The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1851-09-09
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IS ss s ss
"a MOS Ms issT TifE NIrEo sTa
he yari Gus published aec ceahis
Slies condition and character Of slieS
IoIsnon communities of Salt Like.
asleY, B5eayers Island, &c. aros'
strangely conflicting, according Us
the manate from friendly Or preju,
licot sources. fsf;sssa s5ssas
NIormons of Beaver Island
ssluutnbeF about eight hundred, and arc
gcrned by ono Strang, (the
81 cessorof 20. Smith, } who was,
somo time since with great ceremony
and ostentatio1, crowned skiing of the
Il Earth, Prophet Of the, Lord, and
Disciple of Jesus Christ Govern
ment is administered under code Of
laws claimed by Strang to Ebeg Of
Divine or IGN and revealed TO
8 Shims directly and personally. One
provision OF this code requires Of his
followers the annual contribution Of
one tenth oftheir incomes, which is
gcheerfully acceded to. A partial nc.
cessity atsleast, lor sucha stipulation
/ arises from the enlarged scale on
which the domestic affairs Of the king
D aro conducted-his household com.
prising not less than seven wives,
s2ands g progeny proportionatcly snu.
\ merous;
sfsSD Beaver is barren, and Of small
extent, but picturesqucly situated at
the northern extremity Of Lake
Michigan. The surrounding islands
land bay are said to possess many
natural attractions. It is but little
ssfrequented by vessels Of any class,
md Sits + inhabitants are chiefly
dependent on agricultural pursuits for
ssnstenance. In dress these Mormons
are not less peculiar than in their re-
ligieus belief-that Of the women
consisting of a sort Of combination of
the Bloomcr' with tho sbifurcatcd
4 garment An individual whosis on
Il q visit to that community, writes TO
|; the cleveland Democrat, as follows:
Strang SO far as We could discover
from eircumstantial evidence (for his
B followers worship hiln) and from his
appearance, is bold, bad man.
Without enthusiasm, without faith,
lie assumed the part which he is now
playing to- retrieve his desperate for
tune. Without d shadow of claim
saye (toslis followers the hiyhest) a
revelation to him that they may take
possession Of all the islands. they
have edsnpon their present abode.
SsII Ie is under Indictment for various
3scrimes among them that of inter.
/ cepting the mail to the northern lakes
and, before long, tits not to be
doubted theSlaR Will takehlm in hand.
ANhatsis to become of a people SO de.
voted and 80 desperate is a singular
prob blenI, WHICH time alone lin solve
u A correspondent Of the st. Louis
81 telligencer, Representatives 'tho &C.
cupant Of responsible station in the
United States army, writing from
Carson Valley, describes deplorable
state Of things at Salt Lake, which
fsle Intelligenccr docs not regard as
4.an extract from his letter:
Truly, were an angel from
Heaven to tell you Of the wicked
practices, and the base, unproyokcd
crimes of this people, you would dis
credit the report. Such is the enor-
unity OF their conduct, that in series
af resolutions drawn up by a Pres
clergyman, and signed By
5sthe emigrants, 'the truth, the whole
truth, was dcsigncdly avoided, lest
sitwonld be too shocking orsbelief. -
Its hazardous nothing in saying that
never, by savage horde or lawlcss
anditti, we're there exhibited such
ipdiscriminate yindictivcness of pur.
j pose as are to be seen in the conduct
fsofsthe Mormons of Salt Lake valley.
With them, human feeling has been
8debascd to worse than bcastly passion
and instinct; and then all sympathy
!. is consumed by, or absorbed in lust,
while sentiment there finds its lowest
degree of degradation. There is no
crime but has its full free justification
there, if pcrpctratcd against Gen
I tile, as they term those who arc not
Mormons. No matter how good
mans character may be before he
becomes a Mormon and makes com.
mon fellowship with them, after he is
sinductcd heisssoon made to yield the
most gniltysobcdience to the dccrces
or ofderso the Twelve. All arc
thus rendered ready and prompt in
strumeiltsssin the perpctration of
crimc. | had supposed that like
other religious societies, there we're
sincere persons among them, who,
believing fin justice and yirtuous
principles, could not be made the
Sthcf guilty agents Of crine,or commit
.,,ol, oanpoos, &c bnH ho n,,I f,oc,,o,l. =.