The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-08-30


serious character than the first. There
is in this catechism a manifest misap-
preparation of principles in order to
show a continuity of organization. For
the sake of clearness, / will recite the
third and fourth questions with their
answers.
'Third-When was the Republican
party organized?'' Its foundation was
laid in 1889, by Washington, Adams
and Hamilton. 1t has been known by
its present name since 1856"
'Fourth-What are its principles ?"
Free speech, free press, free labor,
and free schools"
If there is any continuity at all in
Republican partyism, it must be on
the score Of continuity of principles,
for have shown that it cannot be on
the ground of continuity of party Or
ganization. But 4 shall show that these
principles OF "free speech, free press.
free labor, and free schools which the
cauech1Sm says are the prln-
ciples of the Republican party"
were not established in our in
situations by Washington, Adams and
Hamilton in 1889, but by Jefferson who
implanted them in the Declaration of
Independence, and afterwards in the
constitution, as amendments.
American history that Jefferson was
at Paris during the period in which
the constitution was framed and
adopted. He favored it's adoption on
condition that it should be amended
so as to provide more adequately for
the protection of person and property,
and the rights of persons and states
within the Federal Union. He re-
turned to the United States soon
after the adoption of the constitution,
and his soul was aflame with a feel
ing of necessity for the adoption of
additional rights and guarantees in the
constitution. He proposed a, number
of amendments, ten of which were
speedily incorporated into the consti-
tuition. The very first of the amend
ments, for the adoption of which JEFF
ferson struggled so heroically, is the
one that guarantees the rights of
free speech and free press which
this catechism recites as Tprincip1es of
the Republican party on which it is
alleged to have been founded in 1885,
What a pitfall this is! The error is
too glazing for sober consideration
Hamilton and Adams the founders of
the party, and on those principles
Hamilton was an active member of
the constitutional convention? Why
in the constitution? Why did he not
give heed to popular clamor calling
for the adoption of thern? Why did
he not give ear to Jeffersons letters
from Paris calling for bill of
Rights?" 1t was left to Jefferson to
supply the ten amendments which are
now the great bulwark of individual
and state rights within the national
sovereignty.
The first amendment is as follows:
Congress shall make no law respec-
ting an establishment Of religion. or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof,
or abridging the freedom Of speech or
of the press; or the right of the people
peacefully to assemble, and to petition
the government for redress of grie-
vances" Principles are impersonal
and imperishable: they are eternal. 1t
can not be said of them that they are
the peculiar possession of any man.
But as to the honor accorded to state
builders with respect to principles"
which they perceive and promulgate
and incorporate into government; in
such a relation to principles" by
every sanction of history and usage,
Jefferson is entitled to the credit of
perceiving the Importance of these
principles and Incorporating them into
in this catechism, that they gre the
prir iples of the Republican party
on which the party was founded two
years before is a purloining of prlncl-
pies, the taking Of an honor from one
man which rightfully belongs to him
in custom and history. and comforting
it upon others to whom it does not be-
long.
But if my Republican friends cannot
y, 1iyocr
they have a conclusive demonstration
within what they claim as their own
party" and this too, in the conduct
and policy of the same adams and
Hamilton during the administration
OF John Adams the president, as sue
cessor of Washington. 1t was Adams,
with the advice and cooperation OF
Hamilton, that procured the enactment
of the famous 'alien and sedition"
laws, the most extreme and incendiary
legislation that has every been placed
upon the Federal statutes. They were
in direct conflict with both the spirit
and letter of the Jefferson amendments,
being for the purpose of REFRESHING and
Furnishing free speech and a free
press" by fines and imprisonment. and
for the further purpose of convicting
and transporting aliens who were con-
sidered too free in the use Of speech
and PRESS The laws were put into
operation under the Adams admins
tration, and their enforcement pro-
duced a commotion such as was likely
to arouse a general rebellion. 1t was
then that Jefferson stood in the breach
as the defender of free speech and
free press and, while Adams and his
Hamiltonian doctrines went down in
that crisis, the principles" of Jefferson
came to the front as safeguards of
free speech and free press" and of
government by the people, of the peo-
pie and for the people,
AS to free schools" it is but recently
that they have been inaugurated. 1t
is not likely that Hamilton and Adams
ever dreamed Of such an institution,
much less promulgated it, as a "prin-
ciple' of the Republican party in 1889.
But If free schools had commenced at
that time, or if they had been in the
contemplation of those alleged found
ers of Republicanism, it is hard to
perceive why the Democracy of Jeffer-
son, that had incorporated freedom,
equality and government by consent,
into the Declaration of independence,
is not more entitled to this honor, es-
pecially when we remember that there
is no record of any purpose. on the part
of Hamilton and Adams looking to the
establishment of a free school system.
The fact is that free education is an
outgrowth of free Institutions; and
that there could be no more profound
or lasting guaranty of free schools
and free labor than had been writ
ten by the hand of Jefferson in the
Declaration-the equality of all men
and their endowment by their Creator
with the inalienaIble rights of life, lib
erty and the pursuit of happiness