The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-08-31

lie
communion Wine" And the Congregational
liz further saws that Brother Marvin" the |
temperance editor of the Ne,Us, not only IS |
guilty of advertising establishments where the |
coutraband fluids are sold over an open bar,
but, even, in spite of his profession, enjoys,
some the good things" himself. The Lowell
Courier pertinently inquiries: Isn't there
hole in both these gentlemen's coats =
Che Pophsm celebration st York.
From our correspondent we learn that the
members OF the committee on the celebration,
and the committee of the Maine Historical
Society, were met at the station at Kittery by
gentlemen with carriages for their conveyance
to York. This act of attention was only the
prelude to the generous hospitality tlat ensued
ia their reception at the mansions opened for
their entertainment during their stay,
AT three O'clock P. NJ, the village bells sum-
moned them and the citizens and invited
guests to the Congregational Church, where
the meeting was called to order by the Hon.
B. G. Bailey of Bath, the chairman Of the Pop
ham committee, and on nomination Mr.. Bal
ley was elected President OF the day. He
made statement of the orig in of these COM
memorations, and gave some facts in regard to
the founding Of this colony. He then called
on the Rev. j. b. Sewall, of Bowdoin college,
to offer prayer, after which r. X. Sewall, Esq,
of Wiscasset, was called up, who spoke of the
early voyage of G osnold, in 1902 to our coast,
skrting along from the Sagadahoc to York
hubble, called ,by him Savage Rock" and
gave several details of the visit, showing that
Europeans had been here before him. He
then spoke Of the voyage of Weymouth in
1905, whose report in England stimulated the
enterprise ofsPopham, in 1907 to the founding
of this colony, and it's results, as securing the
title of England to the territory claimed under
the right of discovery by Cabot, and guaran-
teed by the charter of James, in 1906
The Hon. w. D. Sewall, of Bath, gave an
account of the remains of Fort st. George,
built by Popham, as seen in his boyhoOd, and
then spoke of his Importance of preserving all
the facts relative to this event, and the impor-
lance of the event itself as securing an Eng
lish rather than French colonization.
Frederic Kidder, Esq, of Boston started two
points,-the one that Hubbard a well recos-
nized historian of New England, placed this
colony at the initial point of the colonization
of New England; and the other, that the "Vir-
ginia of Sagadahoc," the first English ship
built in New Englan nd, crossed the ocean when
the colony broke up, and recrossed it with Sir
George Somers to Virginia, year or two af
terward thus disposineIof an objection that had
been urged with much persistence.
The Rev. DR.. Woods said he was not called
on in the right place, as he would rather have
followed "a speakerEwho would be fortified
with documents to sustain the positions which
he would now take. He said that all the i'm
putations against the Popham colony, as TO
the character Of its members or of its chief
English promoters, whether true or false, were
all irrelevant to the Importance of the colony;
whose establishment, however brief its contin-
uance, secured the English title to this part Of
the continent. The French claim, growing
out of the attack of Argall. in 1913 upon the
Jesuit settlement on Mt Desert, was effectu-
ally answered. The original grant of 1906 by
James, was renewed in 1920. Georges was the
great pattern of cOloniZ ltion to whom the Pill
grims looked for aid and received it, when they
found they had settled at Plymouth without a
patent. They received his son as Governor of
New England with great demonstrations of
esteem and respect and had feelings of deep in
terest in the people of Maine at that early day.
Recognizing as they did the principles of the
first charter,i if they could be with US in the an
cient SPIRIT they would be willing to lutte
with US in the commemoration of this col
oDy as the early promoter of one occupation
and consequent civilization. The close argu-
ment Of this address and the felicitous Ian
guage of its expression called out a motion
that the speaker would prepare it for the
press.
Charles Deane, Esq, of Cambridge, Mass,
said he had listened with deep interest to the
speeches made, and mus! say, that while he
could not add anything to the statements
made, he was almost persuaded to be Pop
hamite. He referred to the place of his ma
tivity on the banks of the Saco, and paid a
handsome tribute to Richard Vines, who was
settler there with others in 1916; some of
whose letters had been published by the late
Mr. Willis of Portland. In addition he refer
red to the difficulty of studying the history OF
Maine, where there is wide field for observa-
ton. Much of it is involved in obscurity for
the want Of documentary infoI nation. He re-
| ferred particularly to the statements of Belk-
nap in regard to the Laconia grant, and show
| ell how his error had been corrected by pa
| per in the appendix to Poor's Gorges.
The Secretary mentioned the absense of gen,
| tlemen who had been expected to be present,
and read note from Gov. Chamberlain, ex-
pressing his deep regret at not being able to
attend, in consequence of indisposition. The
meeting was then adjourned till evening.
On re-assembling the Hon. j. A. Poor spoke
of the philosophy of our history as needing to
be studied, and asked if the early settlement
OF our country by people speaking the English
tongue, was accidental? AT the time when the
enterprises toward the new world were prepar
ing in the days of Queen Elizabeth, Spain was
supreme on the ocean, and different European
nations Were striving fer American possession.
The foundation of the nation was an event
equal to the foundation of the Roman Empire
How happened it that it occurred under the
auspices of England? 1t was because the Eng
llsh mind decided that without possession no
title could be sound, and caused this thought
to become principle of international law
He spoke of the charter of 1905, and the occu-
patton that followed it at the Kennebec, and
showed how the claim was sustained by the
action of Argall in expelling the French from
Mt. Desert in 1913, under the authority of Gov.
Dali. 1t was no piratical expedition as had
been represented. He then read State papers
to prove how the French complaints on this
matter were successfully answered and quiet
ed.
The Hon. G. j. Gilman of Brunswick wished
to take away allidea of prejudice that there was
hostility in these commentators, againt the
settlement at Plymouth. These two import
ant migrations from England took place. The
earlier came to the Kennebec. They were
both parts Of the great purpose, and indicated
the working of the intelligent mind of Eng
land towards possession here, through various
channels. He referred to the charter of James
1905, and showed how all the patents and
rights granted through long series of years,
embracing those of Plymouth and Massachu-
sets, derived their price and authority from
this source, and fully explained the influence
of Gorges in all their acts
G. w. Tuttle Esq, OF Boston, spoke briefly,
referring to the fact that Hubbard, in his his
tory of the Indian wars. ascribed the founda-
ton of New England to the settlement on the
Kennebec, under Geo. Popham.
Gen. J. Marshall Brown, Of Portland, re.
ferred to the usurpations and prosecutions
of Massachusetts, relative to Maine, and placed
in prominent view the Importance of the COM
memoration of the event now in special con-
sideration.
The Rev. Mr. Bartlett of Boston dwelt briefly