Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1879-06-03
II OF
THE PROCESSION.


1t was formed on Main street, in the
vicinity of Beal's Hotel, at about two
o'clock, p. m, and the promptneSs and
precision with which the column was got
into line, showed that the marshals were
well skilled in their duties. The order of
procession was as follows;
Norway Cornet Band.
Norway Light Infantry, Capt John T. fitz.
Widely Encampmcnt, No. 20. I.o. o.fr Norway.
Frank j. Brown, C.P.
Juvenile Tcmplars and children from the sun
day schools, bearing NSrcaths and bouquets
of flowers for purposes Of decoration
Citizens generally.
TO the solemn music of the band the
procession proceeded along the main street
to Grecnleaf avenue where they turned
in to visit the old cemetery there located.
Here they remained some time and seven
or eight graves were decorated, the band
meantime playing appropriate selections.
Resuming the line of march they took
the road to South Paris, followed by
great number of citizens in carriages and
on foot. The road was exceedingly dusty
and many of the little ones must have
had weary walk of II.
Arrived in the vicinity of Pine Grove
Cemetery the column broke ranks, the
Odd Fellows, children and citizens remain
ing under the refreshing shade Of the
trees which there abound, while the band
and the military went on to
SOUTH PARIS
to escort the procession from that village.
Going over in advance of the escort
your reporter found large crowd assem-
blcd about the Soldiers Monument in the
Square, and that the gathering had been
addressed by J. $. Wright, esq, Geo. \.
Wilson, esq, Capt. l.. ID. Stacy, Capt.
II. y. Bolster and others, whose remarks
the writer regrets his inability TO report.
The monument was appropriately dec
grated with flags and flowers, and there
was a general display Of bunting from the
principal buildings in the square.
1t was past three O'Clock when the
south Paris procession started. It con-
sisted of a delegation of young ladies and
children bearing flowers, and was followed
bv large numbers of ladies and gentlemen.
both on foot and in carriages. Arrived
At TIE CEMETERY
the children, under the direction Of the
committees proceeded to decorate the
graves of such soldiers as lie buried at
Pine Grove. \ stand for the speaker had
been located near the central avenue, and
the assembly was called to order by DR.
Isaac Rounds Of South Paris. After the
graves had all been dccoratcd-during
which the band played a requiem march:
Dust to Dust the following was the
ORDER on ENEEci>Es:
!. Music, They sleep beneath the Daisies
>. Prayer by the Rev. +. c. Rogers OF south
Paris.
3. Music, andantc "RcligioSo."
l. The Grafton.
The orator of the day. L. II. Hutch
inson. esq. of Lewiston, was introduced
by DIR. Rounds, and addressed the assem-
bly substantially as follows:
the oRlTIoN.
We meet to celebrate an occasion truly
American. and of recent origin. 1t IS not
for purposes of iubilatiOn, but in memory
of the dead. 1t is meet that nation should
SO honor its dead heroes when the cause
for which they died was a noble and holy
one. and such j. this occasion. IL i not
10 rcioice-unlc>S il be- because our country
was saved: not for rejoicing over IN enc
my-unlesS it be because that enemy failed
10 destroy our country; IL Is in memory OF
the trials. struggles and suffering of our
nation that we are here assembled.
All nations have their trials, all are born
weak and reach maturity only through
many tribulationS Two hundred and nifty
nine wears ago next December the Pilgrims
landed ON the bleak coast Of New England
m Plymouth. They came 10 this country,
and endured hard>hipS, and suffered much
and long that they might enjoy liberty;
liberty 10 worship God according 10 the
dictates of their own cOn>cicuceS. POpu-
lar freedom runs all through our history;
the Revolution. from Bunker Hill 10 York
town was Il struggle for liberty and the
Fourth of July i celebrated in honor oft.
Then we have all heard of the hardshipS
and heroism of the tathcrS-thc brave men
of that first great struggle for popular
freedom.
Yet Slavery, deadly upaS tree, was left.
Our forefathers marched under the banner
of Human Libcrty-and tolerated Human
Slavery, But one or the other must tri
umph: they cannot live together; and the
rigit is sure to triumph ut last.
Here the speaker reviewed the growth of
the pro- slavery agitation from its early days
until il eliminated in the inception Of the
Confederate States project designed to
perpetuate Human Slavery and found a
government upon this barbarouS and un-
American idea.
Referring to the dark days of 1851, he
spoke of the mistaken notions Of both the
North and the South as TO the real strength
and the carneStneSs of the opposing sec
tions. Then it was that Abraham Lincoln,
the son of poor farmcr-like another
Moscs-was. at the age of tifty-two, called
from the humble walks of private life TO
take charge of the Nation in its great
struggle against the slave power. And
what a task was before him. The COnfcd-
eracy was fully organized before his nau-
duration. Bitter were the forcbOdings of
those dark days. What must have been
Lincoln'S thoughts as he set out on his
perilous journey to Washington. But not
withstanding all fears, that journey was a
continued ovation. Men and womep crowd
ed TO see the new leader, To take him by the
hand and bid him "God speed II thrust,
said Mr. Lincoln, in reply to some encour-
aging words, at one of the railroad stations,
Il trust that beyond the clouds, the sun is
shining still" Lincoln was hardly seated
I'm the nreSidentinl chair ere the first GUN of