The Sun.
London, England, 1869-11-11 00:00:00

MORMONISM AND UTAH.

(From the Anglo-American Times.)
The Union Pacific Railway is doing its work in
Utah quicker than predicted, and there is a move-
ment, the end of which may be foreseen, though the
events which may lead to that end cannot be fore-
told. A mass meeting was held on the 6th Oct.
at Salt Lake City to ask for the admission of Utah
as a State into the Union on the ground that the
Territory contains 150,000 inhabitants, who regard
it as a hardship to be kept from a right extended to
less populous, less wealthy, and more newly settled
tracts, such as Nevada. This is but one of the
movements which will speedily bring Mormonism
up as a question for settlement, and in anticipation
of that Church soon becoming a bone of fierce con-
tention, we desire to refresh the memory of our
readers by detailing the more prominent facts of
its history. Joseph Smith, jute, the prophet and
founder, was born at Sharon, Vermont, Dec. 23,
1805. His parents, Jose] h and Lucy Smith, were
in humble circumstances, pious, but superstitious,
more especially the mother. They saw visions and
dreamt dreams which they curiously interpreted,
and it was in such au atmosphere that young Joseph
and his brothers were reared. Three of the children
were the seniors of the future prophet, and there
were others younger ; he was one of a crowd with-
out a distinguishing mark. When fourteen years
old his parents removed to Manchester, New York,
where the first revelation was received. lie was but
fifteen when this occurred, and he minutely describes
the circumstance. He had been attentively reading
the Bible, and was struck with James, chap 1,
5 verse : " If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of
God, that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth
not, and it shall be given him." Determined to ask
with all the ardour and pertinacity inspired by
Puritanism, he retired into the woods, where he was
seized on by a great Power, enveloped in thick dark-
ness, his tongue hound, but while anticipating im-
mediate destruction, a pillar of light burst from t he
heavens and fell on him, and he was at once de-
livered from the enemy which held him. Looking
up he saw two persons of exceeding glory standing
over him in the air, of whom one, addressing him
by name, pointed to the other and said, " This is
my beloved Son, hear him." Tile first question was
that, which so occupied the minds of all his neigh-
bours, the struggling sects, and he asked which one
was right. To his surprise the answer was that all
were not only wrong, but even an abomination. On
awaking he was on his back looking into heaven.
This occurred in 1820, but it was not till 1823 that
the second vision was vouchsafed in the shape of the
angel Nephi, who revealed himself in the room, and
informed Joseph Smith where the plates would b.!
found contailling the ancient American records.
Four times was this vision repeated, and this infor-
mation given ; but Smith was not permitted to take
possession of the plates till 1827. He was then
directed to dig them out of the hill side, which he
did at a place called Cumorab, four- miles from
Palmyra, New York. The golden plates, Beetle
inches by eight, were buried in a stone box near the
surface, and consisted of a volume, being joined at
one end by three rings running through all. The
characters were ancient Egyptian, but part of the
book was sealed. A curious instrument was dis-
covered with them, consisting of the arc of a bow
with two transparent stones, clear as crystal, set in
the two rims. These plates were translated by
Joseph, dictating from behind a curtain to his secre-
tary a farmer named Harris, who was his first convert
and most valuable dupe. He married in 1827 Emma
Hale, and he had a revelation to show how she
was to make herself useful, which she did, acting
also as his secretary, as likewise did a schoolmaster,
named Cowdery, who then joined the infant sect.
With the aid of these three the translation pro-
gressed, and in 1830 the work was published.
Smith alleges that persecution drove him from New
York to Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, but he had
the good fortune there to meet the farmer, Martin
Harris, about whom it was revealed that be was to
sell his lands that funds might be procured to publish
the book. Notwithstanding the violent opposition of
Harris's wife, who brought an action for swindling
