my memories of eighty years-第77章

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I　was　called　upon　immediately　afterwards　and　said　I　would　agree　with　the　distinguished　gentleman　from　Canada　that　in　one　thing　at　least　Canada　was　superior　to　the　United　States；　and　it　was　that　she　had　far　more　land；　but　it　was　mostly　ice。　　I　regret　to　remember　that　my　Canadian　friend　lost　his　temper。

One　of　the　historical　dinners　of　New　York；　which　no　one　will　forget　who　was　there；　was　just　after　the　close　of　the　Civil　War；　or；　as　my　dear　old　friend；　Colonel　Watterson；　called　it；　〃The　War　between　the　States。〃　　The　principal　guests　were　General　Sherman　and　Henry　W。　Grady　of　Atlanta；　Ga。　　General　Sherman；　in　his　speech；　described　the　triumphant　return　of　the　Union　Army　to　Washington；　its　review　by　the　President；　and　then　its　officers　and　men　returning　to　private　life　and　resuming　their　activities　and　industries　as　citizens。　　It　was　a　word…picture　of　wonderful　and　startling　picturesqueness　and　power　and　stirred　an　audience；　composed　largely　of　veterans　who　had　been　participants　both　in　the　battles　and　in　the　parades；　to　the　highest　degree　of　enthusiasm。　　Mr。　Grady　followed。　　He　was　a　young　man　with　rare　oratorical　gifts。　　He　described　the　return　of　the　Confederate　soldiers　to　their　homes　after　the　surrender　at　Appomattox。　　They　had　been　four　years　fighting　and　marching。　　They　were　ragged　and　poor。　　They　returned　to　homes　and　farms；　many　of　which　had　been　devastated。　　They　had　no　capital；　and　rarely　animals　or　farming　utensils　necessary　to　begin　again。　　But　with　superb　courage；　not　only　on　their　own　part　but　with　the　assistance　of　their　wives；　sisters；　and　daughters；　they　made　the　desert　land　flourish　and　resurrected　the　country。

This　remarkable　description　of　Grady；　which　I　only　outline；　came　as　a　counterpart　to　the　triumphant　epic　of　General　Sherman。　　The　effect　was　electric；　and　beyond　almost　any　that　have　ever　occurred　in　New　York　or　anywhere；　and　Grady　sprang　into　international　fame。

Joseph　H。　Choate　was　a　most　dangerous　fellow　speaker　to　his　associates　who　spoke　before　him。　　I　had　with　him　many　encounters　during　fifty　years；　and　many　times　enjoyed　being　the　sufferer　by　his　wit　and　humor。　　On　one　occasion　Choate　won　the　honors　of　the　evening　by　an　unexpected　attack。　　There　is　a　village　in　western　New　York　which　is　named　after　me。　　The　enterprising　inhabitants；　boring　for　what　might　be　under　the　surface　of　their　ground；　discovered　natural　gas。　　According　to　American　fashion；　they　immediately　organized　a　company　and　issued　a　prospectus　for　the　sale　of　the　stock。　　The　prospectus　fell　into　the　hands　of　Mr。　Choate。　With　great　glee　he　read　it　and　then　with　emphasis　the　name　of　the　company：　　〃The　Depew　Natural　Gas　Company；　Limited；〃　and　waving　the　prospectus　at　me　shouted：　　〃Why　limited？〃

There　have　been　two　occasions　in　Mr。　Choate's　after…dinner　speeches　much　commented　upon　both　in　this　country　and　abroad。　　As　I　was　present　on　both　evenings；　it　seems　the　facts　ought　to　be　accurately　stated。　　The　annual　dinner　of　the　〃Friendly　Sons　of　St。　Patrick〃　occurred　during　one　of　the　years　when　the　Home　Rule　question　was　most　acute　in　England　and　actively　discussed　here。　　At　the　same　time　our　Irish　fellow　citizens；　with　their　talent　for　public　life；　had　captured　all　the　offices　in　New　York　City。　　They　had　the　mayor；　the　majority　of　the　Board　of　Aldermen；　and　a　large　majority　of　the　judges。　　When　Mr。　Choate　spoke　he　took　up　the　Home　Rule　question；　and；　without　indicating　his　own　views；　said　substantially：　〃We　Yankees　used　to　be　able　to　govern　ourselves；　but　you　Irish　have　come　here　and　taken　the　government　away　from　us。　　You　have　our　entire　city　administration　in　your　hands；　and　you　do　with　us　as　you　like。　　We　are　deprived　of　Home　Rule。　　Now　what　you　are　clamoring　for　both　at　home　and　abroad　is　Home　Rule　for　Ireland。　With　such　demonstrated　ability　in　capturing　the　greatest　city　on　the　western　continent；　and　one　of　the　greatest　in　the　world；　why　don't　you　go　back　to　Ireland　and　make；　as　you　would；　Home　Rule　there　a　success？〃

