The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-05-25

sue LII &c III b44S IitCSA SJ1AS kANAO
characters of the Civil War-Grant
Davis and Lee. The second picture
dates back to 1865. Before the city oi
Richmond, / see standing. face to face
this same Grant, this same Lee, one the
vanquisher, the other the vanquished
The third is in 1899 when before San
tiago 1 see respectively, the son and
nephew. of Grant and Lee both fighting
under the Stars and Stripes for the
principle of equal rights for all. What.
ever bitterness has existed is now lost
I trust forever, and we stand again q
united people of God.
This, my young citizen friends, is the
monuments message which l interpret
for you this day. And in connection
with it let me say that while war is a
deplorable thing, it seems to me to
have thus far in our history, been
essential to the perpetuation of that
patriotic spirit which has ever charac-
terized the American people. History :
pages in themselves have seemed in
adequate to educate our young people
to national devotion and service and
from time to time we have been oblig-
ed to face conditions of warfare as
object lessons to the succeeding gen
erations and to implant in the hearts of
our children the spirit of love for our
homeland. Impending danger to this
old flag awakens patriotism in the
hearts of old and young alike. We re-
member in our late war with Spain,
how our young men responded to the
call for volunteers and how old vet
Grams, bending under the weight of
years, became young again. Many of
the latter expressed a desire to take
place in the front ranks and were him
dered only by advanced age, from
rendering their services to the govern
ment whose flag they love.
1t is to be hoped that some other
providential way may be provided by
which this spirit may continue to live.
But if it be only by war then we must
abide. Let US one and all resolve here
this day that come what may we will
be true to American citizenship and
contribute our best endeavor to the
further growth of this living monu-
ment of freedom.
And now, Members of the Grand
Army of the Republic, l address my
self particularly to you. We, your
citizen friends, are met today to again
our gratitude to you for your
valuable services of the past and to re-
member those who died in the war and
also those who have since passed to
Join the silent majority. Without your
devotion to your coun-
-ry our monument would tell us only
IF desertion and dissolution. But be-
cause of your devotion the Union is
preserved and we stand today the
greatest government in the world.
Memorial day is to become to future
more than now, what its
name implies. Not exclusively a day
If flowers but a day in which the
American fathers are to tell their chill
iren the meaning of this symbolized
monument of living stones. These oc-
'asions will soon be peculiarly chang
ID More than two-thirds of the vet
.rans living in So have since died. |
Fhe residue are going at the rate of
o, 900 per year, six each hour. Your
anks thus rapidly depleted with no
ecruits will soon call for the disband- |
ng of your G.. A. r. posts and your
will live only in history. |
learned recently of an incident in |
which is full of sadness. |
\ certain Grand Army Post, on an an
liversary of its organization, found |
is ranks so thinned by death that |
here was no longer enough men to fill |
he several positions of honor and |
rust. A day was set and with impos- |
ng ceremonies the remaining veterans |
to the cemetery, there |
uried in the ground the charter, gavel |
nd other paraphernalia of their dis
anded lodge and then sadly wendell |
heir way homeward to await the |
reater obsequies of the last of their
lumber. Brethren, that will be the |
istory of this post some day-of every
ost in the land. What then? Your
ons and daughters will doubtless
bserve this anniversary day and in a
MEASURE will keep flowers on your
raves. Some shaft of marble or
ranite may also mark your resting
lace. But let me tell you men, the
reatest reverence to your memory |
ill be held by the generations yet I'M
orn, who, as the decades come and
o, will appreciate more and more the
aluable services you rendered your
0untry in the dark days of the sixties.
I am glad to note the presence of a
lumber of men representing Theodore
roosevelt Camp No. l. United Spanish |
Var Veterans who have come to wor-
nip with us this hour. A hearty well
ONE to you, fellow citizens. In the
REF struggle to which l have already
eferred, the time was shortened to the
Is days. largely because of the vim
nd dash you put into your soldier
ork. No ordinary foe could long keep
cart in the face of such battle waged
n land and sea- in the West Indies
nd Philippines. The martial spirit of
our fathers came quickly to the sur
ice and your army and navy recruits
100000, might as easily have been
We times the number required. By
our splendid courage and vigorous
ghting you contributed much to the
onument of which I speak. 6
But there is another monument.
afer. of course. to the great principles
Christianity. Without it there
ould have been no record of Ply
outh Rock, of Independence Hall, of
edmond, of san Juan Hill or Manila
ay Without Jesus Christ the prin-
piles of American government would
: shorn Of their beauty and power and
a nation, if we existed at all, we
ould be sitting in darkest midnight
I'D despair. God calls you to con-