The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1894-06-13
soVo CITY. JUNE 19, 1894
THE FOURTH OF JULY.

By reference to cali issued a few
daYs since it viii be seen that the
citizens of Provo are considering the
propriety of holding Fourth of Jul Y
celebration worthy the occasion and
this city. Surely this is step in the
right direction, for if any people in
all this broad land have occasion to
rejoice in the mighty results following
the birth Of this nation, 1t Is the Nor
mon people. In no other nation on
the globe could Mormonism have fifty
or sixty years since, effected a foot
hold as it has done here. Religious
liberation was one of the foundation
stones of the glorious nation we have
reared here and this liberation was
and is broad enough to include that
church among all others. 1t is quite
true that the Mormon church has met
with persecution and has suffered in
Justice, but the promise found in our
declaration of independence was suf-
ASAOAb CNCA III O1lO Odlhc6b
the history Of that persecution to keep
alive the fires of hope and patriotism
in the hearts Of the fathers of that
church, and they kept on until upon
its ll8th anniversary the nation
vouchsafes to the Mormon the same
protection, the same freedom it guar,
sDtees to all other churches. Under
the benignant spirit born on the 4th
of July l776, religious liberty was so
firmly established that now, in order
to destroy any church or to per-
secuue it, or to discriminate against
it, it will be necessary to destroy this
government itself. How dear to the
heart of every lover of liberty is this
great truth. Here, thank Godl opin-
ions, religious or political, are as free
as the pure air of heaven, and none
dare TO molest or make us afraid. All
that the government requires is obed-
ience to the civil law. 1t requires this
obedience from all churches, societies
and combinations of men of every
character and with all sorts of pur-
poses.
Other republics have been estab.
lished. Other free nations born, but
because of the declaration of July 4th,
1776 and the great principles st estab
ished, this one of ours has come to be |
regarded as the model of all and the |
protector OF all. Here we can itly say
to the tyrant 'fthus far and no farther"
Here no man, even the highest officer
OF the government, may lay violent
hands on one save by due process of |
law, and then only because of some
violation of it. Surely day when this
great principle was born into earthly |
governments is day worthy to be held |
sacred, TO be celebrated with an en-
thusiasm scarcely less than that of the
natal day of our Blessed Savior. We |
feel the utmost confidence that the in
telligent and patriotic people of Utah
county will so honor this day that
this intelligent patriotism will at
tract general attention all over the
land.
Let each man, woman and youth of
our fair county repair to some spot OH
that day which has been designated as
q fitting place to properly celebrate the
daV OF all others most worthy of our
honoring. The spirits of the heroic
men who sacrificed and fought to secure
us these priceless treasures of perfect
liberty will look down approvingly
upon our efforts to honor the day upon
which the mightiest political event in
all the history of the world was con-
summated. In thus honoring the day
We but honor ourselves, Let our best
orators tell the young men and maidens
what it means to be an American citi.
zen, what the proud title is worth, how
3 man should regard it and how he
must respect it himself. Let all our ;
future care, as citizens be, how we can
best preserve the precious legacy of
liberty in this land.