Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-05-03
maintain the national honor; union and


ancient organization. yet we have extend
ed the membership SO as to include ''all
honorably discharged officers of the navy
and marine corps of the United States
who aided in maintaining the honor, in
tegrity and supremacy Of the national
government at a critical period Of It's his
tory"
We have abandoned much of the cere
mony of admission, retaining all that was
suitable to the times and truly patriotic
and good
We have met with some opposition and
criticism, most of which, am persuaded,
is based in ignorance of our order and
which will be fully removed when we are
clearly understood.
We are not secret, nor political, yet IN
cidentally benevolent. We are not bur
dened with grips, signs or passwords.
The wearer of the little tri-colored rosette
in the lapel of the coat, on the lett side,
| will be known and greeted by companions
IN all countries.
The roll of members has been made hon.
orable and our order immortal by such
names of our departed as the great cap
tain, Grant, Hancock, the hero of GettyS
burg, and the sturdy Meade, his com
mander, the trained soldier, Mcclellan
| the great volunteer general and friend OF
the soldier, Logan, the dignified and loyal
Burnsides, the earnest and devoted Car
| field the accomplished Arthur, and hun
! dreds of others whose deeds of daring
have made their names household words
| throughout our land.
There remain to us Companions, Sher-
man. Howard, Hayes, and others, leaders
| whose heroic acts make themsthe beloved
of all
| IL has been charged that we are an orga-
| nization of aristocrats. This cannot be
true in any sense. Arlstocracy has
| IL hon 81
men who fought for and saved this
government from destruction. The mem.
bers of our order are from the people.
| knew companions who sit around this fes-
| tive board when they carried a knap-sack
| and musket, cooked Their own rations and
| relished 'hard-tack and sow-belly."
That we are an organization OF men who
served their country as commissioned
officers is true; yet there is no distinction
All officers who served or are now serving
in the army of the government are eligible
to membership During the war the
officers of the command mingled and asso
ciated, consulting for the best being of the
soldiers, and having their social enjoy
ment There was no charge of aristocracy
then, no feeling engendered that con
structed a gulf between the thinking
bayonet" and the ''well-informed sword
but the commandant was proud of his
command, and the commanded glOried in
the success of his commander, ever doing
deeds of daring valor, adding victory after
victory to the long list of glorious achieve
ments, pinning the ensign of rank with
his bayonet upon the shoulder OF
the humblest of the rank to fill
the vacancy occasioned by ''killed
in battle" of some beloved officer
| Thus more than four-fifths of our mem
bership were chosen and knighted by mer
who fired the shots of loyalty and made
the charges for liberty.
To those here assembled who are not
companions we extend the heartiest wei
! come To our comrades our hearts go out
| in love and devotion.
Day after day, night after night, we &c
| on foraging and extending, link by link
that invisi bic, immortal, golden chain that
binds us together-the chain that makes
us one-the chain that none but soldiers Of
war, the living participants OF the camp
the march, the battle, can understand. Al
that goes to make up the history of oul
members, their noble acts, devoted work
and the heroism of our service, is set il
the most brilliant diamond of literature.
NJ. 0. l.. l.. Z. S. will live.
CAPT. GEO. F. PRICE, Z. S. A.
On 1.-The Flags of Our Country"
Response by Capt. Geo. F. Price, U. S. A. Comman
dry of California
While it is not essential that an Ameri
can shall belong to particular politica
party to be a patriot, L affirm that the
American who hoists his party flag above
''the flag Of the union" is not good
patriot.
The war eff 1776 was for American indie
pendence of British rule. The war of 1861
in the beginning was for the union. That
war ended in being not only for the union
but also for the establishment of individ.
ual freedom. The independence of the
state is one factor the freedom of the in
dividual is another.
The two combined in America constitute
product representing one of the most
powerful nations of the earth, and ''the
flag of the union" represents the supreme
will and power of that nation.
The flag is therefore the emblem of what
we are-of all we hope to become as a free
people. 1t means that this nation is dedi
Gated to independence and freedom; that
an individual responsibility and | say
this as soldier-must be accepted with
the gift of individual freedom. 1t has
been written that 1.-THE individ-
ual patriot is the product of the
nations loom' The individual patriot
is one of many, but the nation represent
ing independence and freedom is every
thing and all patriots may come and pat
riots may 60, they are or us and with US a
few years and then go home, but the nation
SuTN1NtS anu tAlSlS lOI
the flag we enjoy independence of the
state, freedom of the individual, and lib
erty of speech and action, only restrained
by Just laws and the other essentials that
enter into the composition of a safe and
stable government. The flag of the union
represents the struggling: of ten defeated
and finally victorious patriots of the revo-
lution-the victory of 1912 on land and
lake and seattle ,glories of Mexico from
the Rio Grande to the capitol of the Mon
tezuma-and the grandeSt army and navy,
the existence of which is recorded in his
tory, ancient or modern; an army and
navy that fought not to destroy a nation
but to save it-not to forever enslaye q
race, but to free it-not to make conquests
but to establish the conscience of humani.
ty. And thus that army and navy fought
four years
"Rising from each disaster and defeat the
stronger"
till at the end they were the acknowledged
victors in one of the most desperate con
tests of all history.
The flag represents the triumphs of the
past, the many precious patriot lives that
have been offered up in its defense; the
MANNED living soldiers and sailors; the
mothers prayers; the widows tears; the
orphans cries: the safety and prosperity
of the present won by the baptism of blood
on more tndu tnouSsthu HtiuS Vi udItie
the promise and hope and glory of the
future.
The blood of our fallen patriots of foul
great wars has impaired deeper crimson
to the stripes and made theHstars of oul
triumphant flag irradiate with a keenel
radiance.
The patriots who have followed 'the
flag of the Union" through the storm Of
battle into the gateway of death did theil
duty TO the country as they were given Il
understand. More than this, man who is
born of women cannot do"
We say with Webster: May this fac
forever float with glory and unsullied
honor over the country's forts, on tented
9 .. I'D ~