, 1901-06-11
FLAC-DAY
SHOULD BE FITTlNGlY OBSERV
ED NEXT FRIDAY, SAYS
THE G. A. r.
Every School May FittingIy Observe
the Day with Special Exercises
Address to Grand Army by Chief
Aide to Commander-in-Chie of
the Organization.

General Allen c. Blackwell, chief
aide to the commanderin-chief, Grand
Army of the Republic, in charge of the
bureau of patriotic education of that
order. has issued the following address
to the American people:
June II will be the 124th anniver-
sary of the birthday of the United
States flag.
When it is considered what it has
cost to give birth to his flag, what it
has cost to maintain it, and what it
means to this nation and to the world,
there is no honor too great that should
not be conferred upon it.
Our flag was born in the throes of
liberty. wounded in the battles of free
dom and sanctified in the cause of hui
mainly.
1t should be honOred for all the Sc
Curity it guarantees. all the mercy it
prOclaims, all power it implies
1t is the flag that has been ever
raised in honor and never lowered in
disgrace. 1t is the flag that represents
liberty of thought and religious right
and floats today. beautifully lowering
in the breeze around its Cuban protege,
a prOteCtOrate against mans inhu-
mainly to man" The flag that grace
fully waves in the Orient, a respected
monitor in the Celestial empire, guild
ing the world in the solution of a di-
vine problem, demonstrating against
a~varice and admonishing against
treachery.
1t is the flag that must not be dis
graced as an advertisement of mer-
chandise nor displayed for idle pur-
pose.
1t is sacred! 1t is sublime, Next to
holy writ it should be our guide. stand
ing for the equality of man, and of wo-
man to man. 1t is now the peacemaker
between hitherto domestic foes. 1t is
a guard against foreign interference.
1t forgives the past, and points to the
future. grandly; with more grandeur
than our provision can encompass. 1t
is the flag of our reunion; the flag of
the new possessions which providence
has bestowed. So let the American
people, with n hand on the casket of
the golden rule and with the other sa-
luting the emblem of our liberty and
strength. do honor to our banner, as it
stands for loyalty between ourselves
and the elevation of all mankind.
AS the day dawns on June II let the
morning breeze kiss the Tutoring flag
from every housetop. and as the school
bell sounds the assembly hOur let there
be glad hearts among the children. as
it is made their festival day to sing
praises to the flag and to cheer it as it
floats in the air above. a token of their
noble birth.
Every school may ittingly honor
this day with special exercises as a
day of rejoicing, adopting a program
suitable to the occasion: Prayer. sa-
ltle W tnt nag. national hymns. adj
dresses by soldiers and patriots. flag
drill quotations from eloquent orations
on the flag, ringing of bells. Every
child waving a flag and possessing it
for himself as a treasure to he admired
and revered. There are no school chill
dren too young to love the flag. none
too old to be ashamed of it. Patriot
ism is a sentiment-an emotion capa-
BILE of being cultivated to a high degree
by inspiration. 1t is not an incentive
to military action, with IA tendency to
war;: rather a promoter of peace, and
no nobler sentiment can be created
than love for the flag. which is the
mantle of Columbia standing in the
foreground reckoning to the oppressed
OF all mankind to come under the folds
of the Robe of Love, to dwell in har-
mony and security in this land of
peace. the Canaan where the wandercr
may rest. the oppressed find relief and
all be the equal of his fellow man.