The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-12-01

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viii the Latter Day Saints FightEwiu they
Migrate to Sonora Sketch Of Heber KimbaI
another Of their Leaders, &C., &c.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD.
BALTIMORE, Nov. Is, 1867.
see il stated that the government has To be-
eve that Brigham Young intends to Utah the
spring, and emigrate with the Saints to Sonora
The for this opinion not given; but as it
does appear that the administration possession
Of any information not yet given to the public is
fair 10 presume that the above is merely inference
drawn from facts already before the world.
There have been multitude Of rumors afoat of late
concerning the probable intentions Of the Mormons
their designs in rebellng against the United States
report that Brigham preparing to pull up stakes and
conduct new pilgrimage to Vancouver other
place the British Possessions another locates him still
further north, away up in Russian America and not
impossible that some sagacous genius may yet enghten
with the discovery Of some island continent in
the "open Polar Sea, Arctic Australia as the ulti
mate destination and final seat of the Latter Day
church."
Now all these reports the mcrest and the widest
conjecture unsustaned by particle OF evidence
by the probabilities Of the This Sonora sup
position OF the piece only has the merit Of being
at least plausible upon its face The only
motive for making comments upon the subject at all
is that appears TO have received sort of semioicia
endorsement
to take cognzancc Of and that is that has formidable
and ugly insurrection its hands 1t has pressing and
paramount duty perform and that Is to gather up all
its energies 10 aue this rebellion al and forever by
prompt and crushing blow. And If the giving currency
and cedence to the idle tales about general retreat of the
Mormons in anticipation OF the vengeance Of the govern
ment indication Of disposition the part OF the ad
mnistraton to relax its efforts into passively expectan
inactivity into such feeble and inadequate measures
only result in desultory, spasmodic and chronic
system of warfare, for one must enter my protest
against the fatal dcluson.
ri r
binary fanatics and who has attentvely watched their
must be Of the opinion that nothing can be further
from the intentions Of the Mormons than TO abandon
their present settlements in the valley of the Great Salt
Lake. Should the whole continent be searched, from
Hudsons Bay to Patagonia spot could be found every
way suitable for their purposes which would
mend itself to their choice by combination of many
peculiar advantages, as their present location.
Every the least acquainted with the peculiares of
the Latter Day Saints, knows that their leading charac
tcrisc is the self instituted comparison between them
selves and the lsraeles of old. They the chosen
people OF God"-the rest OF the world Gentlesn
Joe Smith is their Moses who led them forth out OF the land
Of Egypt. Brigham Young their Joshua who conducted
them to the promised land They too had their wander
ings in I" the desert" their suierings and prvaons,
which, II of forty years Duration are least as Sc
we're and trying as those recorded of the children Of
Israel and like theirs, visited upon them by the Almighty
punishment for their sins Their organizaon-civl,
Mosaic record. They have their " tabernacles, their
''ark, their captains OF hites,' and captains of
fend as perfectly consistent with the Character Of the
" chosen seed Of Abraham
And they have a, last found their Canaan, Their
promised land They have found it, too ga
mix and honey" Airaeies have not been want amt
ing to convince them that tho Great Basin is
thor final seat. You will remember that the first
of their arrival they threatened with famine by
countless myriads Of horned neutrality-suspicious. in
numerable-which bid fair to devour every blade of
grass and consume their growing crops, when lo the
Lord @ they acgc) sent to their rescue fights of guis,
beautiful birds OF white vi image, which deyoured these
destructive swurms aud then departed. The fact, at
least whatever may be thought OF the miracle is sui
Gently uttcsted.
The auaiogies, TOO in the physical geography of the
ntfy between their present location aud the Palestine
o the last are too striking not to have made deep i'm
preston upon their minds Who fail see in the
Great Salt lake the counterpart OF the Dead Sea of the
plains; in Lake Utah the Sea Of Galee and in the river
that connects the two the Western ordanf Only
the points Of the compass, and the resemblance is per
feet.
