FIRST ANNUAL BANQUET. 133 



intoxicating. I do not know how to repay your Chair- 

 man for calling upon me upon this occasion after an ex- 

 press agreement not to do so, unless it be by relating an 

 experience which General Sherman told me he had had at 

 the celebrated Clover Club in Philadelphia. The Gen- 

 eral had been invited, he said, time and again to at- 

 tend the meetings of that Club, but knowing the prac- 

 tices of its members he had declined, with thanks, the 

 invitations. Finally, the President prevailed upon him to 

 accept the invitation upon the express condition that he 

 would not be called upon to speak . The General was seated 

 near the President, and after one or two of the distinguished 

 guests had been called upon to respond to sentiments and 

 had attempted, only, to do so, — because the Club does not 

 permit a man to speak very often, — the Chairman arose 

 and said, ** We have with us this evening a distinguished 

 truest in the person of the General of the Army. I have 

 ao-reed not to call upon him upon this occasion, but, said 

 he, *' you all know what a liar I am." I do not mean that 

 that applies to the Chairman of this meeting. 



Especially is this company embarrassing, and it is with 

 trepidation that I rise to respond to this sentiment, when 

 I see seated around this board not only men distinguished 

 in the world of Science, but many of my old Professors who 

 but a few years ago aided me in delving for those Greek 

 roots to which our eloquent Chairman alluded a few mo- 

 ments ago ; but, gentlemen, the sentiment " The State 

 of Missouri," is one which ought to strike a responsive 

 chord in the breast of every citizen of the commonwealth. 

 What idea is conveyed to our minds by the mention of 

 that name by which we designate this commonwealth? 

 We are reminded, of course, that this is an integral part 

 of the federal Union and that whilst as a State it is a con- 

 stituent part of an indissoluble Union, at the same time it 

 has sovereign rights which are expressly agreed to in the 

 compact which made the Union. I am reminded of this 

 phase of the question by a discussion which I had with your 