against Joseph, he prevailed with the farmer, who
disposed of his property, and laid the proceeds at
the prophet's feet. 1830 was the great year of
Mormonism, as the work then appeared, entitled
The Book of MO7-172011, an Account Written by th,
hand of Mormon upon Plates from the Plates of
.Nephi. On the 6th April, 1830, the first sermon
was preached, and the church took its form with
this book as its guide, but it was not till 1834 that,
at a conference held at Kirtland, the sect was
named " The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter
Day Saints." Two facts have been placed on re-
cord, the one at the trial of Joseph Smith on the
charge brought by Mrs. Harris for cheating her
husband, that Joseph Smith had himself acknow-
ledged that the scheme was an imposture, and
that he had been surprised at the gullibility of his
father and mother, his brethren and neighbours ;
but he was acquitted of the charge. The other re-
lates to the book. It puzzled those around him to
know how an ignorant young man could have in-
vented a book even of the merit of that of Mormon,
but when it was read in Ohio many there instantly
recognised it as the work of Solomon Spaulding,
garbled and disguised. That gentleman in 1812 con-
ceived and executed the design of writing an ima-
ginary history of the old mounds near his home
at New Salem, Ohio, vestiges of American anti-
quity which have deeply impressed others besides
Solomon Spaulding. His work was entitled " The
Manuscript Found," and while writing it he often
read portions to his frietn's. lie died in 1816 be-
fore the task on which he was engaged had been so
far completed as to assume a published book form,
and the manuscript which had been deposited with
the printer disappeared from among his papers.
Parts of it, however, remained, and no allusion to
them was found in " The Book of Mormon,"
which extends almost to the length of the Old Testa-
ment, a dreary prosaic dead level of sentiment,
without anything good or bad in it. -But the pro-
phet must have personally possessed a magnetic in-
fluence, for his Church increased rapidly, and drew
on itself a series of persecutions, At Kirtland,
Joseph, and one of his chief proselytes, Sidney Rig-
don, established a bank, which, being based on a
revelation, speedily " bu'st," and Joseph and the
other prophet levauted. He had founded a thriv-
ing settlement at Independence, Jackson County,
Missouri, which he called Zion, but a newspaper
there published, wrote against Slavery, and brought
the dire vengeance of Missouri on the Mormon
community. The settlement was fiercely attacked,
and the Mormons were broken up and driven out
On the 21st of July, 1833. Scattered in other
counties, they gathered in a place called Far West,
Caldwell County, Missouri, where again another
district began to thrive under their industrious hands,
and thither Smith proceeded. In the meantime
the Church throve abroad, the first mission having
landed at Liverpool in 1837, where it met with a
success which has made Britain the chief source of
Mormon strength, though it numbers its adherents
in most of the civilized countries of the world. Mis-
souri did not prove to them a genial soil, for Caldwell
was attacked in 1838, and after massacres and
murders the Mormons had to surrender, delivering
up their leaders, leaving the State and abandon-
ing their property. They crossed the river into
Illinois, where they founded Nauvoo, but Joseph,
his brother Hyrun, Sidney Rigdon, and others were
left in gaol, narrowly escaping death, having been
sentenced to be shot, by a Court Martial. The
General commanding the Missouri Militia did not
execute the bloodthirsty orders of the Governor ;
hence the prisoners were banded over to the civil
powers, al,d while being removed from gaol to gat 1
they escaped from a drunken guard. In Illinois,
where the " Saints" gathertd„the contending p: r_
ties were nearly equally balanced, and, es the Mo .
mon vote was of value, Nauvoo was enabled to dic-
tate its own terms. The Legislature actuaLy pe]
milted a code to be brought into force for tl
Mormons, only stipulating that it should not he re-
pugnant to the State Constitution, and in this in-
dependent. County, Mormonism flourished. Jos,ph
became General of his Militia numbering 3,000
men, and the head of his Government, till he was
again brought to grief by a newspaper. He was
too vain and presuming for prosperity, indeed, he