But this is not all The typographical features of the
Territory military point Of view, and the advantages
presented to its inhabitants for maintaining stubborn
and obstinate defence against INVASION are, is well
known, absolutely unsurpassed. Nature has thrown
around this valley almost impregnable barrier of
mountains. Col Kane, who accompanied the Mormons
their last pilgrimage said on his return in aecture before
the Historical Society Of Pennsylvania, speaking of the
lake valley and its approaches:-rhe road after cav
ing the Oregon trace, becomes frghully difficult and
rugged. For the last twenty 1--WE miles winds through
the narrow bottom Of deep canon whose scenery rs of
terrific and gloomy grandeur Il IS denle that trust no
TO consecrate TO liberty with blood" This description APP
plies TO the celebrated Emigration CANON the only pass
through the mpcnctrabe Wa ach range for hundreds OF
miles. The striking remark above quoted may,
this, have been rendered prophetic, in Mormon
such is the character and such are the ca
liabilities Of the country, which, IT is supposed,
the Mormons about abandon without striking blow
in ts deenceto encounter tho dangers, privatons and
hardships OF new pilgrimage, thardly less uninvitng
than warfare itscf) for a settlement in regions
which possess none OF those TO them
by none Of these religious associations.
The fact Is that all these various reports about
ton Of Utah blythe Saints FOUNDED upon the
hypothesis, viz, the apparent a6surdy Of nsignign
cant and contemplate set OF fanatics attempting to at
defiance the whole power OF the United states.
let Us see. The latest and most reliable reports esti
mate the available military force at the command OF
Brigham Young from Is 900 600 These Nor.
mons; Of them natives IL America and disciplined
by the rough experience which they have passed through
in Ohio Missouri and Illinois, and in their trying and tei
Gus pilgrimage the plains OF them survivors
of tho Mormon battalion which scrvcdlin tho Mexican
war The larger proportion, however, are foreign emf
grants recruited by missionaries from among the hardy
and vigorous natives Of Northern Europe Scandinavia and
Britain.
All these have been Injured TO the exposure Of from.
tier life hunters shepherds among the bears and
wolves Of the Rocky Mountains have been trained into that
sharpness of that vigor Of that contempt Of
danger and sturdy self reliance which, when united to in
tense patriotism religious fanatcisin have render
ed of mountaineers nvincibe The experience OF
the Austrians in Swtzerand-of the Russians in Crcas
STA and Of the British in Aghanis,an, may, perhaps
able US TO form some dea Of the task which lies before US
In the attempt TO subugate such people the Mormons
among the rugged mountain Businesses Of Utah.
When il added that the qualities above alluded 10,
which the Saints possess Ia common with other mountain
in their concentrated and directed by per
feet and well consolidated military organzaon that In
Anticipation OF the struggle which = nox impending, they
have been for years accusomng themselves TO the dsc
pine Of the camp and Of the field that they have within
themselves abundant for the manufacture and
SIMPLY of the muio OF war that they have too, among
their people inventive genius which has already added
several new engines OF destruction TO the list Of the i'm
PIGMENTS Of II Will perhaps be seen that the idea Of
sustained defence by the Mormons Of this Territory
against the power Of the government Is not so absurd
il Is sometimes Supposed.
There other elemen, which must not be left out
of the calculation. The absurd myths Of Mormonism
have peculiar fascination TO the romantic Indian The
whole system fact IL founded upon the not very org
nal theory that the North American Indians are the de-
sccnant Of the ten lost tribes Of israel The policy OF
the Mormons towards the has from the FIRST been
not very conoatory but fraternal aud proselstzing.
Their doctrines have been preached among these wander
ing tribes with degree OF which might excite the
envy and establishment of Jesuit. IL ~ easy 10 under
stand the secret All the supersous &C the In
dian aroused and HE pride nattered when the wonder
full story Of his forefahcrs in Judea recountcd TO him,