The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-11-07
NUMBERS.
BY GAsKELL.
Written for THE HERALD

WAAttNA AN4 m hEzAA-L
DR.. johnson once said in his dictator
isl way, patriotism is thelast refuge Of
scoundrel." This saying, though
sweeping and denunciatory is not in all
cases true, yet has a lesven Of truth
as applicable now as it was IN the days
of George III. We find many times
that those who make themselves most
prominent and are loudest in their pro-
fessions of love and loyalty to their
government; who talk of and parade
their patriotism before all who will look
on, or listen to them, and often insin-
cere in their professions, and corrupt at
heart, and are only waiting an oppor-
tunity to aggrandize themselves at the
expense Of honor, honesty and the
rights OF others.
1t is not in multitudes that moral
worth exists and spiritual regeneration
is born. The madness OF crowds is
proverbial. The multitude, or the pop
ulace, led by Interested demAgogues,
condemned q Socrates to the poisoned
cup and led Jesus to the cross. I'm
provement and advance are generally
first msde by individuals and from their
teachings, or practice, they become
known and spread among the multi
tude. The voice Of the multitude may
control governmental affairs, yet may
not be directed by, nor discover, truth.
That may be in the profession of the
few, or of one individual alone, and only
as Providence guides and controls
events, does it come tolight, or die, with
him.
To say that thousands believe aud
practice certain principles. or do certain
acts, is no proof Of the rightfulness. or
wrongfulness of underlying mott Ses and
principles. Columbus spoke of and
maintained the certainty and thought
fulness of q western way to India, for
long and weary years. though learned
and unlearned almost universally de-
rided him. Gallileo maintained that
the earth moved in regular orbit,
though the voice Of science of that day,
and the still stronger voice of religious
bigotry accounted il as heresy and error
of the rankest kind. Yet the world
moved on and the ridicule OF the many,
loud as it was voiced, became hushed
into silence when the truth came,
pictured in the experience Of succeeding
ages.
A majority can make a law and en-
force q law, but cannot control the
opinions Of free man. Bolts. nor bars.
nor chains, nor stripes can do that,
though bodily terror may numb active
resistance and paralyze research, en-
forcing a semblsnce Of unity of idea.
Yet deep down in the soul the divine
lamp of truth still burns, its light hidden
from outward gaze, yet clear and steady
in its glow, ready when propitlous
times come, when the storm of hatred
and persecution has ceased and the sun
of moral promise has arrived to add its
quota to the sum total of human en-
hghtenment.
What an aggressive animal mani He
is satisfied in his ambitious moods with
others. And while crushing out their
very life would moralize grandilo-
/ quently on the benefits of his severity
and structures. As the painter Parashu
looked unshrinkingly upon the dying
agony Of his bound captive, seeking to
detect and determine and reproduce
upon his canvass the very moment OF
dissolution and death; so would evilly
ambitious men seskto dissect the minds
and moral nature Of their fellow men
and bind them for evermore to the
chariot wheels Of their progress. They
| glory in their power TO inflict agony and
to work injury. 70 bend the will Of
others to their own, nor as q Napoleon
be satisfied with less than slavish obedi-
ence of men and nations.
The majority rules and il is right and
proper that il should rule, so the rights
Of the minority are respected; but the
saving qualities which bind together
society may exist in the minority and
not with the greater number. The Lord
promised TO spare the cities of the plains
from destruction If but ten righteous
men could be found therein. Isaiah
speaks of q remnant being saved from
perishinR-the SAVIOR and His apostles
each speak of the inferior numbers of
the saints of God, as compared with the
innumersble multitude of those who
believed not the message Of peace and
salvation.
Thus we see that in all popular gov
ernments, though the majority rules,
the majority is not diVinely inspired,
infallible in Judgment, nor Is ii always
merciful in its dealings with the few
who honestly differ from il in belief. Il
seldom moraliZes upon effects. though il
i5 unbending and inhexible in the
enforcement OF its laws. Bend, or
oAeoA, ~. A4N. ~ NAAcs@ AafotcN " .
special Providence, who claims, or
asserts q principle the majority has con-
demned. And happy the fate of the
opposer, If he Is not maliciously charged
with greater faults than those of a mere
| honest difference of opinion; If he Is
not charged with dishonesty. or selfish
motive and desire 70 gain a notoriety or
fame, so uDbuilding himself upon the
ruins of the hopes Of others and tread
ing vandal-like upon the graves Of their