aspired to no less a post than the Presidener
of the United States, and addressed the citizens,
offering himself as a candidate. Whether he did
what Dr. Foster and Mr. Law attempted to pre°
in the Expositor, the journal they founded. at
Nauvoo, we know not, but many women through
it testified that he and other elders had attempted
to corrupt their virtue. The elders met and die
rested the suppression of the office, which was pulled
down, and the type scattered in the street. The
proprietors procured a warrant for Smith's arrest,
but he fled, as great excitement prevailed in the
State. His friends urgently advised his return, and,
acting upon this, not only did he go back to Nauvoo,
but surrendered to the State authorities on the
solemn promise of Governor Ford to protect his
life. He was lodged in gaol at Carthage with his
brother Ilyrun and .others. On the 27th June,
1$ bile the Governor was advancing at the head 01
a body of troops on Nauvoo, the gaol was attacked
by a party with blackened faces, who forced an
entrance, and commenced firing at the prisoner 6
through the door. Hyruu was killed on the spot 3
Joseph wounded sprang from the window, 'wl:.-`312
he was assassinated outside by some men of the.
band, and but one of the four -was left uninjured
to tell the tale, and thas the prophet was turned
into a martyr, sealing with his blood the success of
the religion he bad founded.• In 1830 he began with
six followers; in 1844, when he was killed, he was et
the head of 250,000. This foul act in no degree mid"
gated the persecution to which the Mormons were
subjected, and Nauvoo became the scene of mall
barbarities and of much danger. It was necessary
to replace the leader, the choice lying between the
two prominent men, Sidney Rigdon and Brigham
Young, and the latter was elected, the former being
defeated and cast out a prey to eaten. Brighsin'
who on the 7th Oct., 1844, donned Joseph's mantle'
was born in 1801, being four years older than the
founder. The circumstances wherein he was placcA
were as trying as with Moses, and, more favours
"
than that great leach r, he not only surmounted there,
but lived himself to enjoy the inheritance in the pre-
mised land. He was compelled to enter into s
treaty to evacuate Nauvoo, but so cruel was the im-
patience of the citizens around that even the time
allotted, and it was the depths of winter, was 13°t
given, for he had to cross the frozen MississiePi nAtio
February, 1846, with his pioneer baud of 1,6 v,
emigrants. Those who remained were attacked'
by a force under a reverend gentleman, and
driven out in the following September after hay,"
ing finished with elaborate care the great temple
they knew they could never occupy. Meanwhn
Brigham was on that wonderful march which 1330
thrown such an atmosphere of romance over t", 5
Mormon Faith. The numbers be led were about
10,000, the distance 1,400 miles. He arrived with
his pioneer band at Salt Lake on the 24th Jnl9'
1847, a day still kept as an anniversary by g:e
moudow. Immediately he returned for those P.O
had left on the banks of the Missouri, and the 0131
body came up in 1848. The rise of Salt Lake citv
:A
is known to our readers, and furnishes a wonder" —d,
instance of what a well-organised and contronee,
band can effect. Indeed, Mormon history is
cord of the ease and certain success attending vi
directed emigration. To the marvellous pregrer'e
of these industrious people the Vice-President 13`)6,
witness iu his speech in Salt Lake city on Oel:„e
to which we allude lin our last issue. After ele;
so, Mr. Colfax attacked polygamy, first observing
that every man had a right in that land of
and religious liberty to select his creed, but 11°to
break the laws. He had visited their taberna'A te
r:
and had listened attentively, respectfully, and c 0 r"
teously in their places of worship and elsewherend
their defence of their doctrines and practices the
he expected from them a like patient hearing. ns
Congressional law of 1862, against which Merni°
complain, is obeyed throughout the Union e°o
je
in Utah, and they must admit that if persecuted
e3es
the early years of their Church, that in late ti
they had met with a toleration no other civil
ised
nation would have extended. He did not concede
that polygamy was a question of religion, but to
to_
those who claim it as such he made the apt
tation from the Book of Mormon which we publisp
ed
last week to prove that it was denounced even e,
their own law. Admitting that a subsevent ra 5
lation had annulled the old law, later revelation
might enable others, if once such be admitted, 'l3
introduce practices which the body of the Chtlrbo
would not tolerate, and every community has tee,
right to protect itself or threatened victims. The 1.1;
dooclaitns:it as a duty to burn widows with the corpse
of their husbands, but in no part of America
he be permitted to exercise such an alleged right
a
l
Nor can Mormons argue that the law is not justified
n placing restraints on personal freedom, for oh
means such restraints, and it is exercised as In
oll'
in Utah as elsewhere. After boldly attacking re,
gamy in the stronghold of the " Saints," which
..18 the
e
tike
part in America as an act of great temerity o's'
part of the Vice-President, he proceeded to show
ej
inj try likely to result from recent protection extends,i.d
to Mormons, against the Gentiles, in trade.
e the
expected to see the New Jerusalem becoinired
great city of the interior, but if they disconLebst,
instead of encouraging competition in trade, 10:,
ments from abroad would be repelled instead ',rho
their
opening of the railroad had done away with eition
isolation, bringing them into close juxta-persisted
with the civilization of the continent. if Pehe 009
in they might maintain their system ; but t" ow,
result will be to dwarf and impair their prosP 0)+0
raising rivals founded on a truer policy. ir,ssv.eo ct of
later the mass meeting was held on the elVabtlesS
the admission of Utah as a State, and oelf
what Mr. Colfax said will be treasured in the no the
Jerusalem, and may ring for many a del
ears of numerous Mormons.

