The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-07-31

al QOuDt OF the eff1ciency OF the Amer
lean plan, even though they may not
be able to comprehend the secret of it.
The citizen soldiery of this republic
has been equal to every demand ever
made upon it. The American officer
is educated and disciplined to fight
The American army is trained and
equipped for war and not for show
The citizen soldiery is held up by in
! telligence and patriotism. Therefore
American troops have won imperish-
able renown on many bloody fields and
American seilors have astonished the
world with their victories in many
seas. Not only in the short and bril-
liant war with Spain were their cour-
/ age and other martial qualities fully
! demonstrated, but in other wars with
| other enemies. Their youthful stamina
was thoroughly tested in two success
full wars with Britain. The cam
| paigns of Taylor and Scott in Mexico
are brilliant achievements in military
history. Fifty years ago, with mere
/ handful of American regulars and vol
unteers, General Scott penetrated in
one short campaign to the Mexican cap
1 once was his army defeated or seri-
/ ously delayed in it's advance. His
troops were Not only brave and vic
torieus in battle, but as conquerors
were humane and law-abiding.
/ But the crucial test was in the civil
war-a conflict few nations could have
survived. In duration, in the number
of engagements and skirmisnes. in
losses in killed and wounded and from
disease and other causes, it stands
among the greatest and most fearful
of all wars. Every variety of courage,
discipline, fortitude and physical en-
| durance was appealed to. and always
and everywhere the men Of both the
/ north and south displayed all the at
| tributes of an embattled, conquering
race 1t IS doubtful if any European
! troops were ever called 70 such pro-
tracted and trying tests as the indom-
liable but hopeless federal charges at
Fredericksburg. Spottsylvania and
Cold Harbor against the impregnable
lines of breastworks, or Longstreet's
vain confederate onsets at Gettysburg
on July and 8. or Hoods mad rushes
against the Union works before Frank
lin.
The nearest approach to these bat
ties was in the German attack at
Gravelotte. perhaps. Out of an army
of LAG, 0G0 men engaged, besides a heavy
reserve of $1,000, their loss in killed
and wounded was 10000 men. At Get
tysburg each of the opposing armies of
Americans lost more men, with less
than half the number engaged. In the
four years of the civil war the Union
armies lost 0000 killed and died from
wounds, and 275,OOO men wounded. The
total loss Of the German army in the
Franco-German war was $4,000 killed
or mortally wounded, and $4,000 wound
ed. 1t was much shorter war, how
ever. No larger armies were ever as
sembled than in this European war
The theatre was a comparatively mar
row one and Germany invaded France
with more than 100000 men.
The American theatre of war was
nearly as large as the whole of Europe,
and the percentage of losses in killed
and wounded exceeds anything in the
military annals of Europe. Americans
were engaged on both sides. The strug-
gle could not be. otherwise than des-
perate or the losses other than appall-
ing. United, the soldiers who took
part in this conflict on both sides could
have withstood the whole world. Yet
each was an army of volunteers from
every walk of life.
There is no discount on American
valor In the exhaustive trial of
strength between the sections, north
and south, in numerous Indian cam
paigns, in the Mexican war. whose I'M
broken line of brilliant victories is one
of the most marvellous in the worlds
history, in the two collisions we have
had with England. in the swift and
brilliant operations against Spain,
American soldiers have never failed to
show their mettle. The testimonials
added by foreign commanders in China
merely echo what the world has been
saying for some time.
In the field, wherever he may be,
whether half clad among the SHOWS of
some Valley Forge, or burdened with
clothing in some tropic land, fed by
rascally contractors and poorly equip
ped by incompetent negligents in the
rear, the American soldier yet wins uni
versal approval and admiration. The
great incentive he has had to deeds
of valor is the consciousness of fight
ing for the right. for the oppressed,
for the sacred principles upon which
this government rests. When poll
ticians send him forth in wars of con-
quest he is not seen at his best But
when he fights for freedom for himself
or for others and the sympathy of a
united people is behind him he can
go through fire unscathed The public
press glorifies his deeds: the people
idolize him; the world approves his
purpose. He serves his country of his
own free will and the government has
provided a home for him if he is dis
abled. a pension if he has a home of
his own. Nor does the relation be-
tween the soldier and the government
stop here. For this republic is and
has ever been grateful. If necessary,
it takes care of his widow and or
phans, provides his remains with an
honored resting place, and permanently
marks. preserves and guards his grave.
And every year, on a day set apart