Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-06-16

George Washington and Israel Putnam
we're comrades. Samuel Adams aad.
Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin
Franklin were co-workers in LAYING
foundations for the new common
wealth. ".
The time was full .of opportunity
Freedom was in the air. Robert
Burns had sung: a mans a man for
a that Absolutism was erumbling in
France Government b. the people
was looming up before the world,
definite and alluring. The war, when
it came. was the peoples fight: they
did not wait for the Declaration of
Independence and il was in this fierce.
welding heat Of patriotic passion and
ardent zeal for the rights of man that
the American flag was born II was
the flower of the crisis, the inspiTa-
tion of the seething, epidemic enthu-
siasm Of the American people, men
and women.
Story Of the Nation.
The flag tells the story of our ma
tional growth. With thirteen stars at
its birth, is number has increased to
nearly half a hundred. each star rep
resenting great state This union
of stars in the flag tells of the mighty
strength Of the federal government,
more than two-score of sovereign
states united in one system for the
Ierpetuity Of which they have yield
ed portion of their own authority. A
uIfion Of two or three political COM
munities is inherently weak as we see
from the examples OF Sweden and Nor
way. and of Austria and Hungary
But the security increases with the in
crease in the number of the federated
states. The federal government was
too strong for the revolt of the Con-
federate States in 1861 to be success
full The stars of the revolving states,
still on the flag. were constantly ex-
hibited to the Confederate army, the
token of the steady faith of the gov
eminent and Of the people behind il,
not only that the Union had not disin-
tegrated, but that it would no.
Flag Promises Much.
Il have spoken of the flag as pro-
=phetic. When it was first unfurled,
this flag of freedom, slavery was a
great business institution, so firmly
entrenched in nearly one-half Of the
area OF the United States, that no one
could see how it was to be eradieated.
When. later, the great Constitution OF
the United States was drafted and
adopted, there appeared 40 opportuni-
ty to terminate this national Injustice
and disgrace, and 1t had to go on with
the flag of freedom flying over millions
of slaves and the Consultation silent
on the subject. But the flag flew on
with its message of hope, educating
millions of men in its principles until
the time came, after more than three
quarters of century of weary wait
ing, to strike the blow chat the flag
called for, and these millions of slaves
were free and received the rights OF
other Americans.
There are other things which we
mayA expect under the promise of the
flag. White slavery shall be wiped
out, women shall have their due, work
ing men slabering sby hand or brain
shall be delivered from the tyranny OF
capital and shall be given their need
of opportunity.
'fAnd so lie: us rejoice in the flag
More than in its honorable victories
on land and sea. let US be glad in its
to human progress, in its
promise of future justice and fair play
and for the protection of the weak
and innocent-and so let 1t be Old
Glory forever G