The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1862-08-08

al Church, Brunswick, on Wednesday evening,
ed to inspire the heart of the patriot, and to
nerve his arm for duty. The notice was brief
and limited, consisting simply of an announce
ment given out at the close of the afternoon
exercises, but it was enough to secure the OBJ
jects arrived at. The spacious house was
packed, literally packed full, and not square
foot of space, above or below, in nave or tram
sept, in pew or aisle, but contained as much
of human flesh as it could hold.
Hon. John II. Goodenow Of Alfred, was
called to the chair. The speakers were Rev.
DR.. Hitchcock of New York, Gen. Howard,
Charles i. Durant, Esq. and Hon. Peleg w.
Chandler of Boston, 1t was not our privilege
to be present, therefore we can speak only from
hearsay. The speeches were all that the names
of the gifted gentlemen making them could
warrant. They were fully up to the demands
and necessities of the hour. DIR. Hitchcock's
views are well known, and he did not in any
way seek to disguise them. In the afternoon
he had said that he did not feel concerned
about the slavery question. What would be
left of it after 100000 mailed men had gone
forth to the field, and had had their sway, he
thought could be bought very cheap-for one
Of JEFF. Davis paper dollars In view of such
a consideration he thought his anti-slavery
friends could afford to possess their souls in
patience. His speech in the evening was in
harmony with this idea.
The speech of Mr.. Durant took every body
by surprise. He is conservative" man-one
Of the original friends of the Constitutional
Union party-a Bell-Everett man, and per-
haps it was expected that he would come all
fresh from the baptismal font of the Boston
Courier, and put on gloves of silk and over
shoes of rubber before touching rebel. But
this feeling, if it existed at all, did not long
continue, for he soon revealed his brass
knuckles and his stiff cowhde boots, and the
blows he dealt at the rebellion and the rebels
were not only thick but heavy. In word, he
was square-edged, fat-footed, and unmistaka-
Bile; and to put down this accused rebellion
he would seize hold of every means which
God Almighty has placed within the reach of
loyal men, and he would use these means with
out stint and without conjunction, until the
great object sought is fully secured.
Mr.. d. was terribly scathing upon North
ern sympathizers with secession, and handled
with red-hot pincers the traitorous migrate in
Brunswick who, it is now shown, though his
name has not yet TRANSFERRED, has been writing
letters to Lindsey, NJ. p, of London, urging
him to push his Intervention scheme, and to
secure the recognition of the rebel govern
ment.
During the speech of General Howard,
which followed that of Mr.. Durant, an Incl
dent occurred of a most pleasing and thrilling
the pulpit, was a large shield, lanked on each
side by the stars and stripes, which had re-
manned stationary during the entire day.
While the General was speaking, he referred
to the flag, the honored emblem of our nation
atty, and turning towards it, spoke Of the
pleasure with which he had followed it, and
his determination to follow it wherever it may
lead, be it to life or to death-to victory or to
defeat. As these words were pronounced,
the shield and flags, as though drawn
up by some spirit power, rose slowly If
fifteen or twenty feet above the speakers head,
and remained as though lowering over him.
"Go upr' exclaimed the one-armed hero,
shat is your destiny" The effect was cleo
trical, and long and loud were the plaudits Of
that crowded assembly. We suspect the in
visible spirit that conceived and carried out
this pleasing tabeau, all unknown to any one
but itself, is familiar" of our old friend, Maj
c. W. King, of Brunswick, under whose care
ful hand and good taste the house had been
draped for the occasion. 1t is not the first
time he has managed to take audience by
pleasant surprise.
OF the speech of Mr.. Chandler we hear only
unqualified praises. He brushed aside all the
constitutional and legal cobwebs which seces-
sion sympathy has contrived to weave around
the questions of the hour, to embarrass the pa
triot in the performance OF his duties, and de-
monstrated the path of duty as plainly as
though thousand suns were beaming upon it.
His speech, in many respects, was the speech
of the evening, and set free from bondage
many a doubling spirit, heretofore troubled
with constitutional scruples about the adoption
of such means as bid fair to be most effectual
in crushing the rebellion. The meeting closed
at nearly IL o'clock, and all concur in saying
that it is the marked event of the day in the
goodly town of Brunswick.