The Sun.
London, England, 1869-12-02 00:00:00

DOWNPALL OF MORMONISM.

BRIGHAMYOUNGbegiIIS to feel himself to bein what
Americans call " a tight place," and more than
once the prophet has endeavoured to get out of it.
He desired and proposed in the time of President
BUCHANAN to occupy New Guinea, and the Execu-
tive was informed that if the United States Go-
vernthelit made an offer for the improvements in
Utah, the " Saints" would clear oat. The shadows
of the great war, then darkly falling over the coun-
try, obscured the question. Afterwards BRIGHAM
was prepared with a revelation to proceed to one of
the groups in the Pacific, and as he is stid (to we
the words of Miss DICKINSON) to be the third
largest depositor in the Bank of England, he is in
a position to transplant the greater portion of the coin-
tuunity he leads The truth is, that BRIGIIA3VS head
wears a very uneasy crown, for BRIGHAM'S percep-
tion shows disagreeably the end of Mormonism draw-
ing near. How best to secure that end may be open
to doubt, still it is sufficiently evident that if left
alone Mormonism must fall to pieces, and, if not,
that it will be crushed out. This is so palpable
to all Americans that they are likely to "let the
bottom of itself drop out of the tub," to use Miss
DICKINSON'S words, and not to employ force unless
compelled by Mormon defiance of law. The lady
does, however, make the wreck of the tub contingent
on BRIGHAM'S death, adding " GOD hasten the day."
Her lecture "Whited Sepulchres" is graphic, truth-
ful, and original, and, in conjunction with a letter
lately published in the Times, gives a striking picture
of the New Jerusalem and its inhabitants. The cor-
respondent describes BRIGHAM as with a jaded, wea-
ried look, being now seventy, and much aged within
the last six mouths. Although according an inter-
view, he regarded the correspondent as a bore, if not
as a spy, and BRIGHAM iS justified in thus looking upon
his Gentile visitors. If he be " the most married
man," as ARTEMUS said, he is also the most " inter-
viewed man," and when he received ANNA DICKIN-:
sox he was aware that he was sitting for " the
Whited Sepulchre"—feeling, too, that she did hope
he might there soon be carried; or for this photo-
graph to be transferred from the note-book of the
" interviewing" correspondent to the columns of the
7inzes

" ila was dressed in a black frock coat and trousers, with
a white waistcoat. He is about oft. Bin. in heigbt, thick-
set, with whiskers of light brown hair meeting under his
chin. Ile has small light-blue eyes, a slightly aquiline
nose, a square, business-like head, a tight-set mouth, and
a strong jaw."

All accounts agree in describing the men as sour-
visaged and the women as ugly. Melancholy is the
prevailing feature, as if the Mormons knew they
were sinning grievously, and anticipated their doom;
yet the correspondent alludes to a self-avowed
" Saint," the pink of godliness and morality in
his own opinion, who having improper pictures ex-
posed in his window for sale, in reply to the ques-
tion, "Are they not disreputable?" coolly said "They
were." And this is told as an illustration of what
lies beneath the surface " in that wretched place,
wretched all the more because it does not see its
own wretchedness." But if these Mormons look
wretched, is it not an argument that they both see
and feel their wretchedness? and all testimony
is that they do look miserable, more especially the
women. The lecturer tells of an interview she had
with the first wife of a Mormon, legally married
in England, who then loved the man of her choice,
and could not bear that any one should come be-
tween them, yet in Utah she had grown callous, stolid-
looking, not seeming to care how many wives her
husband had; but when Miss DICKINSON touched her
heart the real woman came out, and, as usual, under
such circumstances, " wept bitterly." It is absurd to
suppose that women would favour a system which
gives many wives to the few men, and no wife to
the many men ; the marvel being not so much that
the many wives should object. but that the many
bachelors should tolerate it. This, however, shows
the strength of a well organized espion.ige, with a
severe punishment for backsliding. The city is
divided into, the cA•respoudent thinks, 21 wards,
some say 12. Over each there is a bi3imp, aided by
eighteen teachers, who visit and report on every
family once a month. The plan is not unlike that
of the Chinese Government, and eau be worked
more effectually among so small a community. The •
family sit round the room, and answer the teacher's
questions regarding their religious exercises, the
payment of taxes, &c., and if his eye detects any
thing untidy they are rated and reported ; for any
great transgression the punishment is excommuni-
cation, when, as the Mormons say, the family are
handed over to the buffeting of SATAN, although

