The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1900-06-01
sKwALL AND THE VETERANS

which was happily short resolved itse.
to the following propositions
That the soldiers OF the Cisl VA
are living beyond their time arlons
men who ere strangers 20 them ard g
their deeds
That the Grand Army % the Republic
has not had the position OF tull regard
in this COMMUNITY 20 which Il Is en-
titled.
That the organization as a whole has
been persecuted for a quarter OF r cen
fury.
II was Sadi, the Grand Nizier, who
said, when his August Master showed
him his latest volume OF spring verse:
May my soul be the sacrifice, but this
is bosh." Mr.. Sewall's address was the
pure elixir of bosh poured over few
commonplaces of patriotism.
To particularize! 1t is not true that
the soldiers OF the Civil War are in any
sense forgotten or outgrown. To every
body but mere boys aud girls. wnos,
education in American history is yet 10
come. Gettysburg and Appomattox are
as familiar as Manila, and more so thai
San Juan. There were a thou sand bet
ter fights than that of San Juan in the
Civil War; there were several deadlier
and better matched sea battles than
that of Manila and they are living facts
of history, as fresh and familiar TO true
Americans as the story of Trafalgar or
of Waterloo Is to the true Englishman,
or as the immortal tale of Marathon or
Thermopylae is to the modern Greek.
Some things never die, and of them are
the annals of heroic warfare. And
some men are never passed over while
they live, nor individually soon forgot
ten when they perish, and these are
of the men who saved their country on
the battle field. England cherished the
survivors of Waterloo to the last man,
and Is caring for the survivors OF Bala-
klava; France built a palace for the
remnant of Napoleons conquerlng
army; and America, far from forgetting
her veterans, is spending more money
to keep them in comfort than Germany
pays to sustain the greatest and finest
army In the world.
The second proposition which Mr..
Sewall advanced-one that fairly reeks
with the blatherskite politics OF the
MANS that the Grand Army post of
Honolulu has never had proper recog-
milton here. Surely that complaint did
not come from the post itself. The only
General officer belonging to it, a man
of high preferment for many years. but
lately had q chance to decline our loft
lest judicial place. Officially. socially,
every other way, the post has always
been an honored institution here, and
SO well did 1t love the present Govern
man, volunteered 10 take arms against
Cleveland's marines in the event that
they disgraced their flag and uniform
by attempting to restore Royal insttu-
lions in Hawaii. Every Both OF May
Honolulu has closed Its shops and Of
fees to do honor to the Grand Army
and its dead comrades. Nothing that Is
elsewhere done to crafty the veterans
has ever been Intentionally left undone
here.
AS to the charge OF persecution for
quarter of a century, 1t Dis rs baseless
as Mr.. Sewall's other allegations Since
the Grand Army was organized there
United States. Six were Grand Army
men, including Mckinley, the present
incumbent. For twenty years more
than one-half the Governors OF States
and OF the Northern Senators and Con-
gressmen were Grand Army men, and
there are host of them in high Office
now. For generation each party has
striven to get Grand Army men on its
tickets. Meanwhile, despite the out
cries of demagogues, which never had
tie strength of persecution" the pen
Bun list hds slcdully grown until now
according to Mr.. Sewall himself, 1t mas
100000 names. What sort of "perse-
cLtion" is it when nation gives its
veteran soldiers carte blanche TO Its
highest political honors and 10 a live
lihooI besides?
Mr.. sewall's speech, as Both of May
address. should have had memorial
quaIlies; instead he saw fit to roment
discomfort and display cheap politics;
turning aside withal, for a nasty fling
at this community. 1t was sorry ex
hibition for man who has been Min
lister OF the United States and who
thought himself fitted for the Guberna-
torial station-but at least 1t was char
acteristic. so let 1t go at that,
t-
It would be very gratifying thing