The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1851-09-09
I s::MISCELLANEOUS
HORRIBLE IsOEsr;aiturc.
MoRMoSs IN TIE UNITED STATES:


Mormon communities Of Salt Lake
Valley, Beaver Island, &C., arc
strangely conflicting, according as
theysemanatc from friendly or prcju.
81 dicell sources.
#s The NIormons Of Beaver Island
number about eight hundred, and arc
81 governed by one Strang, (the
successor Of 10. Smith,) who was
sisomotime since, with great ceremony
and ostentation, crowned Kin. of the
\ Earth, Prophet Of the Lord, and
Disciple Of Jesus Christ Govern
mcnt is administered under q code Of
laws claimed by Strang to be of
Divine origin and revealed to
him directly and personally. One
provision of this code requires of his
followers the annual contribution OF
one tenth Of their incomes, which is
ohecrfully acccdcd to. A partial nc.
cessity, at least, for such a stipulation
N arises from tho enlarged scale on
Which the domestic affairs Of the king
arc conductcd-his household com.
prisiny not less than seven wives,
and progeny proportionatcly nu.
merous.
-&Beaycr is barren, and Of small
extent, but picturcsqucly situated at
the northern extremity Of Lake
Michigan. The surrounding islands
and bay arc said to possess many
natural attractions. 1t is but little
frcquented by vessels Of any class,
and its inhabitants arc chiefly
# dcpcnden> srlcultu:al pursuits for
B sustcnancc. A dress these Morlnons
are not less peculiar than i'll their re-
s ligious belief that Of the women
consisting Of sort Of combination of
tho Bloomcr' with the 'biturcatcd
garment An individual who is Oh
a visit to that community, writes to
the Cleveland Democrat. us follows:
Strang SO far rs We could discover
J from circu.nstantial evidence (lor his
= followers worship hi,n) and from his
appearance, is u bold, bad man.
Without enthusiasm, witho faith,
he assumed the part which lie is now
playing to retrieve his desperate for.
tune. Without 4 shadow Of claim
save (to'his followers the hiyhcst) Z
revelation to him that they may take
possession of all the islands. they
have seized upon their present abode.
lilo is under indictment for various
crimes among them that Of inter.
cepting the mail to the northern lakes
and, before long, it is not to be
doubted the4law will take him in hand.
s What IS to become Of 4 people SO de-
voted and SO desperate is a singular
problem, which time alone can solve
# a correspondent Of the St. Louis
lntelligencer, represented as ',hc oc-
cupant vi u responsible station in the
United States army writing from
Carson Valley, describes a deporablc
state Of things ct Salt Lake, which
the Intclligenccr does not regard rs
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 cnor-
nifty Of their conduct, that in series
of resolutions drawn up 3y Il Pres.
bytcrian clergyman, and signed by
the cmigcan,s, the truth, the whole
truth, was dcsigncdly avoided, les,
it would be too shocking for belief. =
1t is hazardous nothing in saying that
never, by savage horde or lawlcss
kanlitti, we're there exhibited such
indiscriminatc yindictycncss Of pur.
pose as are to be seen in tic conduct
of the Mormons Of Salt Lake valley.
n With them, human feeling has been
: debascd to worse than bcastiv passion
and instinct; and then all sympathy
is consumed by, or absorbed il lust,
while sentiment there finds its loves,
degree Of degradation. There is 10
crime but has its full free justification
q there, if pcrpctratcl against Gen.
tile, as they term those who are not
Mormons. No matter how good
mans character may be before he
becomes Mormon and makes CON
mon fellowship with them, after he is
inductcd he is soon made to yield the
most guilty obedience to the dccrccs
or order Of the Twelve. All are
thus rendered ready and prompt IN
strumcnts i'll the preparation Of
crime. | had supposed that like
other religious societies, there were
sincere persons among them, WHO,
believing III justice and yirtuous
principles, could not be made the
the guilty agents Of crime, or commit
such offences as had been frequently
charged against them; but, from what
/ have seen and heard. | am firm
in the belief that the best Of them
I, ~ l. Al