“Henry M. Stanley, Esq.”
As if all this were not enough we have the testimony of the Queen’s speech, delivered for Queen Victoria by commission, on the occasion of the prorogation of Parliament, on Saturday, August 10, 1872. The Queen said: “My government has taken steps intended to prepare the way for dealing more effectually with the slave trade on the east coast of Africa.” The London “Times” of the following Monday, in commenting on this portion of Her Majesty’s speech, said:
“This paragraph is the most significant part of the throne speech, and we suppose it is not an error to connect the announcement which has just been made by Her Majesty with the recent discovery of Dr. Livingstone and the despatches to the Foreign Office brought by Mr. Stanley, of the New York ‘Herald,’ from the great traveler.”
It would be impossible, it is believed, to more completely demonstrate the hearty acknowledgment of the British Government of the success of the American enterprise—an acknowledgment which no earthly power but that of unanswerable truth could have compelled that Government to make.
From Zanzibar Stanley sailed across the Indian Ocean to Bombay, whence he transmitted despatches announcing the success which had crowned his long labors and journeyings. It was this intelligence, transmitted so fully through the London office of the New York “Herald,” which so gratifyingly startled the world about the time of the anniversary of American independence in 1872. From Bombay, Mr. Stanley proceeded to Europe by way of the Suez canal, reaching Aden, southwestern Arabia, July 11; Port Said, the head of the Suez canal, on the 18th; and arrived at Marseilles, in France, on the 24th. Here he was received with kindest welcome, and to some extent besieged by gentlemen of his own profession, who transmitted to their journals accounts of his doings. At Paris a few days afterwards he was received with exhilarating hospitality by the American residents of the city, and was greatly lionized generally. Breakfasting with Hon. Elihu B. Washburne, American Minister, he there met among other distinguished guests, General William T. Sherman, the commanding officer of the Army of the United States, about completing a tour of Europe and the Levant. The General occupied much of the time in examining Mr. Stanley’s maps, and discharging some of his fund of caustic humor on the prevalence of the East African slave trade. On July 30th, Minister Washburne and many other Americans in Paris extended a formal invitation to Mr. Stanley to meet them at a banquet, where they might in a body testify their “high appreciation of the indomitable courage, energy, and perseverance which crowned with such brilliant success your efforts to find Dr. Livingstone, as well as to express their sense of the enterprise and liberality of the New York ‘Herald’ in sending you forth on such an extraordinary mission.”
Mr. Stanley’s reply to this cordial invitation was so modest, so happily expressed, that it is worthy of a place here:
Hotel Du Helder, Paris, July 30, 1872.
Gentlemen—I have received your letter of this date asking me to accept the compliment of a dinner from my compatriots and friends now resident in Paris, to be given in acknowledgment of the “enterprise and liberality of the New York Herald” in sending out an expedition in search of Dr. Livingstone, as well as of the extraordinary good fortune and perfect success which, under Providence, attended the footsteps of the expedition I had the honor to command. Gentlemen, believe me, I am deeply conscious of the great honor you would do me, and through me not only to the journal I have the pleasure of serving, but to the patient, resolute, brave and Christian gentleman whom I left in Central Africa. I therefore gladly accept your invitation, and shall be pleased to meet you July 31 at any house or place that may be deemed most convenient. I have the honor to be, gentlemen, your obedient and humble servant,
HENRY M. STANLEY.
To His Excellency E. B. Washburne, Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of America, and many others.