Mr. Porter to Mr.
Hay.
Embassy
of the United States,
Paris
,
March 29,
1900
.
No. 649.]
Sir: About a year ago a committee presided over
by Mr. Luyre de Villers, a gentleman of high standing, formerly governor
of Madagascar, was organized for the erection of a monument to Marshal
Rochambeau, who commanded the French forces during our war of
independence. The committee, having secured part of the funds necessary
for the building of the monument, decided to erect it at Vendome, the
home of the Rochambeau family, where the old chateau bearing that name
and occupied by the family for years past stands. The corner stone of
the monument was laid on the 27th instant, and in the course of the
ceremonies, which took place in the presence of the city authorities,
the most flattering sentiments of friendly feeling for the President and
people of the United States were expressed. They were conveyed to the
President through the Department and properly acknowledged.
I inclose herewith copies of telegrams exchanged on this occasion.
I have, etc.,
[Page 472]
[Inclosure 1.]
Secretary of the Rochambeau
Committee to Mr. Porter
.
[Telegram.]
Vendôme
,
March 27,
1900
.
The Rochambeau and commercial committees, presided over by the mayor
of Vendôme, on the occasion of the laying of the capstone of the
Rochambeau monument, beg your excellency to accept the expression of
their respectful consideration, and to have the goodness to transmit
to President McKinley the brotherly greeting which they address to
the American people.
The Star Spangled Banner (pavilion étoilé) of the United States
floats on the scaffolding of the monument united to the flag of
France.
Rojan,
Secretary of the Committee.
[Inclosure 2.]
Mr. Porter to
the Secretary of the Rochambeau
Committee
.
[Telegram.]
Embassy of the United States,
Paris
,
March 28, 1900
.
I have received your telegram announcing to me the laying of the
capstone of the monument to Rochambeau, and I gladly hasten to
transmit to my Government the fraternal greetings which you send to
President McKinley and to the American people. I congratulate you on
having carried out your work to a good end and am happy that you
have had the idea to float the flag of my country side by side with
the national colors on the monument of a French soldier whose memory
lives in all American hearts.
[Inclosure 3.]
Mr. Porter to
the Secretary of the Rochambeau
Committee.
Embassy of the United States,
Paris
,
March 29, 1900
.
Sir: The Secretary of State of my
Government, to whom I lost no time in transmitting the fraternal
greeting which your committee addressed to the President of the
United States and to the American people, directs me, in the name of
Mr. McKinley, to thank both your colleagues and yourself for this
attention.
The President has been profoundly touched by the sentiments of
cordial fraternity for the United States which were expressed on the
occasion of the placing of a monument to one of the most illustrious
of the French generals whose names and whose memories live in all
American hearts.
I rejoice to be on this occasion the interpreter of the thoughts of
the First Magistrate of my country—a thought which is also shared by
all my countrymen, and I pray you to ask the members of the
Rochambeau Committee to accept the assurances of my most
distinguished sentiments.
