The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-07-06


ment which would never die, bu
grow brighter and stronger as tim,
counted off the years: gall mer
are created equal, they are endowed
by their Creator with certain un-
alienable rights, that among these
are life, liberty and the pursuit Of
happiness"
The trial of self-gOvernment hau
proven so great success, and their
rondest hopes seemed so posi-
bic to be realized that they
were unwilling longer 30 pay
tribute to useless royalty. And
when England persisted In taxation
which could not he borne, and
spurned with contempt their petit
toes asking for relief, these brave
men arose in their might, and with
one accord answered Dack to their
mother country. These colonies are
and Of right ought to be
free and ind ependesst States, and
with this uttersnce, accompanied
with a refusal % niger pay tribute
to King George and England, comes
the crisis. Oppressive and insult
ing measures were passed by the
English Parliament, and when dis
reg-rded by the cOlonists, British
troops were quartered upon our
shores to enforce obedience to the
mandates of royalty. Depredations
were committed, intimidation was
resorted to, but ali to no avail.
Our forefathers saw the black
dread storm cloud of war fast
its mutterings spoke no
language. And when it
seemed to envelope the whole land
within its dark and terrible shadow,
and was ready at any moment to
burst upon them they began to
gather ammunition and munitions
OF war, and as best they could pre-
pare for the result.
And as we stand here to-day look.
ing back upon those scenes, what
picture is presented to us;on the one
hand we see the brilliant, We'll
organized, we'll equipped army of
England-comparativelys speaking q
host backed by a strong government
with inexhaustible resources-on
the other handful Of men without
organization, without arms, except
as they could pick them up
here and there, without money.
Looking at 1t by the light
Of these fact we can but exclaim
what an unequal contest, how hope
less the chances OF success. But
how true the sentiment that fell
from the lips Of the immortal Henry,
"The victory is not to the strong
alone but to the vigilant, the active,
the brave"
This was the situation OF affairs
when England ordered her troops
to at once destroy the stores of am.
munition and supplies at Concord.
They attempted it, and on the 18th
day of April, 1775, the guns Of Lex
ingtOn called q new born nation to
regenerate the world. The rubicon
had been passed, there was now no
escape. To be defeated was but an
ignomin0us death, to be victorious
was life and everlasting honor.
The principles for which they
and the sentiment, "Give
us. liberty or give us DEATH" was to
them a cloud by day aud a pillar
of fire by night, and by 1t they
were led from the field of LexIng-
ton, where q nation was baptized In
the pure blood of reemen-through
that midnight darkness of despair
at Valley Forge, where, but for
Gods overruling providence, In
which they alone trusted, they
must have gone down forever; on
and on through terrible scenes OF
carnage, sacrifice and death, out
into that glorious light Of victory
which broke upon them on that
cloudless day at Yorktown, and es.
tablished for them and for US, and
forever, a nation free and indepen.
dent.
On this the anniversary Of that
immortal Attn Of July, 1776, when
there was given to this nation and
to the world that divine-inspired
document which has been read in
your hearing, the Declaration Of In.
dependence, it is not only our right
but our duty to talk over the events
which eliminated in the establish
ment Of this nation.
To-day we should gather around
Us our children and tell them the
story Of the great struggle for free.
dom, that they may know and real.
ize what the liberty they enjoy and
the possibilities that are vouchsafed
to them, cost. Let them know and
understand that these ceremonies
by which we celebrate this oul
nations birthday are not idle
and meaningless; teach them thai
they live in q country where merit
and true worth is rewarded, and no
royal blood; teach them that because
Of the results Of the struggle for in
dependence; which to-day We re-
member with glai hearts the posi-
billti.s are rendered alike to all
whether it be the child Of the mil
liOnaire of high birth, or the child O
the poor man of humble psrentage
But while We remember witt
pride and gratitude, the grand re
suits and brilliant achievements O
our illustrious forefathers in thei
struggle for liberty, with Chart,
toward them, but with justice 70
those who following have preserve,
to US a nation, we must not for
get that when they had vTenehe
from England her acknowledgment
of their Independence, and establish