THE CITY CELEBRATIONS

Otago Witness, Issue 2516, 4 June 1902, Page 28

THE CITY CELEBRATIONS

HOW THE NEWS WAS DECEIVED

THE SENTIMENT OP IT ALL.

What's adoo in the city? There's a hurrying to and fro and a sound of bells and of trumpets.

"Peace, justice, and the Word of God must be given to the people, not sold," said Ruskin, and our peace has not been sold to us, for it is an honourable peace. The joyful news had been long anticipated, almost hourly expected, and when the bells lang out in the city on Monday morning at .10 o'clock,, and whistles and foghorns and human voices took up the strain, from the multitude of hearts there went up to the Great God of Battles a note of silent thanks- ! giving, all the more valuable because silent. , Men, perhaps strangers to each other, gripped hands; women laughed and cried ! alternately; boyF — and what matter it if the littl* urchins were unkempt and ragged, their rugged little hearts were white — cheered themselves hoarse ; and all, by- common consent, made for the Town Hall, a glad, tumultuous feeling of joy and goodwill to all men uppermost, which they scarcely lealised was that spirit of communion, the grand and glorious brotherhood of Empire. In less time than it takes to ire-11, the city streets were moving masses of humanity . and flags ran to mastheads, while the sounding of many bells echoed out their joyous peals. From workshop and warehouse, engine-room and office, from cottage and liall the glad people rushed, and highways and byways — arteries and veins of the city's heart — poured out their living streams until the Octagon was a &aa of faces ; and amongst that great multitude was evident that tense, heartfelt sentiment which it is beyond the power of pen to portray — the love of Empire, the loyalty 'of a united peop'e. Ihe sight of a multitude rendering thanks to Almighty God is one that must live for ever in the memory of tho.-p who witness it, and it was a thanksgiving tranFcende-nt in its intensity, magniloquent in its earnestness, aud pplendid in its acknowledgment. | Sentiment rules the world, and deeds may i pass into oblivion and generation* ri-e and die. but it is the <-eutiment which tells and which lives. What a proud spectacle it was for the Chief Magi=tvate, the Mayor of the City, when he stood upon the parapet and gazed down upon the great sea of human bfings while he announced the news that all our hearts had be&u lougiug for : " Peace [is proclaimed 7 '; and no grander mu.-ic could 1 he hoard than that roar of cheering which io.-»e in response; it was the expression of the joy m hich filled e\ery heart. It needed no swelling organ peal, no otately rnu.-ic to lead that grand old hymn '" Praise God, from Whom all ble^^ings flow " ; the words ' came spontaneously from every heart, and a fitting accompaniment wa3 the deep roar of the gun? firing a i-a'.ute and the distant echo of bells fcom the suburban churches. r lhe 1 Mayor's speech- wat> the expression, in word. i of the people's joy. and the long-continu'-d ' outbursts of cheering told how heartily they lesponded to it. while the splendid sentim ents given expression to by the variou-speake-rs were all accorded their salvos of cheers. Then the National Anthem was j sung as only a joyful crowd could sing it. Iv response to the Mayor's call cLeers were ! given for Lords Roberts and Kitchener and ; the Premier. Then Mr Justice Williams, in i his dignified address, struck a note that vibrated when he said the fallen foe had

fought a. splendid, fight, and he would be delighted to shake liands with De Wet and others and welcome them to the great brotherhood of the Empire. Colonel Robin, as the representative of the Defence Forces, was rightly accorded an enthusiastic reception, for we know what a part our bravo ( bays have nlayed in the race for freedoj*

and justice; while the function was fittingly concluded whoa a reverent silence was observed and Bishop Nevill rendered thanks, ci behalf of the people, to the God of Battles for the restoration of peace. It was a splendid scene, and. we venture to say, unparalleled in the history of Dunedin. for though we have had great gatherings, we have had nothing, drawing us to such close pad combined thanksgiving.

