Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-01-07

that in that point of view, great pleasure Is
r.ken avay from any member who may De
transferred from the legislature OF TINS otate
~ Congress. But then, of course wnen you
ask me. for example, if l am ready 20 step
doom and out, and come back here, say We
Al, have a little idea that there Is eometnihR
, little more elevated in it. although IL 10 NOT
unite 90 agreeable, and We stick 70 IL. As
Jefferson once said, Few die ana none re-
sign" ,,,
Now, Mr.. President. you have levied upon
me once before to-day, and l DO not desire
To take up any more of your time tonight, but
7 s;mply want to say in closing that it seems
to me as if this has been one of the most
agreeable gatherings in the State of Maine.
1t is gathering of those who have been &C
customed to meet from year to year for the
past fifty years in the legislatures of this
State. They have come together for the pur-
pose of reviving old memories, taking each
other BY the hand, and it has been an exceed
ingly agreeable occasion. 1t has been
agreeably so with me, and l doubt not
to each of those present. l trust
as has already been said, that We
shall have a frequent renewal of this
reunion. and that we may come together. if
not another year, at least within two three
years, and renew again these pleasant ASSOC
Citations that have done SO much to make this
bright spot in our lives to which we shall
overlook back with gratitude.
Mr. Drummond then called upon Col. John
NJ. Adams to respond to the sentiment of
THE Press" but that gentleman had retired
from the hall, and Col. William Dickey was
then called upon and responded in a neat and
happy manner, giving entertaining reminis-
cences of his past legislative experiences.
Mr.. Drummond then said that the legisls-
ture of Maine was not only school for
statesmen who remained at home, but also for
those whom our country had sent abroad to
represent America among the nations Of the
earth. One of these gentleman we have with
US tonight, our late minister TO the court
of Sweden, the
Hon w. w. Thomas, Jr.
l wish TO thank our toast-master that, in
calling upon me, he has coupled my name
with that OF Sweden Next to our own beloved
America l respect and admire that glorious
land of the North. While there l was con-
stantly reminded of our own good State of
Maine. There are the same rocky islands,
wooded hills, and swift, clear rivers plunging
TO the ocean; the same bold headlands break
the onset of the untamed sea the same grand
mountains rear their affairs to the skies. and
the same quiet woodland lakes mirror the
stars of heaven. And that glorious land of
the North is inhabited by race of men that
have ever been renowned for bravery, cour-
tesy and chivalry. A thousand years ago
there issued from the creeks and bays and
fjords of Scandinavia a fleet of viking ships
These ships had prows of iron, but the
men on board had hearts of steel
These old northern sea kings swept the
ocean. No vessel could withstand the fury
Of their attacks. They conquered every
land they set foot upon. They suhdued
England they conquered the fairest prov
inces of France they fought and routed the
Moors in Spain; they sailed past the Pillars
of Hercules they harried the whole coast of
the Mediterranean, and their victorious
forays stopped only at the gates of the holy
city, Jerusalem.
But these gallant sailors did more than
conquer and destroy. They sailed boldly
out upon the broad Atlantic. With no
compass, with not even tradition
to direct them, but guided by the stars in
their courses, they crossed the ocean, discov
cred America, sailed along the coast of
Maine, and planted colonies in New England
And all this 500 years before Columbus dis
covered the islands on our southern coast.
Let us not forget that it is to the hardy
sailors of the Northland that we are indebted
for the discovery of this continent. Again,
when our forefathers rose in arms to throw
off the yoke of Britain in that long revolu
tionary struggle that tried mems souls. let us
not forget, that next after our alv France, ii
was the gallant little Kingdom of Sweden that
first among the nations of the world recog-
nized our new born republic, made with us a
] - pJsl, h.,
great sisterhood of nations. And in our ow !
day, in the war of the rebellion, that fight of
giants that for four years shook this CONT
nent, do we not all recollect one memorable
morning when the rebel ram Merrimac
steamed out of Norfolk harb0r. and with her
PROV of iron came down on our wooden
walls of defence living at Hampton roads
| How cruelty that monster iron-clad gored
| one after another of our brave ships to the
death; while the shot from our cannon ratified
off her coat of mail harmless as hailstones
How bravely went down the good ship
! Cumberland, with the stars and stripes float
! ing from her masthead and 18th 800 mmor-
tails on board, who fred the last broadside as
the waters of the ocean poured into the muz-
zles of their guns. Then all was consterna-
ton. kilograms were sent from headquar-
tiers to New York, Boston and Portland, to
all on seabOard CUES: : / he MerrlDac has
escaped. She has sunk the bravest ships of
our navy. We have nothing that can cope
with her. Take care of yourselves-we can
not prote-. you"
For one short hour that rebel ram was mis-
tress of the seas Then. what? A little nom
descript craft comes steaming in from the
ocean. A ''Yankee cheesebox on a raft" it
was called in dersion. But she steams straight
for the Merrimac. the "cheese box" begins to
revolve, the big guns are run out and the big
shot are hurled with crushing effect against
the confederate mailed cruiser. The contest
was long; the fight was hard; but at its close
this rebel ruler of the waves. crippled AMI
disabled, was glad to crawl out of the fight,
/ to roam the seas no more.
Now, all this, my friends. is as familiar to
you as household words. But remember also
that the inventive genius who planned and
built and gave US the "Monitor" that APP
parently insignificant means of defence,
which in that hour. under Providence was
the salvation IF our navy and perhaps of our
maritime cties-remember ALWAYS, | saw
that the inventor of the Monitor was no
American born but the Swede John Erkson
the son of a Swedish farmer, born and bred
in lOwly cottage in the backFoods of old
Sweden. Great applause
Now, nv friends, one thing more. Amer
lea is the great food-producing country of
the world. But of late years most of the