The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-10-20
RECALLING A BATTLE.
Concluded from First Page.)

Louis was the emblem of the Sons of
the American Revolution. The father
of the order to which the emblem be-
longed was Louis XVI, who allowed
the French to come to America and
assist the struggling patriots. On the
one side of the emblem the S. A. II.
had placed Washington and on the
other the minute man.
From this point the speaker di-
crossed to the extent of mentioning at
some length grave matter which had
been adopted in Massachusetts to des-
ignate the final resting places of SOL
diers of the Revolution. The speaker
had himself aided in getting the de-
sign, which is the emblem of the ord
err with the letters rs. A. r." upon it.
Later it was adopted at national
meeting held in Washington, d. c..
and he hoped would come into gen
eral use.
There were many other patriotic
orders in the United States. There
was one concentrating the events
of the war of 1912 and also of the
Mexican war. These were unimport-
ant. There were many of the late
civil war, most notable of which was
the Grand Army of the Republic. But
many of the veterans were still alive
and the events being of so recent date
did not appeal so directly as matters
of earlier history.
The question may be asked "Why do
| you Americans, who frown upon pride
of ancestry and the like, take up all
these things which give so much
prominence to your. forefathers and
draw upon pride of birth?" True, we
believe in simplicity and equality. In
the events we seek to commemorate
we find historical interest and
country of liberty which will be the
pride of generations to come. The
little bands which landed on Plymouth
Rock and settled at jamestown en-
dured the greatest of hardships. In
single year over fifty per cent of the
first colony died. At the time of the
Revolution there were 100000 souls
in the little strip known as the Amer
lean Colonies. Now there are 100000
600 of people in the United States.
Most of these have come there within
the past fifty years from all parts of
the world. 1t is not interesting and
important to single out and know in
the great nation who are descendants
of the original fathers of the Revolu-
ton.
At this point the speaker referred
to trip made by himself to Paris two
years ago, at which time he, in the
name of the Massachusetts Society,
decorated the grave of Lafayette. He
found it in a small cemetery where
the remains of twenty or thirty of
the nobility of France lay buried.
Next to it, which seemed significant,
was another cemetery containing 5000
victims of the first French revolution.
Lafayette left two sons and three
daughters. The sons died without is
sue. OF the daughters children and
grand children there were forty sur
vivors. These were summoned and
many were present at the decoration
ceremonies, which took place on Oct
10Th. Two of the males in line have
been given the name of Lafayette by
the State.
The speaker next referred to the
great assistance of France in the
Revolution and added that no ade-
quate return had ever been made by
America for the service. The debt
had never been paid. France did
more than half the work at York
town. During the struggle 100000
francs had been given to America and
5000 900 francs more sent over to the
weak nation in the way of loan.
The Revolution did France good.
Every soldier went back with the
story of what he had done and seen
and heard and the torch of liberty
was kindled. In New York harbor is
Frances greeting of today-the great
Bartholdi statue of Liberty. The first
rebound of the ball across the At
lantic after the Revolution gave to
France an internal struggle for liber-
ty and Weakened a new idea, which
gave birth to the new era. There now
we see France, strong and powerful,
the great republic of Europe, looking
to us as the great republic of America
Thus has the destiny of the two coun-
tries, which stood side by side al
Yorktown, been worked out. The
flame of liberty is rapidly progressing
through Europe and other nations
will follow the example of France,
The speaker closed with a tribute
to Hawaii, the youngest republic in
the world, and said he would like to