The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-05-17
A MORMON MANIFESTO.

Brigham Young, the Governor of Utah, de-
livered a long address at the Tabernacle, at
Great Salt Lake City, on the 18th of February
1t is a sort of exposition of the Mormon doc
trines, and defence Of Mormon fidelity to the
Constitution of the United States. He gives
history of the career of Joseph Smith, and eu-
logizes him in the strongest manner. Abiding
to the appointment of Colonel Steptoe, he says :
The newspapers are teeming with state
ments that | said President Pierce and all hell
could not remove me from office / will tell
you what / did say, and what l now say: the
Lord reigns and rules in the armies of the
heavens, and does his pleasure among the in
habitants of the earth. He sets up kingdom
here, and pulls down another there, at his
pleasure. He walks in the nidst of the peo-
pie, and they know it not. He makes Kings,
Presidents, and Governors, at his pleasure
Hence | conclude that / shall be Governor of
Utah Territory just as long as He wants me to
be; and for that time neither the President Of
the United States nor any other power can pre-
vent it. Then, brethren and sisters, be not
worried about my being dismissed from Office;
for when the President appoints another man
to be Governor of Utah Territory, you may ac-
knowledge that the Lord has done it, for we
should acknowledge his hand in all things"
We subjOin another passage in relation to
the admission Of Utah into the Union:
"The relation between us and the Govern
ment may be likened to man having twelve
sons, and all the elder sons pitch upon the
younger one, as Joseph's brethren of old did
upon him. They prosecuted him, and lied to
their father about him, and tried to ALLEVIATE the
feelings Of the old man from him, and succeed
ed in measure in estranging the feelings of
the father from the young child. So it is with
the General Government and us. We have
pleaded, time and time again, and will plead,
saying, Spare us, love us we mean to be one
of the best boys you have got; be kind to us,
and if you chasten us, it may be said that we
have kissed the rod, and reverence the hand
that gave it, and tried again but be merciful
to us, for do you not see that we are dutiful
child?' But no Tom, Bill, Dick, Harry, and
the rest of the boys, are eternally running to
the old man with lies in their mouths and he
will chastise little Joseph. And though the
old fellow has not come out in open war upon
him, and arrayed the force and arms of the
Government to kill the boy, yet he sleeps in
his chair, and dreams it over, and talks in his
sleep, saying, Go it, boys; go it, boys; we
will not say anything here And Tom, Bill,
Dick, &C., commence pounding on to little Jo-
seph, and the old man is doing in his chair,
saying, go it, boys
"What will become Of this little Joseph?
will tell you. We are child of the Govern
ment, one of the youngest children, and we
cling TO our parent, and desire to be reckoned
in the family, and to hail our brethren as breth-
rem, and be numbered among them either in
a Territorial or State capacity. What next
The cry is raised by the older boys, that it will
never do to admit this younger child into the
Union he is an alien, and we must exclude
him. / will tell you what this will amount to
they will pound and abuse Joseph until his
affections are entirely weaned from his parent
and from his brethren, and he becomes an in
dependent boy. Who will cause this ? The
Mormon2 No; the elder brethren will do it.
They will urge on their hostility against little
Joseph, until he is driven into Egypt for succor.
Well, if this is not Egypt enough, where will
you find it?
"What is going to be done with these tur-
bulent Mormons, these outrageous Mormons
will tell you what might be done, and what
ought to be done. The Government of the
United States and the President Of the United
States ought to treat the religion of the Latter
Day Saints as they do Methodism, Presbyte-
rianism, Quakerism, Shakerism, and many
other isms, and say, Here, / wish you to hold
your tongue about the Mormons, for they have
Just as good a right to their religion as you
have to yours And when the people petit
ton for this or that, as the right of petition
should never be denied, it is the duty of those
who are addressed to hearken to the petitions
of the people, and to let them have officers Of
their own choice, for the appointing power is
elected by the. voice of the people, and the
mass of people hold the reins of Government
in their hands Then let the people carry out
those principles they have adopted and profess
to abide by; and when we wish for Governor,
or Judge, or any other appointed offer, let us
have the men we prefer, and not those who
will run away and report falsehoods about it."