The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-05-30
DECORATION DAY.

| OF the Rebellion broke forth, the exer-
cises will be more solemn, they will be
of greater devoutness and earnestness,
than for many years before; this In
part because il is that anniversary, but
more because the passage Of the fifty
years gives notice TO all that the end
of the noble array of heroic patriots
whose devotion saved the Union is at
hand. Fifty years have gone by since
the first of them were called to the de.
Tense Of the flag, 10 the preservation
Of their imperiled country. They were
an army of boys, il is true, as has re-
Gently been stated with some wonder.
but they were also men, and high
order of men. in character, courage.
and achievements. And their grand.
patriotic work speaks toy them; they
need no further eu]ogy,
| And vet the mighty, patriotic heart
of America is not content TO be silent;
it speaks year by year. and on all fit
occasions. of the splendid work done by
those boys. for indeed boys they were,
and bows they called themselves; 1t
was always "Come on. boys'' when
any perilous work was at hand TO do:
and they always "came on;' there was
no thought of fsltering, no strife other
than 10 get there first. They came out
! Of the hell of war depleted In ranks.
vet with hearts undaunted; the places
of the dead or the disabled having III
the four wears been we'll filed by those
whose growth allowed them TO step into
the vacant places, and fill them right
worthily and well.
But the wears have wrought havoc IN
the ranks far beyond what was made
war began; ii is forty-slx years since
it ended. Even the youngest boys who
participated in it are now over sixty
wears of age: those who went to the
war at its beginning are mostly IN the
vicinity OF seventy. or over But by
far the greatest number are under the
sod and il is to the honoring and cher
| ishing of their glorious memories, and
Of the great cause with which
thew were identified, and their patriotic
names and country loving deeds, that
the ceremonies of the day are devoted.
! And as long as honor and love of coun-
try remains in the hearts Of Americans,
this day will be revered and the OBJ
servances appropriate to 1T Will be per
! formed. But when honor and love or
country are dead, then all this viii be
! forgotten, day that no one can CON
ceive as coming to Americans.
The significance OF the services
| done by that devoted army OF the
Union can the better be appreciated
! If one will consider what would IN
evitably have been the condition oil
the country had that Union army not
been filed up by those boys; IL
the South had been allowed to secede.
We should in that case have seen the
limited States and the Confederate
States separate and each an lndepend'
ent nation, with inevitable and ire
ouent wars between them. This vast
region would probably also have de-
tached itself from both. and set up an
independent nation on its own account,
the South insisting on and aiding 1t,
so that the power Of the North would
thus be cIrcumscribed.
From all this unhappy discord and
/ disruption the boys who fought foI
the integrity Of the Union saved u.s.
as well as from the bloody uprisings
wraneles and warfare that would
surely have resulted from disunion. By
the works Of these men the nation was
preserved as whole, one and indi
visible, the Grand Republic of the earth
1t is not only fitting that we should
cherish the memory of the noble deed
but we should also honor the living
remnant of that illustrious banc
: whom we have remaining among us
they should be made To feel that II
is not only in death that we do then
honor And indeed, they have no rea
son to complaint for their country ha!
been magnificent and muni6cent in iti
remembrance; it has meant always tt
provide amply for their needs. and it'
intent is that none Of them shall eve!
want.
The preparations here in honor of tn
day are elaborate and we'll prepared
They will be carried ont with whole
, hearted fervency and devotion. Flow
, ers viii abundantly decorate tn
graves; words of appreciation and pa
triotism have been kindly spoken, am
: with souls filed with thankfulnes
q that the sons of the Republic RESPONDED
Joyously and effectively TO her cry o
distress, the day will be entered upo
and all Of its ceremonies fulfilled, no
: as mere empty form, but with an cal
g nest fealty and fidelity that will b
S made as far as can be the fit accom-
s paniment TO the deeds Of the herol
q dead whose memory is honored tt
a day.
y THE PORTUGUESE ELECTIONS.
The elections in Portugal are repor