The Portland daily press., 1863-05-18
The Lecture by "carleten.e

a,ta,0e of "Cafleton," delivered very inter-
es.ing lecture at the new City Hall on Satur-
day evening, under the auspices CT the Loyal
National League. The hall was completely
filled. Hon. James T. McCobb, in a brief
speech accepting the position Of President of
the League, which had been rendered to him,
announced that rooms had been engaged in
the City Government building, on the same
floor as the hail. for the use Of the League, and
that they would be opened every day and eve
ming Except Sunday, and on Friday evening
of each week there would be discussions of
such questions as may come up, and that a
public address may be expected as often as
once a month in the great hall. The Presi-
dent then introduced Mr.. Coffin, a brief
synopsis of whose lecture we subjoin.
His description of several of the great
battles of the present war; particularly that of
Antietam, were very clear and vivid, and his
alusion to our gallant, patriotic and Christian
neral-HowARD-were received with long
continued applause, as was also that to our
amented and efficient Generals BERRY and
JAMESON.
Mr.. Coffin remarked that sooner or later
punishment was sure to overtake every man
or every community of men who committed
crime. II was an immutabe law, and because
God had instituted such law, the men who
had stolen forts and arsenals, who had inaugu-
rated civil war, who were seeking to overthrow
the best system of government the world ever
saw. would eventually be crushed out.
He proceeded to give in detail the proceed
ings of the citizens Of Memphis-their insult
to the flag of our country the night after the
State of Tennessee voted to secede, their
building of gunboats, and the subsequent
destruction of the rebel flotlla in front of that
city, in the presence of the assembled thou
sands of inhabitants, by Admiral Davis, COM
handing at that time the Federal flotia. 1t
was an illustration of the operation Of that
immutable law.
The description of the fight was exceedingly
thrilling, and interrupted by repeated bursts
of applause.
He next alluded to the manifest determine
ton of the Western men-their ideas of the
future relations to the growth of this country,
its expansion-how they were looking for COM
mercial advantages with the Pacific as well as
with the Atlantic, and they never would give
up their full uninterrupted connection with
the Gulf of Mexico.
He showed their qualities as fighting men,
by giving a battle scene at the taking of Fort
Donelson, where by one terrible charge of
single brigade the Stars and Stripes were
planted on the outer works of the fort.
The speaker rested few moments at this
point, while a quartette choir, under the d.
rection of Mr. Shaw, sung the Star Spaugled
Banner with excellent effect, eliciting long
continued applause.
Resuming, Mr.. Coffin took brief glance at
the probabilities of the future, showing that
this was rebellion against labor: that the
instincts of the English operatives-the masses
of the people in Europe, were with the North,
while the instincts of the aristocracy were
with the South; that it was question of phys
zeal forces, of steamboats,, railroads, plows,
reapers, manufactures, schools, churches
everything which goes to make up Civilization;
a question as to who could pound the hardest
and longest. He had no doubt whatever as to
the issue. Labor would win.
He then gave graphic description of the
battle of MISUNDERSTANDING the scene into
the hall in a manner calculated to fix it def
nitely in the minds of those who heard him.
His account of that great struggle was evil
IDENTIFY listened to with intensest interest.
He paid fitting tribute to the galantry and
christian manfulness of General Howard, and
to the memory of Generals Jameson and Berry.
He was with Jane son in the fight at Bull Run.
When the panic set in-when the rebel cavalry
came dashing through the woods, loud above
the din he heard the voice of that officer rally
ing his men.
In all his military reading he did not recall
a more gallant, heroic effort than that of Gen.
Berry and his division at the late battle of
Chancelorville.
He had thought sometimes as he had stood
amid the dead and dying on the battlefield,
witnessing their devotion to their country,
that he would like to see every traitor, North
as well as South, hung upon as high gibbet
as that on which the old copperhead Hannah
met his just deserts!
There was no installing the feelings of the
audience on that subject. They gave an ex-
preston of approval which seemed TO shake
the walls of the building.
Mr.. Coffin spoke an hour and forty minutes,
and was listened to with undivided attention