The Portland daily press., 1876-05-31


whose deeds has fallen the misty months of a
century. In all ages there have been special
honors paid to the fallen soldiers, and es-
pecally fitting is it that we should pause for a
moment, with each passing year, by the graves
OF our comrades summoned to the eternity OF
silence, dropping thereon our fresh blossoms.
With the dawn of each bright spring time we
reform our lines, encamp with the old armies,
call anew the rapidly lengtbening roll of our
comrades already mustered out,-our swelling
hearts repeating the story CT their herosm, our
tears believing the fragrant flowers with
which we cover their silent noun Is, leaving
unvisited and unlocked not one of the known
resting places of our thrice a hundred thousand
martyrs-while if anywhere obscurely rests
some nameless hero in his unknown grave
"Unknown'' as yelled within the shelt'ring sod
But dear to liberty and known of God'
reached not by willing fingers of sympathetic
friend or comrade, we may rejoice in the assur-
ance that bounteous nature herself will con-
tribute of her spring treasures for his covering,
angelic hosts keep watch and ward, while the
signing breezes of Heaven sing his requiem.
There is an intimate connection between the
events of the Revolution aud the Rebellion
the oft repeated story of 1776 went far towards
intoxicating that spirit of fervid patriotism
which burst with fame Of devotion when
danger menaced the flag 10 1861. So the an
nral completion of these tender memorial de-
vices will do much to keep alive that spirit
lic The opening shot of the rebellion, found
the people of our land in the midst Of the av-
ocatioDs of peace, but no nation was eyer
aroused more speedily to defend its unity and
existence.
The enthusiastic wave of loyalty that swept
over the great North, met no more swelling re-
Spouse than from your midst; almost in the
opening hour of rebellion, your people came
resolutely together, and gave voice to the deter
mination Of Maine to stand unflinchingly in
defence of the Nation; there was but one sen.
timent, and liberal provision was instantly
made for the families of those who should en-
roll themselves in the ranks of the Republic;
in that hour when the Nation was reeling un-
der the blow dealt at Baltimore, when none
knew and few dared more than timidly hope
that destruction might not befall your own
early Volunteers i'm that darkest most cheer
less hour of the long years of our struggle,
your answer was given in a magnificent apprO-
priation for the companies then being formed,
while you contributed altogether nearly a
half million dollars in the interest of your
volunteers and their families. From that hour
until bell and cannon rang out the glad con-
summation OF peace, your city stood in the
front rank of the long line of loyal commune
ties whose patriotic response to the angry wave
OF rebellion was Numbered over the land in
the ringing roll call and the steady tramp of
her sons-counted IN every army and arm of
the service, upon more than hundred battle.
fields, by land and on the sea, wherever the flag
was unfurled. Your roll of honor numbers
full five thousond names-more than one-sixth
OF the entire population of your City counted
among the gathered hosts of liberty of whom
above four hundred went out from your homes,
no more to return in life.
And as we come to-day. with this sacrament
OF flowers, looking into the faces of so many of
these veterans, standing once more in line, as
when, shoulder to shoulder, they made their
breasts bulwark for the Nation, we may
"glance adown the grey slope of years agone,
now dying mid their autumn laden haze"
while there rises to our heart and memories the
names OF those among the long list of your
martyrs whose deeas are familiar to you all =
who went from their homes with the dew of
youth upon their lips, and fell, asking only
that their faces might be turned to the foe, and
the banner OF their country be placed over
them,-let us not fail to drop kindly tear
with each stricken heart to which rises the
name OF its hero gone. 1t is needless that re-
hearse the story of personal devotion and val
or which your memories cherish forever; of
that distinguished officer, whose conscientious
administration of the high judicial position he
now holds, was foreshadowed in the excellence
OF his government of a Southern state; of the
gallant General--worthy son of an illustrious
sire,-who made one of the most honored
names of your comm Onwealth, as conspicuous
in the field as it had already become in the
councils OF the Nation, whose shattered limb
lies buried upon one of the holly contested
helds OF the Southwest, and in whose chief
magistracy to-day,-honorable as it is to him.
your city is doublv honored; or of that fair
haired, bright eyed, smooth faced boy, whose
youthful patriotism could not be restrained;
who, from the hour when his reverend father
tearfully came with him to the recruiting camp
was loved fayorite with officers and associ-
ates, and who, after two years of service, brave
ly fell, torn by remorseless SHE'LL in Que of the
many severe contests in which his regiment
was engaged, -Searg' t-Major Fred. A. Bos.
worth, whose name your Post bears to-day.
