The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-12-17
New York letter.
NEW YORK, Dec. IL, 1872.


association. Mr.. T. S. Berry, native of Cape
Cod, but for some years resident of the Pine
Tree State, occupied the chair.
An organization was agreed upon to be
called the ''Maine Association of New York.
''for the promotion of mutual acquaintance,
charity, friendship and culture among It's men,
bers" An annual reunion or festival of the
association is to be held on the 18th of March
in each year, commemorative of the day when
admitted into the Union.
A constitution and bylaws were adopted and
a complete list of officers chosen. Capt Am
brose Snow, formerly of Thomaston, and for
many years popular and honored shipping
merchant here, of the firm of Snow & Burgess,
received the unanimous vote of the meeting for
the Presidency. The second Office was con
| ferred with like unanimity upon Erastus Brooks
OF the Express, proceeding which indicated
disposition to ignore political considerations, at
least nine-tenths of all the Maine men residing
here being staunch Republicans.
Associations like this have their origin in
commendable State pride. These men, albeit
| long absent from the home of their childhood,
remember the dear old scenes of earlier days
with sentimental interest which increases
with every year of their lives. No State in the
Union has stronger claim to the reverent re-
gard OF its migratory children than Maine
| Her vast sea coast her clusters of ships her
lumber, granite, factories and diversified in
| dustries-the extent of her territory, and the
comparative evenness with which wealth is dis
| tributed within her borders, SO that while there
| are few instances of oyergrown opulence among
her citizens, there is scarcely any such thing as
| poverty or want; and above all, the admirable
| educational advantages with which the State
| abounds in every city, village aud hamlet, hold
| it up to thoughtful men as one of the finest
specimens of self governing and thrifty COM
monwealth the world has ever seen.
Especially to natives of Maine, who, during
a long residence in New York. have realized
with painful certainty that great metropolis.
| Astounding i'll all the resources OF luxury and
| culture; rich to repletion; with beautiful pal
| aces, stately public edifices, immense libraries
and gradually increasing collectors of the
works of art, which mark the refinement of a
| community, may be overwhelmed with shame
| by local misgovernment, organized rascality
and the prostitution of the judicial ermine to
the sanction OF injustice and wrong, it is
| great relief to take hope for mankind in the
| recollection of the spartan simplicity and gen
| eral fidelity with which laws were administered
| and equity maintained at home.
THE NEW ENGLAND SOCIETY.
Among the vicious or the unthinking, it is
not unusual to hear surs and filings at New
England, but the better sense of reasoning
men must lead them to the conviction that she
illustrates to perfection Sir William Jones def
milton of ''What constitutes State?" Our
| great want is men, true, earnest unselfish, well
informed men, who will look upon the viola
| ton OF public trust as an infinitely greater
crime than any mere spoliation OF private
| property. This attachment to home is deep
rooted feeling among New England men. We
have society here numbering a thousand
| strong, among whom are many of the leading
merchants, bankers and lawyers of the city,
| which has been in existence under the title of
the ''New England Society of the city Of New
| York, since 1905. 1t meets to commemorate
the arrival of the May Flower and to extol the
virtues of founders of Puritanism. The festi-
/ val is one of the most notable social events Of
| the season. The only difficulty is in providing
seats for the multitude who wish to join in eel
ebrating that august event in the history of civ
ilization. Unfortunately there is but one place
III New York where public dinner can be sat
isfactorly serve., and that is Delmonico's
and it will only accommodate 220 persons. We
might procure other places, but not without
decided sacrifice of epicurian comfort, and
EVERY YANKEE CARRIES WITH HIM
wherever he goes, decided scense of apprecia-
ton of a good dinner. What would down
east Thanksgiving be without the traditional
roast turkey and plum pudding, which grace
every New England table, whether in palace OF
cottage, on that day of days, which is SO
much more of jubilee to a down easter than
to any other American?
Well, as there are so many who want to go,
and so few in comparison who find room
although the average expense of the evenings
entertainment is SIS per head-a consideration
| never lost sight of by thrifty New Highlander,
we compromise the matter by serving out the
tickets till they are all gone and then having n
verbatim report taken in short hand published
in neat pamphlet and distributed to every
member of the society The laudable state
pride, which finds expression in this annual jul
bilee is all the more hearty and genuine in that
1t is only exhibited once in twelve month. For
the rest of the year, We are and ought to be New
Yorkers-drectiong our thoughts ard ener-
| gies to serving the community in which we
have cast our lot, and leaving precious New
England memories in sentimental allegiance, as
we go forth to deal with the prosaic facts of
life.
At every annual meeting some well meaning
enthusiast introduces scheme for founding
New England notwithstanding mammoth
building and storing it with books, newspapers,
periodicals and the like. There is a clannisl-
Less about this that makes it decidedly objec-
tionabe. Here are gathered together men from
all sections of this republic and from every
other nationality of the globe. Our business is
not to encourage the preservation of distinctions
arising out of the accidents of birth, but to set
the example of laying aside all traditions of
the past and seeking only 20 improve the pres
emit and provide for the future. If we meet
once year to pay tribute to father-land that
is an honorable act of tlial duty. But when we
found libraries or endow institutions of learn
ing, they should never be narrowed down to
the use of any particular section or SEX They
should be
BROAD AND CATHOLIC
in their usefulness and open to all corners of
good moral character, native or foreign, black
or white If our Irish and German fellow citi-
zenS would but act in this spirit, New York
would speedily become better governed city
than it has been for a century But at any
rate hold that the descendants of the pilgrims
are bound to set them good example in this
respect. AS fore-fathers day occurs this year
on Sunday the dinner will be had on the ensu-
ing Monday, 23d inst. The circumstance which
is calculated to
GIVE ESPECIAL ECLAT
to the occasion is the triumph at the late cleo
ton in every free State and in more than half
the old slave States, of those great principles
of civil liberty which were proclaimed from
Plymouth Rock The President has promised
to be present, unless some unforeseen public
eXigency prevents his leaving the capitol. Gen.
Sherman will be one of the guests and the
magnetic and incompatible Beecher will lend
the grsces of his oratory to enliven the feast
Maine will be represented by Speaker Blaine,
Massachusetts by Judge Hoar Connecticut by |
Gov. Jewell, and Ex-Gov. Hawley, New York
by William Cullen Bryant William Nj. Evarts
and Henry w. Bellows, brave representatives
OF the East, and the Mayor and Governor elect
will be there in recognition, of the entire unau-
unity with which they were supported by the
members of the New England Society.
PERSONAL.
General and Mrs. Sherman arrived in the
city on Friday accompanied by their lovely
daughter Minnie, who sailed for Europe yes
terday in the magnificent White Star steam
ship "Celtic." The General is an exceedingly |
Fascinating gentleman and charms everybody, |
by his gentleness, simplicity, and the grsces of
his conversation. He has the bearing Of a |
gallant soldier, possessing dignity without hau
teur, and great intelligence, without particle
of pedantry 1t is a pleasant fact that the
three greatest surviving soldiers of the war,
GRANT, SHERMAN AND SHERIDAN,
are models of personal excellence, unspoiled by |
adulaton, and perfectly free from the weak
nesses which are too often observable in men |
whom fame has lifted to world wide eminence. |
THE TRIBUNE AND MIR. CoLFAX.
Vice President Colfax has been making a
brief visit to the city, and his presence here has
revived the rumor that he will shortly assume
the editorial control of the Tribune. Negotia-
tons tending to that object have for some time
been pending, bit have not yet been concluded.
There is strong probability that they soon
will be, and that we shall have the pleasure of
welcoming as one of our fellow citizens the