Show PEES JOHNS ORATION j tribute to alie memory of the pioneers THE EXODUS OF THE SAINTS FROM NAUVOO and the sufferings ami privations endured in settling utah this day is held sacred by the latter day saints for on it we celebrate the deliverance of the people after being exiled from tho state of illinois by the oppressive persecution they endured leaving alie scenes of blood burning and plunder behind them leaving the graves of their martyred marty red prophets their sacred temple and alie atmosphere which they had sanctified by fasting and prater under alie guidance of the god of israel they were led by anaut cli d arm and reached this land of plenty and prosperity forty one henrs ago since then they have flourished until their growth and united have become the leading question ut the nineteenth century we ought to rejoice that we aro permitted this day to use this sacred spot to worship the god of heaven and to perpetuate and honor the names of the pioneers who entered these valleys on the a ath of july 1847 ought wo not respect and revere the constitution of the united staten which was given by inspiration from alie almighty and made more sacred by innocent blood shed in its defence under tho broad and liberal constitution of our country all men are considered equal and free to worship god according to the dictates of thag own understandings and enjoy ual rights and privileges today to day we celebrate tho virtue of patience the success of reason over madness the victory of submission over the byword the land of plenty of grain fruit and cattle over the barren desert sagebrush and crickets and not the least the triumph of the gospel of the son of god over the dogmas and superstition ot men the hr nor of plundering devouring and making waste belongs to others our mission should be to do good to all men to build up to comfort com foit to cheer to alleviate human suffering and to raise mankind to a higher standard of perfection here a colony has been established with the revelations of god for their guidance prophets and apostles for teachers chastity and truth for their motto and everlasting life as their reward this then is a new dispensation its introduction lias excited the world caused their envy jealousy and hatred to arouse persecutions have entered the field in all its forms some of which have been clothed in priestly robe while others have assumed the more offensive form under the uniform of powder and ball but truth has been undisturbed under all the combined efforts to destroy it even now a fourth part of the human family is as good an naked it is too soon to ask men to rejoice in the beauty of wisdom when they need its convenience ao much let us not be too severe in our demands apon men god auf loreth long and is kind then sour theologians confront us calling wisdom foolish reason carnal scuffing at science with a priestly sneer as if a knowledge of god of gods world and of its law a could not disturb the natural service of god we are warned against the arrogance of the philosopher but by the arrogance of alie priest the systems built by priests who on not fit to trust are more dangerous than infidel science A true word can not fail from amongst men it is enborg M by the almighty and shall pass current anth mankind for ever can alie wmma alig ste greater or less than two As easily as they can alter any truth or any falsehood in morals m politics or in religion A lie is still a lie a truth a truth every new of religion blesses the world conflicts with old notions binds a new burden on alie men alio first accept it demands of them to lay acids old comforts accept a hard name endure the coldness of their friends and feel the iron fiand of the world let me know a thing is arne and that it has the omnipotence of god on its side and I 1 fear no more for it than 1 fear for god there is no college for conscience you fathers and mothers teach your children the obedience of righteousness you children walk in the footprints ot your worthy parents know ye that god has led fathers from alie midst of the gentile as he led ancient israel out of the land of egypt and with all your youthful gaiety love his cause and rev erenee his name continue in your studies wo hope to secure for you the facilities for learning and among your studies learn to love god and keep ilia commandments we are not disposed i to portray the scenes of cala mitic before you brethren and fathers have parsed through in ohio missouri illinois we will not recite alio treacherous murder committed in carthage we shii leave this to other men future historians will record alio events tr inspired on american hoil vc are here free and independent in our mountain home free because god has made us free independent because we will not betray our god and our brethren and blessed are they alio will prove faithful to alio end we have met with traitors our lord and master was betrayed by one of his disciples of us have been betrayed by false bretl iren and suffered persecution and imprisonment at their hands the american colonies met a political traitor la the person of mr huske in parliament A D A native of new hampshire educated in boston now member of parliament from maiden he boasted eliat taxes might bo laid on alie colomeo to yield only were proposed by the ministry could secure the promised relief to alie counte gentlemen this sum he insisted the americans were well able fo pay and lie was heard by the house with great joy and attention betraying ins native land for alic momentary pleasure of being cheered by the aristocracy which was BO soon to augh at him when the british ad vanceh to alie siege of detroit the americans in their trenches outside of the fort were eager for batt leand stood with lighted matches awaiting the order to fire wien the british were within five hundred yards to the amazement of both armies general hull hoisted a white fla