These are but specimens of the soldiers your
city gave to the service of an imperilled land
than whom no truer lived, no drawer died.
With these memories in our hearts. I'VE have
gone from this city of the living, to the silent
encampments where sleep our martyred COM
rades, decking their shrines with garlands of
the choicest OF earth's treasures, the brightest,
most beauteous flowers of spring. Over their
mounds We again spread wreaths of myrtle and
evergreen, twined with fragrant blossoms, upon
which the glad sunlight has painted something
OF eternal purity and beauty, tokens of our
frallty, emblems of blest immortality. There
is no death to those whose lives have been
bodies are laid away to rest: but while over
their sleeping forms the mounds grow old, they
live forever in immortal youth.
Unlike most Of the wars in the worlds his
tory, ours was no contest for ambition, fame or
conquest; through the revolution nation was
The one blemish upon the fair face of our Re-
public, distrustfully recognized by the trainers
OF the government had grown into mi ghty
cancer, its repulsive characteristics only scared
upon the surface by the compromises to which
the people submitted, in the vain hope of STAY
ing its growth and crippling its strength, until
only the terrible flash Of the sword, mid pain
and blood, could rid US of its presence. No
result OF the war was more grand than this;
and our grateful homage to these willing mar
tyrs beside whose grass grown mounds we
gather to-day
Around the graves of our heroes kneeling
Heaven above, and their dust below
is the more earnest and enduring, that we can
rejoice not only in the maintenance of national
honor and unity, but that the one stain upon
our national escUtcheon has been obliterated
by the enfranchisement forever of that en-
shaved race, whose dark faces during all our
struggle. covered no traitor hearts; whose long
stifed aspirations for freedom, and instructive
perception of the underlying nature of our con-
hlct, made them unwaveringly our scouts in
the held, our benefactors in the prison, our
shelter and our guides in the escape. and
whose blood, poured out in the historic assaults
under Shaw at Fort Wagner, before Richmond
ana at Port Hudson, sealed forever, as by an
irrevocable decree, their right to the manhood
OF freemen; and who to-day may turn their
ioar millions Of dusky faces Heayenward call.
The Grand Army of the Republic, under
whose auspices we have assembled to-day, con-
sttuted of the honorably discharged sailors
and soldiers of the late war; is banded together
with no purpose of politics or power; welcom-
Ing all, OF whatever natioalitv, creed or color.
who were among the nations defenders; de.
mandlng 10 vows of allegiance, except to our
country and the flag; asking no pledges but of
fraternity, charity and loyalty. Fraternity
which seeks to bind together in closer ties the
defenders OF common cause, and to more
closely cement the comradeshp born of battle.
charity, which strives to securely guard the
interests of the orphans and widows of our
comrades fallen; to deepen the channels of a
nations generosity; to act as the almoners of
grateful people in driving from the door grim
and sulen want, that no one of these patriot
wards of the Republic may ever be left in de.
pendent, poverty. Loyalty, equal to that of
l776, and 1861 counting ever no sacrifice too
great tor liberty and the nation.
The Grand Army of the Republic chershes
no antagonisms, seeks to perpetuate no Sec
tional animosties but let us never for a mo-
ment, In this or any future year forget, that
not valOr but loyalty is the cornerstone of our
organization; the pages of history are burdened
with the story of men who have bravely dared
TO suffer and die in support of that which has
received the utter condemnation of humanity
The fallen angels, as represented in Mlton's
grand epic, SO contended against heaven itself,
as to fill US with degree of admiration. while
we lament and condemn the sin that dragged
them down to perdtion. And surely, no men
better appreciate than the soldiers of the Union
armies, the courage of their opponents upon SO
many fields; none more willingly accord to
them the fullest measure of conscientious con.