Immediately the prayer was concluded there was another glad outburst of cheer-

ing, and the University students, who had mustered in strength and enlivened the proceedings With war cries and impromptu hakas, generously favoured the crowd with, a* performance, which, while not dignified, was nevertheless, highly diverting, and the band struck up. Someway it seemed as though the people, having performed a duty, let themselves grr. The mood of the average /nan then might be described as wanting' to- bang a kerosene' tin and shout " Hooray." and doubtless he did in his own mind. The tide of humaxi life gradually flowed into the streets again, and Princes street soon became a moving mass of humanity. There was joyottsness. in every step, and, like children, staid citizens rushed to and fro greeting each other and cheerin anything and everything, while everybody got in each other's road and laughed at themselves. He would be a dyspeptic individual, vrhose dinner, or rather breakfast, had disagreed with him, who could not hhout yesterday morning. The streets were Ecenes of life and movement for all classes, as if by common consent, had foregathered to exchange greetings and fraternise in the one common joy, the more staid contenting themselves with geniaJ conversation, while convivial males gene-rally had the greeting for each other : " What are you going to have, old chap? " The tun had shone pleasantly in the morning, as if the clerk of the weather was participating in the general reloicing, but atter lunch light rain fell,, though thio in no wise lessened the dimensions of the crowd, which shielded itself with a forc-t of umbrellas and contentedly watth»d the procession in the afternoon. Shortly after the public ceremony had cou-t-ludcd, the Hillside Workshops employees, numbering about 400, proceeded through the. town in procession, carrying banners and emblem-., and they were histily cheered along the lino of route. By this time the shop* had been closed, and flags and streamers appeared on almost every building, and the shipping in pore was gay with streamers.

S<> mv -1) for tho city's rejoicing, but we mu-it not forget wo arc, after all, only a unit in the greatest Empire the world has ever seen. ai>«:l yesten'ay the woclcers in. .the fields and out oil the broad hillside? of farm and .-tatu/ii would lu?ar the gla.d tidings. Over the v."ho!e woild. wherever Englishmen havp congregated.— arid v/hcre in the civihs«d world have they not? — there will he rejoicing in the advent of peace. '" War, with all it- cvil-i. i-> belter than a peaca in which tlieic is nothing to be seen but usurpation .md injustice," .■aid Pitt; and this has boen the seiitimo-nt nf tho Empire throughout the South African war, for war is ever piefei'dble to a dishonourable and stultifying peace : but now thp <-tern ta=k in over :md the Te Deum Laculamus of a xejoicing' people. a c cands to the skies from all over th° world. It hah been a great trial, this war— its colo-Tal magnitude has hardly been realised as ret. — but tho nation to its uttermost part, has borne Lts trial unflinchingly at the call of tho Grey Mother, with the stem resolve to fight fo the bitter end. And well that it was so, for thi-. w:ir has not only meant the possession of tl • South African Stales, but the prestige of the British throne-. Let us consider for < i > moment wliat would have baen iu<n u.i/->'r» had En^and withdrawn at the comir.f •7e»>ment of the war — as those shric ting enemies ot their country advised her ta do, — and the-n thank God that British statesmen were of different calibre- The greatest nation on the face of the globe would have become the mockery of the world, her colonies would have hung their beads' in --hanie, her ascendency would have been n> thjng of the pait, and her proud flag would Lave received a stain that could never be erased, not even when the Great Arbiter called all peoples to account for their tru->fee<*ship at the Last Judgment. And what a ch'angs would have taken place in the sphere of influence. Could we, in these far oufcfying lands, have hoped to remain unmolested and to see the flajf wave over the South Pacific 'I No! The prizes axe too rich, to remain uuoovetcd. and the southern <vjlnni«»

