THE COMMEMORATIVE BANQUET JULY 4th 1866 At an informal meeting of gentlemen, held at the Grand Hôtel de la Paix, Geneva, on the evening of the thirtieth day of June, it was resolved that the citizens of the United States, who chanced to be in Geneva at the time, ought to observe in some way, the ninetieth anniversary of their national independance; and Messrs. J. A. C. Gray, of NewYork, F. S. Kinney of New-Jersey, James L. Claghorne, and Louis A. Godey, of Pennsylvania, were appointed a Committee to carry the purpose of the meeting into effect. With commendable zeal and energy, these gentlemen at once put themselves in communication with other American citizens, and it was determined to commemorate the day, by a banquet in which all Americans residing in the city at the time, should be invited to participate; and that the more distinguished friends of the United States, among the native Genevese, should be invited as guests. The large saloon of the Hôtel de la Paix was procured for the purpose; and its director, Mr Kohler, gave promptly and generously, all the assistance that he could render, in furthering the arrangements. The Hôtel was profusely decorated with flags: fireworks were sent for from Paris: and the services of two fine bands of music were procured through his kind instrumentality. Other hotels, such as the Hôtel des Bergues, the Hôtel Beau Rivage, the Hôtel de la Couronne, and the Hôtel de l'Ecu, also displayed our national flag during the day; cannon were fired from a small vessel anchored in Lake Leman and in the evening a fine exhibition of fireworks was made in several parts of the city. « Invitations to attend the dinner were issued to the President, and Vice-President of the Grand Council of Geneva, to Messrs. Chenevière, Turrettini and Richard, Counsellors of State, to M. Harrington, American minister at Berne, to M. Upton, American consul at Geneva, to general Dufour, to Dr Merle d'Aubigné, to the count de Gasparin, author of the Uprising of a Great People, to M. J. H. Serment, advocate, President of the « Auxiliary Committee of the American Association for the benefit of the Freedmen, › M. Alexandre Lombard, banker, M. le prof. Adert et M. Debrit, editors of le Journal de Genève, M. Tronchin, editor of la Nation Suisse, M. Aug. de la Rive, to professor Naville, and many other well-known European friends of the United States, several of whom, it will be afterwards seen, accepted; while others, either by official engagements or absence, were compelled to decline, greatly to their regret and ours. The Americans who were present at the Hôtel to parti cipate in the banquet, were: Mr George D. Phelps. Mrs Phelps. Mr H. W. Robbins. Mr J. Mc Henry Kitching. Mr L. A. Godey. Mrs Godey. Mr W. A. Moller. Mrs Moller. M. Jas. L. Claghorne. Mr Townsend Harris. Miss Bell. Dr J. Lawrence Lee. Miss Lee. Mr J. Thorpe. Mrs Thorpe. Miss Barnes. Miss Dick. Mr J. F. Page. Mrs Page. Mr Anthony Lang. Mr J. F. Page Jr. Mr Thomas Page. Mr J. A. Robinson. Mr J. A. C. Gray. Mrs Gray. Miss Gray. Miss Hunter. Miss Danforth. Mr Parke Godwin. Mr Char. Lanier. Rev. Marcus Ames. Mr George Kemp. Mr S. A. Sawyer. Mrs Sawyer. Mrs Eggleston. Mr C. I. Taylor. M. J. H. Godwin Jr. M. A. H. Lowery. Among the invited guests present, were Charles Upton Esq., American Consul at Geneva, Dr Merle d'Aubigné, M. Alexandre Lombard, with parts of their families, lord Walter Campbell, M. J. H. Serment, M. Marc Debrit, M. James Odier, M. Tronchin and others. At the hour appointed, the company took their seats in the spacious dining-room of the Hôtel, which was tastefully decorated with wreaths, banners, etc, after which M. George D. Phelps of New-York, who had been selected to preside, briefly introduced the proceedings as follows: Remarks of Mr Phelps. Ladies and Gentlemen, We are assembled to celebrate our country's ninetieth national Birth day, - -a day sacred in the memory of every true American, and dear to the heart of every friend of liberty - here and everywhere. While we are in a measure strangers and in a strange land, yet as the friends of liberty, we are all brethren, and in good harmony in our patriotic sentiments. And although most of us are far away from our dear native land, we meet within the bounds, and under the flag and protection of our elder sister Republic the country of William Tell and Zwingli, — of Calvin, Berthelier and a host of kindred worthies; and also in this famous city of Geneva, whose streets have flowed with the precious blood |