The San Francisco call., 1899-01-29


coal and the useful and precious
metals; in it's ocean frontage and mag
nificent harbors, it's watercourses,
great lakes and rivers, no country sur
passes it.
In its institutions, civil and religious
liberty are guaranteed to every citizen.
The Declaration of Independence, a
sort of preamble to our constitution, de-
clares that life, liberty and the pursuit
Of happiness are mans inalienable
birthrights When that declaration was
made good by seven years of success
full revolution, and form of govern
ment had to be framed for the new ma
tionality. we embodied in our constitu
ton, State and Federal, the principle
that this is a government of the people,
by the people, for the people.
Are we equal TO the task of doing our
part to realize the opportunities af
forded by benefcent Providence and
by wise legislative enactment? 1t is
an important question. Our ship of
state must have a harbor and must
have an anchorage. Storms arise on
the most pacific sesk; and without this
harbor and this anchorage the. ship will
founder or be driven upon the rocks.
That harbor is in religion; that anchor
age is in the hearts or consciences of
men.
Gentlemen, I speak a plain truth. II
is borne out by every page of human
history. | am not speaking at this mo-
ment as a dogmatist, but as a common
citizen and a student of history. [
am not speaking as a denominatonal-
ist, but uttering a universal PROPOSE
ton. Society is not a mere human
compact between men to live together
after a certain form of civil govern
ment, such as two or more men enter
into in forming a partnership to carry
on a stated business. The forms that
shall govern in civil life are left to the
free choice Of men to determine, but
society itself is heaven born. 1t is as
divine in it's origin as is religion itself
By nature and by destiny man is at one
and the same time a social being and a
religious being, and it is God that has
made him so.
While God has revealed and ordained
certain things in the religious require
ments of life, he has left man to frame
the laws that suit him best or please
him best in civil life. But so intimately
are his religious life and his civil life
allied to each other that the principles
which shall enable him to carry out
successfully a civil code to secure to
man the protection of life, liberty and
character come from and are anchored
thor of civil society, as he is the author
of the religious society; but while CIV
ing the form Of the religious society he
has left man free to choose whatever
form he prefers for civil life-monar-
chial, imperial or republican. The end of
civil society, however, no matter what
it's form, is the same-to secure man his
civil rights, life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness.
Man, therefore, can make laws IN
civil life. But he cannot make princi-
pies. God gives these, and, in forming
these two societies he lays down the
principles underlying both. All the ele-
ments of civil life existed in germ when
there were but two people on the earth.
The two societies were then and there
formed. And God who placed men there
provided fully for their life, liberty and
happiness when he started them on
their term of earthly existence. He laid
down a code of laws that should en-