Daily national Democrat. [volume] (Marysville, Calif.) 1858-1861, 1859-02-09
A Glance at the Mormons.

We make the following extract from n Let.
Ter addressed to the editor of the Valley
Tan:
our correspondent over Truth denies the
existence of Dante band in Utah. but we
may reasonably doubt whether this assertion
Is entitled to any credit for veracity or not,
W are at loss to know whether vour cor
respondent has properly personated himself
or not We have heard of persons stealing
the livery of Heaven to serve the Devil in
and there are inklings appearing frequently
in the teachings of the leading members Of
the church which seems to Justify our susni-
cions on this point.
On page l48, Deseret News, Vol. 7. Prest
Is. (oung says, "If men come here and do not
behave themselves, they will not only find
the Danites, whom they talk so much about.
biting the horses heels, but the scoundrels
will find something biting their heels. In
my plain remarks | merely call things bv
their right Names"
With the concluding sentence attached,
TINS paragraph cannot be construed ironcal-
~. That secret band, or junto, once ex
listed among the Mormons, by that name
can scarcely be denied
But Truth denies its existence now
This may be; they may have changed
their name, for the purpose of executing
more successfully the duties enioined on them
1t may not be out of the course of Nor.
mon policy to deny the existence of facts oc-
casionally. We well remember, when it was
first reported that polygamy was, or would
be incorporated, into the Mormon creed. it
was most positively denied by their Apostles
and Elders; some of whom even went so far
as to appear indignant and insulted at the
idea, pronouncing it but another name for
whoredom, and base SANDER upon their
community; while we have reasons to be-
lleve that it existed at that time, and was in.
culcated as part of their religious creed
subsequent developments have exposed their
venallty, and cast doubt upon the credulity
OF any statement they may make in regard
to their institutions.
Polygamy is now the strong link in the
chain that binds them together; the essential
basis Of their theory of mans future state of
exaltation, and its successful adoption the
chief anchor of his hopes of celestial felc.
ity.
Under these circumstances what claims
have they upon our credulity? In this con-
nection, we may justly complain of the secre
cy and mystery with which everything
seems to be shrouded by the ordinances Of
the church. Prest. b. Young, in same vol
of Deseret News, page 81, says do some
Of you men know something that you cannot
tell your wives? %, have received some
thing in the endowment that dare not tell
my wife, and | do not know how to do about
it, The man who can not know millions of
things that he would not tell his wife. will
never be crowned in the celestial kingdom :;
never, never, NEVER. 1t cannot be: it is i'm
possible"
Again, on page $50 Of same VOL, speaking
of his connection with the rest of the world,
he says, 81 shall take it as witness that God
designs to cut the thread between us and
the world. when an army undertakes to
make their appearance in this Territory, to
ehastise me, or destroy my life from the
l think that we will find three hundred Tho
will lap water, and we can whip out the
Midianites"
But we can only discern in part in these
discOurses what the real sentiments Of their
authors are for they are SO completely gar.
bled that much of the gist of the matter is
lost, as Is partially admitted in succeeding
paragraph, viz: "Br Heber saws that the
music is taken out of his sermons, when Br.
Darlington clips out words here and there
and have taken out the music from mine,
for knew the traditions and false notions of
the people. Our sermons are read by tens of
thousands outside of Utah, Members of the
British Parliament have those Journals of
Discourses, published by Dr. Watt they have
them locked up; they secrete them, and 60
to their rooms to study them, and they know
all about us. They may perhaps keep them
from the Queen, for fear that she would be-
lieve them aud be converted"
Are we asset of wild beasts that we are to
be inveigled into the church by stratagem
or, are we to be decoyed by the most bland
sentences that can be selected from the cata-
logue of their theory, till we are bound hand
and foot, irretrievably, and then to be chas-
tised with thongs and pitchforks? Then
what right has your correspondent to expect
our confidence, though he comes to us cloth
ed with the veritable signature of Truth ?"
But it matters little whether they admit
the existence of such a name or not facts
speak louder than words; and history that
is fresh in the memory of thousands, is
fraught with the most fragrant and unblUsh-
ing violations of the laws, both of the coun-
try and of humanity; and if Mr.. Truth in
sists upon it, we may yet be able to lift the
curtain, and expose the actors in some of their
secret tragedies, whether they be called Dan
ties or not