The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-07-06

rough hewn, it is true, but they are like the
rough hewn features of the statue OF Night by
the great. Angelo, roughness that gives
| energy and power.
Felloao Citizens: We all approve of the en-
deavor to perpetuate among us, in marble or in
bronze, the name and form of Americas great
est poet-our own Longfellow. We are deter
mined, too, that not at some future time
which Is no time-but noW, in the living pres
emit there shall proudly arise, perchance on
the western heights Of our fair city, colossal
statue OF Liberty, Goddess of our country
who, standing on that breezy height, shall gaze
forever ON the everlasting hills, and hold for
ever aloft wreath of laurel to crown the brows
of our brave sons, who laid down their lives
for their country and the freedom Of man.
But, my friends, am sure it is most fitting that
o-day, upon our 250th birthday. Portland has
erected her first monument to the founder OF
our good city-to him, who felled the first tree,
built the first house, and made the first settle
ment within our limits, and whose remains
now lie beneath the soil he first opened to the
sun.
Aye! right and proper is it, that we have
raised our first memorial stone to the first
President OF our Province OF Lygonia-to
him, who for more than thirty years fought for
| Portland against all her foes, our grand, old,
belligerent lion-hearted first settler-that
natures nobleman, George Cleeves.
| And here justice requires should speak
another name and make honorable mention of
another Portlander. "Honor to whom honor
Is due," and surely Portland owes no small
need OF honor and gratitude to him whose
generosity has given us the Cleeyes monument.
He is Portland boy, born and bred-one
whom you all know and respect-our enter
prising, successful, large-hearted and public
spirited fellow citizen, Payson Tucker.
Standing upon the vantage ground OF $50
years, and looking back over the past, how
thick and fast do the scenes of our history pass
l hafOra N Thr0u o. rt
once roamed the moose and prowled the bear
Over this peninsula, where now we hold our
i jubilee, has oft resounded the war-whoop of
the savage; and here the tomahawk and the
scalping knife have done their bloody work
twice has the torch of the red man set on fire
our entire settlement; and happy we're the
scattered few of our ancestors who escaped
by the light of their blazing homes, having
lost all but life.
behring's Oaks once beheld one of
the fiercest and most gallant battles with
the Indians ever fought on this continent
For years the ruins of Fort Loyal looked
sadly down upon the corpses OF her garrison,
lying bleaching in the sun,-the only inhabit-
tants of deserted Casco."
No grander savage pageant, 1 think, was
ever seen than when the warriors of four In
dian tribes, gaily decorated with barbaric paint
and feathers padded up Casco Bay, beached
their canoes on our shores, and in spacious
tent browning Mnnjoy Hill, with great pomp
and circumstance, exchanged with Gov Dunn
mer the Publications of peace.
How many years did the venerable Parson
Smith walk these streets, bearing not only con-
: ISOLATION. but healing to the sick and afflicted
Then "the quality" proinenaded on fashion
able Fore and King streets, gallant in knee
breeches cooked hat and scarlet cloak.
Here came the English Surveyor General and
J markedEour grand pine trees with the broad
arrow. For nearly half century our forest
giants were laid low, foated down to the tide,
and shipped to England to supply masts for the
royal navy. The pines of Portland have looked
down upon many an English naval victory
perhaps upon the great Nelson at Trafalgar.
Along Fore river the feet of Mowatt an
chored and bombarded and burnt our town.
J Amid the beauty of our bay and woods
Longfellow dreamed the long dreams of youth,
and breathed in the inspiration Of his immor-
tai verse. Here was carried on the chief move
ment for new State, AMI when the State OF
, Maine was formed our city naturally became
its first capital.
Here our citizens sprang to arms with the
boom OF the first gun upon Sumter. and from
our pleasant homes went forth 5000 of our
brave sons to fight for liberty and country
from victory well won died away, when the
chance OF an accidental spark wrought wider
!, and greater ruin to our fair city than savage
Indian or British fleet had ever done.
The motto of Portland is "Resurgam;" its
emblem the Phoenix. Nothing more fitting
could be devised. Four times destroyed, she
has four times risen from her ashes. and always
brighter, falrer and more prosperous than be-
fore. Indeed, something of the courage, persist
ence and indomitable perseverance of our found
er, Cleeves, seems to have permeated all
, his successors on this spot and nerved them tc
surmount all obstacles, even destruction itself
} The first capital of the new State of Maine
the first city in population and wealth within
, its borders, it would be difficult to find any
> where city more enterprising, more attrac
tive. more generous or more philanthropic than
: our beautiful city by the sea.
{; 1t is said that continent can sustain one
: great city for every hundred miles OF sea coast
s Our own continent seems to verify this propo
sition. Commencing ON the north we may
s count, at intervals of about 100 miles, the
J cities OF Halifax, ST. John, Bangor, Portland
Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore,
Washington, Norfolk, Wilmington, Charles
: ton Savannah, Mobile, New Orleans, Calves
r ton.
Portland is fortunate in her distance from
Boston
We are far enough..away from our great riva
not to be absorbed by her.
Portland, however small, stands forth an in
dependent, self-relisnt and self-poised factor in
: the business and life of this continent.
She has more independent existence thar
: Brooklyn, with her half million of inhabitants
Our city is not the suburb nor dependent oil
any other.
: Portland is surely destined to do her part
ing business of this continent.
1t would be interesting, could we know how
+, much our growth has been checked by the tel
4 rible calamities through which we have passed
But these are all past and I'VE enter now up
on the second quarter of thousand years o.
our civic life, under conditions which seem t.
promise us great commercial prosperity.
We are certainly ''the citizens of no NEAR
city," and of our founder and our history WI
may well be proud.
IT now o50ivaayS sipea onr fret cettlar 10, a.
ed on our shores.
In this year of grace 1888 Portland has reach
ed her quarter-millennial birth day.
And, of truth, every Portander may mark
this year with white stone; for, standing as
we do to-day, on tho turning point of the frs
quarter OF a thousand years of our existence
we may all look back with pride upon the past
and forward with hope and confidence to the
future.
5 We celebrate the birth day of our city, upon
the birth day of the nation. This is fitting
and proper.
$ In the great events, which led to our indie
pendence, no town in America took nobler OF
more courageous stand, and no town suffered
more for its love Of liberty
+, When in October 1775, the British commo
, dore, Henry Mowatt, anchored his fleet of five
war vessels in line along our harbor, anG
, levelled his guns upon the town, he made t
the people of Falmouth this proposition. Ht
offered, this British commodore, to postpone the
bombardment of the town, until he could
receive an answer to an express which he
would despatch to Admiral Greaves at Boston
? provided this,-that the people would surren
der to him four pieces of cannon, which were
in town, and all their small arms and ammuni
ton
had taHa E,I,x n,