The Portland daily press., 1888-02-11

a. n IL 4l.o
save thls Republic and gave the world the
progress in which we live.
MAYOR cHAPMAN's RESPONSE.
Mayor Chapman respondedl:to lthel. toast
The City of Portland-Her heart is always
open open III. IKE her port, To honor the boys VINO
The Mayor was loudly applauded.
He spoke as follows:
Army:
If ever / felt inadequate to the demands
OF any occasion, l feel SO in attempting to
respond to the toast just offered. Ii ever
might wish for an eloquent tongue with
which to extend to you earnest words OF
welcome from the metropolis Of Maine, or
in behalf of her citizens. give utteranee to
profound sentiments of gratitude for patri-
otto service rendered our country, now would
be the time to desire it, when, standing lace
to face, before the very men who rlsked
their lives for our country's preservation,
some Of them sealing their devotion with
crippled limbs and shattered health.
There have been many notable gatherings
In this hall, grand demonstrations OF every
character, political, philanthropic, religious
occasions full Of honor distinction and pow
| er. long TO be remembered, appr0achlnR,even
the historic; and yet this hall, thus assoclat-
| ed with memorable events, has never Deen
more honored than when holding. within us
| walls the assembled representatives OF the
| veterans of the war of the Rebellion; men
| who fought to uphold our flag when strong
| hearts quailed and the issue was trembling
in the balance, whether we were nation OF
| not.
Among the native principles governing the
| conduct Of men there Is an upward grada-
ton in rank, and far up the line toward that
suelimest sentiment which inspires 70 deeds
OF grandest her0ism, may be found the prln-
| ciple Of love to our country. 1t was this
principle which stimulated our young men
to enlist, transformed them into brave sol
| diers, sch0oled them to endure military
| hardships, filed them with complacency in
view of suffering and death, and deseryedly
won for them the gratitude OF rescued
country so long as a single survivor remains
to receive it, or a single descend
ant follows to acknowledge it.
Indeed, l think that it. remains
| to future generations to fully realize the ex-
tent of the debt due the soldier. We, Of the
present age, fall short Of approaching 1t Just
| as our nation falls short of the destiny II is
| intended to reach. Not even the veterans
| themselves who delight to meet their old
| comrades and recount again the mingled ex-
| periences of army life as we are doing to-
| night. not even may you realize the full
scope of the plan which, in the providence
| of God, you have contributed coward work
ing out. Some of the legitimate results OF
your services are already apparent, In quick
succession have passed before us the aboli-
| ton of slavery, the reconstruction Of the
| States, the enfranchisement of a
| race, the better education of the
masses, the wonderful development Of
| our almost infinite natural resources,
| and as we behold the gradual but
! sure approach of our Republic into the SUI
! preme Seat among the nations of the earth,-
the most intelligent, the most prosperous,
/ I'll IL H., .I.1.N do
we begin to family realize the significance Of
the saving of our nation andsthe doubt Of
| gratitude due her preservers.
Now, what is the lesson of all this? 1t
| teaches that the people should, everywhere,
| appropriately and heartily recognize the SER
| vice of the soldier. To defer it is to fall into
the common error Of Withholding tributes
| during life, and bestOwing panegyrics after
| death. Rath9a recognize the hero living. To
this end in all matters of pensions, our gov
eminent should deal beautifully with the sol
der. To this end, in all matters OF public
! honor and trust, other things being equal
| give the soldier the preference. To this end.
| in all communities let it be held sacred du-
ty to commemorate his service with
monuments or other suitable tokens of rec
| ognition, and knowing that this has been
| done in many cltys and towns throughout
| the common wealth, you will pardon the
| local allusion when | say that the time IS
| now ripe for Portland to carry out in deed
W W
! erection of a soldiers and sailors monument
which shall be fitting testimonial Of city s
appreciation, gratitude and remembrance:
| BY all means let its erection be commenced
| as early as practicable, let it be located
| where the soldiers want it, and let it be suf-
| fciently imposing to both honor its location
and prominently symbolic its object.
| By the love we bear our country, by the
| gratitude we owe her preservers, the least
| our citizens can do is to be ready against the
| daU of II with cuQh contributions shall
| suffice to erect monument at once an OBJ
| ject of veneration and pride to tie beholders,
| a silent but perpetual witness to the patriot
| ism and valor of our soldiers.
| But, veterans, whether monuments are
reared in your memory or not, there is in
| spiration in the thought that your own deeds
| have furnished the most lasting memorials,
after all. 1t is true that these camphres
cannot always continue. One after. another
| of the veterans pass away, the ranks grow
| thinner as in the days of battle, and with
| thinner ranks come stronger ties and tender
er associations. And yet, even now, the
| sons of veterans are waiting to take your
| places with all the ardor of inherited pa
! triotism. They will enjoy the:fruits of per-
| petual union and constitutional rights be-
| queathed them by yourselves, and, in COM
mon with reunited people, transmit them
| to their descendants; thus perpetuating a
| remembrance of yourselves more lasting
than that Of stone, an inseparable country
rendered so by your service and tran smitted
with all its blessings to future generations.
GOVERNOR MARBLES RESPONSE.
Governor Marble responded to the toast,
1.-THE State of Maine" He was received
with applause. After referring briefly and
feelingly to the circumstances of his Access
sion to the office to chief magistrate of the
State. He said: 81 am called upon to re-
spond to the toast, 1.-THE State of
- ,1,,a oh Of oUic
trate, but as a son Of Maine to the manor
born, / heed the call. And right here per-
nit me to say that, whether at home or
abroad, upon the sea or upon the land when
| ever hear the name of our good old State Of
Maine uttered, it touches cord that vibrat-
| ed always. In response to the sentiment,
1.-THE State of Maine," i will say that l
| could not do so more proudly than to do it
surrounded as am by so many of her brave
| defenders, members of the Grand Army of
| the Republic The Grand Army of the Re-
| publici How significant the words How
| many "reminiscences they recall! Some of
| bitterness, some of chragrln, some Of sorrow
| for battles lost and terrible slaughter of her
| brave soldiers, and some OF pleasant char
| acter of battles won and the great finale of
| Appomattax, from which the soldiers Of
| Maine brought off their full share of glory.
Maine hOn0rS her boys in blue, living and
dead, as you honored her by your brave
achievements your yalor and your skill dis
| PLAYED so conspicuously on every battle field
| from Gettysburg to the Rio Grande. She
| erects monuments to the memory Of her
| dead. To the living she appTopriates vast
| sums of money to be distributed among the
| INDECENT, the aged and the manned, and
| large sums 70 provide for her orphans for
| whom she cares most truly, educating and
| fitting them for the duties of life as WE'LL if
rot better than the average of her children
are cared for.
Maine is also always found true to her
| duties to the Boys in Blue in the distribu-
| ton of her civic Offices. /, as governor, have
| been selected from your order. Several at
| torney generals bave filed that position with
| great ability and great credit to themselves.
| Most offices and customs officers and numer-
| GUS minor ones are filled by men from the
same direction. 1t is well, for when Maine
| forgets her soldiers and her orphans, the
MANNED, the INDECENT and the aged her
name should be forgotten. Gentlemen of
| the Grand Army, for this opportunity to be
| present this evening" thank you most cor
daily.
HON. W. F. LUNT's RESPONSE.
Hon. w. F. Lunt responded to the toast:
"The Volunteer Army" they came exultant
at their country's call, in swelling phalanx
and with mighty throes, to stand between the
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