Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-02-05

| which sh ud derive its lust powers
from the consent of the governed. and
which must not Invade those rights
conferred by the Higher One. George
Washington, In the FIRST proclamation
OF national thanksgiving, described
those obligations which were superior
TO state rostrlctions:
It is tho duty ofall nations to acknowl-
| odge he providence OF Almighty God, TO
obsy His viii, TO DO grateful for His
benefits, and humbly to implore His
protection and favor.
Yet the Fs,her OF He Country, who
declared in specific terms his highest
allegiance ITO the great Lord and
Ruler OF Nations" anu all those who
followed in his iootsteps, would
lie, by the terms OF the quUteu
prediction Of what Unjust come" in
Utah, barred from the privilege OF
being among the States lawmakers,
were they here to-day eud entertained
the sentiment they expressed when
they Welded the chief msgistracy OF
the Republic.
This higher allegiance is purely 8
religious matter. The Trainers of
our national Constitution recog.
nlzsd this. They recognized that
the state which gained lis powers
from the consent OF the governed must
not claim from the people the allie.
glance which belonged 10 God as the
tupreme being; they were content
with having for the state that allie.
glance which was "under Divine
blesslng." They knew that it was the
inhereut right Of the citizen to give
his highest allegiance to GoJ; they
knew this, and that IL ever the state
should attempt TO reverse the condi-
tons the Republic would be no
more; they knew this, ana provided
In the original Constitution that the
state should be for aver barred from
that course. SRii they:
No religious test shall over be re-
quired ms qualification to any Office or
public trus. under the United states.
IL 10 religious test to inquire,
40 qualification tor any duty Of citi.
zenship, ihto the allegiance any man
owes to his God, II man "w0uld
rather be doorkeeper In the house Of
the Lord than President OF the
United States" MS one legislator para
phrased the old saying yesterday, he
has the inalIenable right 10 hls choice,
and the Consultation protects him
therein, retaining for him all HIS
privileges OF citiz ship.
And BIO 1t distinctly understood that
all this does not imply that there shall
be any domination Of the state by the
church; but 1t does say that
there are church matters, religious
fffairs, with which tho state
must not interfere, and one Of
these 10 man's allegiance to Deity as
the One who Is "above ALL" AS ex.
pressed by Thomas Jefferson in an in |
augural address:
In mattors OF religion have considered
that It's free exercise is placed by the Com
stitulion independent OF the powers OF
Tho general government. i have there
fore undertaken on no occasion to pre-
scribe the religious exercises suited to it, |
but nave lon them, AS tho Cons tuition
found them, under tho direction and dis
cpline of the church or state authorities
acknowledged by the several religious
societies.
AS to the religious view of allegiance
to Deity, it isa cartinal principle OF
Norm nism, the idea being the central
one OF religion in all the civilized
world, that God ia "the great, matco.
less. governing and supreme power
over all things" A denial of the right
of Latter-day Saints to give their
highest allegiance to that Power
IS denial OF fundamental
principle OF Mormonism, as well
as tubversive OF the liberty given
In the national Constitution. The
Divine law that has been held pre-
eminent in all ages, from the trans.
erosion In the Garden TO the presen.
day, is The same that was numbered
forth on Mount Sinai, "Thou shalt
have no othor gods before Me-" anu
every nation that has sought to con.
trsvene that law has gone down before
its immutabillty.
In conclusion, the NEWS will ven-
ture its opinio1 that the prediction
quoted never Will be verified; that
there never Will come time when
those OF every religion in this State
who give their highest, subimest,
most devoted allegiance to the God of
heaven Will be barred therefor from
the legislative halls of the State. A
higher allegiance to the Divine One
makes all who give it better qualified
to give to tho State the full measure of
allegiance which belongs thereto.