to send you some remarks on the subject of Chief Justice Popham and his connection with America, if there be time for your purposes, in the midst of my own professional engage ments. I beg you to let me know the progress of your work, and the period of its probable completion, by a line in return; and I remain meanwhile, Your ob❜t servant, C. CUSHING. Rev. EDWARD BALLARD. FROM HON. MR. PALFREY. BOSTON, MASS., August 22d, 1862. GENTLEMEN :- It would give me very great pleasure, if it were in my power, to accept the invitation with which you honor me, to be present at your commemoration of the arrival of the English company, part of which passed the winter of 1607-8 at the mouth of the Kennebec. But I had made engagements for the last week of this month in another direction, before I received your note. I found it yesterday awaiting me on my return from an absence of several days. But for this, your obliging attention would have been earlier acknowledged. of Be pleased to accept my best thanks for it and the assurance my wish for the successful result of your arrangements. I have the honor to be, gentlemen, With high regard, your ob't servant, JOHN G. PALFREY. Messrs. B. C. BAILEY and others, Executive Committee, &c. FROM HON. MR. GOODWIN, LATE GOV. OF. NEW HAMPSHIRE. PORTSMOUTH, N. H., Aug. 26, 1862. GENTLEMEN : — It is with great regret that I am obliged to decline the kind invitation I have received from you, on account of pressing engagements. There is no place that ever gives me so much pleasure to visit as my native State; and no place in that State would be more agreeable to me than the one to which I am invited, hallowed, as it is, by so many pleasant historical recollections of our forefathers. I am, gentlemen, with much respect, Your obedient servant, ICHABOD GOODWIN. Messrs. B. C. BAILEY, and others, Executive Committee. FROM JUDGE TANEY. WASHINGTON, D. C., August 28, 1862. SIR:The letter of the Executive Committee, inviting me and the ladies of my family to the public celebration on the 29th inst., of the two hundred and fifty-fifth anniversary of the founding of the first English colony on the shores of New England, has been forwarded to me from Baltimore, but unfortunately, not in time to enable me to reply before the day appointed for the celebration. But it is not too late to return my thanks to the Executive Committee for the honor they have done me, and to express my regret that I cannot be present upon an occasion so full of historical interest. My advanced age and the length of the journey would have put it out of my power to attend, even if the invitation had been received in time. Accept for yourself and for the Executive Committee the high respect of Your obedient servant, Rev. EDWARD BALLARD, Brunswick, Me. R. B. TANEY. FROM HON. L. BRADISH. SARATOGA SPRINGS, N. Y., Rev. EDWARD BALLARD, Secretary, &c. DEAR SIR: -I am this morning honored by the receipt of your communication, inviting me individually, and officially as President of the New York Historical Society, to be present at "the Public Historical Celebration," on the 29th inst., at the site of Fort Popham, near the place of the original Fort St. George, at the mouth of the Kennebec River, in the ancient Province of Sabino, of the two hundred and fifty-fifth anniversary of the founding of the first English Colony on the shores of New England, August 19, 1607, O. S. I regret exceedingly that neither my engagements, nor the present state of my health will permit me the high gratification thus politely offered in your invitation. With the expression of my regrets, therefore, it only remains for me to request that you will be pleased to receive, for yourself, and to communicate to the Committee and Society you represent, my cordial and due acknowledgments for your kind recollection of me, on an occasion of so great interest, as the one in question; an occasion on which will be worthily commemorated one of the most important eras, and one of the most interesting events in the chronicles of our country,—an era and event which form one of the first chapters in the history of a great people. I have the honor to remain, Your obedient servant, L. BRADISH, President of the N. Y. Historical Society. FROM THE NEW YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY. At a stated meeting of the New York Historical Society, held at its hall, on Tuesday evening, October 7, 1862, the following resolution was adopted: Resolved, That this Society has observed with pleasure the efforts of the Historical Society of Maine to perpetuate the earliest history of their State, by associating important historic events with the great works of national defense of the United States Government; that they acknowledge with satisfaction the courtesy extended by the Historical Society and the citizens of Maine, in inviting the Society and its officers to participate in the commemorative celebration of the founding of the first colony on the shores of New England on the two hundred and fifty-fifth anniversary of that event, on the 29th of August, 1862, at which time a Memorial Stone was placed in the walls of Fort Popham, commemorating the establishment of the first Protestant civil government on the shores of New England; and that this Society cordially approves the act of its President, in his acknowledgment and reply to the invitation to participate in that celebration. Extract from the Minutes, ANDREW WARNER, Recording Secretary. FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE N. E. SOCIETY OF MONTREAL. MONTREAL, 26th August, 1862. Rev. EDWARD BALLARD, Secretary Public Historical Celebration. DEAR SIR-I regret that business engagements will not allow me the pleasure of accepting your kind invitation to be present at the public celebration of the two hundred and fiftyfifth anniversary of the founding of the first English Colony on the shores of New England; but I beg to say that the New England Society of Montreal deeply sympathize with their New England brothers in this dark hour of their country's history, and believe that the same kind Providence that led the Popham Colony to the shores of New England in 1607, is still the God of her children, and will safely guide them through the conflict that they are now engaged in; that the principle of civil and religious liberty will be still maintained; and "free thought, free speech, and a free press," will yet be enjoyed in the whole United States. Yours very respectfully, H. A. NELSON, Pres. N. E. Society. FROM CHIEF JUSTICE HORNBLOWER. NEWARK, N. J., August 29th, 1862. Messrs. B. C. BAILEY and others, Executive Committee on Celebration of First English Colony in New England. GENTLEMEN :-Your kind invitation to attend the public celebration of the two hundred and fifty-fifth anniversary of the founding of the first English Colony on the shores of New England, at Fort Popham, was duly received, and would have been sooner answered had not my increasing infirmities prevented me from writing. I thank you for this mark of attention, and I would have been pleased to attend the celebration had my health and strength and other circumstances permitted. But having myself lived through just one-third of the period which has elapsed since the founding of the colony referred to (viz. 85 years), I do not possess sufficient vigor to make such, a long journey. And, then, the present torn and bleeding condition of my native country, and the disasters which threaten its cherished system of government, affects with sadness all the once glorious and animating associations of its history. I |