[Speech of Horace Porter at the banquet given by the Chamber of
Commerce of the State of New York, June 24, 1885, to the officers
of the French national ship "Isere," which brought over the statue
of "Liberty Enlightening the World." Charles Stewart Smith,
vice-President of the Chamber, proposed the following toast: "The
French Alliance; initiated by noble and sympathetic Frenchmen;
grandly maintained by the blood and treasure of France; now newly
cemented by the spontaneous action of the French people; may it be
perpetuated through all time." In concluding his introduction, the
Chairman said: "We shall hear from our friend, General Porter."]

MR. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN:--[3]_Voulez-vous me permettre de
faire mes remarques en francais? Si je m'addresse a vous dans une langue
que je ne parle pas, et que personne ici ne comprends, j'en impute la
faute entierement a l'example malheureux de Monsieur Coudert. Ce que je
veux dire est que_--this is the fault of Coudert. He has been switching
the languages round in every direction, and has done all he could to
sidetrack English.

What I mean to say is, that if I were to mention in either language one
tithe of the subjects which should be alluded to to-night in connection
with the French Alliance, I should keep you all here until the rising of
another sun, and these military gentlemen around me, from abroad, in
attempting to listen to it, would have to exhibit what Napoleon
considered the highest quality in a soldier: "Two-o'clock-in-the-morning
courage." [Applause.]

One cannot speak of the French Alliance without recalling the services
of Benjamin Franklin in connection with it. When he was in Paris and was
received in a public assemblage, not understanding anything of the
language, and believing, very properly, that it was a good thing always
to follow the example of the French in society, he vociferously
applauded every time the rest of them applauded, and he did not learn
until it was all over that the applause was, in each instance, elicited
by a reference to his name and distinguished public services, and so,
during the eloquent speech of our friend, Mr. Coudert, I could not but
look upon the American members of this assemblage, and notice that they
applauded most vociferously when they supposed that the speaker was
alluding particularly to their arduous services as members of the
Chamber of Commerce. [Laughter.]

I con