Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1855-08-09
THE MORMON QUESTION.
SHALL WE ADMIT INTO THE UNION AN ANTI
CHRISTIAN AND BARBARoUs STATE!

This is question that must be determined
without further dJlay. We have trifled with
the serious affair of Utah Territory until il
has grown monstrous, and can be trfed with
no longer; and i. is incumbent upon us seri.
ously to determine what we will do TO pre-
vent that fearful consummation of an evil we
have encouraged by neglect, if not by
positive countenance and support.
Our readers are familiar with the history
of the Mormon imposture. They know the
story of Joseph Smith and the golden Bible
of the organization Of the fanatcal and Ii.
centious vagabonds that gathered around the
mpostor; the attempt to establish a military
despotsm over them, and WELD an imperiuna
in imperio in Missouri and Illinois; of .he
robberies, murders, and domestic strife tina,
ensued. and the expulsion of the intolerable
gang beyond the limits of civilization. We
need not relate the disgusting history of the
social life of these people. If ever there
was religion devised for the kingdom OF
hell on earth, Mormonism is that religion
1t is a religion which restraints nothing but
virtue, encourages nothing but vice. 1t uses
the tremendous sanction of the Holy Name
to tear down all defences from innocence, ia
destroy whatever may remain of conscience
to give free rein TO riotous lust, and 10 com
plete man in the imtge Of the devil. The
world has before experienced, in many in.
stsnces, the wickedness Of nations who for.
get God, in one the frightful abandonment
Of nation who defend God: but in the
Mormons we are Witnessing, and to witness
the horrible depravity of people who bias
pheme the purity of God, by procaiming
hia the instigator and rewarder of their
abominations-the special patron of their
putridity. Wickedness has On energy in it
which is terrible. The lawless lusts of men
under the full impulse of the diabolical aff1a.
tus, are unspeakably dreadful. Every day
we see the frightfu destruction, the Intoler.
able misery. which can be accomplished by
the instrumentAlity OF single individual
moved by power like this. The Mormons
are yet to exhibit to us the horrible works o
an armed nation of such men, sweeping in
furious and unrestrained license over wide
and delenceess country.
| We do not apprehend that their march viii
be toward our own frontiers. The leaders
fthe Mormons are neither ignorant nor fan
alical, they are merely wicked and daring
In contest with the people Of tAe Unitet
States they would be swep: away as chat
before the wind. The first murder commit
ted by Il cir invading force would Le the sig
nal for the determination of the whole gang
they would be destroyed with as little com
passion as nest of hornets. The Mormon
know this we'll enough. But to the south
west Of US spreads out wide and fertile, q
yet opulent couGtry, temptingly inviting the
s2oiler. A mixed race of people, whicl
seems to have inherited but the weaker point
of both progenitors, occupies Mexico an
Central America. Without intellectual
cultivation, or religious elevation, indo!en
from the combined action Of bad government
climate. hereditary constitution, and dehcien
civilization; rnwarlike, disuLited; they ar
thinly scattered over country singularly un
compact, and defenceless by a central soy
ereignty. This country, seized by wal
like and disciplined force. acting upon
common principle of selfshness, WITH jus
fansticism enough to sanctify their ferocit.
would be.a helpless prey to brutality an
avarice Here might be established powe
entrenched in .he:.na.ural Businesses Of so d.
! fencble country, which would invite to itse
, the able-bodied w;ckedhess of Europe at
! : America. That such power would gro
: BY vast accessions Of adventures, is as ce
: : tain as that hordes have followed Attila al
= = Aiaric. All Central and South Ameri
!. ', would be before them; horde after hor'
= would pour over these devoted lands, and
: vast military domination, resting upon al
defending moral condition and social sta
~ :" vastly worse than Mohammeda wos