The Portland daily press., 1866-02-27

these demands been metl Money has been
poured out as freely as water until il seemed
as II the very fountain of supply must sooner
or later exhaust ITSELF The rich gave lavishly
OF their abundance, while the widow cast into
tne treasury OF the suffering, all that she had;
and the people have experienced the truth Of
the great law of charity, that the open hand
laden with gifts, never returns empty.
And It Is no local pride to say that in all
these calls, Portland was ever quick to hear,
and prompt to answer. Through all these
many weary years, the rooms below this Hall
have been glorified by the dsily abors of the
noble, iarge-hearted, patriotic women Of Port.
land.
When the brave soldiers ofMaine were conn.,
ing home sick, wounded, dying, the Soldiers
Home of Portland, was made indeed their
home. There many of these same women
attended day and night, bathing the feyerish
brow, dressing the CHASTITY wound, weeping
with the sorrowful, praying with the dying,
and preparing with gentle hands for honor
able burial, the brave dead.
When the cry came up from the starving
loyalists of East Tennessee, Portland in less
than week sent them the munifcent sum of
ten thousand dollars.
In all these large benefactions, let it stand
out as part of the history-never to be forgot
ten-that the women OF Portland have taken
prominent part. Always true to the flag
always sympathetic-always hopeful-their
record is everlasting.
The war is now over. Peace has again set
tied upon all the land. The rising sun throws
Its golden mantle over peaceful villages and
growing harvests throughout the whole do
main fthe Union. Every where it rests up
on the good old flag, with its thirty-six stars
undimmed. Let us thank God, then. and
courageously 60 forward In the work that re-
mains to be done. True, in again putting to-
gether the disiOcated national machinery.
some creaking and discord in the reiitting may
naturally be expected; but the good Proyi-
dencA that has guided this nation thus far, will
sion.
The war is done-but our ,uork is not yet
finished.
The dead rebellion has left to this nation
the legacy of living inheritance 1t has Civ
en- to our charge three millions of people,
once chattels, bought and sold in open mark
CT, but now men ;-MEN-risen from the low
estate Of cattle to the divine dignity of man
hood. Sovereigns by natural right, it is for us
to replace upon their brows the crown that
two centuries of slavery had buried in the dust.
We hear now and then solitary voice,
croaking out an exhortation TO ''let these peo-
pie alone" But we cannot "let them aloneo
They are our charge, and God viii not permit
us to "let them alone" He, (using trite but
notyet obsolete tgure,) raised up for them in
their extremity a Moses, who, with brave
heart, and unfaltering step, led them through
the wilderness to the margin of Jordan. And
there, standing upon the mountain top, in full
view OF the promised land, the foul spirit of
slavery offered him up as its last bloody sacri-
fee.
and there they stand to-day-these three
millions of people Ignorant, imbruted, bow
ed down, yet holding within the rough casket
the jewel of aspiring manhood; waiting with
sublime patience for the diyinely appointed
Joshua to guide them over the turbulent wa
tiers. EtA fHIff
. Let no man presume to assume that high
leadership. God has appointed this new and
young Nation, born out of the old and effeip.
to that great Office. This still oppressed race
are the wards OF the whole people. He has
commissioned them to take these hapless and
helpless ones in their arms, and holding them
close to their warm hearts, bear them into the
land of their final deliverance.
Ladies' and gentleman this is our work, and
to it we dedicate this Fair. Here the ocean
brings upon its food-tide its wealth; here
earth lays upon our tables the rich treasures of
its bosom; and here the air contributes of its
teeming abundance. Here the Artisan brings
the product of his skilled labor. Here, Divine
Art offers upon our altar the noblest produc-
tiOns OF genius, and here, as ever, woman
comes laden with the useful, the beautiful and
the costly results Of her nimble and willing
hands. ssFega sssr3st t~l sH
We dedicate them all to the great cause of a
large and catholic charity.
The address was received with great enthu-
siasm.
Mr. Alfred Woodman is Chairman of the
Executive Committee, and Lewis B. Smith AS
sistant. Their badges are red, white and blue
rosettes, with gilt. ornament in the centre
The badges of the other gentlemen on the
Committee are the same, rosettes, but without
the gilt ornament. The Ladies' Executive
Committee are Miss Harriet L. Howe, Mrs. F.
o. Libby, Mrs. III. N. Jose, Mrs. L. d. Shepley
and Mrs. @. Holden. Their badges are RET
and the badges of the subcommittee white.
The first evening Of the Fair was very prom
isory of the future We shall endeavor to
keep our readers posted up from day to day
until the close. Thus far everything has gone
along as well as the most sanguine could have
| expected. The prospect is now bright for great
success in this benevolent enterprise, and while
some who occupy high placesof power may
not be very anxious to see the colored popula-
ton of our country rise from their degradation
and ignorance into purer atmosphere and
higher civilization, the loyal people of the
North viii not hold back until this great work
of humanity shall have been accomplished.