The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-05-17
The Spirit Behind
the Pageant

ZIG 4 aSCdlAI
On Saturday, in New York City, was
witnessed one of the most wonderful pa
rades in the world-a pageant of patriot
ism. One hundred and seventy-hve thou
sand men and women marched up one OF
the most fashionable thoroughfares in the
world, to show their allegiance to the flag,
to demonstrate to the world that they were
Americans, loyal to their country. One mil
lion people watched the marchers on their
twelve-hour journey, and Major General
Leonard Wood who reviewed the parade,
said of it: ct is the most wonderful parade
I have ever seen. The unusual part of it is
that they hav been marching by almost at
the rate of drilled troops-the average is
nearly 1900 an hour, and some divisions
have made 10000 an hour"
And>it was this, the spirit behind it,
which made it more wonderful than other
pageants. These men and these women
who marched on Saturday up Fifth avenue,
were purposeful. They were men and wom-
en- who had entered the ranks of the march
ers, not because of their pleasure in pagean-
try, for they were n-uniformed-witht the
exception of New York's militia, which
marched, ten thousand strong-but men
and women from every rank in life, giving
themselves for day to weary march
through the hot streets of a city to demon
strate to the world thier belief in their coun-
try-their conservation to an ideal.
The paciflcists who circulated their leaf
lets and their petitions through the mass
OF thousands who stood to watch the great
parade go. by must have met with little
sympathy. For the wonder of those quiet
marching thousands must have spoken elo-
quently of that for which they were con
tending
America does not want war; This coun.
try does not seek hostilities. But the
spirit of the pageant of Saturday on Fifth
avenue, is spirit which has quickly crys.
tal1zed all over the United States.
his nation is a nation with an avidness
tor peace. For years it has chung to this
ideal. 1t has gone its way in the pursuit.
OF plenty and contentment. And it took the
breaking hearts of women, and the cries O
little children, and the agonies of men tc
wake them from that dream of peace.
But they have wakened And thew hav,
found about them, in the air menace. A
whisper of things that may be, a prophecy
OF that which may come to pass, even il
!
this country of peace and plenty.
And with the realization they have risen
all over the United States, by the thousand
and the tens of thousands, and with tn
warning that has been written on the wal
for them, and which they have read in tn
light OF reason, they have prayed for peac
and have prepared for war.
This country realizes today that it i
standing in jeopardy. And that, SHOULD
the hour strike when this nation is involve,
IN the terrible conflict which is sweepin.
the world, if this country is to be saved.
the home is to be saved, if the mothers. an,
the wives and the children are to be saved
1t IS not through crying Peace! Peace
/ he men and the women who marche.
/ up Filth avenue and the men and the WON
en- who are in sympathy with them ali owe
the United States, are the men and wome
who place honor above peace. The prepar
edness parade in New York will 90 dow
in history as one of the most wonderful i
the world, for it epitomized, as nothing els
could have done, the splendid spirit {
patriotism alive in America today.
/ A r Il