The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-07-09
THE HALF-MAsT.
A Soldier Of '62 on the Fourth De-
currences.
SALT LAKE Cry, june %. 1885.

SALT LAKE CRY, June %. 1885.
To the Editor of THE HERALD.
Permit me to state through your co..
umns that the placing of flag at half
mast does not in any wise show any
disrespect to the flag, but has always
been recognized as a symbol of mourn
ing, neither more nor less. The Latter.
day Saints have on all occasions shown
their respect for not only the flag of our
country, but for its institutions and
laws always. Proscriptiye laws recent
ly passed to entrap body of religious
public worshippers have had their le-
gality tested squarely before the courts,
but In no instance has any Latter day
Saint resisted any law of the land by
any physical force nor any one bearing
tbs semblance of law or authority in the
lawful and decent exercise of that au-
thority. There is no doubt many of the
Mormon people feel agrieyed, and feel
to deeply mourn for their rights. which
they consider have been, in many in
stances, taken from them by unjust
rulings of missionary judges and EN-
Uttered prosecutors and irresponsible
marshals, etc. And feeling thus in
jured they mourn, and on the 4th day
of July. 1885, a few individuals evInced
their feelings of sorrow by raising the
Stars and Stripes at half-mast. In 1916
the Mormon community sent $40 men
into Mexico as United States volunteer
soldiers. to help to acquire new terri
tory for their country. They performed
their duty faithfully, and a large pur-
ton of the State OF California was the
fruits of their response TO the
government call. In 1862 President
Lincoln telegraphed President Young for
two battalions of mounted men to be
placed in readiness to march immedi-
ately into the plains to assist Colonel
Collins of Ohio, commander of the di-
vision of the Platte, in keeping tie
Indians and mountalneerS under con-
troll and to prevent the destruction of
the overland mail and telegraph lines,
which call was nobly responded to, as
has been every call of country made
upon Utah's best people. But we have
a right to mourn, and we think we have
something to mourn for, and no more
appropriate way of expressing our
feelings of deep sorrow than by placing
our grand old flag. for it is our flag and
we lare the people that have always
and forever honored it, at half
mast, thus evincing to all people
that we do mourn and that we
think we have cause to mourn. Our
mourning, though, is not so much that
the Edmunds law has been sustained
by the United States Supreme Court
and that it is being enforced. but we
NOUN that it is being enforced impair
tally and vindictively; that regardless
of all right,of trial by a jury OF mans
peers, men are dragged into court before
a vindlctive commissioner, then on the
of testimony committed to the
Grand Jury. which latter is certainly |
selected by the court for their known
and bitter enmity to the Mormon |
people. Then when the trial of Nor
mon is had before the petit jury. an
other packed body OF his sworn bitter
enemies; the jury are instructed
as to the verdict they must bring in
by the court, not leaving the |
as to what their verdict shall be. Then |
the court, in his blind. zeal and bitter
enmity, refuses this man SO convicted, |
and by such illegal methods, bail pend
ing an appeal to a higher court and |
declaring on his bench as he sits a Judge |
to dispense the law, that the law is not |
half severe enough. and trying to make t
men promise as to what they will do
after their days of punishment are over,
and when men refuse TO promise to go
back on their faith, their religion and
their God; then he gets very angry and
uses language unbecoming common
shyster. And the more bitter and more
cruel these officials appear to be in
enforcing, at best. cruel law, the more
do they seem to be sustained by the
leading men of the nation. This
IS certainly good cause for mourning.
Now, Mr.. Editor, declare to you that
he great majority of the Mormon peo-
pie have a higher regard tor the flag OF
our glorious country, much greater
respect for its constitutions and
leeper reverence for constitutional law
han any other people or person who in
heir blind zeal and hat would incite
mob violence; not to set the Mormons
20 rights nor to maintain constitutions,
aw nor respect for the national flag, but
o pick up little notoriety which these
nen mistake for fame
Fourth of July buncombe is all very
veil, but when the wicked rule the peo-
Die mourn and because we mourn, the
wicked should not (although they do)
become angry. Yours,
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER OF go
AND MORMON.