The Portland daily press., 1872-09-02
Flag Raisinx-Torchliyht Procession
Fire WOrks-Speeches-un
ed Enthusiasm.


berland village and the country round about
For some time the Republicans there had a
splendid campaign flag ready to run out and
only waited for an occasion. Already General
Banks had been there and naugurated his sec
ond Red River campaign, losing his voice in the
first battle. Our friends took cognizance of the
meeting and resolved to do one better, but they
did not expsct to go ten strike over the ardent
reformer.
A special train was advertised to leave here
at II o'clock. 1t was ST before the two engines
pulled and coughed off with the twenty cars,
crowded with the Pioneers, Continentals Ar
tillery, ligonia Iron Zouaves, and people gem
orally. Not only were the cars filled, but the
| platforms were crowded. The number on the
train was estimated at 400, some putting the
number as high as 1900. As the train approach
ed Cumberland Mills, there was a glare of light
from the torches of the Westbrook Club, and
the illumination of the paper mills and many
private residences. Some of the beautiful dwell
lings in that village and along the way between
the two villages were most tastefully decuated
and Illuminated
At Cumberland Mills the torchlght process
sion was formed, the Westbrook Club, number
ing about IS torches forming the escort Capt
Charles w. Beams lusty company of pioneers
30 strong, came next followed by the Continent
tails, Major Mecher commanding, the Artillery
| fine company of boys under the direction of
| e. c. Hayes, esq, the Iron Zouaves of Ligona,
and an improvised club of colored men; in all
about 400 torches. The Portland Band furnish
| ed the principal music, though there was deaf
ening rat-a-pat of drums.
| Leaving the procession to march to Saccarap-
pa, the train proceeded with the bulk of the
passengers. Saccarappa wide awake
Nearly every house along the main street was
brilliantly illuminated 1t is said that some
Greeley men We'd with their Republican friends
in burning Candles evidently conceding that
the inevitable election of Grant is thing to be
thankful for There was profuse display of
fire works in town, so much so that we thought
the Saccarappa people were trying to Guido the
Portland display of Tuesday night. The sqnare
in front of the platform was crowded with peo-
pie, the sidewalks jammed full, indeed, the peo-
pie literally swarmed all over the town.
The meeting at the stand was called to order
by George w. Hammond esq.,, of Cumberland
Mills, and Hon. Thomas b. Reed introduced
who was received with applause. Mr.. Reed
proceeded to speak of the pending contest as
the most important that ever took place in this
country. He briefly stated the issues involved
showing that it was essentially the prolonga-
ton of the contests of 1864 and 1868 To fail
of success would be to lose all that had been
gained in these. Amid the shooting of rockets
and the inconvenience of the fresh wind, Mr.
Reed spoke with difficulty, and gave way to SUI
fore VIII ha Rom in, fI,a
square began to speak and the music of the
band broke in. The procession then marched
up the street and when it came in front of the
stand the new banner was out and floated
out superbly in the fresh breeze. Cheer upon
cheer greeted the flag, and the whole square
ablaze with the four hundred torches, and the
brilliantly lighted houses and stores presented
scene which we are told the goodly village never
before witnessed
Comparative quiet being again restored, Mr..
Reed continued his speech a few moments.
Hon. John A. Peters was next introduced. He
spoke over half an hour in his own inimtable
style, eliciting rounds of cheers about once
minute. He spoke of the enthusiasm of the
occasion as being better speech than he could
make because it was the speech of all. He
next reviewed the character of Mr.. Greeley,
comparing his vacilating character during the
war with the persistent quiet services of Gen.
Grant. He proceeded to notice the nomination
of Mr.. Greeley at Cincinnati by free trade
convention by fraud and by the Democrats, in
pursuance of a bargain made in New York last
fall between Mr. Greeley and leading Demo-
Gratis. He said it was nomination that no.
body wanted except few Tammany Republi-
cans and Democrats in New York, and a set of
conspirators in the South. He next tersely stat
ed the record of Gen. Grants administration
its efforts to secure the 18th amendment-to re-
duce the national debt and taxation-to punish
thieves-its Indian policy-its successful treaty
with England, the quiet it had given in the
South and the prosperity its even hand had Civ
en- the country, its generous policy of amnesty,
etc. etc. He did not believe the sober sense of
the country would put Horace Greeley in.
Grants place-that it would trample down and
disgrace the man who more than any other had
saved its integrity and given it renown and
fame abroad. Had Horace Greeley been Presi-
dent in 1861, the Union would have been sun
dered had he been President in 1864, he would
have compromised by paying $400,0O0,0O0 He
could not think the people wanted this change.
Mr. Peters said: 'Yes, the woods are full of
them, and Saccarappa is full of the woods that
are full of Them" When Mr.. Peters conclud-
ded three times three were given for the flag,
| Grant and Wilson and the speaker. The Port
| land Band added much to the pleasure of the
occasion by its appropriate music. Soon after
| Mr.. Peters concluded his speech the torchlight
organizations were reformed and proceeded to
| the train, which was quickly filled and ON it,
| way back.
How many were there? That imaginative
| reporter who accompanied Mr.. Greeley in his
Eastern pilgrimage, would have seen surging
mass of at least 10000 people. The Sun repor-
ter on that occasion would have seen 100000
wicked Greeleyites remorselessy tramplng
| screaming children and shrieking women under
| foot. But not having that power of magnify
| ing we accept the judgment of those who saw
| the crowd and they set the number at 5000,
| which is doubtless fair estimate. Enthusiasts
! tic individuals saw seven or eight thousand.
| Whatever the number was, we are informed
| that it was double the size of the crowd who
went to see Mr. Banks. in point of enthus-
iasm, the Republican meeting was twenty
times as great as the Democratic meeting
| Itwas in every respect a gratifying success,
| being the largest meeting held there for years.
| 1t was certainly surprise to those who went
there with the expectation of attending an or
binary political meeting.
| Everything passed off quietly, there was not
| 50 far as we can learn, any exhibitions of row
| dyism.
If the Republicans of Westbrooh don't make
| good showing September 9th, all signs will
| fail, for we never so many evidences of thor
ougly wide awake and earnest people.
When the torch light organizations reached
the Portland and Rochester depot, the process
ion was reformed and preceded by the band,
marched to headquarters, making an impos-
ing appearance.
THE AGED BRoTuERHooD.-The Aged Broth
erhood, at their annual meeting on Saturday
evening" chose the following officers: Presi-
dent Robert Dresser; Vice Presidents, ward l,
Edward Waite; ward 9, VIM. Quincy; ward 3,
VIM Duran; ward 4, James Todd; ward 3,
Henry Tricky; ward 6, N. c. Rice; ward 7, L.
G. S. Boyd. Edward Gould,S r. Chase, Aud
itors; Secretary, John b. Hudson; Treasurer,
Elisha Trowbridge. Treasures report.-Pres-
ent number of members 2O9; admitted last