| Show OF 0 independence daj daf DAY A nl mord MORT gortdon eon dON LOYAL LOYALTY jy anere are some people among them the governor of utah who seem to think no one can be truly loyal who does not celebrate the Vi fourth of july in the orthodox manner the tho essentials of this are can non birin firing g flag raising procession assion marching reading of tite tibe declaration of independence the delivery of an oration boasting of the super J florky 0 of american institutions ions lons aeve nove ali all others on oil the earth fireworks feasting fitting and general jollification the mormons cormons Mor mons of salt lake city have havo not celebrated independence idi imi day in this fashion for seve several fa 1 years their brethren and sisters in many other parts of the territory however have annually and duly gone through the forms and ceremonies and andt public re rejoicings rejo joicin icings gs odthe of the day as may be seen irom the reports of celebrations brat ions lons published every year in th the DF deseret senh sEam NEWS there is a reason why salt sait lake has not latterly fallen jle jie a into line and acted according 1 to the tr editions in this tes respect peet for the information of persons not familiar with the true history of utah cewill we will refer to a few incidents that the the whys ghys and where wherefores of halt hait lakes disloyalty as it J is absurd ly called may be properly toad I 1 from the time when the pioneers who joa led the way through the wilderness for the thousands of feet that were to follow rested on the spot B gpo pdt pot t now beautified by this goodly ciby city at ut then mexican so soil soll and unfurled to the mountain breeze the flag of their country the honored stars and stripes down to the year made memorable mp morable by the infamous proclamation of an acting governor fon for forbidding tiie the militia ot of the territory to 0 lake take part inthe in the national cel ebrA ebrat lon lion salu dale lake city made regularly the most ini imposing posing demonstrations on the glorious fourth of any suy city in tile the regions of the bocky rocky mountains or indeed on the pacific coat coast for twenty four years the peoples day was a general holiday and the orthodox celebration was in order filosof file elle ot the deseret NEWS will furnish the patriotic speeches and exalted sentiments uttered on tho those thoe Q occasions but on the third day of july 1871 a person with small smail brains but great ambition for notoriety who was wad secretary of utah and the governor bein being absent occupied his him place issued the proclamation which we have mentioned and federal soldiers ers eis were brought C into thil tills city prepared to fire upon the citizens who should attempt to maren marcu in fn the celebration procession as part of the ebu local militia milida on the loth 01 the previous J wilson issued a pro clama tion against the assembling of any body of armed men in the territory for drill although thou 1 11 our local militia had for ei ellateen eighteen h lateen years yeara held their periodical dr drills ills under the territorial laws and the national constitution iii in less than a month that mans corpse was wai carried out of the ferri territory tory tony tor for bu rial at his home biome and his foolish and un unconstitutional institutional c and entirely uncalled for proclamation should have been buried with him during ing the nine months between his death and the next cel eel eb ration day two new governors had llad been appointed so brief and ephemeral was the reign of those laty petty rulers und inflated dignitaries and aud it jt was on the basis of the shaffer document that Geo ABlack spurred on by adventurers who desired to provoke a conflict between the mormons cormons Mor mons and the govern anent ent eat white lipped h and with trem blin biln bling fingers signed the proclamation for the suppression of our annual rejoicing over national inde pen dence and demanded theale the aid ald of federal soldiers to enforce its pro visions it was thought t that h at tile the sill silly y piper paper would be treated with the 11 wor mormons cormons Mor 1 l co by mons who 1 could have e easily emily overpowered any force at hand liand and that the power ot of the government could then be invoked and in the crushing out of the pomplo people who had redeemed utah atall from froni the desert those needy and greedy plotters who rode the black horse would find the opportunities for prey suggested by their rapacity but the rebellious 11 seditious etious and yand hostile mormons cormons Morn Mor ions mons to save the military commander from unpleasant alternatives quietly yielded and the militia which usually termed one of the most prominent features of our annual celebration was ed and the people here ceased to celebrate in the popular manner today to day federal officials taunt the mormons cormons Mor mons with a want of loyalty because they do not follow the custom of the country while but a short time ago am federal officials ad us nop noe not to do so and it was federal authority backed by federal force which put a stop to the celebrations which had been as regular as the years in the face of that proclamation and those loaded guns ready to fire on american citizens if they attempted to