Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-05-09
WILL EXTREMES MEET!

be made an offeRse under the laws
Of the United StatesP Is irreligion
to become n predominating infu-
ence over national legislation? Is
the extreme of religious liberty, pro-
vided for in the American Consti-
tuition, and heretofore enjoyed and
boosted Of by American citizens, to
be Joined to its opposite? The pres
ent tendency of the current OF
events seems likely TO produce az
firmative replies to those interroga-
tories.
Reduced to the lowest terms,
the arguments offered in support Of
the Acknowledgement Of all members
of the Church of Jesus Christ Of
Latter-day Saints, embrace no sub
stantial matter in addition to
the fact that the COM
municants of that Church be
lieve literally in the supremacy
Of the Almighty, the God whose
laws and attributes are set forth in
the Christian Scriptures. This be-
lief will be the real reason for their
Acknowledgement, If Congress shall
be so unjust and unwise as to pass
the bill for that purpose now pend
ing.
While the French revolution was
in progress, and while the revolu-
tionists were in power, law, order
and religion were submerged in a
deluge Of blood and anarchy. The
mocking laughter Of Infidelity. like
the scornfuI glee Of demon in his
hour Of triumph, was heard through
out torn and bleeding France. To
blaspheme Deity was favorite and
popular sport, to hate all kinds and
forms Of piety was a virtue, and TO
accomplish the death Of a religious
teacher, was a praiseworthy act,
though not required, provided for
nor countenanced by law.
And yet, in all the mad orgies
over which the genius of irreligion
held full sway, and while it was the
preponderating power in the gov
eminent Of France, a belief in the
existence Of a Being who exercised
supreme control over mundane
affairs, and in the necessity Of being
obedient to His laws, was never by
statute made an offense in nor a dis.
advantage to any person holding
such belief. Will the American
Congress, IN the face ofthe Constitu-
ton which each member Of 1t has
sworn to uphold and sacredly main
tain, carry an assault upon the
foundations Of religion further than
the irresponsible, faith hating revO-
lutienists Of France dared to, even
when their power was absolute?
Undoubtedly there are men who
disbelieve ia the existence Of the
God Of the Christian Scriptures, who
are moral and law-abiding in their
private lives; but history gives no
account Of a prosperous govern
ment established in any age or
cline by a people who
were destitute Of a religious faith.
1t is generally conceded that the
impelling motive which exercises
the strongest influence in rendering
a man obeGient to the laws Of his
country, and in making him n good
citizen, is a belief in the necessity
of being obeiient to the laws of
God.
a statement by Herod that he
really did not desire TO shorten the
life of John the Baptist, but only
wanted his head that he might pre-
sent it to favorite mistress, would
not have been more absurd than for
the enemies Of the ''Mormon" peo-
pie to protest that no interference
with the religious liberty Of the
latter is desired, but that the object
sought is merely to give them a
choice between political thraldom
and adherence to certain funda-
mental principles Of the Christian
religion. This is the alternative pre-
scented TO the "Mormons" in the
Struble bill.