Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1883-06-02

alive the spirit and vigor Of such bodies ar
organization which has no political affiliations
schemes and purposes which has no mystic
and imposing rites and insignia no captva
ting legends that link it with chivalry and
romance no trappings Of parade no "ban.
nerS with strange device !" no days Of feast
ing no chain Of a secret order connecting il
with the weird and nscntable records Of the
past, or reaching, Wy the transmission OF blood,
or by any other fern Of transfer at once into
the generations OF the past, and OF the future.
On the contrary the existence Of the Grand
Army Of the Republic, dates but a few years
back, and a few years hence ii will cease 20 be.
With the end OF the present century the Grand
Army Of the Republic will be a relic of the
past it will consist of only few aged vet.
Grams white with the winter SHOWS of three.
score years, who will hand down to their
children's children the traditions OF the camp.
fires and battle. fields Of the war. Not only is
the existence Of the Grand Army Of the Rcpub-
lie limited in the past, and in the future, but
its members, men now in middle life, preserv.
ing none Of the embellishments OF military
training, in plain attire, and fresh from the
ordinary and homely routine Of their occupa-
tions, make no pretense to tinsel and show
which captivate the fancy and awake the
ardor Of numbers. And yet the Grand Army
Of the Republic grasps the hearts of its mem
bers, and the great heart Of America, as no
other organization. Why1 Because it is
based upon, and embodies, grand ideas, OF
principles.
l. And the frs, of these is fraternity. One
Of our bonds of union, the spring of our en-.
thusiasm, is the love which the true citizen.
soldier bears for his comrade, dead or alive.
So profound is this feeling that it is wrough,
..... Al. &. Il.
every true soldier Of the Great Republic yonder,
his brother. Fraternity is a sacred word il
binds the hearts of veterans together, and
wcaves mystic thread from every soldiers
grave, and desolated home, to each comrades
heart. And it is this feeling which sends us
forth each succeeding year, with ever a warmer
and tenderer enthusiasm, to take our places in
the ranks, and with hearts hushed with tears,
and hands filled with flowers, make our sacred
pilgrimage to the graves Of our dead com.
patriots.
2. And our love for these dead and living
comrades is practical as well as sentimental.
The manned and diseased comrades, who
from wounds, loss of limbs, or shattered con.
stitutions, are unable to care and provide fol
themselves the widows and orphans of oui
dead soldicrs-these are n sacred trust these
shall never know hunger, want, distress OF
pain that can be relieved. The Grand Army
Of the Republic is an organized, living, loving
charity, feeling 1t privilege TO serve and
minister to those Of our brothers who need
to shield, provide and protect those whom
death so ruthlessly deprived of a protector,
3. There is one more bond of Our assoca
ton: loyalty to America and American in
stitutions. Our service did not end when We
furled our flags torn with bayonet thrust, and
riddled with shot nor when we laid aside tn,
dust -covered uniform, and hung the worn ant
battered musket, or sword, over the chimney
piece. That which we won by war, must b,
preserved, consolidated and perpetuated. Ou
service is one which never ends. America ant
American institutions rest secure only wheI
buttressed by, and incarnated in loving loya
hearts. We stand pledged to be true t,
America in peace as well as in war--to b.
faithful in our service and loyalty to that gov
eminent " of the people, by the people, anc
for the people," in which each American ha
an equal share, to which each American owe
an equal duty, and for which each American i
under an equal responsibility, and which cal
only succeed and endure so long as ever
| American feels that it is his own government
his own to defend, sustain and perfect, an,
his own to enjoy and transmit to his children
These, then, are the objects of our order
To cement the friendships, and keep green tn
memories Of a common service, which ha
united our hearts by the strongest ties that ex
st among men /; to preserve the names, ant
honor the graves, of those who died tina
America might live to help, to succor our les
fortunate comrades in arms; to guard an
support the bereaved dependents-the suffer
ing families, the aged parents, the widows, tn
orphans-of our comrades dead to love a
whom they loved to honor the flag that the
honored, and to defend the national unit
which they won. These and these only, ar
the objects and purposes, and the final caus
of the military.charitable order which we cal
the Grand Army Of the Republic.
! These principles Of our order shall neve
perish. The eternal cycles of time flow stead
lily onward. The generations will pass away
Soon the last Union soldier will be mustere
out. This organization will cease to be. Blu
fair and lovely to view, dear to the heart c
every true American, shall ever remain "FRAT
ERNITY, CHARITY and LOYALTY" On thes
our republic is builded, and "she shall neve
perish from the face OF the EARTH"
Comrades Our living Grand Army Of tn
Republic is only detachment-the left wing
The right wing, invisible to mortal sight is, "
very real, present, to us. To-day it marshal
again its embattled hosts in serried ranks. We
by Our Oversight, see the Grand Army Of on
Dead, three hundred thousand strong ! An
every year. Death the remorseless recruitin
sergeant is still increasing its roster.
From the ghastly fields of Shiloh
| Muster the phantom bands.
From Virginia's swamps, and Deaths While camps,
| On Caroinas sands;
From Fredericksburg and Gettysburg,
| see them gathering fast,
And up from Manassas, what is 1t that passes,
| Like thin clouds in the blast
From the Wilderness, where blanches
The nameless skeleton;
From Vicksburgs slaughter, and red streakd water,
And the trenches Of Doneldson
From the cruel, cruel, PRISONS where their bod
pinned away
From the groaning decks. IRON sunken wrecks
They gather with us to-day
The Grand Army Of our Dead !-Thoma
ver.faithful is in command; the knight
Meade, the Christian gentleman, leads Ii
center; MCPHERSON, the gallant, the left, an
Lyon our first martyr, the right They marc
and deploy; the crash and thunder Of bait
dins our ears blood crimsons our sight. Ol
own noblest and bravest we see once more
the rage, roar, and carnage Of battle. The
the tumult stills the war cloud lifts victor
and peace at last, This army-the Army
our Dead-once more passes in review befo
the nation. 1t files past with noisele
tread, hammered with peace, and laureled wit
fadeess renown. Countless cemeteries are i
camping ground. Its camp-frcs blaze in evel
loyal American heart. Its victories emblazc
the starry banner with knightly records,
which every lover Of freedom is proud.
The great French soldier, La Tour D'A,
,ergne, the hero Of many battles, persisted
remaining common soldier in the ranks. NJ
poleon sent him a sword inscribed "Fir
; among the grenadiers Of France" When
fell on the field Of battle, the emperor ordere
his heart embalmed and placed in silver ca
ket, which he entrusted to the keeping Of
company, with the command that his nan
should be called at every l-call, and tn
{ the oldest grenadier should respond dead {
l the field Of honorl" One million, five hundrs
: thousand American D'Auvergnes went o
, from the loyal North at the call Of countr,
three hundred thousand fell dead on the fe
, Of honor. Each year Others as brave, as tru
{ as heroic as they, WHO also served their cou
try in her trial hour-fall by our side.