The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1911-06-29
THE FLAG.
education Is Necessary to lnstiR "Lovs
of CountrY.r

ihfoNf 49,
of Country"
1t has beer said with much appar-
ent truthfulness that love of country
beyond that commonly entertained
Cor local h~abitations and their 3nrae-
diate environments is an artificial
emotion created by educational pro-
cesses.
This proposition seems to find con-
frmation in the history OF all com
1nunities removed from h active
influences of the governments under
which they live. The sentiments OF
patriotism exhibited by the inhabitants
OF the isolated mountain regions az
West Virginia at the beginning OF the
war of the rebellion afford a striking
illustration of the truth OF these OBJ
serYat!ons. AS a class, these people
displayed small concern. apparently
In the affairs of the nation when the
war began, and gave scant welcome to
both the federal and confederate forces
that came among them. Their love OF
country appeared to be limited to the
immediate region in which they found
their homes, due doubtless to the mea-
ger Information they possessed at the
time of the great world about them.
When the federal troops first reached
Sutton, q picturesque little village on
the Elk river. a few professed union
men came down to the town from
their little 'clearings' in the noun
tains- accessible only by unfrequented
bride paths, to see the union troops
and the great four-wheeled wagons
that carried their supplies. The wagons
and the tents, the cooking utensils, the
e~ntrench!ng tools, and the arms of the
soldiers, all in their turn attracted the
attention of the visitors.
The visitors came at last TO the tent
OF the commanding officer. where the
nation. Gas fioated iaziiy from it's
staff in the breeze, and stopping there
for awhile, watched IL c%uriously.
She's purity said Il g~ray-baired
member of the group. Say, Bill" he
continued, addressing a young man at
his side. ask EN- what she's for"
The soldiers who heard the earnest
inquiry of the old m-ountaineer smiled
nj his question and wondered at the
ignorance II displayed. But, after ali.
how many among the iliiterate OF our
people IN our northern cities and Towns
could i~ntelligently answer Nle uues-
tom
This education, fortunately. may be
impaired by common methods or OBJ
tanned as the result OF personal expert
ences. Many soldiers of the union
who entered the federal service had
at the time but little thought of dutS
and love of country as they ~s,itse-
duehtiy learned 10 comprehend this
emotion.
Probably no better illustration OF
this fact can be found in the annals OF
the wal than is Afforded by an inch
dent that occurred at Yicksburg rot
tong after the fall of that e~onfederata
Stronghold Several hundred par3ied
prisoners OF war who had been con-
lined in the confederate stockades AT
Meridian and elsewhere in the interior
reached the federal lines oue day soon
Hfter their liberation and marched in
To the city through one of the eastern
paily ports of the practically in,preg-
liable works which the union forces
had erected on the land side of t,,e.
place after its surrender. A turn ii,
the highway followed BY the ragged
esaaciatea soldiers returning from tflair
Captivity, suddenly brought them into
view az q large national fiag f1vfnn
fron9 the top Of q staff no 1ar away.
Al iha first Sisw Of the nag every
keaI In The coluSfn was uncovered
then, as II with one impulse. es-
cry han3 that held a har or CIR war
stretched ant towards The flag in rautA
expression Of fsaaty and deSst,tjnn.
moment later lhs poor. f,aroled cnr,-
tives care VENT To their 9asiinEs ii mn
lonsaa cheers for The Aag.4aaaa &.s+-.-
faI their I-faHrarl5sn
iras incident YVES J,attetfe IN the eT
and Impressed 1lhusa wing Hs4-
messed II as one worthy ID s,ggrrpYz,ar,p-
raStoS- Il z ESrankef1a1H.
Lieut. Gca4 u s A. EAtl,aei.