Daily Honolulu press. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1886, 1886-05-31

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Happy indeed is your recollection Of
the day; your realization Of its sublime
purpose, your benignant commemora-
ton of it. 1t is an impressive GER
emonial 1t speaks to the hearts Of
the living. 1t is but kindly homage,
which whilst il has no effect upon the
dead, must have powerful influence
upon the living, inspiring and animal
ing them to deeds of heroism and self
sacrifice when duty calls to the defense
Of flag and country. Let US hope the
teaching example we have displayed to
the world by this observance and
commemoration of Memorial Day, in
foreign land, will be faithfully fol-
lowed every succeeding anniversary
of it.
The anniversary of our national
independence we celebrate on every
returning Fourth of July, with SO much
pride and patriotic spirit. Our Thanks
giving Day we dedicate with grateful
and rejoicing hearts to the praise and
glory of the Omnipotent for the abund
ant harvests, the peace, prosperity and
protection He vouchsafes to us as a
nation.
Our Memorial Day we cemmemor-
ate every recurring goth of May,
with SO much solemnity, in the final
resting places of our departed com
rades, and reverence for the yalor,
loyalty, and heroic services of our fel-
low countrymen, who fell on the battle
field and on the decks of our ships, We
must in this solemn presence forget
ourselves, our vanities, our ambitions.
We must feel that each and all of US
form a part of that great moving i'm
pulse, which on Memorial Day, bears
hundreds of thousands under the
guidance Of the Grand Army of the
Republic, with colors draped, arms
reversed, and the funeral dirge, not
only to our cemeteries, but to every
Ispot, every sequestered grove in which
is peacefully resting loved one who
gave up all for his country; why come
we here to day with this impressive
ceremony? To make our pious offer
lings of homage and respect to the
graves of those, who when living were
our comrades, and who died in the
service of our beloved country. Far
less difficult is it to wreathe chaplets o.
flowers and garlands, to strew upor
their graves, than to breathe words
most appropriate to the ceremonial
Il Yet in what we do, We have the consol
ling reflection that the tribute We pay
to the memory of the departed in senti
ments Ito the graves in floral offerings
springs from the spontaneous die
tates the generous impulses of patriotic
. hearts. What more beautiful and be
, fitting than such emblematic reverence
to the tombs of former comrades, who
offered up their lives voluntary sacrl
hce for their cauntry, and were re
vivc in ali its it.tbat it..u9iebt SUI
q GRANDEUR All mankind from tn,
earliest ages have held place
ef sepulture in greatest rever
ence. Although the one in whicl
we are now congregated is in foreigi
land, our flag our presence, the grave
. of our comrades, lend to it the sem
blance of our nationality for the time
We are in the presence of silent We
almost speaking monuments, Of til,
t tombs Of our countrymen--here it i
we may feel ''that death is swallowed
up in victory here we may ask 'oh
grave where is thy sting ?" All, thu
answer must come from the thousand
of our people at home, whose fathers
: sons, husbands and brothers are nov
seen no more; whose voices of affec
ton are no longer heard around thei
family hearth-stones. Appealing from
the monuments and graves around us
to our homes beyond the sea, let on
! restored union, in all its peace, magni
j ficence and prosperity; let our idoizet
flag, now SO proudly waving, no longe
doubted to be the symbol Of an undi
vided country; the preudest Of tn,
proud, and the freest Of the powers o
: the world; let the statues and monu
ments reared in our cemeteries to tn,
memory of our departed soldiers, sail
ors and marines, and lastly that toni
: so recently built on the banks of tn
beautiful Hudson, and in which repose
: the remains of one of the creates
. among the great, the bravest anon
! the brave, the gentlest among the gen
f tie, under whom many of us hav
! served, the illustrious, the immorts
! Grant, be the answer, "oh grave Wher
f is thy victoryp Types and figures, ant
f emblems in all times, have the sane
S ton of the wise, the learned, the good
: Flowers, SO varied in their tints an,
y fragrance, on this occasion, most htl
+ and touchingly symbolic our sent
5 ments, We will strew them, fadin
| though they be. as emblems of ou
. tears and affections, which sanctif
!. such venerated spots as this, in tn
, hearts of our sympathizing generou
!, friends, and as their annual tribute G
+ sacred respect to its honored dead; a
!; the nations grateful response to tn
! appeal Of the departed hero ''forget m
not" | have endcavored to harmonic
! my realization of the impressive pun
' pose of this ceremonial, and in m
Z sentiments with your own in utterin
. such nraise and svmnathv over th