The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-07-04
THE GLORIOUS FOURTH.

The revolutionary fathers builded better
than ,hey knew, or they knew much better
than the men of their day and generation.
We are inclined to believe that while they
may have dreamed something of what the
future would be, their. widest misgivings
did not grasp anything SO grand as the
results which have come from the signing
of the declaration, che anniversary OF
which is now being celebrated from one
side of the continent to the other, and cele-
bratedwith a heartiness and earnestness and
a spirit exhibited on no other of the three
hundred and sixty five days. The patriots,
when they affixed their names to thepaper
proclaiming freedom for the colonies and
announcing that men were born free and
equal, knew that while they might be sign
ing their death warrant, their memories
would be held in reverence by some.
but they could not have thought even
that a cent? ry hence seventy millions ofpeo
pie would, with one voice, as it were, be
shouting themselves hoGrse in their en-
thusiastio rejoicing over the July day in 'T6,
which witnessed the birth of the grandest
nation the world ever saw. These heroes
cid not need the inspiration of the praise
and worship of other generations to give
them the ourage to take the mighty step,
the courage was already in them;
they were heroes Inherently and
grand characters by nature. But if they
could have peered intothe future, and seen
the American community Of to-day, we
imagine the signing of the Declaration OF
no semblance Of misgiving; that no one
would have been troubled by the slightest
question as to the rightfulness of the act.
1t was glorious bequest which was re
corded ia years ago, and TO day proves, as
every previous anniversary Of the event
has proven, that the heritage was not I'M
worthily bestowed. Howe.e err widely the
American people may disagree as to all
things else, they are united in their love of
country, the republic being to them the
grandest scheme of human government
ever devised. Patriotism is as strong in
the American citizen searching fer gold
among the river sands and snowclad noun
tains of Alaska, as in him who spends
his days under the shadow OF the
nations capitol. The man who has never
been days journey from the hall where
the republic was born and whence freedom
was proclaimed, loves the nation with no
more patriotic or sacred love than he whose
eyes have seen only the light which has
shone in Utah. The day brings the same
degree of enthusiasm TO every part of the
nations bread domain, and tells us not
only that we are free. but that we are one
people, devoted TO one cause, giving our
lives to one purpose, that cause and that
purpose being the preservation of the re
public and the upholding of the principles
OF freedom as promulgated and defined by
the fcrefathers.
Here at home where on too many
other days there is more or less of
a drawing apart of the people, where
the spirit of faction is influential, and the
preiudices of men assert themselves more
than elsewhere, it is peculiarly gratifying
to note the coming together on this day OF
the classes and factions, and the tacit agree
ment on the part OF all TO cease their bick-
erings while they join hands andkhearty
in doing honor to themselves and
patriot fathers. Nowhere on the CONT
nent is there deeper reverence or greater
love for the republic than here in Utah,
and nowhere do the fire crackers explode
with greater sharpness, the rockets
fly higher, the bonfires burn more
brightly or is the spirit of
the occasion more sincere and intense. We
love our country and delight in expressing
that love in the ways agreed upon by the
masses.