over the fort there ws brief parley and a surrender perhaps the most shameful in the history of the united states not only the army in detroit but all the force under iines command became prisoner of war the whole of michigan territory was surrendered to the british at the capitulation the american officers in rage and dispain di stampeded therould the round broke their swords and tore off their epaulettes epaul ettes alie whole country was humiliated hull was court mar dialed convicted of cowardice and sentenced to bo shot president madison pardoned him traitors and cowards are always clamoring about liberty they and praise the name and claim to bo the advocates of patriotism alie horse thief who makes his living by chieft claims to worship at the shrine of liberty the doomed murderer in chiy dungeon chants ins praises to freedom and consoles himself ly saying that if liberty should be exercised properly he should be set free the polluted debauched debauc hep who destroys virtue destroys holy matrimonial ties makes chastity desolate and fills I 1 the earth with corruption is graduated in the same claims they alethe first to claim it to themselves and the last to accord it to others bach claim liberty to lie misrepresent injure others and rob them of their sacred rights and are opposed to becoming responsible to any society or government for their acts this opposition on their part however does not curtail the authority and duty of society to regulate and pass judgment on their actions we find such characters among all classes of society religious as well as political when authority is vested in such characters they generally run in the other extreme and become tyrants such was the character of sir edmund andros who was appointed royal governor of all new england hia commission ought to have been entitled aa article for the destruction of colonial liberty the scarlet coated despots landed at boston on the of december and at once began the work of demolishing the cherished institutions of the people nothing might be printed without his sanction popular representation was abolished voting by ballot was prohibited town meetings were forbidden the public schools were allowed to go to ruin men were arrested without warrant of law thus did massachusetts lose her liberty the engliski Engli sli parliament doubtless called this just and liberal b ut history gives it mother name during alie reign of terror in france the and noble hearted madame koland was led to the scaffold on passing on before the statue of liberty which was erected at the place de la revolution she uttered the memorable words 0 liberty what crimes sire committed in thy name when sir henry vane was executed by charles the second AD blessed be god exclaimed he as he bared his neck for the axe 1 I have kept a conscience void of offense offence till this day and have not deserted the righteous cause for which I 1 suffer that cause was democratic liberty inthe in the history of the world he was the first martyr to the principle of the paramount power of the people the manner of his death was the admiration of the times in alio eleventh c at a period when the feudal oppression was at its height and the condition of the commonality mona lity though the greater part of europe was in alie lower stage ot degradation one of these small kingdoms exhibited the example of a people who shared the sovereignty with the prince wisely limited his by constitutional restraints this was the kingdom of aragon in which not only the representatives of the towns had a seal in the cortes or national assembly but an officer was elected by the people termed a justida Ju stiza who was the supreme interpreter of the law and whose recognized duty it was to protect the rights of the people against the encroachments encroach ments of the crown this officer whose person was sacred was choden from the commons he had a right to judge whether tho royal edicts were agreeable to law before aliey could be carried into effect and while alie kings ministers were answerable sw erable to him for their conduct he was responsible to the cortes alone this great officer had likewise the pi iv cledge of receiving in alie name of the people the kings oath of coronation and during the ceremony he held a naked sword pointing at the breast of alie soverign whom lie thus addresses we your equals constitutes you our soverign and we solemnly engage to obey your mandates on condition that you protect us in the enjoyment of our rights if otherwise not this is true liberty to grant the amount that is required of maryland was peacefully and happily laid within six months it had advanced more than virginia had in as many years every other country in the world at the time had persecuting laws 1 I will not such was the oath of the governor of maryland 1 I will not by myself or any other directly or indirectly molest any person professing to believe in jesus christ for in respect of religion geo washington addressing a royal officer in A D 1774 said it is not the wish of that government massachusetts or any other upon this continent separately or collectively to set up for independence pen dence but none of them will ever submit to the loss of those rights and rea callyne cure the declaration of independence then became a matter of necessity in order to obtain sacred liberties which the english government denied and withheld from the colonies the forgoing sentiments are ours their experience are ours their victory will be ours for the time will come when the latter day saints can repeat the sublime words of the poet where grow bright anil idle words grow dull whore jails are empty and where barns are foil where paths ara walh frequent feet outworn and forlorn where lawyers foot it and where farmers nde where ace youth in multiplied where thesa signs ae a e flioy clearly indicate A happy people and a wel governed youe |