The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1862-11-19
PORTLAND, ME-, WEDNESDAY MORNING,

invitation; Mr.. Billings, law partner of Gen.
Halleck and attorney of Gen. Fremont; Mr..
Edward Tompkins, fomerly law partner of
Daniel s. Dickinson, at the East; and your
correspondent. Two of these three made
very stirring and effective addresses. There
were some six hundred persons present, half
OF them women. There are not two thousand
voters all told in the whole county. The meet
ing determined not only to organize commit
tee to receive contributions, but to ask for
money on the spot. And the Treasurer's
name was one which, once heard, will never
be forgotten. 1t combines Greece and the far
West in its aroma.
Who will send it to Dickens for his next
story? Socrates Huff may be the Treasurer
of all meetings where may be permitted to
speak for the Fund! 1t seemed to me that five
hundred dollars would be good contribution
from three or four hundred farmers. But Soc
rates showed us pile of gold and silver on
the rude table in the open air amounting to
four thousand t,co hundred and fifteen dol
lars, which those three hundred men had sub
scribed and paid down under the stimulant of
two Of the speeches of the band The Presi-
dent of the meeting was noble specimen of
the Indiana stock and fibre. When the speech
es were finished and the contributions paid, he
said as the parting word-"This meeting ought
to break up in due form. If any of the Secesh
people talk with you, and get sassy, it won't
do 'em any harm just to knock 'em down %
Such is the idea of breaking up a meeting sin
due FORM" Do you not think we are safe and
sound?
In San Jose, few months ago, spoke for
two hours to another mass meeting. Fifteen
hundred dollars had been subscribed in the
town before, and twenty-five hundred was
pledged at the meeting. Our Congressman,
Mr.. Sargent, who lives in the mountain town
of Nevada, carried six thousand dollars in
gold to DIR. Bellows, by the last steamer, and
the town will send more. Marysville, too,
sent by the same hand twelve thousand dol
lars, and is good for five thousand further.
Stockton has just sent six thousand, and every
day the smaller towns are pledging very gen.
erous sums to the national charity. l do not
see how we can fail to collect four hundred
thousand dollars from the city and State And
Oregon has raised ten thousand, while Nevada
Territory will make up purse from her silver
veins of twenty thousand more. So much for
the invasion of Maryland! If the rebel caval-
ry get as far as Philadelphia, outwitting our
Generals ad libitum, don't know how much
California will contribute to the war.
This contribution, so unexpected and so CO
pious, makes the State worth living in 1t i'm
proves the climate of this city. 1t puts our
gold at a higher premium than even the New
Aoih uiohciS pay as u cltlZeH mere i Ieel
grateful and proud. / can look at the flag
without wincing. can breathe deep of the
air that blows fresh from the ocean toward the
Atlantic. If l could write verses should tell
you how / feel in rhyme. But have a friend
here, Mr.. f. B. Haste-he will be known more
widely in our literature yet-who has written
short poem, suggested by the contribution,
entitled "Our Privilege" / think it should
be your privilege, friend Transcript, to print
it, and transcribe it.
"Not ours, where battle smoke upcurls
And battle dews lie wet.
To meet the charge that treason hurls
By sword and bay onet
Not ours to guide the fatal scythe
The heshless reaper wields;
The harvest moon looks calmly down
Upon our peaceful fields.
"The long grass dimpes on the hill,
The pines sing by the sea,
And Plenty from her golden horn
Is pouring far and free
80 brothers by the further sea-
Think still our faith is warm:
The same bright flag above us waves
That swathed our baby form.
~Ths same red blood that dyes ycur fields
Here throbs in patriot pride;
The blood that flowed when Lander fell
And Bakers crimson tide
"And thus apart our hearts keep timc
With every pulse ye feel,
And mcrcy's ringing gold shall chime
With valor's ciashing STEEL"