I　was　called　a　few　minutes　afterwards　to　a　conference　of　the　leading　Irishmen　present。　　I　was　an　honorary　member　of　that　society；　and　they　were　in　a　high　state　of　indignation。　　The　more　radical　thought　that　Mr。　Choate's　speech　should　be　resented　at　once。　However；　those　who　appreciated　its　humor　averted　hostile　action；　but　Mr。　Choate　was　never　invited　to　an　Irish　banquet　again。

The　second　historical　occasion　was　when　the　Scotch　honored　their　patron　Saint；　St。　Andrew。　　The　attendance　was　greater　than　ever　before；　and　the　interest　more　intense　because　the　Earl　of　Aberdeen　was　present。　　The　earl　was　at　that　time　Governor…General　of　Canada；　but　to　the　Scotchmen　he　was　much　more　than　that；　because　he　was　the　chief　of　the　Clan　Gordon。　　The　earl　came　to　the　dinner　in　full　Highland　costume。　　Lady　Aberdeen　and　the　ladies　of　the　vice…regal　court　were　in　the　gallery。　　I　sat　next　to　the　earl　and　Choate　sat　next　to　me。　　Choate　said：　　〃Chauncey；　are　Aberdeen's　legs　bare？〃　I　looked　under　the　tabIe…cloth　and　discovered　that　they　were　naturally　so　because　of　his　costume。　　I　answered：　　〃Choate；　they　are。〃

I　thought　nothing　of　it　until　Choate　began　his　speech；　in　which　he　said：　　〃I　was　not　fully　informed　by　the　committee　of　the　importance　of　the　occasion。　　I　did　not　know　that　the　Earl　of　Aberdeen　was　to　be　here　as　a　guest　of　honor。　　I　was　especially　and　unfortunately　ignorant　that　he　was　coming　in　the　full　panoply　of　his　great　office　as　chief　of　Clan　Gordon。　　If　I　had　known　that　I　would　have　left　my　trousers　at　home。〃

Aberdeen　enjoyed　it；　the　ladies　in　the　gallery　were　amused；　but　the　Scotch　were　mad；　and　Choate　lost　invitations　to　future　Scotch　dinners。

Few　appreciate　the　lure　of　the　metropolis。　　It　attracts　the　successful　to　win　greater　success　with　its　larger　opportunities。　It　has　resistless　charm　with　the　ambitious　and　the　enterprising。　New　York；　with　its　suburbs；　which　are　really　a　part　of　itself；　is　the　largest　city　in　the　world。　　It　is　the　only　true　cosmopolitan　one。　　It　has　more　Irish　than　any　city　in　Ireland；　more　Germans　and　Italians　than　any　except　the　largest　cities　in　Germany　or　Italy。　　It　has　more　Southerners　than　are　gathered　in　any　place　in　any　Southern　State；　and　the　same　is　true　of　Westerners　and　those　from　the　Pacific　coast　and　New　England；　except　in　Chicago；　San　Francisco；　or　Boston。　　There　is　also　a　large　contingent　from　the　West　Indies；　South　America；　and　Canada。

The　people　who　make　up　the　guests　at　a　great　dinner　are　the　survival　of　the　fittest　of　these　various　settlers　in　New　York。　While　thousands　fail　and　go　back　home　or　drop　by　the　way；　these　men　have　made　their　way　by　superior　ability；　foresight；　and　adaptability　through　the　fierce　competitions　of　the　great　city。　They　are　unusually　keen…witted　and　alert。　　For　the　evening　of　the　banquet　they　leave　behind　their　business　and　its　cares　and　are　bent　on　being　entertained；　amused；　and　instructed。　　They　are　a　most　catholic　audience；　broad…minded；　hospitabIe；　and　friendly　to　ideas　whether　they　are　in　accord　with　them　or　not；　providing　they　are　well　presented。　　There　is　one　thing　they　will　not　submit　to；　and　that　is　being　bored。

These　functions　are　usually　over　by　midnight；　and　rarely　last　so　long；　while　out　in　the　country　and　in　other　towns；　it　is　no　unusual　thing　to　have　a　dinner　with　speeches　run　along　until　the　early　hours　of　the　next　morning。　　While　public　men；　politicians；　and　aspiring　orators　seek　their　opportunities　upon　this　platform　in　New　York；　few　succeed　and　many　fail。　　It　is　difficult　for　a　stranger　to　grasp　the　situation　and　adapt　himself　at　once　to　its　atmosphere。　　I　have　narrated　in　preceding　pages　some　remarkable　successes；　and　will　give　a　few　instances　of　very　able　and　distinguished　men　who　lost　touch　of　their　audiences。

One　of　the　ablest　men　in　the　Senate　was　Senator　John　T。　Morgan；　of　Alabama。　　I　was　fond　of　him　personally　and　admired　greatly　his　many　and　varied　talents。　　He　was　a　most　industrious　and　admirable　legislator；　and　a　debater　of　rare　influence。　　He　was　a　master　of　correct　and　scholarly　English；　and　one　of　the　very　few　who　never　went　to　the　reporters'　room　to　correct　his　speeches。　　As　they　were　always　perfect；　he　let　them　stand　as　they　were　delivered。

Senator　Morgan　was　a　great　card　on　a　famous　occasion　among　the