The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-08-09
TIE CLAMOR FOR PEN sIONs.

| 1t is commonly reported that republics
are ungrateful; but whether the saying is
justified by experience or not, we are I'M
prepared to say. So far as our own re-
public is concerned we are Of the opinion
that it has generally been grateful to those
who have served it, and has manifested its
gratitude in substantial way. There can
be no question about the republic owing
something to the men who serve 1t, and
especially to those who in the hour of its
peril came to its defense at the risk of life
and limb and health. Men who thus ex-
pose themselves are worthy OF al praise, and
the country that they rescue from destruc
ton is so deeply indebted TO them that the
Indebtedness can never be paid; whatever
is done for them will always leave behind
wide margin upon which the generations
succeeding US will have room to record
their gratitude for the COURAGE, patience
and unselfish devotion of the brave men
who in the hour of danger risked their al
to save the government, the ark of our
liberties, from destruction.
But while the republic owes so much to
these men, did not the men of the past gen.
GRAFTON, as also do the man of to-day, owe
something to the republic! While the re-
public owes lis existence to the sailors and
soldiers who through the dark days of the
great rebellion bravely fought for its pres
ervation, are not those men in common
with all the citizens of the union depend
emit upon the government for their peace
security and liberty! And in lighting for
that government were they not fighting
F.
freedom and prosperity of their children,
and their children's children. We think
they were. III they were not, then they
were engaged in a most unworthy, not to
say unholy war. To our English forefath-
ers man was a child Of the state. and was
born with filial duties, among which was
that of coming to its rescue whe never the
state was threatened with dang err The
case stands not quite so with us, since to
our political philosophy man is not a crea-
ture Of the state. Man was not
made for the state, but the
state Tor man, for his good,
his benefit, his protection. 1t came into
existence by acompact entered into by the
people of the several states yielding up a
portion of their sovereign power to a con-
ventional stste which their action created,
and is known as the general government of
the United States. To that compact every
citizen il the union is party and therefore
under obligations TO preserve it inviolate.
To disobey the state is a crime; to rebel
against II, or TO overturn it-while it may
not be, as il was with our English fore
fathers, psrricide-is a thing equally re-
volting-it is treason, than which there ia
not blacker crime, or one more fraught
with mischief. To stamp this out is the
duty of every citizen, let it incur whatso-
ever danger it may. To those who do it.
much credit is due. They have done their
duty; and if in doing that they meet with
misfortune, so that they are disabled for
the ordinary struggle of life, then CRATE
full people, and 4 still more grateful sue
ceeding generation would say let them have
whose life they saved.
But if these men should so far forget
themselves and their dignity as soldiers
and patriots as 10 become common beggars,
and forever be harping upon the same old
saw that republics are ever ungrateful, are
they not in danger of losing that high re-
spect one would wish to entertain for
patriots and veterans of the late war; And
is not disgust likely to take the place Of
gratitude in relation to them.
These reflections were occasioned by the
action of The late encampment Of the G. A.
Il. at Detroit, in respect to the address of
the president of the National Association
of ex-Prisoners Of War, E. II. WILLIAMS