The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-12-21
THURDAY, DECEMBER 21. 1893.
THE WAR SPIRIT RISING.

THE WAR SPIRIT RISING.
The intense American spirit
which the astounding demand of
Mr.. Clevelands Minister has reused
in these Islands appears i'll many |
forms and among many classes of
people but nowhere does it pre-
sent a more belligerent front than
among the veterans of the Grand .
Army Of the Republic and the
Loyal Legion. We believe it safe
to say that, if the American ma
rines are landed on any piratical
venture against the Provisional
Government, at least ninety per
cent. of the men who wore the
blue from 1861 to 1865 will be
in the front rank of those who will
resist them with the spirit of Get
tysburg and Malvern Hill Not
only are the great majority of Hon
olulu veterans enlisted for this
cause, but within the past few days
a dozen Grand Army men have
come in from the other islands to
bear arms for constitutional govern
ment We have i'll mind also an
aged and half-paralyzed soldier from
the Coast, who came a few weeks
ago for a winters rest in mild eli
mate. He is a man who served
in the Mexican war and throughout
the late rebellion and was sotely
wounded for his country. Fix
me chair behind your defenses, q"
he said of late to an officer at the
Executive Building. Il can't
stand, but l can sit down and
shoot. I'll come in my Grand
Army uniform and you must let me
in and give me good rifle, My
arms are strong and my eye true
for 500 yards. l hate to fire on
any man under the old flag, but if
they misuse the flag it's their own
lookout. 1 can't help it. My time
is pretty nearly up, and if l have
to die now all right" Thus spoke
a patriot who has risked his life on
many battle fields. In his unset
fish words he voiced a common
determination.
We may well surmise that the
prospect of having to meet these
old comrades-in-a and their fell
low countrymen from civil life in a
desperate street fight over pol
luted Polynesian monarchy, is not
one that the NEIL warsmen can
regard with anything less than a
shiver of adherence. Not that
they fear battle for battles sake,
come what may. If certain death
was their portion on any field OF
honor, they would still fight like
the American sailor has always
fought since Paul Jones swept the
English channel since Ingrahanl
cleared his decks for action against
the fleet of Austria, and since Far
ragut Numbered in Mobile Bay and
Buchanan in Hampton Roads But
Hawaii would be no field of honor
for them. Their names from that
of the gallant old Admiral down tc
the last seaman in the ranks would
be imperishably linked with the
annals of time when democratic
freedom in these seas was assailed
by Americans that Queer
might once more reign over people
whose constitution she had trampled
in the mire. If they look with sad
ness and misgiving and with doubt
upon the venture they may be un-
lawfully directed to perform, who
can blame them as Americans, the
vested enemies of monarchy.
Let us hope there may be no need
Of bloodshed. But if il arises it is
ours to remember that we come OF
blood that took gigantic odds at
Lexington and Bunker Hill and
which, for principles sake, fought
Our own countrymen of the
blue and gray at Antietam and
Cedar Creek. That lineage involves
duty which true men will meet.
1t shall not be said in these confines
that the American spirit of resist
ance to tyranny has succumbed to
cowardice and dishonor.
ANY man who shows the white
feather now will never succeed in