The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-09-29
THE AMERICAN FLAG
Hauled Down BY John Hay in the
Alaskan Territory.

about the dishonor and disgrace of
hauling down the American flag where
1t has been raised by authority of our
government, and many times have l
heard the question: "Would you have
our flag disgraced by being hauled
down where it has once been raised?'
would answer most emphatically
no, thousand times no; never dis
graced, says w. w. Coons in the Sac
ramento Bee.
Having borne arms in defense Of my
country, and having been taught from
early childhood to honor and revere
that starry banner, l have learned to
look upon it as the emblem of liberty
and free government, representing the
principles upon which our government
was founded and proclaimed in the
Declaration Of Independence, as inter-
preted by Abraham Lincoln, who de-
clared:
at was not the mere matter Of sep
aration Of the colonies from the moth
erland, but that sentiment in the Dec
laration of Independence which gave
liberty, not alone to the people Of this
country, but hope to all the world for
all future time. Our reliance is in the
love of liberty which God has planted
in us; our defense is in the spirit
which prizes liberty as the heritage of
all men, in all lands, everywhere.
Those who deny freedom to others de-
serve it not for themselves, and under
just God cannot long retain it."
With firm adherence to those prin-
ciples, not only esteem it proud
privilege, but deem it a solemn duty,
to raise my voice in protest against
any dishonor that may be heaped upon
that grand emblem of liberty and
equal rights. 1t is not the mere act
of raising or lowering the flag that
crowns it with glory or stains it with
dish0nor; but it is the circumstances
and conditions under which those acts
are performed that must be considered
when determining whether it has been
honored or disgraced.
If our flag has been raised in any
Cline or upon any soil where it is
made to represent government by
force, n government that does not de-
ifc
of the governed, then by such act has
1t been prostituted to an unjust and
unholy cause. If it has been planted
upon foreign soil under treaty stipula-
tons, as a guaranty that the United
States government will protect and de-
fend what Lincoln characterized as
'those twin relics of barbarism-polys-
amy and human slavery" then has
the planting of the flag, under such
circumstances, been an act of Injustice
and dishonor, whereby it has been dis
honored and disgraced. Having been
thus dishonored, say, in the name of
humanity, in the name of liberty, of
which it was designed to be the en-
blem, In the name of a just and all
wise God. let it be lowered and furled
In honor. crowned with the glory of
right and justice. 1t is not only honor
able to recede from an unjust and dis
honorable position, but he that does so
displays the noblest type of manly
courage.
Such course would be commenda-
Die in the eyes of all liberty-loving
people throughout the world. and
would enable us to sing with honest
pride stanza from that beautiful ode
by very able author entitled Gamer
lea. Beloved Land" wherein he saws:
Thou noblest daughter of the race,
That ne'er has known defeat,
Whose helping hand on ev'ry strand
Earth's ransomed nations greet.
be worthy of the mission high
Thy God to thee has given.
Ana still by the proud races hand
Shall munkind's chains no r,ven
While our flag is permitted to float
over the Sulu group under present
treaty stipulations. guaranteeing to
the Sultan Of JOlo that the government
OF the United States will protect and
defend him in the practice of poly~
amy and the ownership of human
slaves, let rs have new version of
that time-honorcd national ode, "The
Star-Spangled Banner" Let it EXPRESS
the sentiments Of the mortyrah Tin
coin and read:
Inc Star-Smngled Banner. God forbid !
T. Ii shall wave
Ger the crime of polygamy or tho
50, home of one slave;
NO one Is more opposed to haulin.
down our flag from a just and honor.
able position than myself.
'aWhen learned of the action or 500,
retary Hay in pulling down Old GLORY
from portion of our Alaskan terri.
tory, where for more than thirty year,
ithad proudly waved in quiet pcace,
able and undisputed possession over
territory purchased in time of peace
from a foreign power that had held /,