Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-02-07

ton, and scores being turned away entirely una
bic to gain standing room. The Senate and
House having extended an invitation TO the Cen
eral. assembled as a convention, Senator Wheel
wright presiding. On motion of Senator Peaks,
the following committee appointed 10 wait up
on the Governor and Gen Chamberlain, TO inform
them that the two bodies of the legislature n
session, ready to hear any communication they
NAV be pleased to make: Peaks of Penobsco' ,
Thompson of York, and Kmball Of Rockland.
The committee reported that Gen Chamberlain
would attend forthwith upon the convention. Gen.
Chamberlain came In attended by the Governor
and Council and heads OF Departments, and imme-
diatey took the stand On being introduced 10 a
very handsome manner by the chairman, Gen.
Chamberlain proceeded to deliver his address, be-
ing greeted with cheers.
He said the story Of three centuries could not
be told in a single evening and he should en-
deavor to CLEAN some facts from his address de-
liyered at Philadelphia, without the dry details
lie first described the topography of the State,
first defined and brought out to the early voya-
gers by the two headlsnds, Cape Sable and Cape
Cod. Its three hundred beautiful islands were
Introductory to numerous basins and river
mouths and capacious harbors, capable of holding
the naves of nations. No wonder that the ad
ventu ers and voyagers of other days were at
tracted here. This was the objective point of the
earliest voyagers, and more than one kingdom of
the Old world won its title from the New The
obscurity of Maine in history is somewhat singu-
Plymouth Rock, an English settlement was es-
tabshed on the coast of Maine, and Pemaqud
was metropolis. Samoset, who uttered the
greeting, "Much welcome, Englshmen," was
lord OF PemaqGid. The little band at Plymouth
were helped in their dstresses by the natives at
this point, where were found English hands and
English hearts. History has done injustice TO
these early settlers.
In the early struggle for Independence they
fought under a name not their own. The first
Governor OF NassaCnus
ince; one Secretary of War came from the Pc
nobscot and another from the kennebec. and this
from land without name. True her people
are behind none others in physical and mental
endowments, in courage and in culture, and he
proposed TO consider the reasons OF our obscurty
i'll history. The rigors of the climate aud the
suffering of the early settlers formed positive
reasons. The uncertainties of political condition,
the conflicts of jurisdiction kept the people III
constant excitement and in a state of warfare ;
the constant attacks of hostile Indians and one
hundred years of warfare. One great obstacle
was in the character of many of the colonists,
who were not men who realized that they were
sufferers in a noble cause, and did not possess
the austere virtues on which society is formed,
and did not have the self-denial sufficient for the
great undertaking. They did not know that civ
ilizaon could not be built up by laws alone.
And then when order came, Massachusetts came
in and the stronger absorbed the weaker. Web
ster in his grand eulogy of the Pilgrim fathers,
created history that had been repeated in song
and story, and there it fingered for years No one
was rude enough to break the charm. and Maine
robbed Of the glory of its settlement. 1t was
claimed that the first settlement OF New England
was in 1920 on the coast of Cape Cod But at
last the truth is told and Maine justly claims the
honor of the first settlement On the coast of New
England. lie considered this as valuable, not on
account of any permanency of settlement, but as
bearing upon political events.
First, he would consider Maine as a Province.
He described the various explorations TO the New
Werld-the French Protestants that came to these
shores followed by the English voyagers. George
Popham and Raleigh Gilbert, noble and gallant
commanders, deserted Sequin, and soon doomed
up before them the New World, rising up out of
the forests. They landed where Fort Popham
now stands, and sacIedly dedicated the spot to
civilization and themselves to God, and there they
inaugurated the government, and there was or
ganized the first colony Of these New England
shores. Trouble ensued, and theco lony was dis
persed, but the title of England against France
was established upon the occupancy of this point
and that was of great significance.
Who can say that France did not have as good
ttlelas England but it fell into the hands OF the
latter-for better or for worse it is not for now
to answer. But what may have resulted if the
simple faith of Protestant France had here passed
into deeds
Secondly, Maine is the Offspring of no other
colony. She is herself the beginning of New
England, and justly holds the proud motto "Diri-
GO Her early settlers were the fathers of New
England. The real base of New England's polit-
csl history lies here on the coast of Maine. How
the work was wrought out with patience and
courage and fortitude! He paid noble tribute
to the men who have given their lives and their
fortunes without any hope in time. The colony
at Plymouth was formed by men who had first
come to Maine. Georges obtained for them their
charter; trading posts were established at Castine
and on the kennebec. Plymouth, Massachusetts
and New Hampshire colonies established
through the efforts of Georges. Maine is in no
sense the daughter of Massachusetts-the daugh-
ter, so called, is older than the mo- her. Massa-
chusetts had indeed been the guardian and was
entitled TO credit on that account.
Georges was loyalist and devoted to his king
he left the infant colonsts, and he and his
royal master went into the shadows, and never
came out again. Confusion now came among the
colonists. Maine become a Province of Massa-
chusetts, and much of her early history has be-
come mingled and blended in that of Massachus-
etts.
In the early struggles for Independence, Maine
bore an honorable part, and her forces greatly
strengthened and encouraged the feeble colonists.
In 1913, two years before Lexington or Concord,
Maine came to the rescue. Their names glow a II
along the record of that period, from Kitery to
Mt. Desert. They are there, and they were true.
Maine gave one thousand men to the Revolution
airy war, greater proportion than she gave to the
recent struggle for the salvation of the Union.
The blood of Maine runs in the veins and has glo-
rifed the sod of every State in the Union.
Lastly, he would consider Maine undef her own
falling off OF inhabitants the last decade while at
the same time there has also been gain in the vot
ing population of 1896, and in wealth Sl5S 600,
900. There has also been gain of 200 in the
number of women. The school statistics show
there been loss of ii, 900 scholars. This shows
that We are gaining in mature men and material
wealth, but losing our young men, who are leav
ing our farms and workshops. War had the effect
TO decimate the number, but the fact stares us
in the face that during the ten years there were
one thousand children year less born in Ma ine
then in any year for the twenty preceding years
Our industry has become more and more gen
eral. Inste ad of numbering aud shipbuilding be
ing the abs orbng interests, various mechanical
and manufa curing industries have sprung up
quickened and inspired by our unriyalled water
power. Bat still The balance is against agricul-
ture, and this ought not to be. The youth 90 off
to other States 10000 Maine born people are
residing elsewhere. The soil of Maine had been
robbed and exhausted by wrong policy. Maine
has been stripping her forests and numbering her
land, snatching at her temporary advantage, and
careless of what was to come. Hard work had
been done, but the work had not been properly
trained But at last have learned TO invite
skill and capital, and glorious future awaits us
lie Ipead for the establishment of farms and