Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1850-01-16
THE s1oRMONs OF DEsEREr.

The readers OF this paper have doubtless noticed,
in the Cohgressiona! proceedings, the presentation
in the Senate, on Monday last, ola memorial f
William Smith and Isaac Sheen, claiming to bc
the legitimate presidents of the Church OF Laft6r-
Day Saints, and twelve other individuals Of that
church, charging the members of that community,
now settled in the valley Of the Salt Lake, with
having taken an oath to avenge on the people add
Government Of this country the murder ofJOseph
Smith, and with the determination now to carry
that oath into effect and further accusing them Of
grossly immoral conduct, by adopting tile doctrine
of polygamy, SC.
Now, in, relation 10 this matter, it is not mprob-
able that these charges areexaggerated and untrue,
and such as could not stand The test Of calm judi
cia investigation. We have no particular sympa-
hes or regards for This Mormon people; but, judg-
ing from what we have formerly heard and latieTly
known of them, we deem these accusations TO DO
entirely absurd and impossible.
In the first place, if We remember Alright, this
William Smith, the first petitioner, is brother Of
the celebrated Joseph Smith, who originally pre-.
sided over the Mormons At the time Of Joseph,s
death, he presented himself TO the Mormons, claim
ing to be the legitimate successor of his deceased
brother but the Mormon people refused to recog
Mise him in that capacity. But, as we have been
informed, inasmuch as he was brother Of one who
was highly cherished among them, they consented
10 afford him protection and sustenaEce for time;
but his cnnduc at length becoming, as they alege,
more and more dissoluie, he was expelled from tho
pale Of their church. Smiths hierarchical asprs-
lions and his subsequent expulsion from the Nor
mon church sufficiently explain his present HOSTILE
ty TO that community.
1t will be recollecled, when the Mormohs wers
| ii E,y he
secutons which they have suffered in Illinois and
Missouri, overures were made to them by United
States officers, under instructions from our Govern
ment, inviting them TO join in the hostillties which
were going to be waged against the Mexican repub-
lie. This they promptly acceded 10, and they rem
dered us efficient service during war with that
republic. Would this have been the case il they
had sworn 10 avenge their wrongs against the Gov.
eminent and people of the United Sates2 We
find them now knocking al our doors for admission
into our Union, at time when another more pop
ulous and less remote community are in no hurry
for such contamination. Does this look like settled
hostility to the United S,ates2 We think not.
The objections urged against this people ON the
score Of their graspng for territory and their mmor
al practices, inclined to believe, are OF equal
ly fragile tenure. With Texas and California
claiming an area much larger than they have actu-
do the same. We believe, after all, that the
pople Of Deseret will be willing to take such limits
as Congress may choose 10 assign them. Can the
same be said of other States which have applied fof
admission or been received into the Union 2 As
10 the polygamy charged against this people, we
consider it almost too absurd 10 merit notice.
Tint people, the principal portion of whom hdve
been born and brought up in the United States and
the next largest portion in Engand-a people slim
ulated by religion or fanaticsm, which ever you
please-shoud be addicted to suci demoralizing
doctrne or practice, we consider utterly beyond the
possibility Of belief and ifany thing would strength
en- this conviction, it is the constitution under which
they ask admission as State, than which we have
not seen one more lucid or better arranged in any
Of the States of this Union-Repubhe. - s,
WALKING wIRE.-On Christmas day some fool
hardy adventurer announced that he would walk
across the Savannah river near the city on single
wre but after getting an anxious crowd together hg
failed to accomplish it, for the simple reason that he
was afraid TO make the attempt. On New Years
day however, hedeclared positively he would perform
what he promised, and at the appointed time appear
ed in gay fancy Dress scraped the rosin upon the
soes Of his shoes, mounted The wire, grasped the
balance pole, moved forward-and retreated whence
he came. A second attempt carried him farther,
hut the swing Of the wire made il every moment
more and more difficult for him to maintain per-
pendicular in evidence of which his balance pole
jerked about fearfuy At last it was palpable that
it was impossible either to 60 forward or back; and
after swayng an instant or two, man, finery, and
balance pole went down together into the tawny
waters of the Savannah, whence they were soon
rescued-he ardor Of the gentleman being 50 thor
oughly cooled that he was quite unwilling to renew
the attempt. ,.r .-.-, r, tgfge
LATER FROM c6LIFoRsI2.-The correspondent
of the New York Tribune sends that paper news
from California to the LIST ult. The news has been
brought TO New Orleans by the steamship Falcon
and telegraphed thence to New York.
Dates from San Francisco 10 the LIST ult., repre-.
sent that the State election had passed off quietly
over Is 900 votes had not been cast Mr.. Burnett
has been elected Governor, Mr.. John MeDougall,
Lieutenant Governor, and Messfs. Geo. w. Wright
and Edward Gilbert had been chosen u. S. Repre-
sentatives-al these gentlemen are said to be Dem!
ocrats. Noting definite was known relative 10 the
election of U. S. Senators. The whole country was
represented to be in prosperous condition.. Heavy
boots at San Francisco bring ninetysx dollars per
pair! The yield Of gold was increasing, and the
price of labor cheapening. Good order prevailed
throughout the country At Stockton, flour brought
one dollar per pound, and carpenters received $40
per day.
JACKSON SrArUE.-A Washington letter states
that during the present month the equestrian statue
OF Gen. jackson, in bronze, will be completed and
placed on granite pedestal in lafayette Square
opposite the Presidents House. The proportions Of
this statue are represented colossal, and the fig
ure is saiI TO be thrown into very striking attitude
1t differs, says the letter. from otherequesrian stat
ues in the particular OF the horse being selfpoised.
In that Of Peter the Great the horse is supported in
his position by fastening the tail to the pedestal
This statue is the ffrstof bronze ever made in this
country, and. it is said, will reflect great credit on
the artist, who is young American Of great genius
| Mr.. Clark Mills. The work was ordered BY the
Democratic Association of Washington, and the
Government furnished the material in several pieces
of cannon that were taken from the British ., New