Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-02-18

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history OF the country of any interest to the
generation now on the stage of action. The
excursion to Pemaquid, where beneath the
broad canopy of heaven the right of female
speech had been asserted in the delivery OF
the charming poem of Mrs. Hackleton-the
visits to York, Kittery and Portsmouth-had
all been profitable occasions, and had awak-
ened an interest among the people in those
localities in their own history. He looked
upon the recent meetings in Belfast and Ban
gor as productive of good in the same direc-
ton.
We need the philosophy of history. Wis
dom gathered from results will be found more
valuable than theory or speculation. We
| cannot have too much knowledge of history,
especially of our own history, our birth, growth
and development. 1t belongs to us, whether
it be bad or good and we should record it our
selves, and not leave it for others to do. If
the material is not at hand, let us send abroad
| for it. The bulk of our ancient history is still
| buried in the great reservoirs of foreign
countries. The correction of popular errors
in history seems to be a special and important
work at this time. All the past histories of
Maine have contained errors which have been
revealed by recently discovered facts. The
error has been taught and extensively believed
that the Pilgrims of 1920 were the first civil
izers who trod the shores of New England
| We never can forget the debt we owe to these
noble and heroic men. 1t has been said that
they fed from intolerance to exercise it here :;
| but he would venture the assertion that no
record can be found of tyranny or cruelty in
their annals, either in legislation or judicial
| action. lie had examined the records care
| fully and had found nothing that savored of
intolerance or persecution. But the glory of
the Pilgrims can never be furnished by the
| fact that previous to 1920 true and noble men
| landed upon the shores Of Maine and estab-
| hshed settlements here. The manhood of
Geo. Popham and his associates was equal to
| that of the Pilgrims. The shores Of New
| England were visited by thousands before the
Pilgrims set foot on Plymouth. They ranged
through New England, enduring hardshps
| and deprivations from which the Pilgrims
would have shrank. Settlements had been
made on Monhegan and other islands and
along the coast; the Jesuits were established
on Mt. Desert and Gen. Winslow even came
here for supplies for the Plymouth colony,
| and returned with an abundance. The soil
was titled and the people were in fiourishing
condition. What man conyersant with the
history of Maine can assert that not an Eng
lishman set his foot on the soil of New Eng
land before 1920? Were not Weymouth and
his crew Englishmen9 The facts of history
| should be incorporated into our school books,
errors which have become so common.
Mr.. Bourne received vote of thanks for
his paper.
Prot. Packard read a report OF the field
days of August last, at which time the COM
mittee appointed for the purpose with large
party OF others interested in historical re-
| search, visited the ancient town of York, also
kittery and Portsmouth, N. II. The result
OF the observations made on those days was
very satisfactory, and the pleasure enjoyed
by the party unalloyed. The report was ac-
cepted and vote of thanks extended to Prof.
Packard for preparing it.
Prof. Packard also took occasion to make
some statements in relation to the documenta-
ry history of Maine, issued by the Society.
As the volume had been the subject of I'M
friendly criticism, he proceeded TO read few
extracts from the letters of eminent historians
and scientific men in this and other countries,
testifying to their appreciation of the great
value of the work.
The following committee was appointed to
make arrangements for the'next field day of
the Society Z. f. Bourne, kennebunk; w.
ID. Sewall and S. I. Dixie, Bath; John A.
Poor, Portland; S. Z. Benson, Brunswick;
S. II. Blake, Bangor; X. X. Sewall, Wis
casset; B. c. Bailey, Bath; J. w. North and
j. W. Bradbury, Augusta; Joseph William
son, Belfast; c. j. Gilman, Brunswick
paper was then read from Judge Godfrey
of Bangor, on the ancient Penobscot, with
facts in regard to its locality and notices of
different treaties with the tribe. Sixty differ
ent ways of spelling the Indian name "Penob-
SCOT were given. The details of the first
treaty made or attempted with the tribe, were
given with great minuteness. In l775, when
the Penobscot tribe of Indians held all the
lands in the vicinity of Bangor, Gen. Lincoln
o N MT ifb tbap g.,
| nish certain amount of supplies and money,
provided the Indians would leave the lands
| they then occupied, for hunting grounds
farther east. There was some difficulty about
the matter, and in 1735, Rev. Daniel Little
was appointed commissioner on the part of
| the government to settle with the tribe. The
chiefs were assembled at Indian Oldtown.
There was great display on the part of the
| redskins and good deal of red tape shown by
| the commissioner in his transactions, but the
upshot of the matter was that while the Indians
| had great confidence, as they expressed it, in
General Washington and General Court"
King George or 'any other man," didn't put
| them on the island; they were placed there
| by the Great Father. and they didn't intend
| to put their names to any paper, or give up
| the land which they rightly possessed. In
| 1896 there was another controversy with the
| Indians and another commissioner appointed,
who succeeded in obtaining a release of
| lS9, 426 acres of land, which was divided into
| nine townships. The great pageant at Ban
gor in 1918, of Indian chiefs and civilians was
| described, the limits of ancient Penobscot de-
fined, and in fact the paper was crowded with
facts of more than local interest relating to
the early history of this tribe and the region
of country which was then their hunting
ground, but which Is now covered by beautiful
| towns and furnishing cities.
| Judge Godfrey received vote of thanks
for his able paper.
| Mi? Bradbury thought well of the idea ad-
vanced in the paper of Judge Bourne, that
the facts in relation to the history of Maine
should be incorporated into our school books.
| Mr.. Sewall said he had been engaged for
some time on a little work of that character.
Mr. Williamson of Belfast, submitted his
tory of the newspaper press of Waldo county,
which he desired to be placed in the hands of
Mr.. Joseph Griffin of Brunswick, also a
volumnous paper on the "Woldo Patent"
The meeting adjourned about ten o'clock.
We are pleased to be able to announce that
| Al, -. ~