exercise a constitutional and lawful right shouting for freedom boasting of libert ilbert liberty Y lauding flauding republican privileges over monarchial restrictions would be but a mockery and a sham when nvia we can celebrate the day as freemen as other citizens of our common country celebrate and as we might do now but for the pretext it would give for those who wish to provoke strife and stir up trouble salt lake city will again come to the front with her popular displays of patriotism by the side aide of which the mea meare meagre re but characteristic affair of mon monday I 1 ay the first attempt of our censors to get up a celebration since this has been a territory would appear but a cheap trifle and a small flash in the pan but we protest against the use of the term loyalty in any such a connection loyalty does not hot consist in loudmouthed loud mouthed speeches 3 brag buncombe bunting and bravado there were as loyal loya I 1 people holi boll day making by the lake or in the canyon or enjoying the company of families and friends on monday as any who shouted themselves red in the face baer the american eagle and V te ve e ability of uncle samuel to whip ali nii all ail creation what do these in men n mean by loyalty many of them understand it AS support to a party the upholding of an organization which secures to them a certain amount of bread and butter and whiskey and cigars the honoring with the lips of certain individuals temporarily occupying exalted positions we say most em emphatically hat leally that weh aveno such loyalty loyalty we worship no men we ve owe fealty to no ri ring ng or party formed for personal ends and private ambition we recognize no masters either in governors presidents or an paid servants of the sovereign people but the mormon people are as 10 loyal sal sai to the constitution and to the principles which underlie the structure of american institutions as an any y other citizens of our majestic union onion and while we wait with patience forthe for the dawni dawning nr n of our day of true freedom which will come as sure as the revo revolutions ludon of time we will cherish in our hearts if we do not gather in formal crowds and laud with our voices the sacred principles of civil and religious liberty for which the fathers of our country struggled and bled and died and fori for which veli many of bur own people have laid down their lives while we live uve to honor defend and maintain them with all the powers given to us by the great creator lythos let Lt those thos who insult us with their unjust and uncalled for accusations turn over the pages of df history and see what has become of their predecessors in office and in calumny of the mormons cormons Mor mons and remember that the same divine providence which has blasted our defamers def amers and prospered his people still lives and olds holds in his hands all human desti destinies to him we owe allegiance as well as to earthly government and to him we intend to be always truly loyal t DICTATION PRIESTLY dictation in civil affairs is is a pl phrase araso that has been very frequently repeated on the platform and through the press as an intended thrust against what 1 is popularly known as mormonism 11 that a runn man recognized as a priest should have anything to say on political or other secular matter matters is apparently apparent ly horrifying to a certain class of minds mind but seeing that under our national system all citizens aro are equal before the law jaw and a priest or other has just as many legal social and political rights as a layman or an infidel why should there be so much concern exhibited about priestly influence in la civil things if an atheist or a society of non religion ests wields influence in civil af affairs it is considered all right so vo long as neither attempts to accomplish by force that which is on only ly I 1 awful lawful by bersu persuasion is on argument or other rational and peaceful means why then should not a religious teacher or recognized zed minister of spiritual things be permitted hi his s influence in those civil affairs in which lie he is just as much interested as a citizen as the disbeliever or the church member priestly influence if lawfully exercised is just as proper in in all secular affe affairs airs including 0 politics 1 ics acs as commercial influence j judicial uricial 1 influence n flu gubernatorial influence legal influence employees influence or the influence of any swaying directing guiding power 0 or r person if a priest uses any ny unlawful agency to compel a course of action he lie is as amenable to the law as a layman if an eccle eccie ecclesiastes ecclesias sias stis t is possessed of j judgment ud 1 expeR experience ence enee wisdom or oth other e r qualification recognized by others as fitting t him to give advice and direction in secular affairs what is there in the institutions of our government the law of the land or good common sense to forbid him from imparting that coull couil counsel Sel sei and giving that direction particularly when it is fought for and desired this hackneyed cry of priestly dictation is under the institutions of this republic the gauziest gauz iest kind of rubbish no priest can exercise any power over an unwilling un unwilling willin 9 devotee as in some parts of