Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-02-08

OF NrIeht bflthln WAS uEuuiHtu VI Ouu'
But the American revolution was not
an act OF treason against Him, though
IT was go denominated against tue
| king. But II the government had
been ruled directly by the Almighty
in the administration OF nElirs, rebel.
lion would Fave been treason against
| Him. Rebellion In His Church Is
treason against Hin, but In CHURCHES
| not His, 1t is rot. There is now no
| direct government by the Almighty
in the affairs Of state, through OIL Jers
appointed by divine ordination, hence
there ie no coordinate rotation be-
tween His Church and tho govern
ments o; mRu, bs they m0nsrcnisl or
republican; and the very lac. that
governm mt says that His Church is
not authorized In its capacity to con-
DUCT such government. But Church
members have right to participate In
government according to the reg
ulatlons OF the latter; and IL the state
or any individual attacks The Church
it hiss the right OF self defense.
Mr. Thatcher says "airuggle for
freedom, for liberty" etc, Is now In.
augurated in Utah. Vino is sttug-
Cling? Who are the o3ntending
parties? lie he one, and who is he
fighting? Is it the Church? And II
so, has not the Church the right to
defend itself? The Church has
touched the liberty Of no man. It has
defined the rules OF discipline OF 1t
members. II any do not choose to
abide those rules they know how to be
released from obligations thereto.
Does the gentleman sny that because
recalcjtrant Church officer has been
dismissed from his position that the
State must take up his side OF the
struggle and Interfere to overthrow
the discipline OF the Church? Does
he say that dismissal for cause from
Church position, or from membership,
Is such an nfllction OF pains and PEN
allies that he can call upon the State TO
"carry lis protection beyond the field
of argument into the dominion of &C.
tlon?"
The gentleman refers to Utah continu-
ing redeemed from thraldom as oh.
noxi0us as that OF African slavery or
Russian serfdom." II Utah has been
redeemed from such "thralldom" and
"scrfdom," when did those conditions
exist2 Was II during the thirty
years from lS47 to 1877 when the gen
tIemsn, go far as the public knew, was
doing all In his power to uphold the
Church of which he was then an
honored member; or was it during the
decade which followed when he
was one Of the chief officers
OF that Church? Was 1t Brigham
Young. or Johu Taylor, or Wilforj
Woodruff, or the Twelve APOSTLE,
whom he refers to as holding utah in
"a thralldom as obnoxious as that OF
African slavery or Russian seridom?"
II he means either or all of these, the
people may brand him what he liz. II
he does not, but means the United
Staten government that kept Utah In
Territorial vsssalage, then we say his
description is 80 much overdrawn as to
amount to faleehood. Or does be
mean some slave.driving or
autooratic power of which We 80
cot yet have any conception?
The main fact in this matter remains
in the same relation as before. In the
first speech the NEWS quoted from,
the right OF acknowledging the SUI
prsmacy Of Deity was denied by the
speaker; his letter Of explanation does
not modify this point, hut adds q
denial to hold higher allegiance to
some one else, which is not point In
the controversy, so far as the News is
concerned. There is now the audi.
tional feature OF declaring man.made
governments (tor none others exist 10
temporal form) % coordinate with
the church, which Is distinct and
direct denial Of the divinity Of Nor
monism as the Church instituted by
God Himself, and which Is given
divine authority in all Church matters.
but which is not authorized, and does
not attempt, to dominate or infringe
upon the State. But 1t does claim aud
will exercise the inaiienabla right to
defend itself. And We hope the
gentleman who 10 in this eight" or
"struggle," will remember that per.
chance he has made grievous mIs.
take, and has looked too much to ono
aide, and that not the one which recog.
nizes that the highest law for man Is
to love the Lord with all his might,
mind and strength.
We have no de5ire TO Invoke or
prolong any controversy; but whom 1t
comes to "sophislry," to call 1t by no
other name, We submit that man
who does what the gentleman has done
to bring into diafssprci, II no, di1repute,
the Church and Its leading officials,
and then gets up In ward Fast meet
ing, as he ia said to have done yester-
day-lho very day when his letter was
sent I'm tho rnoruiuu nausnopare-