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In addition to the sum offered by the State, the City of New Orleans agreed to supply a like amount. Though the funds in sight were obviously inadequate to any fitting celebration of so important an event, the President of the Society was not discouraged, but in due season appointed a larger committee to prepare for the celeration. This committee, whose membership is given below, assembled for its first regular meeting on Saturday, Nov. 25, 1911, in the rooms of the Society at the Cabildo, and continued to meet there at frequent regular intervals, discussing and preparing for the celebration. The serious difficulty of lack of funds continued to embarrass the committee until a special appeal was made by the subcommittee on finance to the Board of Liquidation, through Messrs. T. P. Thompson and W. O. Hart, and Governor J. Y. Sanders. An ample fund was provided for the committee's use ($5,000), and those interested in the history of the State should appreciate the efforts of the committee on finance.

The committee had felt confident that, in one way or another, the people of the State would help them in their patriotic work. Accordingly, plans for the celebration had been made in accord with the dignity of the State. Formal invitations were sent to all historical and learned societies, to Governors, and to other distinguished persons to assist in the celebration. Special invitations were sent to President Taft and to the Governors of States carved out of the Louisiana Purchase, to Chief Justice White, as a distinguished son of Louisiana, to His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons, to Ambassadors and Ministers representing foreign powers at Washington. It was especially the aim of the committee to enlist the interest and if possible to secure the attendance of representatives from Great Britain, Spain, France, and the countries of our sister continent, and of the Governors of those States most closely associated with the history of Louisiana. It will be impossible to record in detail the cordial responses received from all sources. But the committee desire to express appreciation of the generous interest shown in this notable anniversary, and to return thanks.

Perhaps a few selections from the letters and telegrams received may serve to indicate the scope of the committee's work in this field.

In reply to an invitation to deliver an address at the celebration, Chief Justice White wrote to Professor Fortier: "It certainly

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is a tempting offer and one which it would give me infinite pleasureto accept, but I fear I am under the necessity of saying I cannot do Thank the Society for me, will you not, and tell them how deeply I regret the situation. If when the time comes I am free to go to Louisiana, I shall certainly do so for the purpose of participating in the ceremonies."

President Taft wrote to Hon. H. Garland Dupré, through whom the invitation was extended: "I have yours of March 21st, together with the invitation by the State of Louisiana, asking me to be present at the celebration of the One Hundredth Anniversary of the admission of Louisiana as a State into the United States . I regret that it will be impossible for me to be present, but I shall bevery glad, before the occasion arises, to designate some one to represent me."

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Speaker Champ Clark wrote to Professor Fortier: "It would give me a great deal of pleasure indeed to accept your very courteous and cordial invitation to be present and deliver an address on the One Hundredth Anniversary of the admission of the State of Louisiana into the Union. It was a great event indeed in our history, as she was the first State west of the Great River. But I can not accept your invitation. The Democrats have given me the highest place within their gift to confer, the highest that any Democrat has held in fifteen years, the second highest in the Government, and I must stay here and discharge the functions of my office. . . . Regretting that I can not be with you, and hoping that you will have a great and a satisfactory celebration, and that the State of Louisiana will exist long enough to celebrate scores and scores of centennials," etc.

President Theodore Roosevelt wrote: "I wish it were possiblefor my friends to realize my position, not for my own sake, but because then they would understand just why it is that I cannot accept all the invitations which come to me ... Greatly though I appreciate an invitation from such a body as the one you represent, it really is not possible for me to accept. I cannot undertake anything further of any kind or sort now. I am very sorry."

His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons, unable to attend, requested Archbishop Blenk to represent him at the ceremonies. Governor David R. Francis expressed his regret at being unable to deliver an address. Hon. Charles Francis Adams, invited to respond to the

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toast, "The Historical Societies of the United States," wrote to Mr. W. O. Hart: "I regret extremely that this flattering invitation should have reached me at so late a date. I have been absent from home for the last ten days, and your letter arrived during that absence . . I pray you to accept my excuses, as also my assurance that I am greatly flattered by your invitation."

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The Mayor of Quebec, Hon. Napoleon Drouin, writes a long and interesting letter, of which we may reproduce only a few phrases here: "Je ne puis assez vous remercier de l'honneur que vous m'avez fait en m'invitant à prendre part à cette démonstration organisée par votre Société . . . . . Et c'est avec un véritable chagrin que je me vois forcé de renoncer au plasir d'aller participer à vos réjouissances patriotiques . . Quelle que soit la distance entre la nouvelle Orléans et Québec, nous sentons en ces jours que la voix du sang parle au-dedans de nous, qu'elle nous émeut,qu'elle éveille en nos esprits et en nos coeurs le même sentiment; celui d'une parenté, d'une fraternité que n'ont pu affaiblir, encore moins faire oublier, ni les vicissitudes du temps, ni les déchirements de la séparation. C'est le Québec des anciens jours qui vous parle aujourd'hui par ma voix, et ce salut chaleureux et fraternel que je vous envoie, il part de Québec, de cette vieille capitale de la NouvelleFrance, qui fut pendant un siècle et demi le coeur et le centre vital d l'Empire colonnial français rêvé par François I et Henri IV, ébauché par Louis XIV, et perdu par Louis XV, et qui embrassait les vallées immenses du St. Laurent, des Grands Lacs, de la Belle Rivière et du Mississippi."

Ambassador J. J. Jusserand, expressing his regret at not being able to attend, and appointing M. Francastel to represent him, wrote to Professor Fortier:

"Veuillez croire a mon très vif regret de n'être pas auprès de vous dans une si mémorable occasion. Le souvenir du charmant accueil que j'ai reçu des Louisianais lors de mon récent passage à la Nouvelle Orléans et lors de vos fétes de 1903 avive mon regret de ne pas assistir á des cérémonies dont je prévois l'intérêt et la beauté et qui, placées sous votre direction, sont dans les meilleures mains qui se puissent imaginer."

Space alone precludes further quotations from the courteous ietters sent by prominent officials and others, many of them of great interest. But the selection made from the letters of some who

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