The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-08-08

gent cries for Reed, but Judge Ceaves of Port
land was the next person introduced By Chairs
man Williams. Mr. Cleaves spoke as follows:
JUDGE cLEAvEs' SPEECH.
Felloao Citizens and Comrades of the Grand
Arnay Of the Republic:
l can do no more than join others IN con-
graduating you uDon the occasion of this re-
union. In the memory of the war and of the
victories which have been won, they must
make this one of the most eventual days ever
experienced by veterans of the Grand Army.
Many Of You who are here today went to war
as boys, but at every battle you showed that
You were men. AT Antietam, at Gettysburg,
and at the Battle OF the Wilderness, at every
battle ia which you have aided, you have
gained honor and glory; glory that shall last
for endless ages, and which proved you to Be
men. The manner in which you returned to
the calm life of American citizenship proved
your manhood. The manner in which you re-
turned to your friends and families after all
that had been lost In the cause, proved that
peace hath her victories as we'll as war, The
sufferings you endured when you left home,
the weary days in hospital, the Thanksgiving
dinner on bareback; the forced marches, when
your feet ached, your heads ached, your
wounds ached, and your hearts ached these
pains can never be recorded and never suffi-
GENTLY rewarded by your fellow citizens and
by grateful country. You gained honor and
ings have made you nobler men and citizens
they have bound you, as men, with cords
stronger than steel. Fifty-fve millions of peo-
pile should honor and reverence you for saving
this grand republic.
After him came Congressman Reed, who
was received with great applause, and said
MR.. REEDS SPEECH.
AS tribute to your worth this large as
VI my 0rn
rested, is more eloquent tribute than any
speech which can be made. 1t is the heart
beat of the people of Maine threbbiDg for the
glory of your deeds. Why should not human
ity render tribute to q man which made him
what he is, qualities which make the future
and us what we ought to be. In honoring the
Grand Army of the Republic we honor our
selves. Why should not humanity stand in
honor OF those who have offered their every
interest and even their lives as sacrifice.
War is an awful thing but it brings out after
all the true traits of the heart; not the brutal
qualities, the repulsive tendencies but the
noble traits of the heart and the impulsive
patriotism of the people. 1t is to these quail
ties that we offer honor to Him who made us
cap able CT appreciating those things.
When you marched forth you marched from
peaceful scenes, from the bosom of the people;
and when the war was over you returned, not
having executed the will eff a tyrant but the
will OF the people of the United States. When
you returned, it was to take your place among
the people of the United States and to enjoy
the necessaries of life. No wonder that thous-
ands of people should stand before me to join
in offering tribute tc those heroes. There is
no need to talk of the dead, the day of eternity
will recognize them as heroes of the right.
After all, the best thing of this world is the
love and friendship of mankind; the interlac-
ing which takes us cut of personal selfshness
and binds us in broad humanity. You, and
all of us, stand With grand possibilities within
ourlgrssp.
He was frequently interrupted with az
plause aud he delivered speech which was
strong and powerful ana given in splendid
voice.
After Mr. Reed sat down, a stereoscopic
view taker wa1 given permission to take
picture of those on the stage. After he had
done so, he said: "If our future President
with have the kindness to stand I'M in the
centre, I would like to take another picture"
Mr.. Blaine lsughiDgls objected; but the au-
dience insisted and Mr.. Reed and others on
the stage lent their assistance to the enter
prising picture taker, and Mr.. Blaine was
compelled to accede to their wishes. He took
his place in the centre OF the stage as taste
fully as school boy. He evidently didn't
relish the project, but there was no escape and
he took it like dose of pepper sauce. When
he had taken his position, somebody in the
audience cried out: "Don't Look SO sober; you
don't look natural"
rhis created considerable merriment among
the audience. A smile was observed to creep
out from around the lips of Reed, and Blaine
himself could not suppress laugh. The oper-
alton was finally gone through with, when the
chairman read despatch from Gen. Geo B.
Mcclellan, who is at Bar Harbor, and which
read al follows:
Comrades Regret very much that it will
be impossible for me u be with you. Extend
to them Hy hearty greetings !
Blaine was now called, and was received
with perfect ovation. The enthusiastic
demonstration which was given him was evil
IDENTIFY very gratifying to him.
MIR. BLAJNE's SPEECH.
He spoke in substance as follows: z
Gentlemen Of the Grand Arnay of Maine:
1 thank you for this kindly and cordial
greeting. The whole has been one of great
pleasure to me in the renewal OF old acquaint-
ance and the recalling of old scenes of civil
life that antedate your splendid deeds of the
war. My mind is carried back to the winter
of 1851, to the excitement, the citation and at
the same time the seriousn ess and the sadness
of that eminous and critical era. wildly re-
member every incident as we stood on the eve
of the gigantic struggle, when at last the war
cloud burst and President Lincoln issued his
proclamation for rs, 600 men. Maine was asked
for one regiment. Gov. Washburn immediate
Iy summoned an extra session of the Legisla-
ture. l had the honor at the time to be
Speaker of the House of Representatives Pa
Uo orfro av,l
we younger members of the legislature was
but 81 years old myself-determined to do
something very bold, something that we ven
tured to hope would be ra Their appalling to the
Confederate government. Instead of respond
ing with the one regiment which the President
had asked, we authorized the Governor to of.
fer ten regiments to the national government,
and though entirely unused to State debt we
empowered the governor to borrow million
of dollars on the faith Of the State for imme-
date use in the equipment of troops. We all
felt that we we're Dragging when we used these
big figures. We felt sure that our ten regi-
ments would never be needed, for such con-
tingent from Maine implied a larger
force than Napoleon and Wellington
both commanded on the field OF Wa
terloo.
Gentlemen, You, far better than l, know
the sequel. Oar ten regiments were swept in
to the vortex of the war before the expiration
OF half year, and we ended by sending thir-
ty-two regiments of infantry, two regiments of
cavalry and nine batteries of artillery. These,
with the recruits needed to keep their ranks in
the terrible contest, absorbed more than 70,-
600 OF the men of Maine, q draft almost as
large in proportion to the arms bearing popula-
ton as Frederick the Great levied on the prov
inces of Russia in the hardest pressed period
OF the seven years war.
You, gentlemen, are an honored and Inn
portant part of the sur yivors of that great
hostage.sI join with you in commemorative SER
vices for the unreturniDg brave, for that great
host who died for their country and for liberty.
No victory in war ever assured so much
good to mankind; none ever prevented go
much evil the struggle is over and our triumph
Is celebrated, not with sense of having con-
quere1 foe, but with that better sense of hav-
ing reclaimed our kinsmen and brought them
back 10 their own heritage and to the protect
ion of their own flag, and beneath that flag Of
the North and South, the East and the West
will all find protection. Under its shelteriDe
folds we shall all dwell together in unity, 'for
we be brethren" The speech closed amid a
tumult of applause lasting for ten minutes.
Mr.. Blaine's voice was in excellent condidi'
tion and he was listened to very attentively by
the many thousand people present. When be
finished he was given three rousing cheers and
a tiger.
After Mr.. Blaine, Col. Carr Of Colorado, De
partment Commander of that State, and one
armed soldier, made a few remarks. He wal
proud of the fact that % had fought in the Or
ion ARMY and was al SO proud that he had NJ