The Portland daily press., 1875-06-01
DECORATION DAY.
YESTERDAYS OBSERVANCES.
MAINE,
I'm ThOmaaton.

RoCKLAND, May 31.-Memorial Day was for.
mally observed at Thomaston to-day. A pro-
cession, consisting of the veteran soldiers and
sailors, firemen, citizens, Sc. proceeded to the
cemetery and deposited wreaths, after which
an able Grafton was delivered by Rev. G. E.
Libby at Union Hall.
I'm Biddeford and sncO.
ITO the Associated Press.]
RmnEFoRp. Nav elaboration Day was
generally observed in Biddeford and Saco to-
day. Post Sheridan, the Light Infantry, star
of the Sea lodge, Temperance Cadets, ETC., par
AIDED, with two bands of music. Soldiers
graves in Greenwood st. Mary's, ST. Joseph's
and the old cemeteries in this city were deco
rated in the morning, and in the afternoon
those in Laurel Hill cemetery, Saco. At four
o'clock Gov. Dingey was received in Saco.
Thousands of people lined the streets. This
evening large meeting was held in City Hall
| in this city. Ex-Jadge Tapley of Saco presld-
| ed Gov Dingley made an excellent address
| to 'boys in blue" of which the following is an
abstract:
Gov. Dingley opened his address by referring
| to the day and the season extended to the SER
| vices of Memorial Day, in whose observance
| every patriot may claim common lnterest,and
| every citizen be touched with common sym
pathy." Precious as is the day as tribute OF
| affection, and sacred as it must ever be 10
| stricken ones all over the land, its greatest
value and most enduring object is to foster and
strengthen that love of country which makes
national life and vigor and progress possible,
| and without which nation is but rope OF
sand. This thought was developed at length,
| as also was the idea of the value of monuments,
statues and memorial tablets in the same d.
| rection.
The Governor then proceeded to discuss the
deeper use and dignity of the services Of Me-
mortal Day, in setting before the youth OF the
land the nobility of self-sacrifce. On this
| point he referred to the sudden and almost uni
versal bursting of the bonds of selfshness as
| the echoes of Sumter's cannon resounded over
the land, and gave a sketch of one of the early
heroes. The following reference of the Cover
| nor. to some of Maine heroic dead, we give in
| full:-
'sThe patriot dead! Methinks l see your sa-
cred forms passing before me now. Brave
young Leppein! one of the first to tender his
services to his adopted state, whose life was
only spared to receive on his death bed the pro-
| motion so we'll earned-how shall we htiy
honor thy memory! Gallant Samuel Fessen'
den! brave son of an honored father, falling at
the post of duty in the fearful struggles at Ma,
nassas- thy name is inscribed on the roll OF
glory in letters that will never fade! Earnest
and self-sacrificing COwan! leaving the honOrs
and repose of a we'll crowned career in your
midst, to give his life in his colntry's defense
thy name is emblazoned on the roll OF worthless
| whose memory can never die! Intrepid and
lion hearted DOuty!
| Gone blast upon his bugle horn
| Were worth thousand men,
Brave leader of the gallant first Maine Cav
airy, falling in the midst of the fray at the
head of the column-how glorously was closed
tby noble life! Ardent and patriotic Boothby
laying aside the students robes and turning
aWay from a career of promise in civil pursuits
to yield up his life in defense OF the union
how can fifty pronounce thy name! Faithtu
and devoted Knox! uniting deeds with faith,
and willing to expose life in defense OF the
principles which he had SO long proclaimed
from the pulpit-emotion chokes utterance as
recall thy virtues!
oServant of God, well done!''
Brilliant and intrepid Jameson, one of the
first to volunteer when Sumter's cannon echoed
over the land, failing ere the clouds of disaster
had been lifted-thy memory shall be perpetu-
ated in the hearts of the grateful people oil
Maine! Gallant and undaunted Berry! bravest
of the brave, falling at the head of his division
in the hour of his last and greatest successful
| INV QodtQ CDo OulOu CAUSE WdS UcTtlI VI Ouc VI
its stoutest hearts and most devoted friends
Brave companions of these worthless, who fell
| in the same cause and with the same hOnOrs
time forbids that should mention your names
but are they not engraven In the memories OF a
grateful people?
