OLD-TIME ORATORY 193 
Viscount Stratford de Redcliffe, realizing from his long 
experience in the diplomatic service the immense advantage 
of direct telegraphic connections, referred in his speech to 
the misunderstandings that formerly had occurred through 
lack of ready exchange of ideas between two such nations as 
England and the United States—nations that should be on 
the friendliest of terms. He was impressed by Field’s willing- 
ness to spend so much time on the high seas. Said the vener- 
able Viscount: “He crossed the Atlantic more than forty times 
in pursuit of that glorious object, and I, who have crossed it 
but twice, have learned thereby to appreciate the results, as 
well as the perils, of so immense an undertaking.” Appar- 
ently the Viscount had experienced a rough crossing and held 
unpleasant memories of it. 
The great engineer, Viscount de Lesseps, spoke in French 
about “la télégraphie électrique, merveilleuse invention 
moderne mettant au service de l’homme la force que les an- 
ciens donnaient pour embleme a la divinité; et qui, au lieu de 
planer sur nos tétes en signe de menace, poursuit une marche 
bienfaisante jusque dans les profondeurs des mers.’ He con- 
cluded dramatically in an outburst of praise: ‘““Honneur a 
Cyrus Field, qui a été le grand propagateur et fondateur de 
la télégraphie transatlantique! Honneur a ses compagnons 
de travail et de victoire!” This was discerning commendation 
from a distinguished man of the world who understood well 
the magnitude of such a project as an Atlantic cable. 
As an indication of the evening’s significance, the Duke of 
Argyll telegraphed the following message to President An- 
drew Johnson at Washington: “I am now surrounded by up- 
wards of three hundred gentlemen and many ladies who have 
assembled to do honor to Mr. Cyrus Field for his acknow]- 
edged exertions in promoting telegraphic communication 
between the New and the Old World. It bids fair for the 
kindly influences of the Atlantic cable that its success should 
have brought together so friendly a gathering; and in asking 
