The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-06-02
Given a Warm Reception by G. 4.
R. Veterans.
Col. Harry Weissinger
in Portland.
Tells Hew He Became q Union
Man.

At the Bosworth Post nall on FREE
street last evening there was held one OF
the most delightful camp fires in the his
tory of this organization. The affair was
v reception rendered to Col. Harry Weis-
singer of Louisville, Ky, who has been
visiting In Maine for several days. Col.
weissinger arrived from Bangor on the
late afternoon train and was met at the
station by committee Of the post con-
sisting of Comrades Richard X. Gateley,
Major Charles II. Boyd, and Arthur M.
Sawyer. The committee took their guest
pn ride throughout the city and then
went to the Falmouth hotel for supper.
Col. Wessinger held short reception at
the hall and then the veterans adjourned
to the dining room in the basement TO
partake of bountiful lunch. Com
mander Mattocks called upon Rev.
Eamuel Worcester to invoke the divine
blessing. The supper over adjournment
was taken up stairs to the main room.
General Mattocks called upon Comrade
Gateley to act as the POSTMASTER OF the
occasion and in his introduction of the
presiding officer spoke few words
HIS tiihf No q 6hCehe tNNhe sN-
Mattocks. "The time was to come when
the North and South were to be reunited
and this happy event 1t has been said has
been fastened by the Spanish American
war. can only say In behalf of this post
that voice the sentiment Of every man
when I welcome the gentleman from
Kentucky whom we have with us to-
night 1 care not what the politicians or
other people say. We fought him and his
friends then because we thought 1t was
a duty to do so. But now we extend the
right hand of fellowship to him."
Toastmaster Gateley was greeted with
hearty cheers as he took his place. He at
once introduced as the first speaker
General Chamberlain to respond to the
toast "Our Country" 81 came here to
Join you in paying honor to our beloved
friend,n said General Chamberlain. at
Is pleasure to again meet Col. Wells
singer. 1 believe 1 speak for the union.
We've got one and we arc now going TO
keep 1t. Down South they claimed that
they were saving the real, original union
and don't know but that It's true after
all that they were working for the very
same thing which we were, life, liberty,
the pursuit of happiness and the union.
However, that thing came to climax as
all things do. 1 believe that there is an
overruling Providence that brings out re-
suits greater than we expect. Everybody
said that we were not going to touch
slavery. You know that President Lin
coin said so and the House Of Representa-
tives passed vote which was to the effect
that we had no right to NEEDLE with
slavery. But there was will power
greater than ours. That Spanish Ameri-
can war gave our friends in the South an
opportunity to fight for the old flag. They
have carried out their ideas in n most as
tonishing manner.
The guest of the evening was then in
Produced and as he arose to speak was
accorded magnificent ovation. The en-
tire assemblage arose and gave Col. Weis-
singer cheer after cheer In introducing
him Comrade Gateley said: '"There are
certain reasons why the North and South
have come together. tell you we have
with us tonight n man who has had as
much to do with it as anybody. We have
with us a gentleman "a comrade who has
proved himself to be generous host and
whose hospitality is q household word
from Quoddy Head to Kittery."
II am permitted to call you comrades, u
began Col. Weissinger. IF had been q
conquering hero returning home from the
front could not have had greater ova
ton than have had in coming to the
State of Maine. This is the fifth speech
that have delivered since being here and
every time that have spoken 1 have
been more pleased with the people. will
not be known in the history Of the civil
war. II my name is mentioned at all il
will be by accident. / shot all that
could and I shot to kill. served as a
private in Morgan's command. Now
am called colonel. am known MS q
Kentucky colonel. My military title was
not discovered until tho war was over
The first Republican governor that have
known in the State of Kentucky in my
time discovered that my military talent
had been overlooked in the war. He
thought that had been greatly neglected