Show WHITHER ARE ABB WE DRIFTING in 1844 the prophet joseph smith promulgated to the world his vie views I 1 ws on government and especially on the policy that should he be pursued by tho the government of the united states had his suggestions gest ions been adopted our country would have been saved the miseries of civil war avoided tile the danger of centralization and despotism and laid the tho foundation for permanent prosperity nearly parallel with the views of the prophet in enlightened philanthropy py rire are those of the writer of an article qu on the future government of america arrom rom arple Apple tons journal published in no 38 current volume deseret NEWS at this time these views although shared by many seem geem utopian from the tho fact that their practical realization would require too many gatons megatons ne of human ambition judging by the past it would be impossible to find a people amdi tiona ted in modern modem christianity who coull could sufficiently distinguish between 1 berty and license between despotism and ampie amplo executive powers to restrain evil and reward goo 1 to so nicely balance the relation or of society that all might have the tho privilege of working out their greatest good untrammeled by legal enactments the religious and political organizations izat ions of men thus far have only been a selles of experiments ind and those experiments a series of failures our own country with its early carly promise of a brilliant future for the cause of human freedom will probably pre bably babiy be no exception tilo the great minds of the past who have developed human progress and shaped the destinies of nations as well as those of the present generation think have failed to fully recognize the importance of the religious lou iou element clement in mans nature as a b basis on which to build the tilo superstructure of society SY systems of ethics untrammeled by extraneous force mould the internal policy of nations mod modify y til the e rules of international law the relative condition of the sexes and determine the penalties of crime and the decisions of civil j jurisprudence uris prudence no free government can call be permanent under the antagonisms of christianity and these are scarcely paralleled in the history of pagan religions wo we may consider one great cause of the stability and longevity of pagan rome to have been her policy of avol avoiding dlug diug these antagonisms I 1 fancy a better apology inny may be found for her persecution of christians than for christians persecuting each other her poly poli policy cy was waa broad enough for the toleration of all polytheistic religions but the advent of the gospel was waa like a nash hash of light in the midst of universal darkness it dazzled mankind by its brilliancy and could not be comprehended it was an innovation on tile the received opinions of ages that threatened their very exL existence stence there was no precedent in roman policy by which it could be judged if christ came to the house of his friends and tiey they failed to receive him is it a matter matte r of surprise that pagans should reject that which came in direct con tact with all their preconceived religious ideas christianity absorbed paganism by adopting many of its tenets and ceremonies and P pagan i in intolerance retires to the shade in view view of tile the bitter animosities of christians towards each other with the tho record of tile the peaceful I mission of jesus in one hand they h have haye ve often been ready with the other to apply the torch to the po possessions or persons of those who differed from frody them in religious opinions the fires of burning christians may inny have helped to consume the funeral pile of roman greatness but her pagan virtues and the light of the gospel disappeared in tile the darkness of apostate christianity and under its supremacy tile the peoples who made up roman civilization became so 0 o recreant to the common duties of humanity that in the economy of nature it became necessary for barbarian hordes from the plains of scythia best hest liia illa the banks of the tile volga and the tiie don to cleanse this vast cesspool of some sonic of its impurities puri ties and redeem tile tilo de degenerate goner blod brod of edtl effete ete etc nationals nati nationalities onali ties u ivich niu all the vigor vl or of the tho shepherds of sla aksia sia anus an extensive polytheistic estic estem which had become politically gigantic and guided the leading energies of a i hemisphere for centuries was resolved into numer 11 fiantago auta anta gwi ii ur tir sect sert strongly imbued with the intolerant spirit which characterized the pagan persecutions of christianity they claimed the savior as ass the head of their broken hierarchy and ignored the principles he taught they abjured paganism believed in the potency of charms and adored the supposed relics of saints and martyrs they claimed tornow to know something of the attributes of god while their ideas of deity were by the tenets of heathen philosophy on this sandy saudy foundation of intolerant and ever changing creed ism is established the superstructure of modern modem civilization while the pa pagan an institutions of greece and romi borne are apparently disappearing in the mists of ages those of modern christianity established on their ruins are crumbling with decay theoretical differences on the character of mour soun our savior the tha nature hasure of the havo haac caused the devastation of provinces the desolation of cities and filled the cup of rumfle suffering ring to overflowing to millions As it has sometimes been dint difficult cult for the obtuse intellects of the heathen to discern the superior virtues of christianity the most effectual means of their conversion were found to be the instruments of torture and death under the cruel lash of christian servitude they have been taught to worship the cross as the emblem of the sufferings and death of a merciful savior from the conversion of the emperor in the ath century until the recent absorption of domain of the tiie pope ina lna in a united italy where the power existed a difference of religious opinions was ever a ready excuse for aggression 0 and conquest the rhe power of the priesthood was based on the ignorance and superstition of the people and was excessively aggressive on the rights of potentates and princes 3 anda and a grinding crushing weight on the masses it dictated the policy of governments the domestic relations the forms of religious worship and presumed to ign ignore ore mans manis Is free agency by claiming the right to dictate the thoughts and intents of the heart E extremes in human affia affairs lis generally force reaction rulers and people be became canle canic alike ready for change for revolution luther luthen calvin zwingle Zwin glo gle and their workers coworkers co wo ahers were the instruments of a wise pro dungeon of the holy office no longer stifled tho the cries of despairing victims and the incense of human sacrifices to fanatical cruelty no longer polluted the air persecution assumed somewhat milder forms and the way was opened