COURSE OF EXCIIHANGE•

.••••M1....11 11 18
Amsterdam . Short ... 11 174 ... 12 it
Do
25
Rotterdam — ..„ 12 1 ••• 4O
Antwerp — „, 25 35 ••• 26 40
Brussels — ... 25 35 ••• 13 111
Ilamburgh — •.. 13 11 •••• 25 22
Paris Short ... 25 121 ...
25 371
Ditto
Marseilles
Frankfort-on-the-Main ... 1201 ••• 12
v. ll
Vienna — ... 12 5° ''' 12 6 ' Trieste _ ... 12 57i ••• 29k
Petersburg
Copenhagen 9 20 ••• 6 28
Berlin
•••
Madrid..4B4 ••• 49
•..
Cadiz — ••• 484 ••• 26 85
Leghorn
Milan — ••• 26 77i ••• 26 q
Genoa — ••• 26 774 •••• 26 8',..
Naples
Palermo .— •••
• 26 774 ••• 26 $5
Messina
Lisbon — ••• 51i ../0 52
Oporto - ••• 51i ••• ..--
Rio Janeiro —
New York

...

U- pill 9.-
[ADVERTISEMENT. 1-I[olloWay'S Ointment Aoleo'
Rhematic Pains. -Many thousands of martyrs fron sod
matism have found human life but one long disees gal
after consulting all the most medical men in ".!'"bave
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grown weary of existence and have ceased tackylTPacci:
comfort on this side of the grave, until some 0 sun
dent has called their attention to Hollovvay's r-oliersoo.
Ointment. These are genuine remedies indeed• ge
iv,
bedridden for months with rheumatic pains and svf_eoe „arts
after the Ointment has been well rubbed into t
affected and the blood purified by a course of thssert titn°
have found themselves restored in an incredibly sb°
to perfect health and ease.

BIRTHS. onrrel'
COVNELI—On the Bth inst., at The Elms, Sutton, '-
the wife of T. E. Cornel of a son. a of Ijt..
D.CKSON—On the Bth in that Folkestone, the Fife
Colonel P. Dickson, h.p., R.A., of a sou.

CIIATTERTON—DAviEIIf—AthaRRtihAeG9EthS.
inst
at
m;Lry,_ . 1
n.bolle,
~
Alg Algernon B. Chatterton, youngest son of John.,l3,i'u'le't'll
Uhatcerton, Esq. of 3.,' Al 1 t treet to Elth
Annie 1 h ' ' " auc
'es"'Ns ' idtiall.
, t aug ter of Joseph Davit>, Esq., of Gui ger-
DoWNWARD —.ROBERTS —On the 9t'l just at Lancaii•
~,,„, ire/
gate, John Downward, Esq., of Hampton Hall, ti"'l,-ertst
to Alice Ma:itt, eldest daughter of late John 11°""
Esq., of Dagenham, E,sex.
DEATBS. bite,
BnucE—On the 7th inst., at House of Falkland, Fife°
Mrs. Tyndll Bruce, of Falkland. 1,,x, late
ACroIGTEL-A-Sol.iDnmitilly, 7th just , at Watford, J.' U. Coy, ....--...,
of 8, Wood-sereA, C. heapside, aged 82. rrboo.
?aurd,ttalego-8:(ti ~
_...—.......t/.
hssinst at 334, Oxford-street,
-

'JD VW5'
London : Printed aud Published by WILLIA3d --I:tr,
of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at Tun SUN Otlioe -so."
in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the (Aunty of Xidu'e
Thursday, November tI, 180.