and tropical islands would have passed irrevocably from Britain's, power. Then how could Egypt hope to stand and, with the supremacy of the Empire broken, where wouia India have been and the Chinese stations but in the possession of the Government of the Czar? It was a war necessary in the highest degree! and it will be a powerful factoi in the influences making for peace iv the years to come. There- can be no moral doubt but that the desire of some of the great Powers to come into conflict with Britain in a decisive struggle for the supremacy, has been materially lessened by the events of the past two years, and therefore this Empire wai has been in the interests of the world's peace. As it is, the . nation's prestige has riseu to a transcendent supremacy which foreign Powers will wi&ely I hesitate- to attack. We have lost many noble sons, and the proudest 'blood of the Empire has been shed in baptism of the new possessions : glaring mistakes have been made, and naturally so, when political influence has been almost the only door_ to command and ths influence of society women has been brought to bear to secure responsible positions for drawing-room pets : but what does all this matter a hundred years heuce? The dead will have been forgotten, and the mistakes have passed into • oblivion — only -the grand monumfinfs of j the added power of the Empire and the I maintenance and enhancing- of Britain' » prestige will remain. New Zealand has loafc heavily, her bravest and her best have offered up their live 3on the field of blood, and their names are enrolled on. the scroll* of fame. We do them honour, as we should honour the brave^ and they have brought New Zealand's name to tho proud position it holds to clay in the forefront of England's colonial dependencies; but who remembers now, or dwells UDon, the mist of tears which veiled the glory "of Waterloo or Trafalgar; "or, except those whose loved ones fell there, the struggle on India's north-western frontiers, where every man from the sikh and Ghurka troops to the officers and reserve" officers, — many of them were boys, — perI formed deeds of valour which were scarcely j ever heard of? But yet, to-day, their spleni did heritages remain to us. So will it be i with South Africa. Our men have died that wo might reap the benefits. Many heads are bowed with woe, but freedom has been given to an oppressed country, the supremacy of a mighty nation lias been maintained and exalted, rich possessions have been added to the throne, and lasting peace has been brought into nearer perspective, while tho Empire has arisen as a lion refreshed from sleep, and Orient and Occident alike, listen and fear. And though the tide of Death is full to-night, j And tears are falling fast. j Our honoured dead are resting from the fight — Their day of strife is past And now, though the eager watchers, jealous of that mighty Power, may see the lion lie down fo eleep again, they will remember the subtle threat, " Dormio, noli me excitare." Slowly but surely the sphere of influence spreads over the habitable globe, i and slowly but surely that sphere is ap-. proaehing one grand confederation. — perhaps, in time, to be a confederation of the whole of the Anglo-Saxon race. Is it any wonder, then, that a glad people rejoiced "with j hearts and hands and voices." upon receipt i of the news that the Empire is at last at , peace, again? We can- rejoice now with thankful hearts, for the long fight has been honourably and nobly won. and our foes i liave laid down their arms, let us hope for i all time, for we v/ill give them a peace and

a freedom which they bad -not dreamed "of, • for Britain is ever magnanimous to her. __ beaten enemies. The tension has been great ~ — so great that we can only realise the intensity in the relief. Peace, in Cicero's words, is liberty in franquility, but we cannot be tranquil yet awhile. Peace with ua yet is rather peace with a cudgel in hand — > an armed peace, — but if is peace, and tho great Boer war has passed into history. The- great aftermath now remains for Britain, the task of settling the conquered territory and educating its inhabitants, while wise laws for the preservation, of freedom and justice are made; but we have no fear: we know the wise and "beneficent rule of our dear Homeland to fear as to. the future. I of South Africa. . And what a noble part,, I we reflect with pride, have our New Zealand men taken in this grand work. Of--what inestimable service they have proved themselves while ■ fighting shoulder- to shoulder with the flower of the British army, adding their cornice etone to the splendid temple of" the Empire. It only remains for us to welcome them home, and we will know Low to do that. Qur" prayer has been : . On mountain dim or rolling wave, Almighty God, our Father, save. .' And now we can raise our voices in on© j long glad swelling chant of praise to thecyupreme One, Who has heard our prayer. . THE CONGREGATING OF THE PEOPLE. When the news was received by cable an extra, from the Daily Times office' was rapidly circulated through the city, and as tho town clock struck 10 the firebell rang vigorously, the church bells responding a few minutes later, while engine whistles and foghorns appropriately heralded the rejoicings with, as much noise as possible- One of^ tho first flags to flutter out on the lighfc" breeze in the Octagon was Ireland's emblem, over the Tablet office, and it was- greeted; with a lusty cheer from the crowd already thronging, to the Octagon. The people have not forgotten how nobly Irishmen have fought and died on the veldt. Then, thet Town, HaU flag waved out, and in a. faw minutes the town was gay with bunting, and. every tramcar and vehicle carried its comv plement, while small boys joyfully rushed round with flags and streamers. It Bcaroely needed other intimation: than thai afforded! by the* loud pealing of bells to acquaint, thapeople with the news, and. in marvellously quick time the streets were thronged, whileelieens resounded on every hand. The sun had determined to smile upon the occasion,, and the morning celebrations were carried! oui in perfect weather ; after which Old Sol ! doubtless conceived ho had done his duty, j and allowed his brother, the watering-pot, to have a say. The space in front oS the Town Hall was naturally crowded to. excess, but it was a good-humoured crowd, and did noc mind having its foes trampled Upon or ifo elbows squeezed into its sides. Theclergymen's sprint to the Town Hall, 'refeirred to by an irrepressible correspondent.' recently, was won easily by Mr Duncan; Wright, a Salvation Army officer coniinpr in' a close second, but the Mayor trad evidently forgotten to time or handicap the contest tants, and the Bishop was in at the death.All day. and at night also, the streets were; thronged, and the 'crowds- seemed desirous of perpetuating the peace celebrations aa long as possible. • •:

When you ask for TUSSICUKA, see thaC you get it. It is absolutely infallible.