The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-05-31

deavor let us take courage OF the tate OF tnost
who have done boldly and well for man. Not
that such ask our praises. Not that we can
thus render them any good. The brave ask nc
| homage, the noble ask no reward. Bravery is
its own reward. To be noble is the all sufficient
need in nobleness. 1t seems when look
around this consecrated spot, comrades, as il
| wrought such hard work and written our record
| in blood and deeds. Beneath these sods lie
forms of strength and beauty, wherein dwell
honor and manliness. Weep not over the dust
of the precious ones which is not gathered here
that YOU cannot strew them with flowers and
moisten them with your tears. Gods hand
reaches very wide These dear relics shall vel
be gathered and cared for. There is no lack OF
flowers where Gods loved ones lie buried; tears
only are wanting.
After beautiful reference so the strange
blood-red flower which blooms above the dead
ON Culloden, the orator continued: Strew then
MOWERS OF spring-soldier, sister, lover and
1r'end-ln token of the fragrance of their mem
DRY, our undying love and the beauty of de-
Votlon. sleep then, We brave, amidst these flow
ers, emDlems OF those you have quickened with
IN us, that need no returning seasons to unfold
their glory. Sleep well, till flowers have with
cred, till tears are dry, till prayers hav change
ed to thanksgiving and songs swelled to halli-
luJahs. Comrades, drink deep of the lessons of
to-day. Be faithful to the glorious record.
You are not yet mustered out. You are en-
rolled TO do all that conduces to good citizen
ship; to help the weak, to preserve moral up
rightness; marching through good and evil re-
port steadfastly to the end. L do not forget
how heavy burden has fallen on some among
us. think of desolate hearths; of farms de-
serted by brave hearts who left the pillow to rust
while they frightened the sword. L think of
the widows bereft of their earthly support, who
cry to God for help, and l remember that He
fed the ravens. Here is work for us to do
things worth living and dying for From these
graves we gain higher resolution-to go forth
with broader charity, and a new purpose to
lift up the oppressed and cheer the afflicted
My heart is full of the memories of this hour
The words 1 meant to speak in farewell are
touched with highter meaning; like the COM
mand of some great leader away in the fore
front of the battle: Farewell! So continue
among the living until We are worthy of the
dead.
The Band then played as a closing piece
Now the swallows are returning" by Abt;
the benediction was pronounced by Rev. Mr..
Hannaburg and the vast assembly returned to
the city
At the depot the procession reformed and
marched up Chestnut street to City Hail. where
the City Government was left. The companies
then marched to their armories and were dis
missed until the evening exercises.
EVENING EXERCISES.
City Hall was early filled to overlooking with
one of the finest audiences we have ever seen
there. The members of Bosworth Post G. A.
r. and other military organizations were seated
on the platform. Capt. j. f. Land presided.
The services begun by piece of music by the
Portland Band, followed by an impressive
prayer by Rev. DR.. Carruthers. The Arons
then gave piece of music which was so hearth
ly encored that it was followed by another in
their usually admirable style. During the eve
ming their services were frequently called into
requisition. The first speaker was Rev. Mr..
Gibbs, who spoke of the sacrifices of the past
and the lessons of the hour and the duties of
the present. After music by the Band, Rev.
Mr. Hannaburg was introduced and briefly
spoke of Maine in the war, the results of the vic
tory and dwelt upon the necessity of the same
men who achieved it, keeping in the ranks to
fight corruption and wrong elsewhere. Major
w. p. Jordan followed with the song: sThe
Sword of Bunker HILL" which he executed
with excellent taste to the great pleasure of the
audience which greeted him with continued
applause.
Rev. Mr.. Small followed in one of the most
effective, and, indeed, brilliant platform efforts
we have listened to for many a day. He began
by abiding to the first Sunday of the Second
Maine in camp at Bangor, when the whole city
left their homes and churches and gathered
around the gallant regiment that through fire
and blood were destined to clutch so many lau-
rels for the State and the nation. He said that
for the people behind he pledged to support and
care for them-to bind up their wounds, to fill
up the vacant places,-to cherish those depend
ent upon them. I did not promise too much
He claimed none of the glory; he he gave it all
to the heroes who fell and the brave men about
him who survived the conflict He then pro-
ceeded to say it was the duty of the people to
see that no MANNED hero no orphaned child
no widowed wife, or aged and enfeebled father
or mother should suffer. Shame! he said upon
the city or town that is so recreant to decency as
to permit MANNED soldier to be a pauper He
paid high compliment to the Grand Army for
their work in behalf of their comrades The
greatness of this nation, said the speaker, is
not in its immense grain fields of the West, in
its thousands of factories, its large cities, its
splendid capitol. These may show its power
and its grandeur, but were the merest trifes
compared with the priceless jewels that slept
under the green mounds in every country church
yard-that ridged the historic fields of Gettys-
burg, Fredericksburg, and are hidden in the jun
giles of the Wilderness. Priceless are these jew
els and most potent for Rational salvation if we
gather about them annually with the children
and teach them the countless cost of a nations
life. Turning to the soldiers on the platform,
he urged them to carry forward the noble work
of national salvation. He illustrated the pow
er of the organization of true and strong men,
by saying that recently he saw heavy freight
train run to the middle of the Niaagra Suspension
Bridge and stop. The bridge stood firm; but
at one end he saw a notice cautioning military
companies against marching over the bridge
with measured step as it would cause it to
sway and thus weaken it. The mighty train it
could hold, but the sway of an organized body
of a hundred men would destroy the noble
structure. Such was the power of organiza-
ton. In an eloquent manner he appealed to
these brave men about him to unite against
great foe-intemperance.
Upon the conclusion of Mr.. Small's remarks,
the audience joined with the Arions and the
Band in rendring America, and after benedic-
ton the meeting closed.
Thus auspiciously closed the exercises of the
fifth Memorial day. Everything passed off in
the most satisfactory manner, which is greatly
due to the efficiency of the committee having
the arrangements in charge. The attendance
was very large, the military organizations never
appeared to better advantage, and altogether
tho exarcisaS uara uorthv of tho dow ond the