SATAN, °f
in this instance, wears the appearande
the Mormons themselves, who certainly glv°
them with a will. This terrible sentence has !Ma
been inflicted on two elders—Mr. IlAuutsoN the
edito ald Mr. GODBE the publisher, of the Utah
Magazine, a weekly periodical, in large circulation
Among the "Saints." Another elder, Kgiisn
was turned out because he voted in council again.
+t
expulsion. In the number of the magazirje
following, Mr. HARRISON gave a full, true, and P,A„r;
titular account of the acts which had led to so sale,:
a result. The condemned articles were " Our Wr°l.6.-
men's Wages," " The True Development of the 1.'4.:
ritory," " Steadying the Ark," for which a char?'
of apostacy was preferred. BRIGHAII violently d
nounced these elders, and they were cited hef:irie;
the crowded High Council, packed only try,
authorities and upholders of the Church• r
the question, " Whether it was apostacy t° d` ,fil,e*
honestly from the measures of the o
PRESIDENT be
elder CANNON answered, "It was ; a man 1°37
honest even in hell ;" while President WELLS -
marked, " they might as well ask whether a 111au
had the right to differ honestly with the AWlttillrio
During the trial every foul epithet was aPI3"---toA
the accused. An effort is being made to show
there
they wanted the outside world to believe Oar' t'teeo
is no freedom of speech in Utah, thus to hasten
the collision which is anticipated. Yet while nnthe
HAM acknowledged their right to speak outside
cot
Church, be maintaine I such to be the PuilislirDA as
for speaking against his authority within it, ati'cou
everything in Mormondom is within it, if he
Ui-
establish this doctrine of more than Popish irlf:a on
bility he must be the most complete despe'
earth. The article concludes in these w°rd3:f a
!` We should, and will, yield our judgment to that' :
sPitit
ch if it can point out to us an error of thoughto r
but we will not bow to force. The day has Pne 11 for
but ih°t
that, and there dawns upon the hill tops of Utah $ bto.
and radiant star of ecclesiastical as well as civil free—
Let every heart rejoice. God reigns !"
The two last words, we presume, signify that
HAM does not reign in His place, a doctrine
KELSEY in the same magazine more plainly ass'r or
denying BRIGHAM'S infallibility either as E°3llta
President. Indeed the most contumacious Vern"
be this elder KELSEY, who says :
"if a man's testimony of himself cannot be helialreab'aillil
tho name of all that is true, I ask, whose testimony 6alll
be received ? 1 have heard President YouNG assert,
Was veithe to
.
and again, that he (speaking of himself)
clahn°d P„.
prophet nor the son of a prophet, and simplyY
have been 'profitable to this people '—if not indeed a that
phet, what, I ask, is the character of his inspirations, ,Iro
they should be worth everything and mine worth 011
unless sanctified by his 2" and
BRIGHAM, however, has greater faith in cuffs aes
kicks than in argument. He may beat his doct.riders
into a contumacious " Saint," and terrify g 0
into good behaviour, but he will find his Pnwehre is
like that of a worn-out boiler, which, while aao-
hammering and patching at one end, rends at
ct of
titer, and finally bursts. Lately on the ',ea Fe,
Mr. J. H. BEADLE, the editor of the Utah set-
porter, fell BRIGIIAM'S lash. That gentleman of
tied in Utah two years ago as correspondept;eo
the Cincinnati Commercial. Ills OPePing le ism,
displayed rather a leaning towards Mormendge,
but they changed on a more intimate kii°vvii.et.op-
which showed the system to be a mass °f co.-I,of
tion. The Salt Lake Reporter arose from the w're k. a
the Vidette, and Mr. BEADLE, on invitation, t°°
,000
e,
it to Cort
vigorous hold of the paper, removing
a Gentile town on the Union Pacific Ilaiirtiotah
changing at the same time its name to the
to attendoff,
Reporter. He had a few weeks since gone
the Probate Court in Brigham City, five Wiled so
within the portals of which he was set upon a° sis
beaten that he lies at the point of death. mot,
offence was, a terse, clear, forcible expose °f
' ;esmonism, the articles being free from senat
Now this is the Mormon danger—and a very g etv
danger, too. BRIGHAM opposes the insidiouso,
croachments now sapping his authority, by exec° pay
nicating Mormons and beating Gentiles. lletlioos
hand over his whole community to the bae; a
of SATAN, and do SATAN'S work himself W 0;0
bludgeon for aught Americans care ; but whae-ill
reol,
citizens, termed Gentiles, are brutally n,ur
as were Dr. ROBINSON, Mr. BRASSFIELD, and pp'
others, it is just possible that Congress ala'or-
remptorily instruct the Executive to proclaial G
tial law in Utah, place it under a °t:clr
nor, and pour into the Territory a strong der,
to
went of the Army. Then will BRIGHAM b° ;31,01'face with his fate—which may be that of into
MILIAN, for he has power enough to tempt hi° se-
eowaderesistance, in which case this ugly blot on tt
public will be wiped out at once, and BRlGllA3f.ciked-
to feel the consequenca of his folly and svirx.-'
fleas to oppose such a power for such a en—

Anglo-American Times.
PnE IDE° Ili
* BRIGHAM YOUNG is always called the .--- 5

the Mormons in Utah.