the world and should he attempt to do so there is ample protection for his victim both in public opinion 0 ini 1 on and in the law if a priest t tells telis e pl Is voters how to cast their ballots at an election he cannot compel obedience and on the other hand he has just as much right to use lawful influence to in duce his friends or followers to vote as he wishes as any federal officer club president political or trade boss P or other leader has or pretends to have to bring this right home where it is intended to apply the twelve apostles of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints have equal right to manage a mercantile business run a railroad occupy an office of any kind whatever for which they may be chosen get u up P a political ticket and try to ha have ve it ele ble elected eted or do any other lawful act with any person or combination of persons not endowed with religious authority or occupying sac sae sacerdotal er position those who would deprive them and other religious teachers ers of that right are the real traitors to the cause of american freedom for them should be the scaffolds and coffins if any though we advocate no such means for the punishment of those treasonable i conspirators they are the enemies of liberty who strive to break down the constitution which guarantees the same civil rights to preachers and people Is not priestly influence wielded in the fear of god and with wishes for the benefit of the race as likely to be good it is certainly as lawful as the influence of political bummers office seekers smoke e dried and liquor soaked adventurers loafers blasphemers blaspheme rs and infidels orto or to lift the matter nearer to a level is not priestly influence in civil atair affairs as likely to promote peace create union secure order establish righteousness and increase joy as the in fluence of sordid though respectable secularists whose souls are centred on the dollar or absorbed in personal alms aims and private ambitions the latter tatter day saints choose generally to follow the advice and admonitions ions of their church leaders in many of the civil affairs of life in preference to the suggestions of persons who presume to find fault with their religion and at the same time to dictate their civil and social policy the latter are angry at their own failure and the formers success and raise the silly cry of priestly dictation these com eom comparative comparato parati panati v e strangers who know nothing of our motives history or ob objects attempt to undermine the confidence of the people in the well known tried and in d proven roven royen leaders whose whole lives ilves lives ilves eave have been a sacrifice to principle and whose entire energies have been devoted to the benefit of their fellow men the confidence reposed by the saints in these veterans in our cause is represented as bondage ages as shackles that bind a too confiding people and the prophecy is put forth clad in the garments of a threat that Ut allwill utah will wili never be permitted to become a state until that influence is thrown afrand oft off and that confidence is broken so proclaims the governor of the territory on a day sacred to liberty now we wish it to be distinctly understood speaking for the masses of the mormon people that we claim the right to choose our own political and religious leaders and our counselors in social and commercial affairs and if we please to seek for and follow the counsel of the priesthood in all L ecklar things as in spiritual things we shall do so whether or not it pleases persons who wish to rule us colens volem volens if we choose to have priestly influence in politics or other civil affairs we shall be guided by it whether this exercise of our rights as american citizens keeps us out of the union of states or not our apostles and other church leaders are the choice of the people as well as tile the appointed of the lord and all things in this church according to the revelations and covenants and commandments must be done by common consent vox harmonizes with rox vox DO dei and both are needful according to our church cons constitution ti tu tion which is as little understood by those anti auti mormon n 11 0 orators ra who have the impertinence to lecture us on the subject as the mythology of egypt or anc ancient lelit greece is comprehended by the unlettered peasant of either hemisphere now what is proposed by the free dom and opponents of priestly influence in el civil vi I 1 affairs to deprive us of our rights under the constitution so long loni as we of our own free will and choice listen to the counsel of our chosen advisers think of lui ILI it while those officious individuals taik talk jalk about breaking shackles they are forging C them for our limbs and minds our freedom must be such as they provide our liberty such as they shall dictate we are i free to be ruled by them but no not t to follow the lead of our chosen chiefs why these arrogant persons who are forced upon us under the anti auti republican system of territorial vassalage are the self constituted censors who seek to break down the constitution and to violate one of its ita most glorious provisions for while that inspired instrument forbids no priest from exercising influence in civil affail affairs it does most |
