The Republican journal., 1906-09-06
THE CONWAY CELEBRATION.
Patriotism Exalted and Brave Man
HOnOred

The real exercises of William Conway
memorial week at Camden began on Sunday
Aug. Goth, with sermon at the Elm street
| Congregational church by the pastor, Rev.
L. d. Evans, on the subject, William Con-
way, the Hero Of Pensacola. The members
in a body and the church was filled. MIR.
| Evans delivered a patriotic and scholarly
sermon, and said, in part:
| Quartermaster William Conway was the
son of a poor man and a native OF Camden.
When a lad of Is years he Joined the navy
| and served his country 45 years, dying NOV.
80, 1865, in a naval hospital in Brooklyn, N.
Y He was said to have been obstinate but
that tended to make him more heroic: On
Jan. II, 1861, Conway was ordered by Lieut..
! Renshaw to haul down the American flag.
He replied, 81 will not do it, sir. That is
the flag OF my country, under which L have
served many years"
Only follow COnWay's example our coun-
try will be safe against the world. BE true
to your flag and let it be next to your God
and Saviour. Dare anything for it and
if necessary obey the the call IL to t. AR arms 5;
need be die for the flag Of your
country. Perhaps you are now say
ing, "Why you are only an imported
article" and say, SO are you, only lar
Their back. l honor all countries, but say,
Hail Columbia, l am with you, right. or
of heroes and towards are the exception
One act of kindness or herOiSm may re-
deem whole life of sin. William Conway
at Pensacola redeemed his life from OBJ
security and placed his name among i'm
mOrtalS.
Young men, forget yourselves, do your
duty. That one act of COnway's might
cost him his life, but the heroes of 81 help
ed make our great and glorious country.
There is far mightier host of honest men
in the world than rOgues. We are not called
today to fight for our flag but to tight ana
subdue our mania for riches and hold in
check our lusts and our passions. DO not
point out your neighbors' faults but correct
your own. Go for your own sins first: The
man who lives up to the Golden Rule, the
Sermon on the Mount and the Ten Com
mandments lives the highest life.
Thursday, August Both, the North AT.
lantic squadron, the Maine Commandery of
the Military Order of the Loyal Legion Of
the United States and the residents OF
Camden united in honoring the brav-
cry and memory of William Conway,
native of that town, who, while on duty at
ordered to haul down the American flag in
token of surrender, and although threatened
to be cut down for his diSObedlence per-
sistently and Indignantly refused to obey as
he knew his superior officers were guilty OF
disloyalty. In honor OF this sailor memo
III
about 80 tons, had been erected in front OF
the Congregational church and attached to
the boulder is a bronze tablet, bearing the
following inscriptions:
civilian Conway, Quartermaster U. ):
Navy. A native of Camden, on duty at
Pensacola navy yard, January u, 1861, was
ordered to haul down the American flag, in
token of surrender. He Indignantly re-
fused. Honoring his sturdy loyalty, the
town of Camden erects this boulder to his
memory. And the Maine Commandery of
the Military Order Of the Loyal Legion agc OF
The Maine, the flagship OF Admiral Ev-
ans, the Iowa, Indiana, Alabama, kear-
sarge, Missouri and Kentucky and i've
torpedo boat destroyers included the heet,
and 500 blue jackets were landed to take
part in the parade in which members of the
Loval Legion and of George S. Cobb Post
of Camden and Edwin Libby Post of Rock
land, Grand Army of the Republic, partici-
pated. Music was by U. S. 5. Maine and the
Togus National Home bands. The program
| included addresses by Governor William i.
Cobb and General Joshua L. Chamberlain
before an audience of fully 5000 people,
| the unwilling of the tablet with an address
by Major John 7. Richards, commander OF
| the Maine Commandery OF the Loyal Lee
gon, and finally a salute of p guns, fired
BY the warships. General Chamberlaln's
address tod the story OF me conway incl
ssThe survivors of great war are the
keepers of its best and tenderest memories,
! and we, who through their fallen comrades
enjoy the blessings of a united, free and
prosperous country, can well support and
applaud their efforts to preserve the name
and deed of this Maine sailor who, in his
country's service, and in time of peril, saw
only his duty, and obeyed its call.
s'This tablet here but repeats the simple
lesson, ever old, yet ever new, that patriot
ism, sense of duty, and faithfulness to trust
are qualities that have not yet made their
last appeal to American manhood and
womanhood, and that these qualities may
endure in the hearts of all our people, to in
crease a reverence for order and the law
must be the wish of every true. lover OF his
country and of every believer in her lnstl-
buttons and her destiny"