Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-05-28

A LARGE AUDIENCE HEARS HIS IMPRESS
I'VE STORY ON SUNDAY.

It was the good fortune Of VIM. X.
Kimball Post, G.. A. R., to secure the
services Of the distinguished hero OF
Little Round Top, Gen. Joshua l..
Chamberlain, soldier, statesman and
educator, to give Memorial address.
That Gen. Chamberlain could not be
here on Memorial Day, so that the ad-
dress had to be given on Sunday after
noon, detracted in no respect from its ap-
propriateness or its impressiveness.
The memorial sermon was given by
Rev. j. w. CHESHIRE, at the regular fore
noon service at the Baptist church, and
was attended by good delegation of
the veterans.
At 2 O'Clock p. NJ the address OF Gen.
Chamberlain was given in the Baptist
church, and the building, which was all
thrown open, making the largest audi
ence room in the village, was filled near
ly to its capacity. VIM. K. Kimball
Post and the Ladies of the G. A. r.
escorted Gen. Chamberlain from Hotel
Andrews to the church. A number of
visiting comrades from other posts were
present, 80 that the line showed over
fifty veterans, and nearly as many of the
ladies "a much larger representation Of
the Grand Army men than is usual in
these days of thinning ranks.
The singing for the service was by the
Schubert Quartette, which gave selec-
tions appropriate to the day. Rev. Miss
Macduff of West Paris, Rev. A. K. Bald
win and Rev. Thomas N. Kewley par
ticipated in the opening service, and
Rev. Mr.. Chesbro then, with brief but
eulogistic remarks regarding the career
of the speaker, introduced Gen. Cham
berlain, who would, he said, speak on
1.-The Sabbath before the Surrender"
After contrasting the conditions of the
day with those of the day of which he
was to speak, in an eloquent manner,
Gen. Chamberlain explained that he had
selected the topic as one appropriate to
the occasion, and that he had brought
with him a manuscript descriptive of
the events, written by him during the
summer following the surrender, while
he was still in the service and while the
events were fresh in his mind. He
craved the indulgence of the audience
for combining himself very closely to the
manuscript, but he did it lest the flood
of memories reused by the occasion
should carry him away from his intend
ed line of thought.
Some more than an hour was occupied
by the narrative of the events connected
with Lees surrender at ApPomattOx,
with which Gen. Chamberlain was init
mately connected, for his command was
in the forefront of the last days fighting
at Appomattox, Gen. Lee and Gen.
Grant rode through his lines on their
way TO the conference, and Gen. Cham
berlain was in the command OF the pa
rade at the formal surrender and laying
down of arms. Framed in beautiful Ian
guage, yet withal simply and directly,
the story of those days was told, and the
tremendous significance of their events
was set forth. A simple story of great
events, so wildly told that his hearers
could almost hear the sound of those
last guns, see the movement of the troops
on the field, and feel the deep grief of
the surrending Confederates.
During the address the audience sat
with the inteusest degree of interest.
Probably the majority Of those present
were born since the days with which the
address had to do, and it is not often
that the younger generation have the
events of those stirring times pictured
to them with such force and vividness.
intellectually the address was treat; to
the patriotic citizen it was soul-stirring
reminder of the times that tried mems
souls, and the sacrifice and blood that,
in the providence of God, was necessary
to make our country what it is to-day.
No one that heard it but that went out
of the house better American than he
went in.
The programme for Thursday, Me-
mortal Day, is as follows:
We shall meet at our hall at o'clock
A. NJ, to attend to decorating hall and
other work. Dinner at II O'Clock.
Procession will form at Ills, led by
Norway Band, followed by VIM. X. Kim.
ball Post and Ladies of the G.. A. r. All
school children are invited to join the
procession. March to the cemetery,
where there will be music by the band
and the Schubert Ouartette PRAYER and