The Somerset reporter., 1886-02-17

prejudice, the breakers Of chaius. They
broke the shackles from the limbs of slaves,
from the souls of masters, aud from the
oorthern brain. They kept onr country
90 the map Ut the world and our flag In
heaven.
Again comrades we bid you welcome
and may lie who guides the Affairs of ma.
lions as well as individuals, So direct In
the Council OF State in our own beloved
land that no future historian shall have
tae painful duty TO record, that the Amer
lean Republic was and Is not.
Gen. Dyer presented as tosst-master OF
the evening, Comrade A. w. Wildes.
Col. Wildes accepted, aud named a. the
first regular toast The Nation nth a
big y. What zee beiiere IN and tehat zee
IN and ,ohat zee fought for. Gen. j. A,
Hall was asked to respond.
GEN. HALL said that when he was liv'
ing In the South, he was told Of a dinner
AT which each gentleman was to tell the
state he came from and why he was proud
of It, One man said be came from Vir-
GINA; it was the birthplace Of Washing
ton and that was glory enough Another
said he came from Alabams, with it,
glorious climate, where the magnolia l.
always 10 bloom. One little fellow got
up and squeaked out, I'm from the gar
den of the Earth" Somebody asked
where's that2" and he shouted "Skow-
hogan, Maine" Laughter and applause.
The General spoke eloqucntly, as he al
ways does, of our Nation aodlclosed b.,
saying "rhe grandest heritige that VT
hrve is that our grandchildren can tell
their children that we went to the front
AMI saved this country IRON destruction
| The National Encampmem ofhe q, A.,
r. 4 brotherhood that seeks 10 peJ1etudte
| the memory Of all those ,eh0 participated IN
the great struggle for the preservation Of
the Goreramem and Unay Of the States Of
the Republic
Ex-Gov. CoNNoR responded. He ex-
pressed the regret of National Commander
| Burdette, who WAS expected, that he
could not be present. The Grand Army
is one of the maryels of the world. In no
other country Is such an organization
possible. 1t is significant of the country
| In its sons, as well as it's patriotism. 1t
is great object lesson of craftsmanship
and duty If had a son whom | wished
to rear as he should be reared, | would
refer him to such an organization as this,
as a good example for him. The purpos-
rs and functions OF the q. A. X. are mani
fold. One of the first and dearest is the
loving duty which we take upon ourselves
to perpetuate and honor the names Of our
fallen comrades.
The !State Of Maine. The loyalty Of her
sons has bern tested on many a butte .feid,
and nerer .to,tad toaittng,
Gov. Robe responded: He said the
occasion brings back weighty memories.
20 back TO the time OF good, loyal Gov
ernor Wasbburn, Of whose Council l was
u member and whose memory we all re-
we're. saw the LIST Maine regiment start
for the front aud l was present when they
were mustered out and paid them OF Ia
gold | have known the Maine troops
from Maine to Louisiana. | can testify
that the Maine soldiers never were found
wanting. Applause. II Is pleasant in
this model town to know that capital aud
labor are going together hand in hand.
We are here where that great and good
man, Abner Coburn was born. APP
plause We see here evidences OF his
generosity. He was one of our war gov
errors and the soldiers of the State OF
NJ aine love him. In closing, Governor
Robbie spoke Of the great outpouring OF
Maine soldiers in all the couDtry's wars
and expressed his great interest in the
soldiers orphan asylum at Bath. The
he always is by Maine soldiers.
The Grcnd Army Of the Republic Depart
mem Of .uaine, 10 recognizes all ,corthy
soldiers as brothers-it extends its charities
to their wiaons and orphans and ptcdges
ioyat derotion 10 the Constitution ana
Union Of the United States.
| Col. Wildes In introducing CAPTAIN
SAMUAL w. LANE, the newly elected De.
| h
"a man believing that a patient waiter Is
no loser md it's long lane that has ut
turn" This witty reference pleased the
veterans and they laughed merrily.
Capt. Lane made a bright, well worded
speech. | feel like congratuating yol or
one thing, said he, and that is that you
have laid the ghost of standing candi-
date for Department Commander OF the
G. A. II. Great laug and applause
The Gouernor, Gen. Conner and Gen
Hill have made such good speeches that
feel like following the example of The
churches, who, tired OF repeating the
evening service, tied his prayer book to
his bed post and said, "Oh Lord" Those
are my sentiments. Laughter. Then
the toastmaster has given me too broad II
subject. He wants me to embrace not
Only the &. A. r., hut their widows and
orphans Laughter. Boy! l haven't
time. l would do it II l had tim!
Commander Lane recited poem In
honor OF the dead heroes.
Our Mother, the Connao n,cealM of Mas
sachusetts. To this, Past Department
Commander GEO. ii. PATCH Of Massachli-
sets, responded eloquently. He was
warmly received by the Maine comrades
with whom he Is very popular. Massa.
chusetts was never ashamed OF the loyal
sons and daughters of Maine, he said, and
hoped they had never been ashamed of the
prestige Of the Mother State. The SOL
diers of the two states fought side by side
through the long weary strife.
The Nary r. L. GATELY OF Portland
as matter of course responded to this
toast. Every one In Maine who knows
"Dick Gately" instinctively associates
him with the Navy. 1t is difficult TO
think of one without the other. Said he ::
IL am not asked to mike speech, but
merely to show myself. Laughter.
There was time when 1t was question
whe her the veterans of the navy should
into the G. A. II. l was the first one ad-
lnitted 10 Portland, believe. There are
now 600 sailors in the Maine Department.
Deed, Of heroism In the navy were as
common as in the field. l hope yet to
see the word iilor mentioned In our ritu-
al, and this noble organization Of ours
called The Grand Army aud Navy Of the
United States"
The only debt this Republic mn nerer
pay is that Gfh gratitude she ores those
,cho espoused the cause Of the Union and
fought for the life Of the Nation.
DIR PATTEN. said: The money debt in
Cured by the war was of such vast pro-
portions as to almost startle the people,
but it is being wiped out; not so with the
debt we owe those who sacrificed their
lives in this fight for the Union. You
know, better than any one else, what this
terrible cost was. May the time never
arrive when this republic shall forget it.
DIR. A. C. HAMLIN of Bangor responded
to Our Country AID its VeterDns. He
said 1t seems to be the aim of this coun-
try to lead all other Nations on the great
highway of progress. 1t is not improb-
able that she may one day direct the civ
ilization of the World. To young veter-
ans, there must be consolation in the
a.. A..