The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1858-03-25
ABBEVILLE s. G, THURSDAY MORNING. MARCH a5 1858

to interfere with their rebellion, to punisI,
them for their polygamy, and generally to
crush and destroy them. have no idea
that brigham Young believes any such
thing; but it is his policy to have it be-
leved 10y his people. 1t is our policy to disa-
bnse the people of,his false impression. This
false idea is Il tower Of strength for brigham
Young. Let us SO act rs to overthrow this
tower. If we can remove this impression
from the popular mind in Utah, brigham
Young vii be shorn Of Il large portion of
his strength. The people of Utah may
proceed to the most desperate cxtrcmties if
they believe that our purpose is to DESTROY
them, that we are naturally hostile to them,
and arc seizing upon prctcxts to subjuratc
them. Let lis pursue such Il line of policy
as will cIrcumvcnt the policy of Brigham
louS. brigham Young wishes us to man
iIcst nothing but the most settled hostility
to the Mornons, in order to consolidate his
power over them. Let lis do exactly the
thing he does Lot want us to 10. Let us no
to the utmost verge of moderation; let rs
manifest our intentions of peace, of kind
ness, and generosity, in the most unmista-
kah'e manner to these people let us, be-
fore Il gun is fired, gain il moral victory over
brigham Young. That moral victory NAV
>np"rSrdc the Necessity of rcsurtng to force.
If it does hot accomplish that much. il will
weaken the grasp Of the Mormon hand
upon the sword, and cannot but oper:tc
ti'v"rably to us in the progress of the s,ruo-
Gle. The Mornons can only he s,mulalv.!
{" the Resistance Of desperation Ly having
their minds poisoned as to the purposes OF
this Government. \ resort to a pcaccful
policy viii be the most cilectual way of
conr tcracing the diseased condition Of the
public mind in Utah. 1t has been forcibly
SAID, that "the pen is mighticr than the
Sword.' There is inliutc truth in this. AS
expressive OF the greater power of ideas
over materalism. would try the force of
ideas on the M"rmons before resortinr to
the sco"rSc OF humanity, the sword. Let
our Government present itself to them i'm
the image of generous, kind, patcrnal and
;tirctionatc Govcrnnct, anxious, if possible.
to forgive even them and if this fails, then
let destiny take its course.
jut let us now suppose that all efforts to
settle matters pcaceahly in Utall shall have
iailcd, and that the sword must be drawn
that terrible Instrument of the avcnrin"
Nemesis, which even Christianity llas not
been able to snpcrsedc; let us suppose that
the sword must he restored to its old Office
of <prnkling the bosom of mother ca,lh
with the blood OF the children of men
what then? There ale two modes of prose.
cutting this war:
Isl. By what shall call offensive war,
invasion, destruction, devastation.
I'd. By cutting off all communication II
with Utah, placing the Mormons in 1uaran-
tine, letting none come out and none 90
in, and guarding orr trains of emigrants
over the northern and southern routes.
AS regards the first mode, | shall say
nothing Of the distance of Utah from us
practically further than Europe, nor Of the
difficulty of carrying subsistence SO far,
nor of the difficult approaches through wild
gorges in the mountains, nor of the army
OF fierce fanatics to be encountered. shall
say nothing Of all these, because such is
my confidence in our indomi,abe army,
that L believe We SHALL carry everything be-
fore lis: and plant our victorious standards
III the heart of their sacred city. grant
you that we shall beat down the Mormon
ch;valry upon the plains Of Utah. But
what fear is, that our greatest success will
be our greatest disaster. The defeat Of the
Mormons will, fear, be the dispersion of
Mormons through the boundlcss plains and
vast mountain ranges of the middle of the
continent. Once they are thus dispersed,
they become a fierce bondilti; every noun
tain gorge will resound with the crack OF
their unelring rifles. Their very women
will give forth from their cnvenomed wombs
a race of monsters more horrible than Mil.
ton describes as pursuing sin at the gates
of hell. Confedcrated with the Indian
tribes, race of American Arabs they will
become enemies of.the human race. In
VAN will your emigrant trains cndeavor to
cross the centre of the continent The march
Of every train would bca succession of bat.
ties, and you will have upon your hands, for
hundred years, perpetual war with
bandits Study the physical geography of
The globe, and nowhere else do you find
vast conformation Of the carth's surface so
well adapted to tribes of robbers as the
great basin of the Salt Lake,
| said in the beginning, that the imme-