"Hail We heroesl heaven Dor bandit .-
Who fought and died in freedoms cause"
The Governor referred at length to the mold
ing influence fol good of the memories of the
| 10 hon hu cn1diarS Of bo
Republic; and to the part which even our bat
tle-felds will bear in inspiring higher regard
| for institutions preserved at such a sacrifice;
and closed his address substantially as follows:
Soldiers! Your trials in the field of blood are
ended, but your labors as citizens OF d redeemed
| Republic are just begun. As you fought not
| for conquest, but for UDion on the basis of
| equal rights; so now in peace shall it be your
great aim to strengthen the cause in which you
took up arms. The guns which you carried
not against those who claimed to be fellow Cit
izens, but in the defence of liberty and union.
| When the armies of the rebellion surrendered,
| you babe them to return to their homes and by
| a hearty and unreserveG acceptance of the prin-
ciples settled by the war; prove themselves
| worthy of the unparalleled lenieney extended
to them. The present safety and future saliva.
| ton of the Republic demanded that loyalty
| should be enthrOned and conspicuous treason
discrowned, that patriotism might be exalted
| before the youth of the land. with malice
towards none, with charity for all, you now
simply ask that liberty, JUSTICE and equal
| rghts-the fruits of universal education, lofty
| patriotism and and Christian faith-shall be
the touchstone of loyalty; for unless we build
| on this foundation, the Union will be rope of
| sand and the grand trial of free government to
which humanity is everywhere looking with so
great interest, will prove failure.
| In this grand mission of patriotism, justice
| md will sneak words of
| and of hope. At the opening of this centen-
NAL era of our country's history, when the
memories of the common sacrifices and COM
| mon triumphs of the War of Independence, are
| softening the resentments and Strengthening
| the ties of North and South, it is your privi-
| lege to extend fraternal greetings to all who
| acknowledge the stars and stripes as their ban
ner, and sincerely accept the union dedicated
to freedom and exual rights, as their country
and their home
On this Memorial Day, with your apptecia
| ton of the work of our revolutionary fathers
| quickened, and your convictions of the vital
| necessity of building on the foundations of JUS
| tice and right. deepened and broadened, dedi-
cate yourselves anew TO the work which you
have so we'll begun" Soldiers!' said Napoleon,
! as his army halted in wonder and admiration
when they caught the first glimpse OF the
mighty forms of the Pyramids of Egypt
sssoIdiers from the SUBMITS of those mOnu-
mental piles, forty centuries look down upon
you" Fellow citizens! to-day, there look down
upon the people of this country, the good and
the true of all former generations, exhortng us
by all the memories of the past and the hopes of
the future. to be faithful to the sublime mis-
sion which God has committed to us!
In Fairfield.
FAIRFIELD, May elaboration Day was
celebrated here to-day under the auspices of the
Soldiers Monument Association. Tue address
was delivered by c. G. Couilard of the Boston
Herald The following is an abstract:
In the old church from which our fathers
separated there are two notable days. one fol-
lowing the other. One is sacred to the mem Dry
of all the saints and angels, the other COM
memorates the faithful dead. In Germany, on
All Souls day the people, both Catholic and
Protestant, visit the church yards to strew
flowers on the graves, and in the churches the
mass of requiem is sung and the Office of the
dead is recited. We have no All Saints day in
our New England calendar, but do you not,
gentlemen, each one of you recall some faith
full soul, now still, whose ardent spirit and
feryent devotion, and whose heart, all filled
with gentleness, and hope and courage made
him a martyr ten short years ago, but would if
he had lived as many centuries back, have
placed him on the roll of saints and sent him
down to the latest generations. Let US not
underestimate heroism because it is near.
Looking in the calendar for the 3Oth day of
May, l found four saints who are then COM
rpamoratad There was none aud MARTYR,