The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-02-15

the abolition cause when it was most
unpopular even in the north, and de-
tested in the south. They reused the
sluggish sentiment of the country and
compelled the hearts of men 10 recog-
nize the horror of the traffic in human
lives. The impassioned appeals OF
Whittiers Voices of Freedom" awak-
ened the slumbering consciences OF
men. While the trenchant satire of
Lowell's 'Bigelow Papers" aroused
sense os shame No power did more
to break the shackles of the slaves
than the brave efforts of our Unitarian
poets. They stirred the deepest sources
of impulse and raised an army for the
right They did this not because they
were partisans. fighters or fanatics On
the contrary, they were all men OF SEN
sitive, retiring and peaceful DISPOSE
tons. They strove for freedom from
the same inner necessity which i'm
PEELED them in all they wrote and did,
the same impulse which made them
liberals in religion and led them
to oppose the old ecclesiastical dog
matism. They were prophets
of the new order, champions of hu-
prompted them to clasp hands with
Garrison, Lovejoy and John Brown,
for the Acknowledgement of slaves, led
them to join with the little group OF
English scientists in demanding the
largest liberty for the human mind.
Wherever they touch the problem OF
existence, we find them upholding the
worth of individual life, the liberty OF
individual thought.
The value, therefore, of their relig-
ious views arises from the fact that
they did not seek to advance the IN
terests of a sect. They stood for prin-
ciples upon which sects must stand in
order to live in the light of the new
faith which their songs proclaim. Our
pride in them as Unitarians merges
itself in our larger joy in them as
leaders of the age. 1t would be but
narrow sectarianism to boast that they
bore the Unitarian name or held the
Unitarian faith. Our worthier pride
consists in this, mat we may carry
forward into the unfolding life of the
new century the noble principles which
formed the burden of their song. En-
erson said of himself and his genera
ton that they were born too late for
the old faith and too early for the
new. But we who follow them may
truly say, The fathers hitherto have
wrought and we have entered into
their labors." They saw the vision of
the larger faith. 1t is for US to make
the vision true. They stood on Pts
gah's height and viewed the promised
sion of its fields and guard its treas
ures.
But how is our work to be done?
Theirs moved along in stately rhymes
and noble fancies, in prophets earnest
gaze and poets gentle sympathy. Our
task is more prosaic. Not to us is
given the power to express in flowing
lines the grandest truths of the human
intellect, the noblest aspirations of the
hl no nd
mould the tendencies of thought for
the oncoming century, nor give direc-
ton to the mighty currents which bear
along the progress of the race. Be ours
the humber task of living out the
truths they taught. They have been
the heralds of the coming time. the
interpreters of it's great lessons. They
have expressed in noble words the
sentiments which lie in each Of US.
These sentiments are prophecies of hui
man progress. They pointed out the
way our feet must tread. They could
not choose but speak the truth. We
find our joy in living.