Among our neighbors of Central and Southern America, we see the Caucasian mingled with the Indian and the African.  They have the forms of free government, because they have copied them.  To its benefits they have not attained, because that standard of civilization is above their race.  Revolution succeeds Revolution, and the country mourns that some petty chief may triumph, and through a sixty days’ government ape the rulers of the earth.  Even now the nearest and strongest of these American Republics, which were fashioned after the model of our own, seems to be tottering to a fall, and the world is inquiring as to who will take possession; or, as protector, raise and lead a people who have shown themselves incompetent to govern themselves.

He said our fathers laid the foundation of Empire, and declared its purposes; to their sons it remained to complete their superstructure.  The means by which this end was to be secured were simple and easy.  It involved no harder task than that each man should attend to his own business, that no community should arrogantly assume to interfere with the affairs of another—­and that all by the honorable obligation of fulfiling that compact which their fathers had made.

He then referred to the commercial position of Maine, and spoke of her brightly unfolding prospects of prosperity and greatness.  Many considered her wealth to consist of her forests, and that her prosperity would decline when her timber was exhausted—­he held to a different opinion, and thought they might welcome the day, when the sombre shadows of the Pine gave place to verdant pastures and fruitful fields.  Was he asked, what then was to become of the interest of ship-building?  He would answer—­let it be changed from wood to iron.  The skill to be aquired be a few years’ experience, would at a fair price for iron, enable our ship builders to construct iron ships, which, taking into account their greater capacity for freight and greater durability, would be cheaper than vessels of wood, even whilst timber was as abundant as now;—­at least such was the information he had derived from persons well informed upon those subjects.

He expressed the gratification he felt for the courtesy of the Democracy in Maine, and doubted not that the Democracy of Mississippi would receive it, with grateful recognition, as evincing fraternal sentiment by kindness done to one of her sons, not the less a representative, because a humble member of her Democracy.

Speech at Belfast Encampment.

About the o’clock the troops at the encampment being under arms, Col.  Davis was escorted to the ground and reviewed them.  He was then introduced to the troops by Gen. Cushman, as follows—­

Officers and fellow soldiers, I introduce to you Col.  Jefferson Davis, an eminent citizen of Mississippi,—­a man, and I say a hero, who has, in the service of his country, been among and faced hostile guns.

Col.  Davis replied as follows—­