Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-03-26
Eben r. PillsbUry.
IsrEKEsrfss REMrsIscEscE OF THE MING
FIELD CAMPAIGSER or 50.
From the Lewiston Journal. |

CITY hen in 1868 the Lewiston Light Infantry
was dispatched With full equipments and
plenty Of cartridges. to suppress the Kingfeld
Rebellion stirred up chiefly By Eben T. Pills
bury, nov besieging the Public Departments
and the White House for some recognition at
the hand. Of the present administration
When the Lewiston troops left the city
great throng gathered TO see them of, and
| although the rebellion turned out to be a
ploodlsss one, those who were then in this
city will remember that the military was sent
out not for holiday but to prevent a fire in the
rear thar might have become q fame had it
been gingerly handled.
Journal reporter few days ago, encoun-
| tered q Lewiston man, one Of our most intel
| ligent and reliable business men, who in 1868
was living with his father In Kingdeld. and
he shall now have his say: -
I'm 1862, AS | well remember. Eben r.
Pilsbury came to Kingheld, which was his
old home and native town, with Col Wood
man, delivering war speeches. At this time,
| the tone of bis lectures was patriotic. He
professed to have faith in the National gov
ernment. lie believed that the Union should
be preserved. He WAS an advocate Of the
war and the crushing out Of the rebellion. |
remember a story that he told then. think
| it illustrates Eben +. Pillsbury's position at
| that time better than ANYTHING else can.
He told story of two men travelling in
an unbroken country. They stopped on the
brink of q stream where they were of two
| opinions about the proper place to ford the
stream; finally they plunged in. both on the
back of one horse. In the midst of the stream
the channel deepened and they were drown
ing. At once they began to dispute. One
said that the other was the cause of the dis
aster that was full of imp .nding death. The
L.. I'd - 81,
place to ford tine stream as that which the
other had proposed The horse sank deeper
and deeper as they disputed. Mr.. Pillsbury
took these travellers as types, in their situa-
tion of the condition OF the Union arms.
"What these travellers should have DONE"
was the opinion of Pilsbury. the quondam
patriot. was to have stopped wrangling and
relieved the horse and Themselves. It should
have been salvation first by a struggle; then
the settlement of the vexed question of who
was right and who was wrong"
| don't understand that he was a full alvo-
cate Of the war but he did advocate the saw
ing of the Union. and he did in word at least
recognize the strength of the national govern
ment.
The next year he came to Kingfeld again
on campaigning tour. Kinghed put more
than ordinary confidence in the eloquence of
'''" - i"'"""'! Nv '''S 'i'"c' ne was W
many prophet of redemption. think Bion
Bradbury was with him Mr. Pillsburv
delivered three speeches at Kingield | re-
member the tone of each. | have no htsita-
ton in saying they were traitoraus If the
counsel of the kingfeld patriot, Eben F.
Piilshury, had prevailed, there would he to-
day, no national government u petition for
,''fcc at W tshlngton. Ills speeches, to US
ioyh f"ik> IN hlhgheid, funded IKE vie
treason. remember my father, and how he
denounced fliiSonrN seIi'i"ns eioquence,
with more OF torce than had ever seen him
u.s. before Piltsbury, although ! cannot
no" quote his words, denounced tie repubi-
can party, Prtsiiant Lincoln and the Cabinet
and sad that the war was failure, and that
we had better lay down our arms and let the
erring sisters 90 one thing IL indelibly i'm
pressed On my memory.
Inc largest gathering OF people ever saw
IN hingheld' MAS at Samuel Hines barn,
where PIllsburv was announced to sreak
This was at his second or third speech in
h'ngield The one or t"" before had been
startling to democrats and republicans alike
There had been draft at kingfeld-the
celebrated draft that was afterwards resisted.
Fifteen men were drafted. kingt Ids quota
OF men was thirteen. N. b. Saunders was
enrolling officer in kingtield. He was re-
pdbiican.
AT the time of his speech in Hines barn
the people knew who had been drafted, al
though the papers had not been served. As
II happened thirteen out OF the fifteen who
were Known TO be drafted, were democrats.
hingneih was TWO to one democratic. The
proportion OF democrats to republicans in the
drsft WAS greater than this, Among other
reasons then, they claimed that the draft
hAu oeen unfairly done Inc question then
Al hingneid was can we resist the draft ?"
fiiisoury spoke to more people than any
one ei'e ever oid IN thst town before. Car
r'sses we're mere tor miles around
rn,soury spoke again:t the war. His
speech was nerce ana Sindlcuve. In the
"iou'e vi us speech lie stopped 70 pour out
! grass U, "a'er. JUST as tue pitcher had de-
s sn ron .ne eose OF the tumoier after
n'nne u, h,ng"siu man named Collins who
""u ueeu ura''eu' sung OUT from the moor -
ma. "' W A"o" S-0an We resist
VI, VI NJ, "
"'. 'nisours iookeo up.
l esn 50" see MI" ~ plainly 10 DAY as then,
seeus " me
ne ,,I nv ''e k's's Vi es WIN ms left
"Nu'' ""' p''"''"e MS 'ig"' tore nhser at 1t
s'm ,.
uentiemen' TINS government IL a. weak
~ ."'- ~N'tr .hA' l hoiu IN my hand
Iou can Imagine .he sensation winch that