The Hawaiian gazette., 1911-06-02
CITIZENS UNITE WITH WAR
VETERANS IN DECORATING
GRAVES OF THEIR DEAD

{From Wednoad
No more remarkable and impressive
Memorial Day service was held in the
United States than tho one which took
place in Honolulu, under the auspices
Of First Geo. W. De Long Post No. As,
Department Of California and Nevada,
"a. A. r., yesterday.
In no other city Of the Union were
so many different races present at the
solemn and inspiring service and in no
no other section over which waves the
Stars and Stripes could conditions have
been more noteworthy than here, in the
land of perpetual spring.
Again, in no other part of the Union
is there such a profusion of varied and
wonderful flowers, fitting decorations
for the graves of the unfOrgettable men
who fought so nobly to retain the
Union when its cohesion was threatened
and whose arms secured for the negroes
the priceless gift of liberty for all time,
wherever the flag of this country waves
in token of sovereignty.
AS adding further to the unique ma
ture of the service was the fact that
the orator of the day, Hon. Charles A.
Cottrill, collector of United States in
tsrnal revenue, is a member of that
race variety whose present possibilities
are due to the victory Of union arms.
| -.a-1 lT.A..-.,-Ay,,v
To render the occasion more than
ever memorable it is worthy of note
to recall that this forty-third memorial
day service took place in the year
which is commemorated by the fact that
it is the fiftieth anniversary since the
war between the States broke out.
Those who attended at the burial
ground, who made the annual pilgrim
Iage with the veterans to the Nuuanu
graveyard and heard Mr.. Cottrill speak,
must have been struck by the extreme
ly fitting choice made by the commit
tee of arrangements of an orator whose
lofty thoughts, pleasing diction and
isplendid choice of words amply proved
that, in emancipating the negro race
a service was rendered, not alone to
that race but to mankind, which must
have a vast influence upon the progress
of the country.
In rendering homage to the sleeping
ones of the nation, Mr.. Cottrill, not
unnaturally and very fttingly, briefly
referred to the attainments of his
emancipated race in the comparatively
brief period since it obtained its free
dom as one great, if secondary, result
of the civil war. The facts and figures
which he quoted to that quiet crowd
there among the graves of the departed
heroes told eloquently of what the
negroes have accomplished. Moreover
they are an indication of what the race
can do and of what it will perform
and it is certain that their deep sig.
nifcance was not lost on the audience
Remarkable Audience.
That audience was duplicated no
where else in any other city, town, OF
village in any State or Territory
Among the several hundred interested
persons who listened to the remarks Of
THE negro orator were Americans
Britishers, Hawaiians Portuguese, Jap
anese, Chinese, Koreans, Russians
! Spaniards and members of other races
All of these have come here to enjoy
under the flag of the United States
that freedom and that unity for which
the Grand Army of the Republic
fought.
Even the parade of yesterday, which
. preceded the actual ceremonies at the
fiower-bedecked graveyard, was of 8
nature which was seen in no other pari
of the United States. This was observ
able from the moment of the prepare
tions for the formation on King street
near the capitol grounds.
: First there marched upon the ground
the members of the First Infantry, Ma
tional Guard of Hawaii, under command
of Col. @. W. Ziegler In their KHAKI
uniforms, which bespoke good usage ant
excellent service, the men, many o.
them natives of these Islands, present
ed a fine, outstanding appearance and
all appeared to be imbued with thu
solemnity of the occasion.
Department P1eases.
Quickly following them the Hawaiian
band, clothed in white uniforms, ap
peared on the scene and took their sta
tion at the head of the guardsmen. The
Kamehameha cadets, in their neat uni
forms of gray with black stripes, came
down on two special cars from the
school and formed into line with the
precision which told of capable instruc
tion. They shouldered their arms like
veterans and their manner of carrying
themselves, and their general deport
ment, pleased the critical eye.
A carriage containing the orator OF
the day, Hon. Charles A. Cottrin and
Rev. David Cary Peters, who was "a
pronounce the benediction at the cere.
mony, was placed next to the cadets
This carriage was put at the disposal
of the committee by w. A. Bowen, and
that patriotic citizen himself acted as
driver. Behind the vehicle came the
members of the Improved Order Of Red.
men, whose sashes Of startling red sat
brilliantly upon their less gorgeous uni.
FORMS.
The Redmen acted as escorts to a
tallyhO which contained eighteen men
whom the whole of Hawaii delights
to honor Grand Army veterans,
who, in the twilight of life remember
with tears their old comrades Of fifty