Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-07-03

Copyright 1902 by Rights
a INDEPENDENCE was born this day 1913 years ago
when the aged bellrnger sped the tidngs which
still echo around the world.
The immortal instrument which was signed by
John Hancock on July 4, 177G has meant more
than the growth and Development Of an independent
nation this side of the Atlantic. 1t was in itself
The reenacnen of the greatest bill of human rights
ever pcnned, which received the signet Of unwill
Ing king mt Runnymead, and the birth of constitu-s
{ Honal liberty.
IN these days Of peace ana plenty the Fourth OF
July is given to Hsautes of cannon and the ringing
of bells and to the fcu de joie,' with variations, as
John Adams predicted that it would be, vet the OBJ
servSnce of the Fourth an occasion for recalling
memories past giving thanks for the deeds Of
the patriot orefathers Is sporadic rather than general
In the United States The Declaration Of Indepen-
dence Is not read from the rostrnm, 1t in
avery community, and the orators to the links have
gone.
n So much has been taken here matter of course
Mat it hard to realize that this anniversary is
celebrated in the very England from which liberty
was wresed and that observances of are officially
ordered In many lands beyond the seas The Fourth
pf July hns become international in scope for 1t has
changed the governments Of nations whose capitals
far from Independence Hail.. So widespread
have It's effects become studied in the light of
the present day that in order to get the true value
of all that the Declaration signifies to the world in
1909 1t is necessary go back to the very beginning
of American liberty.
Had not the ideas of government held by the colo
nists been essentially British there would probably
never have been any Declaration of Independence
1t is as natural for the Brton to demand his rights
as it is for him to live. The war OF the Revolution
was largely due TO the fact that the two thousand
miles of water between London and the colonies
caused Parliament lose sight of the ties OF
sangunity and OF race
Although the original thirteen colonies were so
essentially English in thought and feeling they had
never actually been established by England a
national enterprise. The only one which had ever
received any official aid Whatever was Georgia, and
that was not sufficient to carry any such feeling
of dependence us is essential for the preserva-
ton of intimate colonial relations. The right TO
COLOMBO the North American continent had been
granted by charters from British king According
to the feuda system, which was then rapidly be-
coming effaced the king owned all the land and
distributed it among various favored yassals.
Fables Of Wealth.
The sovereign In the same way regarded the New
World as IL it had been won by the sword The most
extravagant ideas prevailed with regard the wealth
of the American lands. 1t at time soberly
believed in England that gold and silver and precious
stones could be had for the taking and that the
natives were the posscssors of fabulous wealth. The
king gave the charters in most cases with the idea
~ Will pHoHt seitliy from mines Whlcn Noulu
yield enormous returns TO the royal eXchequer.
When the colonists came here they found it neces-
sry to make good their titles either by peaceful
gains with the Indians or by force of From,
the very first the spirit of independence fostered
for fefs which had to be maintained by constant
vigilance and negotiations and by show Of force did
not carry with them deep sense of obligation.
Indeed even at that early day, although for the
throne the colonsts entertained feelings of loyalty
and devotion, a shrewd idea abroad that the
king did not really own the land which he had be-
slowed by his charter. The conquest Of nature and
OF the sayages begot rugged independence which
as the years went by became more and more dis
tasteful to the authorities in England
Yet the idea Of separation from the Crown was of
slow growth. The forefathers maintained that they
We're British subjects, although not living within the
realm as indeed was specified in some of the royal