The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-03-15
A PATRIOTIC DAY.

Pe620&3n @04huGte6m should pxe~aN II
sah LAks City tomorrow and . rousins
wslsoms should be giyon Washington
9asdnsr, commander Of the arsnt
Amy OF the Republic, who WIN vists
hers On h3s tom Of the country and
viii lecture IN tho tabernacle tomorrow
evening.
Washington Gardner is the chief rep
Tsssntstive In tho nation today Of those
man who fought from 1851 to 1855 TO
preearve the union and to free the
slaves Ha ts ths representative, the7o-
fe1e, Of tho most gigantic struggle IN
modern times for human freedom and
national supremacy. The day should
be marked BY an outpourang OF
patriotism. Already the shadows
Of tho great war have disappeared, It's
hatrsds and its passions have rolled
away Like clouds, leaving the perfect
day Of reunited nation Soon al the
men who took part In the epio struggle
will have vanished from the earth and
we shall have only their memory to re-
mind MS Of the self-saariflce and devo-
tion necessary to save a nation and to
mako 1t strong and great.
The qualities which the soldiers pos
sessed on both sides In that WIZ win be
required again, We know not how soon
The Spanish war touched but the shall
lows Of patriotism. The civil war sound
ed it's every depth. An that there is
in love Of country and devotion to the
welfare of the human race is repre-
sented by the G.. A. B. and particularly
by Washington Gardner. It is part
of his purpose in making his trip into
every state in the union to enkindle
anew the flames of patriotism as we'll as
TO familiarize himself with the needs Of
his organization. His lecture at the
tabernacle should be of peculiar inter
est Ill these times when the United
States is facing so many grave aues-
tions OF international import.
More and more of late years we have
felt the pressure of the great powers
across the seas. Spiritually the United
States became a world power when the
nation was founded, for its message
from that day until this has been
potent wherever mankind has felt
the inspiration. of liberty. Politically
the nation has been world power only
within recent years. Every year our
political influence increases and brings
with it new duties and obligations and
new difficulties. Who shall say, there
lore, that we shall not again be plunged
into a conflict which will try the souls
of patriots and test their courage and
devotion as did the war Of the states.
The children and the young men and
women should be reminded as often as
possible of those ideals for which their
parents and grandparents fought and
suffered from 1861 to 1865. The spirit
of sen-sacriflce has been always one of
the noblest elements in our national
life. 1t Is true that we have prospered
more than any other nation on earth.
and that life in this country never has
been as grinding upon the poor as it
has been in the countries OF Europe.
but there have come times in this conn
try when the men and women have been
compelled to face death. poverty and
affection to preserve their ideals and to
help the oppressed. No nation ever went
to war as did the United States in 1905.
almost solely for the purpose of freeing
another country. Thousands Of the
best and noblest young men in the coun-
try died on the field of battle OF In the
camps Of disease that an alien people
might be ablo to throw of the fetters
Of an opprcssor. Such is tho lofty
standard Of ldealism that has bcen get
before our people not only by the lead.
ers, but by the rank and file of our cit
izenshtp. And it Is well that thoso
ideals should be fostered from time to
time by great patriotic demonstrations,