The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-09-10
THE LAST GRAND RALLY.
A sPLENDsD Decentralization. (.

at an early hour Saturday evening Market
Square was thronged with thousands of the
people. The Forest City Band. stationed on
the portico of the old City Hall, sent forth its
splendid music, and brilliant fireworks were
displayed in the Square. The Portland Band
was stationed in Deering Hall, and their
charming strains attracted people thither so
that the place was densely packed long before
the time of meeting
AT half past seven o'clock NJ. A. Blanchard
Esq, called the meeting to order, and nominat-
ed for presiding officer Hon. GEORGEsT DA-
Wis, formerly membor of Congress from Mas
saehusetts. r. w. Lincoln was appointed Sec
retary. .--....... ........rI.-aI .F.r... -a-
- On taking the chair Mr.. Davis was greeted
with applause. After few pertinent remarks
. he called for the report Of the delegates elect
ed to nominate candidates to be supported as
Representatives from this city. s7o i4a
Hon. J. T McCobb in behalf of the dele
gates, reported that they had unanimously
agroed upon tho following, sioket.
GEORGE F. F.5SHEPLEY, ' G'tia
FREDERICK G!nMESSER, hh
r GRANVILLE NJ. CHASE,
iM CHARLES J. MORRIS.
~. The report was accepted unanimously, and
with great applause. to aimHt tl.l lO1Ga e. s
The chairman then introduced Judge Bell, CT
Texas, one of the loyal men of that State, who
had suffered for his patriotism. ..,s-....t
- Judge Bell, addressed the audience for one
hour and half in eloquent strains He is a
fluent and foreible speaker, and his remarks
evidently made a deep impression upon the
audience. He spoke of the condition of affairs
in the South, and particularly in Texas both
before and during the rebellion, and exposed
tho designs of the leaders and instigators of
the war, the manner in which they imposed up
on the reading community in that section. by
withholding all facts from them, and substitute
ing instead, theories of their own, having no
idea that the people should have their eyes op-
ened to the crafty and wicked designs of the
traitors of the South insisting upon it thai
slavery had nothing to do with the contest
that it was war of races-the Northern Puri-
tan against the Southern Chevalier.
Judge Bell portrayed the situation of the
loyal men of Texas during the struggle, and
related some startling facts of the cruelties and
indigniies which had been perpetrated upon
the loyal men at the South by the rebels, and
J these very rebels were the same men that Pres
ident johnson was now pardoning and placing
in power, where they could grind down the
Union men to death.
He stated what the Union men of the South
wanted. They wanted the loyal men of the
North to stand up and help them by sternly
adhering to their principles of equal rights to
all men, and thus give protection to their
friends in the South. This, he said, could be
done by eleeting to Congress men of sound
faith, who will not abate one jot in their de-
mand for such an amendment to the Constitu-
tion as shall secure to every one, whether white
or black, his rights under our government
In closing his eloquent remarks Judge Bell
earnestly invoked every one who heard his
voice to go to the polls on Monday and give a
vote for the Union Republican candidates-to
roll up such majority for them as would let
the Southern rebels see that the North was in
earnest Great applause was given Judge
Bell as he retired.
After the Portland Band had played the
"Star Spangled Banner Mr. Davis apologised
for the absence of Gen. Mahan, who was ex-
pected to address the meeting; and read dis
patch from the physician of Gen: NJ, which
stated that he was so unweH that it would be
dangerous for him to travel. rl -...l.,a
Col. VIM. p. Frye of Lewiston was introduce
ed to the audience and was received with ap-
plause. Col Frye is one of the best caucus
orators in the State He spoke for three-auar-
ters of an hour, and until his voice became so
hoarse that he was unable to go on, though the
audience was very unwilling to let him off,
He conyulsed them with laughter in his COM
parison of the modern Moses +" with the
Egyptian law-giyer and in his description of
the South as the Prodigal Sons returning to
the bosom of the Union, claiming not only the
fatted calf but that we must hug them and kiss
them the same as the mute" Phladelnhia
Convention did, and allow them to have their
own way in the future, or they 'swould do Just
so again" lt-ls ~ rl C' go :.
He spoke of the treatment, by. the Southern
rebels, of the prisoners they had taken-starv-
ing them III their prisons, shooting them when
they approached the CRATES of their cells for
the purpose of obtaining breath of pure air,
often numbering them outright, after they had
surrendered and, finally Gaping the climax by
the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. He
asked whether these men had changed at all
(No, no.) Yet President johnson saws thew
are as good Union men rs any at the North.
and worthy of the high places in the govern
ment.
In regard to the alleged love of pres;dan+
johnson and the whole tribe of rebels, conner.
heads and "bread and butter" men for tbo
Constitution of our Fathers without any
amendments, Col. f, remarked that when tbe
rebellion could have been crushed like an sro,
shell by President Buchanan, that @Pubiie
Functionary" declared he could find nothing
in int the Constitution TO authorize him to inter
Umon NO wonder that the rebels do not
wish to see the instrument SO amended that it
shall be made the plain duty of government to
interfere 6 in any such attempts hereafter.
Col. Frye, in Conclusion remarked that An