Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1857-08-12
The Mormon Leaders.

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Monroe, New York, which join each other,
contributed the four men who have been the
most prominent and successful Mormon leaders
Smith, Young, Kimball, and Phelps.
Brigham lived near the line dividing Ontario
and Monroe counties in the town OF Victor, ut
the time lie became Mormon. He had always
manifested proclivity to religious fanaticisn,
or rather he was q lazy rapscaion, good for
nothing except to howl at camp meeting. He
lived in a dilapdated log shanty, with pa
tient, suffering wife, surrounded by host Of
tow-headed children. Occasionally he made
up lot OF axe helyes, and traded them off for SUI
gar and tea ; in other fits of industry he would
do days work in the bayfield, for neighbor.
hoe the potatoes in his own little patch. or
pvuuu CrulIes IUr WIG vu Is WISHING DAY.
But his special mission was to 60 10 camp
meetings and reviyals. where he managed to get
his daily bread out Of the more wealthy breth-
ren, in consideration OF the unction with which
he shouted "ga-lo-rah!" I" On such occasions
Brigham took no thought Of the morrow, bnt
cheerfully put on his old wool hat, he would
leave his family without -four in the barrel, or
wood at the door, and telling bis wife that the
lord would provide" he would put of for
weeks absence. Poor Mrs. Brigham managed
along by borrowing from her neighbors, with
small hope of Replying.
Brigham was just the man for the religion,
and the religion seemed expressly adopted to
| him. He became an exhorter, held neighbor-
hood meetings, ranted and howled bis doctrine
into the minds of others rs week a. himself, and
finally went West with the rest OF them: where
he has developed bis powers until the poor mis-
cradle rustic loafer is Governor OF Territory,
and chief prophet of great religious sect. lie
has Just the mixture of shrewdness and folly
which is required for success in fanaticism or
quackery. A wiser man could not hold his
place. A man must he half fool and half knave
to be a successful quack.
Heber O. Kimball was man Of more respec-
liability. He was born fanatic, and if not
Mormon would be something else just like it.
In his church-he was O Baptist originally y-he
was one of those pestilential fellows who want
resolutions passed at church meetings withhold
ing fellowship from somebody else, and insist
upon having codicil added to the Bible We
believe he had some property. He has much
more talent than Brigham Young, but is infe-
rior to him in the elements of quackery, he
has very respectable relatives now living in the
part of Monroe county, from which he started.
ELOQUENT PAssAGEs.-The following passage
is from sermon that was some time since de-
vered by Professor Muller, of Halle. tits very
beautiful
Perfect love will, here on earth, never have
an Interchangeable home in our heart but only
sometimes come to US transient visitor. These
are only inspired moments, when our soul is oil
devotion, and self.denia and selt-sacr6ce; when
we are ready to live for our neighbors, even if
they, with GOODNESS and enemity, turn away from
us. Single beams of heavenly light are they
which fall into the dusk of our earthly life, exa-
ting, quickening, strengthening. But We are
still too weak, too earthly, to hold them fast in
their entire purity and clearness. There is s0me-
thing ever within US that strives against them;
and from without. the want OF love-the injus-
tice and hatred of other men-eyer anew awak-
en- selfish impulses in our soul. Our love is not
yet perfect; and so there ever remains in our
heart the remains Of selfish fear and sorrow"
We give also an extract from sermon by the
celebrated Mr.. Spurgeon, of London. 1t is char
acteristic of his general style and manner Mr..
S. is one of the most remarkable pulpit orators
of the age.
"Night is the season of terror and alarm to
most men. Have you never stood by the sea-
side at night and heard the pebbles singl
Or have you never risen from your couch, and
thrown upon the window of your chamber and
listened there9 Listened to what? Silence save
now and then murmuring sound, which seems
sweet music then. And have you not fancied
that you heard the harp of God playing in heav-
en2 Did you not conceive that yon stars, that
those eyes of God, looking down on you. were
also mouths of song-that every star WAS sing.
ing Gods glory as it shone We need not much
poetry in our spirit to catch the song of night,
and hear the spheres as they chant praises, which
are loud to the heart though they be silent to
the ear.
"Many songs we hear our fellow creatures
singing in the streets will not do to sing by and
by: guess they will sing different kind of
tnnc soon. They can sing nowadays any roll
licking drinking songs, but they will not sing
them when they come 10 die; they are not exactly
the song, with which to cross Jordan's biliows.
It will not do to enter heaven singing one If
those ugchaste, unholy sonnets No bet tho
Christian viii not have to leave off his song; he
may keep on singing it forever"
A little fellow, from four to five years old,
having perforated the knees of his trousers, was
intensely delighted with patch bis mother had
applied. He would sit and gaze on it in state
of remarkable admiration and in one of these
moods suddenly exclaimed, "Grsndma must put
one or t'other knee and two behind, like Eddy