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

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tress of truth, of right, Of justice,
they would die, for to them
it was better 20 die for the
right than, living, be oppressed by
the wrong.
These principles were MOI, how
ever, wholly original with those OF
our noble forefathers who drafted
the Declaration Of Independence.
The germ Of the sentiment which
they developed into a perfect growth
had taken possession Of the hearts
and lives OF their martyred
fOrefsthers q century before it
was declared by their noble
sons in this sacred iDstru-
ment. And to understand this
and fully appreciate how thor
oughly it had taken root in those
early days Of martyrdom for truth,
we need but to read the history OF
those times, when the people were
ruled-by an unrelenting theocracy,
which deprived the citizens OF every
privilege which was In the least an
tagonistic to the ruling tyrant and
his followers.
Do you wonder that men and wO-
men Of those days were found who
were willing to, and did turn their
backs upon their native land, thus
ruled and oppressed, and facing
storms and privations-starvation
and death-set out for a wilder
ness away beyond the seas.
Before them was an untried
land and an almost trackless ocean;
but dark and awful as 1t Was, and
looked to them, it was not SO cruel
and pitiless a the lurid, smoking
fires that were continually burning
AMI smouldering, the funeral piles
Of those they loved.
But it was not entirely for the
sake Of escaping martyrdom that
they fed their native shores, but it
was that they might enjoy, and
have, and realize liberty from op.
preston, that they might breathe
the pure air of freedom In a free
land.
Thus the watchword and guiding
star of those of our forefathers who
first took possession Of American
soil was-freedom, freedom to think,
freedom TO act, freedom to worship
God, as opposed to dictation, oppres-
sion and tyranny. 1t was these
early pioneers fleeing from oppres-
sion and martyrdom, and those who
followed, filed as they were with a
longing desire for another and q
different government, where they
might forever shake off the yoke and
break the shackels of oppression
which bound and bore them down,
they and their fathers-that first
planted and nourished the seeds of
liberty and free government in
America.
scarcely had their ships got fully
und,r way, guided by the star
of hope, which to them never
set. but stood like pillar of fire In
the western horizon-thRn they be-
gan to feel and understand that gov
ernments were made for mpn, not
men for governments, and that
they had no need Of crowned heads
and royal blood, but that they could
govern themsel YES. And while they
were yet up the waves of old At
lRntic far away from their northern
country, In the cabin Of the good
old May FLOlOer, with none other
than themselves and the ompipo-
tent presence of the great God Of
Heaven and earth, who rules alike
upon the land d the seas, to wit
ness it, they made solemn compact
which became part Of the govern
ment Of the early colonies.
And now, standing upon the rock
ribbed coast OF an unknown wilder
ness TO which they had fied-they
could only look back through the
dfeary, terrible past, and into the
dark AMI awful present, but to real
ize and know that they had hardly
commenced to pay the price that
mu ,e paid before they could OBJ
tain thep prize for which they sought
but they were not despondent-for
they possessed hearts and souls that
glowed and burned with the
living fires Of freedom, fires
which could never be quenched,
but with adversely, famine and
death, only grew and blazed the
brighter. Failure to them was q
word unknown: victory or death for
Liberty's sake, was their battle cry,
and so they and their SONS and
daughters through the long, weary
years pressed forward toward the
goal with that grand determination
that can only be inspired by duty to
ones self, duty to country, duty ia
God.
Separated from their mother cOun-
try and so far aaay from crowned
heads, and It'll s, and throne, they
began to lose respect for them; and
having g yverned and defended
themselves so well, they com
menced to talk Of independence.
England looked on amazed, but
the irrepressib conflict was 81
hand. There was no place for {
throne, no place for the palace of 1
king, prince or royal family in Thu
great western wilderness, dedicated
80 free government and to liberty
These principles which had takeI
POss essiOR Of them who, through 81
many years, had breasted the storm
stood like an impregnable fortress 4
shield and protect the young nation
Better to them was the shrill wa
whOOp Of the merciless savage-th,
cracking flames that burned an,