MR. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN:—­Along with your kindness there comes to me a great unkindness from Fate; for now, that above all times in my life I need the full command of what powers of speech I possess, disturbed health so threatens to interfere with them, that I fear I shall often inadequately express myself.  Any failure in my response you must please ascribe, in part at least, to a greatly disordered nervous system.  Regarding you as representing Americans at large, I feel that the occasion is one on which arrears of thanks are due.  I ought to begin with the time, some two and twenty years ago, when my highly valued friend, Professor Youmans, making efforts to diffuse my books here, interested on their behalf Messrs. Appleton, who have ever treated me so honorably and so handsomely; and I ought to detail from that time onward the various marks and acts of sympathy by which I have been encouraged in a struggle which was for many years disheartening.

But intimating thus briefly my general indebtedness to my numerous friends most of them unknown on this side of the Atlantic, I must name more especially the many attentions and proffered hospitalities met with during my late tour as well as, lastly and chiefly, this marked expression of the sympathies and good wishes which many of you have travelled so far to give at great cost of that time which is so precious to an American.  I believe I may truly say that the better health which you have so cordially wished me will be in a measure furthered by the wish; since all pleasurable emotion is conducive to health, and as you will fully believe, the remembrance of this evening will ever continue to be a source of pleasurable emotion exceeded by few if any of my remembrances.

And now that I have thanked you sincerely though too briefly, I am going to find fault with you.  Already in some remarks drawn from me respecting American affairs and American character, I have passed criticisms which have been accepted far more good-naturedly than I could reasonably have expected; and it seems strange that I should now again propose to transgress.  However, the fault I have to comment upon is one which most will scarcely regard as a fault.  It seems to me that in one respect Americans have diverged too widely from savages.  I do not mean to say that they are in general unduly civilized.  Throughout large parts of the population even in long-settled regions there is no excess of those virtues needed for the maintenance of social harmony.  Especially out in the West men’s dealings do not yet betray too much of the “sweetness and light” which we are told distinguish the cultured man from the barbarian; nevertheless there is a sense in which my assertion is true.