The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-07-04
INDEPENDENCE DAY.

Resolved, That these United Col
free and independent states: that they
are absolved from all allegiance to the
British crown, and that all political
connection between them is, and ought
TO be, totally dissolved.
This, the first definite step toward
American independence was taken July
,, 1916. Two days later, 100 years ago
today, the extended Declaration of In
dependence, the document that will live
forever in the memory of the American
people. was formally agreed to. 1t was
then that the old bell rang out its It'd
ings, proclaiming liberty to all the land
and unto ell the inhabitants thereof.
And we celebrate July as the greatest
anniversary of all the great history of
this great land. Well may we celebrate
it. for the men who framed and adopted
the declaration made it possible for
their children to enjoy the most price
less heritage ever bequeathed to the
sons and daughters of men,
Turn back the pages of history. if
YOU please, to that gathering of earn
est men in Philadelphia, the continental
congress. 1t is hard for Americans of
today To appreciate the tremendous
courage those men must have pos
sessed to meet at all as a continental
congress. 1t is even harder to appre-
ciate the courage that inspired them,
knowing the weakness of their own,
the strength of the mother country, to
thus boldly throw down the gauntlet
ard proclaim that henceforth they and
the people they represented would be
free and independent
Their action was not the result of a
sudden flame of patriotism inspired by
few hot speeches. Rather was it the
result of calm deliberation, famed
into action by desire to find the light.
As men. cropping in dark tunnel see
ahead shaft of blessed sunshine, so
these men who had been oppressed for
of liberty flaming in the distance and
pressed forward to grasp and hold it.
They knew they could win only after
years of bitter struggling, but they
because of the business of their quar-
rel and they had no fear of the ulti-
mate outcome
We may pass over the dark years of
the revolution. The light dawned at
last, the torch of liberty was set Sc
curely where its beams might be
beacon to all the nations of the world,
an example and an encouragement.
How we'll have we fulfilled the trust
our fathers handed down to US? What
have we done with our heritage? If
the lord of the vineyard should sum-
mon US today for an accounting what
could we say of our stewardship?
The Herald is not of those that think
the country is going to the dogs We
believe that if the fathers could come
back. if they could be taken on a See
America First trip, starting at New
York and stretching across the repub- |
lie TO the Pacific ocean, they would say
their children, their stewards, had done
we'll. The most hopeful dreams of
those men Of the continental congress
never pictured country a 1.-THE as
broad, as fair. as prosperous and as |
great a power for good as this country |
has come to be. Mistakes have been |
made, these are dark spots here and |
there. but by and large no true Amer
lean has cause TO be ashamed of the |
land of his nativity or his adoption.
The United States forever, this indie |
pendence day of 1906. May ii always
realize our most ambitious aspirations, /
and when ii falls short of them, as fail /
short it may, let all of us help, honestly !
and periodically TO make it what We
think ii should be.