The Somerset reporter., 1886-06-02
Decoration Day.


programme ncTclOIOTc dhupuHtCN' il'
day was perfect The fine shower of
Sunday evening made the air cool and
balmy and effectually laid the dust The
procession WAS very creditablc one for
any Maine village. Skowhegan has com
mendabe pride in her Militia Company,
her Fire Department her Cornct Band, a
well as in the Grand Army Post and the
Ladies' Relief Corps connected Herewith,
and was gratified that they all acquitted
themselves so creditably ON this occasion.
THE PRoCEssIoN,
The procession formed at 30 o'clock
on Water street, the right resting at the
Heselton House under the command OF
Gen. Isaac Dyer, in the following order
sknwhcgan Band, as Pieces.
Co. T. Maine V, Militia, Capt. Weston,
The Fire Department. r. L. Mitchell, Chief
]. Nosmus, Hook and Ladder Co, Frank Swan
commanding.
Skowhcgan Steamer Co. No. /, a. l. Sawyer com
handing.
Skowhegan Drum Corps.
Russell Post g. r. No. %, 7qNnemhets, Capt.
$. q Sewall commanding.
Isaac Dyer Camp Sons OF Veterans, sATgt MeCoon
School Children--Bands OF Mercy and Band Of
Hope, in charge of l.. L. Walton, esq
Citizens in Carriages and on foot
THE ROUTE.
The column moved down Water street
countermarching and to Coburn Hall and
after the exercises there reformed, march
ed to the ceneteD, on the south side,
whee11c the graves of IT, soldiers were dec
GRATED, thence to the cemetery on the
north side where the same ceremony was
performed.
~ CoBURN HALL.
The exercises in Cohurn Hall consisted
of singing by choir made mp from the
singers comprising our several church
choirs; the e. A. X. Memorial ritualistic
exercises by the officers of Russell Post;
invocation by Rev. \. j, Racklii Grafton
by Col f. NJ. Drew, 10Th Maine Regi-
mcnt of Lewiston; singing of America
by the choir and audience and bencdiction
by Rev. j. NJ. Frost. The audience was
large one composed of our best citizens
and the closest attention was paid to the
exercises throughout.
The Grafton by Col Drew was an able,
scholarly effort, comprehensive In its
scope and replete with historical data and
apt illustration We would be glad to
be able to give it in full to our readers
but the REPORTER is not metropolitan
sheet, and time and space precudes any
thing but brief fragmentary quotations,
which must necessarily do injustice to the
address as a whole.
AT this beautiful season when the
trees are clothed in new foliage the flow
ers are In blossom and the ground is car
petcd with fresh vertlure, all suggestive
of happy resurrection and glorious
immortality, we have assembled in com
mon with our comrades and fellow citi-
zens from Maine to California to com
memorate the memory of those who in
the hour of our countrys sore need laid
down their lives to preserve the union OF
the states which compose our great Re-
public, to uphold and maintain the author
| ity of the Government which our fathers
| through many privations and suf1ernEs
established and bequcathed to us, and to
| protect and vindicatc when threatened
the honor of our flag, the symbol of our
national power and the emblem of liberty
to all mankind - No matter how cxpen-
sive and lofty we erect statues and monu-
ments, or how costly and beautiful we
build memorial halls to commemorate the
deeds of our martyrcd dead, they are not
as rich as the blood they freely poured
out for us no matter how beautiful the
offering you to-day will lay upon their sa-
| 4 4 tt,.,r, IL nat h
ing more beautiful or appropriate in the
material universe than wreaths of flowers
wrought by loving hands. - Twenty
years-a quarter of a century-havc come
and gone since the great war of the rebel
lion was inaugurated. Some before me
were then unborn, others can recall but
an incident. i. But to many of us, fellow
citizens, and to you especially, my com
radcs what memories and scenes this day
recalls Before the bright sunlight of
| YOUR uuckcned memories the mist of
these twenty-five years fades away as
from the mountain top and all is clear to
| your vision. - And as you live over these
scenes how tenderlv come back to you the
memory of companions who were dear to
| YOU who went away with you full OF
hope and strength, proudly exultant In the
sacred cause Trey championed; you re-
member with mour full pride how well
they bore themselves while living and how
bravcly and heroically they met death and
illustrated to you that, The iittest place
for man to die is where he dies for man.
= = The cause of the war was II conflict of
political ideas, IL conflict in regard to the
true Interpretation of the powers OF the
United States and the powers of the sew
eral states and their relations to each as
respects the other under the national con
sttution. The question which II took the
war to sett e was, in matters relating to
the general welfare of all the people of
the states is the general government or
the state government supreme; or In 9th
er words, Is the Union nation with SUI |
prcme authority In matters which pertain |
to national affairs, or confedracy exer-
cising national authority TO the extent
and pleasure of the individual states
which compose it?'
The speaker traced the government
through the various stages of the cOnfed-
eracy, the adoption of the constitution,
and the conflict between the antagonistic
theories of government, accurately and
concisely to the notification period say
ing: "The right of secession was the ma
tional outgrowth of this theory of nullh-
In l830-32, it will be remembered, South
Carolina passed the celebrated act declar-
ing unconstitutional and void an act of
Congress regulating the tariff, and supple
mented it with an ordinance of secession.
But for the firm and patriotic action of
President Adams in the case of Georgia
and Jackson in the case of South Caro-
lima, the war of the rebellion might have
occurred thirty years before it was inaug-
urated; and if the action of Congress at
the time had been equally as firm and pa
triotic 1t might never have occurred -
1t is now matter of history, that Sc
cret convention of southern governors
was held at Raleigh, North Carolina In
the month of October, 1856, in which ii
was resolved that IN the event of the cleo
ton of Gen Fremont to the presidency,
which then seemed probable, the slave
states should secedc from the Union,
They made best possible use OF the time
of President Buchanan term to prepare
for secession when it cxpired and in or
der that they might not lack pretext,
which they needed four years before,
they divided the Democratic party and
made the election of Mr.. Lincoln sure,
He received $50 electoral votes and all
~ ,1...,