The Portland daily press., 1889-10-04


give the entire day to the field a postpone
ment was made until tonight as already re-
ported. Gen. Joshua L. Chamberlain, ex-
governor and colonel of the Goth Maine Regi-
ment made the opening address and took the
chair as presiding officer. He spoke as fol-
lows
Gen. ChamberlaIn's Address.
The State of Maine stands here today for
the trst time in her own name. In other
days she was here in deed-here in power
here in majesty-here in glory; but here, as
elsewhere and often before, and perhaps in
accordance with the necessary law of human
exaitation, her worth merged In q name
mightier than her own--part of that greater
being which she held dearer than self, but
made more worthy of honor by her belonging
to 1.-THE United States of America. For
which great sake, indeed, in every heroic
struggle from the beginning until now, a
space of more than 200 years, she has given
her best of heart and brain, and poured out
her most precious blood.
Today she stands here, in service of
mingled recOgntions; humbly submitting to
that mysterious law of sacrifice and suffer
ing for the deliverance from evil; bending
sorrowfully above the dust to which have re-
turned again the priceless jewels offered
from her bosom; proud that 1t was her part
aud lot that what was best in her giving and
what was immortal in her loss, should be
builded into the nations veal: and stretch
ing out her hand, of justice and OF grace, to
raise along these silent lines of battle monu-
nents eloquent of her costly devotion and of
her sacred remembrance. She stands here
not ashamed when the roll of honor is call
ed, to speak her own name, and answer,
Here!
The organization of the army of the Union
was counterpart of that of the Union it.
self. In its ultimate elements and separate
units of organization, the personal
force and political authority OF each State
were present; but they We're merged ard
mingled in another order, which took an
other and higher aame when exercised joint
IL, In d single aim, for the common veal
For reasons various but valid, the regl-
ments and batteries of the several States
Were for the most part, separated In assign
ment, distributed to different brigades. di-
visions, corps, armies. Some sadly suggest
i've reasons there were among these, as fol-
instance the care that in some great disaster
the loss might not fall too heavily on one To-
cality. But there was greater reason. OuI
but OF States united. thus constituting the
life and being of the people Of the United
States, Our hearts beat to that one higf
thought; our eyes saw but the old flag; anl
our souls saw 1t, glorious with the power OF
peace and blessing, In the forward march ol
man.
But now that this victory is won, thil
cause vindicated, and the great fact of the
being and authority of the people of tht
United States has been thus sUlemnly attest
ed by the moral forces of this pc 0ple. using
the physical ~ token and instrument Of
come here in their own name, resqming theil
State rights, to ratify and confirm this action
of their delegates: to set these monuments a:
seals to their own great deeds, and new GOV
enant Of life.
We were not fighting against the States
h.,fo otnc thair tai IN ha
supreme over and ,a6QYe the people OF tn,
United States. And yet. il is the people Ql
the States, acting not in their numerical o.
mass capacity, but in their political capacity
the political people of the several State
who made the Union, who ordained the Con
| sttution; or rather who, being what the
facts facts OF iiisfofay, sslng c9nsfituted as Ihe
were, expressed for themselves and for thei
| political order as united people, Che writ
| ten Constitution, cOnfOrmable to their Int
rior and actual Constitution.
| 1t il the people of the States acting through
| the ipStrumeltality OF their State organlza
| tiop, who determine all great questions
| public policy or the common veal, But 1t
/ OILY In Union that the States have their eS
| istence as States. There is no sovereign pe0
| ple without the States; but there are n
| States without union. That Is why W
| fought for the Union. That is why, having
| brought the rebellious States back and MAD
| them take their places in the Union, to max
| good the sovereignty and authority Oh th
| people we now hold dear aud consecrste III
name aud place Of the State. ] No one OF y
wishes to deny the valor, the f6rtltrde, 81
| courage, the devotion, the manliness ot inos
| who assailed the authority of the people
| the United States and struck at thelr yer
| life, in order to set up the supremacy Oh III
| States, each by each. In and for ITSELF an an
| su6scient for all purposes and ends. w
LoTo saa,{ fho. .nni,fest of virtues enlisted in
| mistaken cause. -.
| Were our own State attacked IN ats nig
| place and proper function, as guardian {
| what we may call the home-rlghtS,we snoul
defend it as valiantly as our brethren OF III
1 South claimed to be defending theirs, Bu
no such ascault was made-nothing like
| Private rights Wefe respected with scrupu
business never seen IN Wat befote. they Nc
indeed the opportunity to say that they Wer
resisting an invader; that they were eghIiiD
for their native soil and birth rights, 10
their homes, and for what men hold dear i
them; and fighting in the name OF State
tney looked up to as guardians OF those pre-
ious things. We cannot wonder at their &C
tlon, If under the conviction that their Sta
as such was assailed
But that was not the aspect of the State |
winch the issue was brought
~ was question OF political supremac!
ana tnat regards the nature of our constitI
tlon ana national s4istence. And this
quite'a uinerent matter anq,WoSe far r.reacain
in It's bearing and effect than that Of the in
mediate private rights Of any Individual
The men Of the South wrapped in their theoI
| OF the State forgot the great behest of Ii
peoples they .disregarded and denied an
sought to disalppl, the. great covenant
perpetual union in which TIE people of the
and held their political being. We fought
better b perhaps than they; but contend tn
we've we were lighting on a higher plane. Th
VT II Is Something great and greatening,