for the growth of religious and political freedom mary and Elizabeth queens oren gl andare usually considered brorn prominent representatives olic bi bigotry otry and protestant enlightenment but there was not so much diff difference brence in their principles as in their policy the former persecuted protestants for their religious opinions the tho latter for their political ones taking a wider range of historical tor ical facts the motives which actuated the jews in accomplishing the death of our savior the pagans in persecuting tile the early christians the roman catholics in burning protestant reformers and a christian mob in murdering josph joseph and hyrum smith in carthage jail were about the arne axne arne it was the antagonism of bigotry and intolerance against tl c v hee due agency god has given to man tile the operations of that tool of til the c inquisition simon do de montfort against the in the tile century and those of gen clarke against the latter day saints in in missouri five centuries after are sufficiently par parallel albel to indicate the progress christianity has made they prove that in the century we are more indebted to the broken condition of christian christianity ity and the experiences of history for more general religious freedom than to any favorable change in the spirit of professing religionists if with the recorded experiences of pagan civilization and enlighten ed d christianity to profit by it has tak taken on twenty thice centuries for mankind to progress in the nel nei I 1 pies of free government from the ostracising tm bising assemblies of tile the athenians where tile the rights and liberties ot the citizen were subject to tl tio 0 caprice of tile the rabble to the constitutional nai nal government of the united d estates SS tates states with the blessings it guarantees neutralized by the tho grow ing corruptions corrupt ions of its citizens what great progress has been made if neu rt net n et effort to I 1 lay ay bro broad ad and deep the foundations of free institutions is proving a failure where are our hopes for the future if the public interests are bartered for or gold if the liberties of the citizen are betrayed by baso baze ind venal judges if the assassin b 1 yf off th the just ejust penalties of the 1 iov luv liv ov ij if venality is the rule and high minded patriotism the exception that which has made our country appear comely and desera desirable ble blo to the oppressed of other nations is depart we must look to some source for institutions brond and comprehensive enough for tho tile religious and political regeneration of mankind if after tile the brilliant light of sectarian christianity has illuminated the nations for or fifteen are tha 37 results estila s or of its benign influence it is time to t th throw row aside its jarring a r ring intolerant traditions anah and the e notions of rl liht ht and wrong k derived from our birb br barian irlan ancestors and reconstruct on the principles enunciated by i great lawgiver himself amidst tile the rings of Si sinai sinal and interpreted by the mosaic law and the teachings of jesus christ and liis his apostles with the issues of life based to the lowest purposes with starving millions eking out a base bhe existence by the side of inordinate wealth where is our hope after christianity has failed except in divine revelation for tile the wisdom to so organize the interests of society and give such just and proper artion relation to the diversified abilia abilities les of men and to labor and capital that all may have ample scope for the exercise of their energies that honest toil may be sufficiently rewarded and the helpless poor never cry for bread before mankind can start out on oil the high road of permanent improvement pro they must adopt a religious system whose leading article artcle of faith shall shail be that all men are free agents in working out their temporal and spiritual redemption with a ell cli charity arity broad enough to I 1 look upon wealth only as a means of doing dg good with a philanthropy comprehensive enough to instruct the ignorant and wayward and to restrain the wicked and perverse with organized wisdom sufficient to successfully cess fully oppose tyranny and degradation ra and which will manei manel manifest fest to the world a constant growth in moral momi worth and m material advancement while the reward of crime should bo be meted out to the transgressor justice should be tempered by a wise and judicious consideration of the instances and motives of the criminal the prophet joseph smith gave us the key to human progress when asked by an intelligent how he lie nian managed aged his people so easily lie he replied 1 I teach them correct principles and they govern themselves the practice of true principles will insure ohp continuous growth and improvement orally of any people and nud aud this is the test of the value of the underlying principles of all social systems religious intolerance will ivill surely result in political despotis despotism th and social corruption will as certainly undermine a government and destroy a people hence the lecessi necessity ty of a thorough change in the domestic relations th the pagan monogamy of ancient rome romu with all its degrading tendencies must be thrown aside and the sexual reial relations bo be based on the patri patriarchal 1 arcila arelia principles taught by him who has tl the le wisdom and the right to instruct his sons and daughters the issues of life must be controlled exclusively f nor for or tile tilo production of healthy and virtuous populations without which no good government can be perpetuated to accomplish this religious fa faith falth ith custom and inexorable public opinion insist combino combine to confine the sexes to the legitimate object of their desires and also to give ample 0 opportunity port unity for women to gratify trie the purer instincts of their thein nature in the relations of wife and mother in this age of rapid and easy communication muni cation and exchange of ideas the inherent evils of old decaying systems are quickly developing their fruits the old landmarks of social intercourse are disappearing men MCD from a sense of insecurity lre are ire cuttin cutting loose lome from their forier former moorings settie aud ind endeavoring to S settle ct down in the tile of skepticism or with increasing unrest are vainly searching into the cupell supernatural atuel for something on which to found their hopes of the future there is wi an intensity of action in tile the intermingling of antagonistic races raes customs religious idea and interests which bespeaks a future of universal commotion and of widespread wide spread revolutions the natural results of the past the tendencies of the tile present and the revelations of ancient and mod ni prophecy all indicate i a fearful tweaking ue aking up of the foundations of society whether an age or centuries transpire before this is consummated as sure as cause and efrece effect succeed each other it must come when it comes like a purifying fire it will relieve the earth of its burden of wickedness james jame S A LITTLE |