The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-07-03
INDEPENDENCE DAY.

nF ALL THE AMERICAS MONDAY )
" there is none that should be ap-
preached with as great reverence as
the one that IS TO be celebrated tomor-
row. We OF a generation a century and
4 quarter removed from the one in
which the Declaration Of Independence
was drawn and signed and passed must
stin. as true and loyal Americans have
some appreciation of the indomitable
courage Of the men who drew and
signed it, Of the spirit that prompted
its preparation and PRONUNCIATION Con
slider il YOU please, the circumstances.
In the year 1916 the most powerful ma
ton in the world was England. Her sails
dotted every known sea. her soldiers
had never been beaten, her flag few
always over victorious fields. In Amer
lea were thirteen colonies, all of them
made up of Eng1ishmen OF the SONS
and daughters of Englishmen. From
the mother country they had come with
a view to increasing the glory of that
mother country, as we'll as to build
homes for themselves in the wilder
ness. They loved the home land and
their children loved it. SO the element
Of loyalty was there to act as a brake
upon the impetUous.
The element Of caution was there, too.
What madness must have seemed
To some Of even the bravest colonists
the thought that independence could be
won by force and arms from England,
Failure, as every coIOnist knew, would
mean death for the leaders, misery and
privation and renewed oppression for
the people. They had tried hard to
avoid a revolution, they had submit
TED 10 indignity after indignity, out
rage after outrage. The time had come
when the blow for liberty must be
struck As late as May, 1776. and that
= was after patriot blood had been shed,
George Washington wrote:
When I took command Of the army
] abhorred the idea of independence;
but am now fully satisfied that moth
ing else viii save us"
That is to say, up to within two
months of the time the Declaration OF
Independence was adopted. the com
mander Of the patriot army hoped for a
reconciliation with England on an hon
orable basis. But the thing was i'm
possible. as Washington now recog-
nized- Only independence could save
the colonies, and. with the gallant spirit
that has always characterized Ameri-
can achievements, on July /, I776. in
Philadelphia, the representatives of the
colonies unanimously declared:
We, therefore, the representatives
OF the United States OF America. in
general congress assembled. appealing
10 the Supreme Judge OF the world foi
the rectitude Of our intentions. do. in
the name and by the authority Of the
good people Of these colonies, solemnly
publish and declare, that these united
colonies are. and, of right. ought to be
free and independent states: that they
are absolved from all allegiance to tbs
British crown. and that all poiitica
connection between them and the state
Of Great Britain is. and ought to be
totally dissolved. And, for the
support of this declaration, with a firm
reliance on the protection Of Divine
Providence, We mutually pledge to each
other our lives, our fortunes and oul
sacred honor
That is why millions of American
citizens. proud of their birthright anC
their heritage, viii celebrate tomorrow
May they every one remember who
made their heritage and their ceIebra-
ton possible.