The Kanzas news., 1857-12-12
utah and the Mormons.

Utah and the Mormons.
Capt. Van Vliet, whose return from a
visit 10 Salt Lake City we noticed two or
three weeks since, furnishes long letter to
the New York Tribune descriptive Of Nor
mon life, from which we make the follow
ing extracts:
A SUNDAY IN SALT LAKE CITY.
On Sunday, Sept. 13, Capt. Van Vliet
the Bowery, and was escorted to a promi
nent seat on the platform, and invited to
make an address which invitation he de-
clined. By counting the number of per-
sons upon certain tiers of benches, he esti
mated the audience to exceed 4,5J0. Af-
ter some remarks by Heber c. Kimball, d
discourse was delivered by Elder Joun Tay
lor, formerly editor of The Mormon, the
newspaper organ of the church in n W
York City. At the close, Mr.. Taylor cali
ed the attention of the people to the Capt,
and alluded to his business in The city, re-
counted the subject of conversation, and
said that he would make request, in order
that Capt. Van Vliet might learn that he
had been made acquainted with the deter
mination of the whole people: he would
ask all those present wEo were willing to
raze their houses, burn their crops. and
pull down what they had passed ten years
in bull ling up, make their beautiful valley
desert. and retreat to the mountains. in
case the troops should force an entrance
would rise and the audience, without ex-
ception, rose to their feet, and remained
standing long enough to enable him to see
that they were absolutely unanimous.
During the previous proceedings, in Or
der to answer practically an inquiry by the
Captain concerning the proportion of for
eigners present to narive-born and natural
lied citizens, Mr.. Taylor requested all pres
ent who belonged TO the last two classes,
to raise their hands, and about three -fourlhs
of the au lience complied.
THE FORCE OF THE MoRNoNs.
The Captain confirms the facf of the
concentration of the population of U,ah in
Salt Lake Valley, by the Abandonment OF
the remote settlements, and he estimates
the force the Mormons can set in the feel /
at between FIVE and six q ousand. They
have abandoned the cobble-stone fortifca
lion at Ft. B.i lger, a description of which
| sent to you from Fl. Kearny, as it was
given to me by party of Californians
and the men employed there have fallen
back abont twenty miles to redoubt call
ed F.. Supply. He was also given 10 un-
derstand that they intend to recall their
missionaries from the States, but not from
foreign countries
With regard to divisions in the Mormon
community. he satisfied himself that there
does indee exist in certain quarters dis
like of tie present au,l critics of the
Church; /; but he is also satisfied that it is
in such subjection that nothing less than
the presence of a commanding Gentle
force will enable it to develop itself.
MILITARY REVIEW.
A review of about $40 troops of the
Nauvoo Legion was held in his presence
The arms and uniforms of the officers were
homogeneous, but the rank al Lille were
as eccentric as Down East militia at a
shirt-taif muster, A number of litlle hoys
marched IN the companies, CARRYING wood
en- guns. Capt. Van Vliet states that there
Is no powder-miil. to his knowledge. in the
Territory, although there is mandatory
of firearms. With regard to provisions,
Brigham Young told him that the Nor
mons bad three years supply on hand to
take with them to the mountains.
Here is specimen of one of
BRIeHAN's PROPHECIES.
God is at the helm. This is the mighty
ship Zion. You stick TO the ship and hon
or it, and see that you are in favor with
the ship Zion, and you need NOT worry aboul
anything else. God has the hearts of the
children of men in his hands; he puts
hooks in their jaws and turns them aboul
at his pleasure. God is here, the Holy
Ghost is here, and rests upon this people
and l am witness to it. know that the
Holy Ghost dwells in the hearts of this
people; and the world is afraid of the un-
ion that exists among this people. They
were afraid of that in the days of Joseph,
and it has been their fear all the time
You might take Democrat, Republican,
a ranting Methodist, and an old stitf-neckeSl
Presbyterian, and when they came to con-
slider Joseph Smith and the Saints, they
saw that they were one in faith. and i,
scared them all. They would say, 1--WE
ars Methodists, Baptists, and Presbyteri-
e1e r