Chapter II Address of M. de Beaufort, BULGARIA (Bulgarie) Dimitri I. Stancioff, Diplomatic Agent at St. Petersburg. Member of the Second and Third Committees. Major Christo Hessaptchieff, Military Attaché at Belgrade. Member of the First Committee. So far as the author could ascertain, not one of these one hundred members was missing at the opening scene. Promptly at two o'clock the doors of the meeting room were closed, and an impressive silence came over the assemblage, in which every member doubtless realized that a great and solemn historical moment had arrived. His Excellency W. H. de Beaufort, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, rose and called the meeting to order with the following remarks: "In the name of Her Majesty, my August Sovereign, I have the honor to bid you welcome, and to express in this place my sentiments of profound respect and lively gratitude toward His Majesty, the Emperor of all the Russias, who, in designating The Hague as the meeting-place of the Peace Conference, has conferred a great honor upon our country. His Majesty, the Emperor of all the Russias, in taking the noble initiative which has been acclaimed throughout the entire civilized world, wishing to realize the desire expressed by one of his most illustrious predecessors the Emperor Alexander the First that. of seeing all the sovereigns and all the nations of Europe united for the purpose of living as brethren, Chapter II aiding each other according to their reciprocal needs, -inspired by these noble traditions of his august grandfather, His Majesty has proposed to all the Governments, of which the representatives are found here, the meeting of a Conference which should have the object of seeking the means of putting a limit to incessant armaments, and to prevent the calamities which menace the entire world. The day of the meeting of this Conference will, beyond doubt, be one of the days which will mark the history of the century which is about to close. It coincides with. the festival which all the subjects of His Majesty celebrate as a national holiday, and in associating myself, from the bottom of my heart, with all the wishes for the well-being of this magnanimous Sovereign, I shall permit myself to become the interpreter of the wishes of the civilized world, in expressing the hope that His Majesty, seeing the results of his generous designs by the efforts of this Conference, may hereafter be able to consider this day as one of the happiest in his reign. Her Majesty, my August Sovereign, animated by the same sentiments which have inspired the Emperor of all the Russias, has chosen to put at the disposal of this Conference the most beautiful historical monument. which she possesses. The room where you find yourselves to-day, decorated by the greatest artists of the seventeenth century, was erected by the widow of Prince Frederick Henry to the memory of her noble husband. Among the greatest of the alle Chapter II gorical figures which you will admire here, there is one appertaining to the peace of Westphalia, which merits your attention most especially. It is the one where you see Peace entering this room for the purpose of closing the Temple of Janus. I hope, gentlemen, that this beautiful allegory will be a good omen for your labors, and that, after they have been terminated, you will be able to say that Peace, which here is shown to enter this room, has gone out for the purpose of scattering its blessings over all humanity. My task is finished. I have the honor to submit to you two propositions: first, to offer to His Majesty, the Emperor of all Telegram to the Russias, our respectful congratulations by telethe Emperor graph in these words: The Peace Conference places at the feet of Your Majesty its respectful congratulations on the occasion of Your Majesty's birthday, and expresses its sincere desire of coöperating in the accomplishment of the great and noble work in which Your Majesty has taken the generous initiative, and for which the Conference requests the acceptance of its humble and profound gratitude.' of Russia. Election of My second proposition will be met with equal the President. favor. I wish to be permitted to express the desire that the Presidency of this assembly be conferred upon His Excellency M. de Staal, Ambassador of Russia." These motions having been carried unanimously, His Excellency M. de Staal took the presidential chair, with the following speech: President de "GENTLEMEN: My first duty is to express to His Chapter II Excellency, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Address of Netherlands, my gratitude for the noble words which staal. he has just addressed to my August Master. His Majesty will be profoundly touched by the high sentiments by which M. de Beaufort is inspired, as well as with the spontaneity with which they have been approved by the members of this high assembly. If the Emperor of Russia has taken the initiative for the meeting of this Conference, we owe it to Her Majesty, the Queen of the Netherlands, that we have been called together in her capital. It is a happy presage for the success of our labors that we have been called together under the auspices of a young Sovereign whose charm is known far and near, and whose heart, open to everything grand and generous, has borne witness to so much sympathy for the cause which has brought us here. "In the quiet surroundings of The Hague in the midst of a nation which constitutes a most significant. factor of universal civilization, we have under our eyes a striking example of what may be done for the welfare of peoples by valor, patriotism, and sustained energy. It is upon the historic ground of the Netherlands that the greatest problems of the political life of States have been discussed; it is here, as one may say, that the cradle of the science of International Law has stood; for centuries the important negotiations between European Powers have taken place here, and it is here that the remarkable treaty was signed which imposed a truce during the bloody con Chapter II Address of test between States. We find ourselves surrounded by great historic traditions. "It remains for me to thank the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands for the too flattering expressions which he has used about me. I am certain that I express the impulse of this high assembly, in assuring His Excellency, M. de Beaufort, that we should have been happy to see him preside over our meetings. His right to the Presidency was indicated not only by precedents followed on like occasions, but especially by his qualities as the eminent statesman who now directs the foreign policy of the Netherlands. His Presidency would, besides, be one more act of homage which we should love to pay to the August Sovereign who has offered us her gracious hospitality. As for myself, I cannot consider the election which has been conferred upon me otherwise than as a result of my being a plenipotentiary of the Emperor, my Master, the august initiator of the idea of this Conference. Upon this ground I accept, with profound thanks for the high honor which the Minister of Foreign Affairs has conferred upon me in proposing my name, and which all the members. of the Conference have so graciously ratified. I shall employ all my efforts to justify this confidence, but I am perfectly aware that the advanced age which I have attained is, alas, a sad privilege and a feeble auxiliary. I hope at least, gentlemen, that it may be a reason for your indulgence. 6. I now propose to send to Her Majesty, the Queen, whose grateful guests we are here, a message which I shall now read: - |