The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-03-19
THE LOYAL LEGION.


Speot due Its Importance. Perry studied
the oriental nature. He initiated their
ways He played at oriental diplomacy.
He was distant, unapproachable in per-
son and inspired a feeling of awe He
gree to his personal conduct that this
success was made possible. He was an
| ideal man for the mission.
Mr.. Sswall graphically described the
formal presentation of the casket on
| shore. How the officers of the royal court
| satins awaited the forty officers and their
| escort of three hundred tars How the
boys in blue marched through files of
thousands of japanese troops respIendent
in their varied oolored trappings. How
the basket was handed over, the receipt
given, the courtesies exchanged, the mes
sage of Perry. II will return in one year
tor your answer" and the safe return to
the ships.
Then the fleet went to Chinese waters
and the scenes and incidents of the year
there were most vividly portrayed.
In year Perry returned to Japan for
his answer, this time with nine ships in
stead of four He received the answer,
an answer that meant that two nations,
the very antipodes of each other, were to
be neighbors and friends, which meant
for Japan the the railroad and telegraph,
American trade and commerce, the trans
ferring of small unimportant villages in
to immense centres of commerce., the
building of great nation.
Prof Sewall paid glowing tribute to
Manjero, a Japanese waif who was
picked up at sea, carried to the United
States, educated, returned to his home
and who played a lions part in the sue
the two countries.
His closing was splendid tribute to
Japan as nation. How mangificently
she grasped the mighty power Of educa-
ton, how she applied it, with what giant
strides she has leaped into civilization
and progress. Upon the spot where guns
were once cast to beat away the Char
barians" perry now stands Female
College. Upon the spot where tbs treaty
was received is now Christian church.
The symbols of idolatry are giving way
to the symbols of the cross. With the
most wonderfully rapid advance the
world has ever witnessed narrow, igno-
rant, superstitious, exclusion enforcing
Japan, has progressed until among the
great enlightened nations of the earth
must now be counted "The Realm of the
Rising Sun.
Prof. Sewall's paper was received with
| immense applause, and he was given a
| rising vote of thanks.
| Major Boyd then read very brief but
very interesting account of the capture of
the first Confederate flag in Maine waters
by the schooner Arago, off Passamn-
quoddy, bay in 81, for which he was
given the thanks of the commandery.
This closed the exercises, and one of
the most interesting meetings in til G
history of the oommandery
THOSE WHO WE'RE THERE.
The following gentlemen were seated
at the tables: Isaac S. Bangs, brevet
brigadier general Seldom Conner,
Edward Moore, Charles W. Roberts, Geo.
W. Verrill, Ira Berry, Jr., Sidney W.
Thaxter. Charles o. Hunt, Thomas J.
Little, VIM. Fl. Anderson, Edward M.
Rand, George L. Beal, George n. Bisbee,
B. B. Murray, f. NJ. Dean, Edward D.
Noyes, Harry R. Virgin, e. B. Mallet,
Jr., G. H. Boyd, Thomas P. Beals, j.
Il. Knight, e. Rowell, G. J. House, S.
II. Allen, Nelson Howard, H.B. Sawyer,
@. G. Graham, WV. Whitmarsh, A Alfred
L. Turner, Hebron Mayhem, George e..
Brown, Il. S. Melcher W. II. Green,
George +. French, Henry S. Burrage and
John S. Sewall.
ADDITIONS TO THE LIBRARY,
| Two new and elegant volumes were
presented to the Legion, forming two
more in the beautiful series that includes
Lincoln, Grant, Sheridan, and now Sber-
man and Da Wis. These books are bound
in Turkey morocco of different shades for
each volume. All the letters and portraits
which are fine engrayings-have been
| beautifully mounted and inserted by
Poole of Boston. The frontispiece is the
colored badge of the Legion. The mar
| gins of the pages are broad and attrac-
| tive. The books constitute an edition
| face letter from Lieut.. Partridge, who
| was Weitzel's chief signal officer when
Richmond capitulated and the documents
| the volume contains were picked up by
him in the Capitol when he took
possession as signal officer and were sent
to the commandery of Maine with his
compliments. There is a communication
from jeff Davis to the Confederate Senate
and House, approving an appropriation
for secret service. A communication to
President Davis from S. B. Mallory.
| Confederate Secretary of the Navy; a
series of engravings of Davis and also of
Davis's cabinet; a picture of Gen. j. e..
B. Stuart, the Confederate cavalry leader
and military map of the operations at
Groveton Heights; and one hundred
dollar Confederate bond. There is also
this important letter from Hon. J. P.
Benjamin, Secretary of War, to President