The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-05-31

ago today, when / stood on Fifth
the Grand Army of the Republic, forty
thousand strong, march down the
avenue, with number OF the old bat
tie flags floating over them. The sight
simply thrilled me, as il does TO this
day, when i think of IL. 1t is one
thing to read of soldiers in general. II
is another thing to look in the faces OF
the men who were the actual partic-
ipatOrs in the conflict who themselves
faced death; and to see the flags,
all tattered and torn and shot To
pieces, which they and hundreds OF
thousands OF others like them had fol-
lowed TO victory and the brink OF the
grave. There were the very men who
had deliberately exposed themselves
during long years to the cruel
rain, sleet, snow and wind; to
the disease of camp and the shot and
she'll Of the enemy; seeking no per-
sOnal advantage; no ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Of territory; demanding no indemnity
when it was all over; giving back to
their conquered opponents every foot
OF territory which they had bought
and paid for with their blood and with
the lives of thousands of their fellow
countrymen and the tears OF the
widows and orphans at home-and all
this for principle.
1t is perpetual inspiration TO think
of it.
Is it any wonder that the nation
that nation which exists today solely
because Of what these men did-has
set apart a day out Of each busy year
to do honor to the brave men who laid
down their lives that the nation might
live?
In doing this the nation is not only
hOnOriDg them, but it is sowing the
seed which will ripen and make rich
return in the years TO come, when the
war for the Union and the men who
fought it shall have passed out Of Iiv-
ing memory AID taken their places in
history alone.
1t is good for a nation to periodically
pause and take its thoughts off from
business and present cares, and call TO
mind the grand deeds in it's history
and the grand men who participated
in them. What man has done man
can do. The recalling of what the ma
tiOn has accomplished; OF the gigantic
obstacles which it has met aud sue
cessfully overcome; OF the principles
which the grand old flag stands for;
of the herOIsm and the sacrifices OF the
men who made it represent those
principles-all these are direct inspira-
IlOuS 10 loyalty anu paLrlOLlSm In the
future, when but for such reminders
memories might grow dim and hearts
respond less promptly to the country's
call in the hour Of need.
1t il peculiarly fitting that here, in
far away Hawaii, we should stimuli
taneOusly with the millions across the
water be ssembled for the purpose we
are.
Since the stars and stripes first fut-
tered in the friendly breezes of Homo
lulu subtle bond of sympathy has
bound Hawaii and America together,
which distance cannot break nor time
interrupt.
When the echoes Of Sumter's guns
rolled westward across the prairies
and mountains, thrilling the millions
with their martial appeal. they did
not stop at the Golden Gate. They
rolled on across the vast void Of the
Pacific until they reverberateG
through the volcanic Businesses and
the sunny wales Of Hawaii, quicken
ing the blood aud stirring the hearts
Of those VINO were no less loyal TO The
land Of their adoption because they
were true to the priucip pies OF the
mother land.
And so it was through that long and
weary four years OF watching and