Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-09-14
LAW AND LIBERTY

LAW AND LIBERTY.
/ I'VE are not Romans but We believe as
did the early Roman patriots, that liberty,
| In its true sense, does not imply that people
may do as they please; but that liberty i'm
! plies that person may be free TO do that
which is right and that which is in keeping
| with justice, honor, law, and the nobler in
stincts of humanity. Hence those parties
who have an idea that they can trife with
| the injunctions of morality and Justice by
abusing our principles of magnanimity will
wake up and find themselves suddenly at the
! end of their tether.'
Such is the conclusion OF an editorial
which appeared in the Home Sentinel of
Friday last. The occasion of the editorial
was the recent speech OF Minister Phelps
in London. In the same article reference
is made to the scheme OF the Salvation
Army to gather up the fallen women of
London and transport them to America,
and the Sentinel very properly condemns
any such plan. But there is a peculiar
aptness in the concluding sentence OF the
extract above quoted in reference to the
condition OF affairs in Utah The Mormon
people in Utah, above all others, have
the idea that they may do as they
choose in Utah notwithstanding the laws
Of the United States. The Sentinel ia
right when it says that "liberty, in its
true sense, does not imply that people
may do as they please" Yet such is the
Interpretation that the people OF Utah put
upon liberty. Such construction is but
a license. The people of Utah have
maintained that the religious liberty
which the Constitution guarantees to all
means that they may set up a marriage
system which is forbidden by the law, not
only forbidden by the law but is made |
crime by the law; they have construed |
that clause TO mean that they may do rs
they please. They have set up individual |
likings and church dictation as the sole cri- /
terion Of the extent OF their liberty and the
constitutionality OF any laws that Con-
gress may pass. What has been the con- I
sequence OF such an Interpretation oi the |
Constitution and the laws made in pursu- |
ance thereof? The consequence has been |
that the people have defied the laws and |
derded the courts 30 long, that, to very /
great extent, the condition of things here |
may be be described as lawlessness
recognized as religion, the law az an in
vasion OF the rights OF the citizen, and its
enforcement az persecution Every
thing in Utah has grown up on the theory
that the Church is dominant and the
State subordinate; that where there is a
question rs TO the rightfnl authority of
either over any particular thing pertain
ing 10 the people in their civil capacity.
the Church must take predence OF the
State. The theory and practice in Utah
have neen to treat Utah and the Mormon
people as greater than the United States
and the American people; the part has
been considered greater than the whole.
As partial consequence OF this state of
things, great many of the people of
Utah have violated the laws of Congress
with impunity, and now when the su-
premacy OF the law il being asserted
many men are forced to fly, and they and
heir families look upon the law as a blow
aimed at them. Children, whose lives
nave never been OF the happiest, see
heir parents refugees from Justice, and
hey cannot but think that a law which
makes their parents refugees harsh and
'ruel law. But this is not the worst.
These same children are taught that
his law is unconstitutional. and
hat Congress and the Supreme
'ourt are trampling the Con-
ttution under foot merely 10 destroy
righteousness on the earth. Ofcourse this
5 all pure nonsense, but il has wonder
III influence just the same. Ard all this
the outcome OF that false and pernicious
Doctrine OF liberty which has grown with
nch rankness in Utah, and which the
'Tjftad condemns. Ii the SentfDel and
he other papers OF the Mormon people
'ould but apply The true doctrine of lih-
rty to the case OF those who are con-
nually violating the Edmunds law. they
'ould perform 4 great and good work.
nd then all would see the Mormon
roblem' on the way TO complete and
settlement; but fthev do not.
he Mormon people "who have an idea
lat they can trifle with the injunctions
morality and justice by abusing our
rlncples of liberty and magnanimitv.
Ill wake up and find themselves suddenly
the end of their tether."