I am deeply sensible of the honor you confer upon me and upon my family
by this bounteous, hospitable, and graceful festival. It is a special
honor that the banquet to which we are invited should be presided over
by a gentleman who has such high esteem in the public life of your own
country; that the flattering, the too flattering words which have been
addressed to my poor self--words of just and kindly esteem regarding my
great and noble country, should be spoken by a poet who breathes in his
verses the spirit of Uruguay wherever his own world-known literature is
found.
It is a cause of happiness to receive this distinguished consideration
here in this temple devoted to science, to literature, to the arts, to
those pursuits which dignify, ennoble, and delight mankind, which give
the charm and grace to life, which make possible the continuance of
mankind in the paths of civilization. Here in this Atheneum, in this
atmosphere of scientific and literary discussion and thought, already
exists that world-wide republic which knows no divisions of territorial
boundary, of races, or of creed. Upon the platform you have erected
here, the men of North and the men of South America can stand in
fraternal embrace.
I have been preaching for the past few weeks in many places and before
many audiences the gospel of international fraternization. I know there
are many incredulous; there are many who think practical considerations
alone rule the efforts of men--profit in trade, the almighty dollar, the
balance of bookkeeping, or the checks in the counting house. There are
many who think that this is all there is to life, and that he is an idle
dreamer and an insincere orator who talks of the constancy of
international friendship, who talks of love of country rising above the
love of material things, who talks of sentiment as controlling the
affairs of men. That may be true so far as their own short and narrow
lives are concerned; but it is not an idle dream that the world through
the course of ages is growing up from material to spiritual, to moral,
and to intellectual life. It is not an idle dream that moral influences
are gradually, steadily in the course of centuries taking the place of
brute force in the control of the affairs of men. Sentiment rules the
world today--the feelings of the great masses of mankind; the
attractions and repulsions that move the millions rule the world today;
and as generation succeeds generation progress is ever from the material
to the moral. We cannot see it in a day; we cannot see it in a single
lifetime, as we cannot see the movements of the tide. We see the waves,
but the tide moves on imperceptibly. The progress, the steady and
irresistible progress of civilization is ever onwards.
Mr. Chairman, and you, Senor Zorrilla de San Martin, in your eloquent,
your more than eloquent, your poetic words, do honor to the idea of
peace and justice and friendship and the rule of moral qualities in the
relations of nations. When you do honor to the representative of that
idea you are doing your work in your day and generation to advance the
great cause that proceeds through the ages to the better and higher life
of mankind. We are nothing; our lives are but as moments; our personal
work is inappreciable in this world; but slowly, imperceptibly, we, each
individually, add a little to or detract a little from human rights,
human liberty, human justice.
I do not know how sufficiently to thank you, to thank the people of
Montevideo, for all that you and they have done for me and my family
during our brief--our all too brief--visit here. I believe that your
kindness, your generous hospitality, will find response in the breasts
of my countrymen; I believe that it will be an example to the people of
South America and of North America; I believe that it will be evidence
to the whole world that the ideas of friendship--of international
friendship and courtesy--rule here in Uruguay; that Uruguay is a part of
the great brotherhood of man, not selfish, but heart open to the best
and brightest influences of humanity, doing her part in her time to
advance the cause of civilization. I know that when tomorrow morning we
sail away from Montevideo we shall all carry with us the most delightful
visions of a fair and bright land, of a white city and a beautiful bay;
memories of hospitality and friendship, and memories of the most
beautiful women. We can never repay you, for your hospitality has been
of the kind that asks for no payment; it has been true hospitality. We
can only thank you, and thank you we do now and thank you we shall
continue to do as long as we live.