The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1889-04-12

and the rudder was dashed into
spinters by the force of the waves.
Was it a mere fortuitous arrange
ment that brought together so many
vessels in that little roadstead of
Apia, aud in the calamity following
concentrated the thoughts of the
world on that small group of coral
islets. Shall we applaud or abhor
the purposes or policies that led to
the possibility of such disaster?
And can we refuse TO recognize and
revere the Divine ordering of ele-
mental forces and human purposes
in these events. Why, even the
words we use bear their testimony to
the real conviction of our minds.
Disaster, what's that but the malign
influence of the stars in the ruin of
human hopes and the overthrow of
human plans. History repeats it.
self again and again. Here we
mourn over what seems useless as
well as n fearful waste of life and
property. The object of contention
is not worth the loss in dollars and
cents which this disaster alone has
entailed upon the two nations es-
pecially involved. Is it worth
while to bring into these far off wa
tiers the jeaiousies and rivalries that
make Europe seem like congeries
of military camps rather than sis
terhood of Christian nations? Why
this ruinous attempt to maintain an
ideal balance of power in acquisi-
ton of foreign territory as we'll as
in the maintenance of great military
establishments? The day has passed
when governments and business can,
with any prospect of success, be ad.
ministered for the. exclusive benefit
of any one person or the excessive
gain of any one set of people. The
idea that controls in the United
States is the idea that must control
all successful administration of gov
ernmental policy, all successful man
agement of business enterprises, land
that is the greatest good of the
greatest number in ways that shall
develop the. greatest productivity of
the individual and the greatest COM
munity of interest in the social rela-
tions of human life.
We see the waves rolling
in, the vast volumes of water rising
above the masts of the laborng YES
sells, and breaking with crushing
force upon the hapless victims Of
the surging pillows. We shudder as
we see with what great strength the
surging ocean lifts and losses on the
rocky shore the huge hulks of the
doomed ships. We hear above the
pillows roar that awful shrek, the
bubbling cry of some strong swim
mer in his agony. We cringe in
impotent despair as some uplifted
hand or upturned face appeals fol-
help in the mute misery of death
beneath the engulfing wave. .
How strange the contrast between
the uneventful life of officers ant
seamen in their prolonged stay il
this port of peace. Yes, uneventfu
we rightly call that routine life il
these summer isles of these Pacifi,
seas. 1t needs critical times, post
of peril, to bring out the highe
qualities, the godlike characters
tics, of our common humanity
Death in the line of duty was {
thought to rouse in us the sense @
honor, fidelity TO standard of char
acter and attainment above the ave
rage ordinary mortal, and his meel
yielding to fleshly temptations o
time and sense. The body may b
bruised and mangled, but the spiri
that keeps itself supreme to TIL
agony and the torture, has in it al
immortal element that shows its
kindship with the supernatural an
the Divine. Those seam6n wer
there on guard duty. But no per
of wind or rain could make them re
creant to the duty imposed on them
There was one gallant office
whose splendid physique and hercu
lean strength brought to him i
those awful moments no more assul
ing fact than the puny strength {
the feeblest infant.
Anticipating his probable fate h
went below to write words of affet
; tionate farewell to his wife an
family to whom he was so fondl
attached. That fact is know
for the comfort of the sorrowin
ones, but where are those words {
undying love? Who can recour
! all the thrilling incidents of heroisl
that throw the glory of the unsee
world upon the tear-stained recor
of those eventful hours? VIII:
; sympathy and encouragement, wa
so heartily shown in the cheers give
with will for the brave tars on I'll
, English vessel as she put out to S.
. tokeep from further imperilling tho'
= to whom nearness meant dang
rather than relief What kindne
was shown by those, whose hom
and Inheritance had almost passe
out of their feeble resistance to Il
: clutches of grasping power; wi
yet, in this hour of extremity mac
) no distinction in ministering to &
who needed such assistance as Tho
. could give. We might almost tut