, if need be, yet through him and his devotion to that cause, France and the United States fought shoulder to shoulder at Yorktown, and through their co-operation, the independence of the struggling colonies was realized, and the liberty of a whole continent assured. At this great and crowning moment, Lafayette and Rochambeau stood shoulder to shoulder, and to-day they stand shoulder to shoulder in the city which bears the name of their great companion in arms, facing the White House, and reminding by their presence the successors of Washington in the Presidency of that perpetual alliance of two peoples evidenced, indeed, by no scrap of paper, but inscribed in the hearts of every American.

"When the independence of the United States was formally proclaimed on the 4th of July, 1776, Lafayette was less than 19 years of age. On the 26th day of March, 1777, he sailed from Bordeaux in a vessel of his own furnishing, but his departure was delayed by royal command. He escaped to Spain, whence, on the 20th of April, with DeKalb, later to fall in the cause they espoused, with some chosen companions, he put to sea in his vessel, aptly called the Victory. Still a youth of 19, he reached the coast of South Carolina the 13th day of June. He made his way under difficulties to Philadelphia, then the capital of the country, where he arrived on the 27th day of July. The little city swarmed with adventurers, eager for high command in return for real or alleged experience. Commissions to foreigners meant lack of commissions to deserving Americans, and the reception of Lafayette was, as he himself said, 'more like a dismissal than a welcome,' but Lafayette had come in the interests of a cause, and he was not to be deprived of the opportunity of serving it. He addressed the Congress, setting forth his circumstances, and the reasons which had impelled him to cross the ocean to offer his services to the young country. He felt that he had earned the right to serve, saying that,' After the sacrifices that I have made

country so long that people will understand that Republics are not ungrateful to those who serve them both well and unselfishly. This great city of ours, with a population more than two millions greater than that of the thirteen states when he came to us extends to you a hearty welcome and for that purpose, our Acting Mayor, Mr. Dowling, will now present to you the good wishes and the welcome of the City of New York."

Address by Hon. Frank L. Dowling

Mr. Dowling spoke as follows:

"Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen: In behalf of the City of New York I welcome this opportunity to great this distinguished assemblage, gathered here to-day to do honor to a great Frenchman, whose single-hearted devotion to the principles of liberty led him to give his personal aid and undoubted influence to the cause of freedom in this country at the most critical period in our national history. His services, his example, were of vital importance to the struggling Colonies. I am glad to be one of those present to-day to do tribute to his memory. I hope that the Lafayette Day Celebration will be most successful.”

Judge Parker then said:

"Mr. Acting Mayor: We thank the city for its welcome and we beg you to be assured of our appreciation of your courteous expression of its kindly welcome and greeting.

"I now have the pleasure of presenting to you our neighbor and friend, Mr. Robert Bacon, who has among his other public services represented the United States in France as our Ambassa dor, and I would ask him if he will be so good as to extend a welcome to the Ambassador from France to the United States."

Address by Hon. Robert Bacon

Mr. Bacon spoke as follows:

"Mr. Ambassador, Mr. Acting Mayor, and Mr. President: It is a very great pleasure and privilege for me to speak to you here today. I appreciate more than I can tell you the honor that is done to me in asking me to speak to you briefly of Lafayette. As for the welcome to the Ambassador, my friend, I may say, can add very little to the eloquent words of your President, and of the Acting Mayor, but he knows, I think I am sure that my heart goes out to him.

I

"On the sixth day of September, in the year 1757, a day honored by the peoples of two republics, and destined to be a day