The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-12-19
Instioa TO the Mnrrnnns

struction, and but this morning resolved to
write an article inquiring why the federal
troops were being concentrated in Salt
Lake Valley, and what was expected to
be accomplished by marshalling an army
there. We proposed to inquire what law
of the United States these men had vio-
lated, and whether writs had been issued
for the guilty persons, and, if SO, if there
had been an organized resistance. We
proposed to inquire whether Brigham
Young, in refusing to allow those troops
to enter that Territory, breathing, as they
were doing, slaughter upon the inhab-
itants, had done more than the people of
Kansas would non do, similarly circum-
stanced, with the experience of the past
before them. We knew such an article
would bring down the abuse of all whiffet
presses in the country upon US, which have
no other employment than to bark at
their neighbors but the following, from
the Kentucky Nescs, the only anti-slavery
paper published in Kentucky, and paper
which has contributed its full share of
hard sayings against the Herald of Freedom
during the last summer, fell in our way,
| and suiting US so well, in the main, we de-
termined to publish it, as follows, and
suppress our own article on the subject
1t seems that parcel of spectators
and habitual pilferers of the public treas
ury at Washington have suddenly become
horrified at the wickedness of Brigham
Young and the Mormons, and demand
their immediate extirpation. Many of
those who cry out the loudest against the
MOrmons are less moral in every respect
than this deluded people, and the whole
| scheme is set on foot to plunder the pub
lie treasury. There is probability that
but for schemes of internal Improvements
will be countenanced by the administra-
tion, since the treasury will shortly be
empty, and therefore the Mormon war is
urged with great pertinacity. The project
is to organize hordes of loafers in Califor-
MIA as volunteers" and plumber and ex-
terminate the Mormons on Salt Lake
Against these and similar proceedings we
enter our earnest protest.
1t is well known that a mob drove the
first Mormon settlements from Missouri
and Illinois in mid-winter, and the suffer-
ings of the Mormon women and children.
half of whom periShed on their Journey
to Salt Lake, will ever be stain upon
their professed Christian prosecutors
These unmereiful prosecutions only in
creased the attachment of the Mornons
to their creed, and compelled them to
seek that liberation in Mexico, which
was denied to them by the people of the
| United States.
Afterwards Utah was conquered from
Mexico, and the treaty by which it was
obtained, provides that the inhabitants of
the acquired territories shall enjoy all the
civil and religious rights, which they
heretofore possessed. This treaty guaran-
tees to the Mormons the protection of the
American Government, and for number
of years they were heartily attached to
the Union. Admitting even the right OF
the American Government to expel the
Mormons from American soil, notice
should have been given years ago when
the settlements were small and their i'm
provements limited. But to expel them
at this time, when they have converted
the wilderness into garden, and invested
millions of dollars worth of labor, would
be brutality, worthy only the iron ages
of feudalism.
If the Mormons have sinned, they
have also been sinned against. Fillmore's
nondescript administration and Pierce's
positive imbecility fastened upon the
Territory political demagogues, as rulers,
whose characters and fortunes had been
shipwrecked in the States. We have
positive evidence that the Mormons have
saved many California overland train OF
"gentiles" from starvation, and that they
have rendered the utmost assistance to
the unfortunate California emigrants, who
were overtaken by the various calamities
incidental to such journey. But we
have only vague rumors that the Nor
mons have melted the indians to murder
the citizens of the United States, and il
! is just as likely that the Indians have
murdered the whites to redress their own
grievances than that they have been in
stigated by Others.
/ The only objection which can be urged
against the Mormons, is their polygamy
As to their religion, they have Just as
good right to believe in a Mormon Bible
; as Christians have to believe in theirs
In fact, the curious spectacle of thousands
of people-otherwise intelligent-beine
!; deluded by such bare-faced imposture
{ as that of JOE SMITH, should lead the
Christian world to oexamine more carefully
than ever, whether the believers in older
> times were not equally deceived, rather
than. to persecute Others, because thei
credulity is more extensive than thei
own.
As to polygamy, we are decidedly O
) the opinion that it is crime against nat
: ural law, and injurious to the parties prac
, tising it. History teaches us that tht
Teutonic races, even in the times of Her
odotus preserved their physical vigor anC
manhood by strict adherence to mono
+ gamy, while the Jews, Persians, Greeks
and afterwards the Romans wasted thei
E strength by hcentious indulgences anC
polygamy 1t seems to US that the Nor
mons are fit subjects for missionary labe
on the part of the Christians and philan
thropists, and since we do not even exter
inmate the Feiee Islanders if they d.
l occasionally roast minister, we shoulC
l extend equal forbearance to the erin,
I; Mormons. Polygamy is so opposed t
the genius and interests of the Teutoni
race that free discussion of the subjec
{ alone is necessary to bring about its abol
e ishment
: If the Mormons have been guilty 0
crimes, let these crimes be clearly authen
tieated, and let them have a chance t
speak in their own behalf Brigham
D Young has again and again proclaim
0 ed that he courts. investigation, and sue
investigation should certainly be mad
before war-like measures are taken.
There is danger that many Republics
1 members of Congress. In their zeal 3