, 1860-08-25
S1rrss Il Trtbutlt,
carrnr,Y AUGUST %, 1850


y
near the very center CT OUT Territorial system,
and drawn together from all parts Of the Chris
tiau world. there ex's!s strange community
Of i.npostcrs thieves, and fanatics, called
Aormocs. Skulking away from the daylight
Of modern civilization, aud secure from tno
sharp eye Of scrutiny, these people do openls
wha', in other countries, only tue 'ooss !"
pravtd irpag:aa,ions are deemed caraolc o
couceiv;ng. Al the abon1'nabe tiles WHICH
made The ,.a,=c Babylon a word Of rcproacl
nil tie vickcdncss Of Egypt in her most hcen-
tious i :ys, ill the hcastlincss Of Papal Rome
before there w:1s Protestant to point the fin
ger Of scor. arc continually indulgcd ID By
the Utah Mcrmone, md couutenanced by their
7usl;c s.u,in1ept. In tie whole catalogue OF
sins. from indirect falaehood to incest there is
nut one Of which they arc not guilty every
day. They lie, they steal, they murder; they
reduce marriage 10 an inccstuous concublnnge;
they nuke Of law protection to crlme,--and
Tor all these atrocities they claim tho Federal
Constitution as shield!
Tca years Of ia,punity filled the Mormons
with dcsirc to compress the ou.1agcs Of a
whole scas,n into one day Of riot and murder.
They lad tasted tue blood Of Gcut;les, and felt
no loatLirg; they had tasted again, aa1 liked
it VEL. Then passed upon them that dread
full change wIlic! makes men something better
than 1iends, ard something worse than beasts.
They painted for slaughter, and loved cruelty
for its own sake. Nor had they long to whit
for OIL opportunity i train Of industrious
chi Grants started overland for California.
More than tie usual time for the Journey
elapsed, AID they had not arrived Anxious
inquiries we:c made Of au waysarers, but there
canlc 10 tidirgs Of the missing ones. Then
arose dreadful suspicion Of foul dealing. Tie
route Of tho 1rain lay near Salt Like Cty--a
bourne whence many travellers had never re-
turned. One day, TWO emaciated wrctches
came upon party Of miners in Eastern -alf
fornia, and piteously begged for !ood. They
we're survivors Of the il1.fated t1ain and had
escaped they lsar1ly Kew how. Their story
sent thrill Of horror through tho whcle cour"
try; and other witnesses soon contit n"4' 1t
The "sain:s" openly exhibited portions ol
the booty, aud some Of 1''7'n moekhe'y fe-
lated incidents Of tie 4.:lssacfe-
the Ills arrel train was first decoyed into
IN atnbuscadc, and then attacked in the dark
ness ol nigh. by party Of Mormons disguised
as Indians. The men fought desperately for
their wives and little ones. Numbers Of them
fell; but not man turned his back upon the
unseen enemy. Towards morning tho mur-
dcrers drew of; another gang came down,
und, with simulated pity Tor the miserable
plight Of the POOR emisrauts, prof1ered their
aid aud protection. The Indians, they
said, would soon return with reinforce.
lneuts; and they proposed 10 esctrt
the train 10 place Of safety, on con-
dtion that nj tie arms should he placed in
their clre; for it was necessary precan!ien
to assume Ill aspect u peace and confidence,
and THUS turn aside the wrath Of tho Jealous
aayascs. Tue wearied people gladly accepted
the terms Of security, surrendered their arms,
and prepared to take somo refreshments. Then
commenced a most horrible and indiscrilni-
nate outclcry. Tho disguised Mormons joiEed
their brethren, aud with savage shouts par
s:clpat.d in tic slaughter. They shot. and
s.a5bed, ard hacked. They knocked men on
the head with axes. They Glove Gown women
and girls who b2gycd lor mercy. They dashed
eaillren's brains out. They scalped the dying.
They muti'ated the dead. Somo Of them
smeared Their faces with gore. They were all
drunk with blood and carnage. Que murde-
rous wretc. slrodc about with child's finger
listened in lis l,a,-band. After stripping the
elain aud securing tie booty, they abandoned
the nlaugled bodies TO wolves and carrion birds.
Such was the M,untain Meadow massaor:-
1t this unfortunate period Our Chief Mags-
trae was a person whom naturc aud cduca-
1iou had conspired To make all that Pfcsi-
deut ought uol to be. La was engaged in vexa-
tious 4uarrels with the petty men ot his own
party, and In no tastc for investigating OUT
RACES in U4ah Public sentiment demanded
tia. the ,nurde1ers be punished with strong
arm, aud us,sparing llaud. The Federal Gov
orntnent did notAirg. Perhaps remembrance
Of tue ereu,er crimes committed in Kansas
participated in by many leading Democrats,
aad counttnaaced by nearly I'LL ol 1lern-may
have checked tic uprisiugs Of Executive hui
manity. Inlpuuity elnboldcned the Saints
TIcy hunted down cmigrants, hundreds Of
miles from Suit Lake City. They pursued the
survivors alalost within range Of the guns Of
the 70, crnment forts. In n few years they
had murdered moro than thousand persons.
Norc tLaa million dolluIs worth ot booty
fel 10 llle share of the Church. At last the
blood ii tile slim cred from the ground for
vengeance. Tue American people would en-
duro 70 more. Tardily and reluctantly I'LL
armed expedition vas titled out; moro turdi-
lv aud reluctantly the order was given IT.
march. Tue season wls already far advanced;
the fo1uge was cut ell by ffosts; the men SUI
ferel d,cadlully. Their mules perishcd with
sold, aud they lad to dag their artillery by
hand many ;nilcs through snow-drits. Wea-
ricd and irost-li,tcn, but still eager to uphold
the laws of their country, they at last entered
the lnnd Of promise. And then came orders
to assume an attitude Of strict neutrality. No
Mormon WIS punished Mother civil law nor
authority was restored. Gentiles were robbed
and murdered as usual, and within sight Of tho
pickels, Army trains we're destroyed. Strag-
Cling soldiers were assassInnted. The Judges,
disgusted With tho farce Of holding courts in 81
place where civil cficers, jurorr, lawyers,
criminals, were nil cou!ederales-whcro ol-
Tenders were rarely arrested and never pun
ishcd-rclurned 10 their homes in the States.
The Saints were enriched by traffic with the
camp. Army CONTRACTORS amassed fortunes.
Ten million dollars were cxpcndc1-!alf TO
outfit the expedition; half 10 reward tavori.es
and to purchase the allegiance Of yeaal politi-
clans And Mnrmonism, strengthened ant
amboldencd, rendered invinciblc in tho csti-
nation Of its more ignorant followers, was left
to do its perfect work. Such was the c1-
psdition to Camp Floyd.
Tho Republican members Of the House o:
Representatives could not pass over those
things without notice. After searching ex.
animation OF the whole subject, they became
convinced that Aotmonism, MS practiced in
Caah, was an absolute and universal nuisance
and that the peace, welfare and good namo Of
our whole couutry, impera.ivoly demanded its