The Portland daily press., 1894-05-31

cfulGlng ONCE Saccarappa, or at the
subscri Der at the county treasurers' Of
fee, in City Building"
Such are the memories of the times
when the men whom we saw march
| through our streets today went forth to
conflict. There was no hesitation
among them. Every town in our state
yielded its best sons.
Then marched the brave from rocky
steep,
From mountain river, swift and cold,
The borders of the stormy deep,
me wales where gathered waters sleep,
Sent up the strong and bold.
As if the very earth again
Grew quick with Gods creating breath,
And, from the sods of grove and glen,
Rose ranks of lion-hearted men,
10 battle to tie DEATH"
So those men who have assembled to-
day to honor the memory of their dead
| companions in arms went forth from
among us to battle.
The scroll of history had not been I'M
rolled far enough for them to read upon
mattox, but it has been I'm rolled to US,
and we are enabled to understand the
magnitude OF the work which they, aid
ed in accomplishing; work which
| prevented the disruption of that SPLEEN
did fabric of nationality of which our
forefathers laid the foundations in blood
and suffering.
In all ages, and among all nations
those who have imperilIed their lives or
the public veal have been cherished and
honored. Among the Morse folk theirs
were the chief joys of Valhalla; the
Greeks awarded them all the delights of
Elysius, and even the rude savages of
America assigned them special privi-
leges in the happy hunting grounds be-
hG CIR honor
our heroes by setting apart day in
which to wreathe their graves with
flowers, and to recall the memory of
their noble achievements. And long
after we have laid down to rest from
our labors shall our children and our
children's children come here as we
come to night, to recall the memories
of the past, and to do honor as their
faith ers have ever done, to the memory
of that great army of brave men whom
Maine sent forth to battle for human
rights and human brotherhood, and
who sleep in peace on her green hillsides,
in her fresh valleys, and beside her muir
muring streams. Well may we repeat
with the poet.
How sleep the brave who sink to rest
BY all their country's wishes blest.
When spring, with dewey fingers cold,
Returns to deck their hallowed mould,
She there shall dress sweeter sod.
Than Fancy's feet have ever trod.
By fairy hands their knell has rung,
By forms unseen their dirge is sung,
There, Honor comes, a pilgrim, gray,
To bless the turf that wraps their clay
And freedom shall awhile repair
To dwell weeping hermit, there"
After the "Suwanee River" by the
Cecilian QuartetUe (Which was encored,
with the rendering of 1.-The Chimes"
by Macay as a response).
Rev. j. J.. Jenkins, D. D., was intro
duced and spoke as follows:
REV. J. L. JENKINS's ADDRESS.
The day we celebrate is rightly named
and this is much in world where much is
falsely named or missnamed. The stur.
dy, practical Romans knew the power
in names. Theirs is the proverb, bonum
nomen, bonum omen," good name, omen.
The power of an institution is largely
in its name. 1t was a happy posi- bly,
a day the name Sabbath. The Jews
had great skill in choosing fitting
names for all their great festivals. With
us the Fourth of July tells nothing of
the event eommemorated; it does not de-
fine its purpose. But with this day we
celebrate its name denotes it's purpose.
lis day given up to mMemory. It is a
day when the light shines not forward
but backward; not upon the future, but
upon the past. Memory has much to do
in the making of nation.
The speaker then referred to the deliv-
erance of the Hebrews from the Egyp-
tians and passed to mention the Pass
age of the Jordan and the entrance of
Jesus into Canaan as great historical
re HANOI the n1nnnrnAnf nf GtnnnS
established by primitive people to per-
pc tuate them Then followed the poets
who sung of the great deeds of d people,
and then the prophets with their ora
tions rehearsing the occurrences of
other days. No nation has come to
greatness, to continued greatness, which
has not made much of the recollections
of what was great and heroic in it's
past. The Chinese has the oldest of ex-
listing histories and no people make
more of it's past than they. Rome and
Greece were careful to teach and preserve
the heroic deeds of their ancestors
Their great poets used them as themes,
and went among the people repeating
them in order to keep them fresh in the
memory Conceive of Il people among
whom no such memories aud lessons ex-
list, who have no recollections of men
who did brave acts, who suffered for
others, who died cneerfully for country
or friends. 1t is impossible for such
a people to become strong and enduring
There are no forces urging them for
ward and upward away from the base
and selfish The need is example to
quicken sensibilHJy and stimulate imi-
tation. For want of these memories
that primeval society decayed and dis
appeared. A nation can exist without
courts, without armies, navies, ports,
or great population, but it cannot exist
without great recollections. If history
teaches one lesson more plainly than
another it is that sgreat recollections are
indispensable to natural growth and
continuance. 1t is well to recall and
impress this truth upon ourselves.
We are a nation with a future. In it
lies our splendor and power. Towards
these men look. Prophets among as
talk of the ultimate A merica, make
picures Of people possessing the whole
continent i'll which rich, populous cities
shall abound. surprising the cities of the
Old World, sunder government more just,
more pure, more kindly than any
the world has known.
1t is well to talk thus, TO excite the
most generous hopes. National life needs
them. A people without them dies, but
not by hope alone is a nation saved. The
springs feeding national life are not all
in the future. Nations mast drink
water from the old wells thehr fathers
di coed and of which thew and thair