The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1867-02-09
Letter from Brigham Young.

VIC ihNHiucAo " VhS htol hidii SiuiNHo ",
the prominent "Gentilc' merchants Of
Utah, agreeing to leave the territory If
the saints would buy them out at q fair
valuation. 10 this communication,
Brigham Young replies as follows:
Gentlemen Your communication Of
December Goth, addressed to "The
Leaders of the Norman Church." was
received by me last evening. In reply,
| have to say, that VIC will not obligc
ourselves to collect your outstanding
accounts, nor buy your goods, mcr-
chandisc and other articles that you cX-
press yourselves willing to sell. lfyou
could make such sales qs you propose,
you would make o money than any
merchants have ever done in this coun-
try, and we rs merchants, would like
to find purchasers upon the same basis.
Your withdrawal from the territory is
not Il matter about which we feel any
anxiety 50 far us we are concerned,
you are at liberty to stay or go as you
please.
We have used no intimidation or CO.
ercion toward the community to have
them cease trading VITA any person or
class, neither do we contemplate using
any such means, eve could we do SO,
to accomplish such an end. What we
are doing and intending to do, We are
willingthat youand allthe world should
know. In the first place we wish you
to distinctly understand that VIC have
not sought to ostracisc any man or
body Of men because Of tlcirnot being
of our faith. The wealth that has been
accumulated in this territory from the
earliest years ofour settlement, by men
who were not connected with Us relig
iously and the success which attended
their business operations prove this.
In business we have not been eXclu-
sive in our dealings, or confined our
patronage to those of our own faith
But every man who has dealt fairly and
honestly, and confined his attention to
his legitimate business, whatever his
creed has been. has found friendship in
us. To be worse to Jews becauscthey
are Jews, or Gentilcs because they are
Gentilcs, is in direct opposition to our
religion. 1t matters not what q mans
creed is-whcthcr he be Catholic or
E~piscopalian, Presbyterian, Methodist,
Baptist. Quaker or Jew-he will receive
kindness and friendship from Us, and
we have not the least objection to do
ing business with him, ifin his dealings
he act in accordance with the principles
Of right, and deport himself as a good,
lawabiding citizen should.
There arc u class, however, who are
doing business in the Territory, who
Tor wears have been ayoWod enemies OF
this community. The disrupturc or
overthrow Of the community have been
the objects which they have been per
tin~aciously sought to accomplish. They
have therefore, used every energy and
means ut their command to put into
circulation the foulest ISLANDERS about
the old citizens. Missionaries Of evil,
there have been no arts too base, no
stratcrems too vile for them to use to
bring about their n%eiarious cnGa. While
soliciting the patronage OF the people,
and deriving their support from them,
they have, in the most shameless and
abandoned manner, used the means thus
obtained to destroy the very people
whose favor they found it to their in
tcrcst to court.
With the regularity Of the seasons
have their plots and schemes been form
cd and we are warranted by facts IL
saying that, could the hearts blood of
the people here be drawn and coined
into the means necessary to bring their
Vaccinations to q successful issue, they
would not scruple to use it. They have
done all in their power to encourage
violations oflaw, to rctard the admin
~istration Of justice, to foster vice and
vicious institutions, to Cypress the
! unanimously expressed will Of the peo-
pie, to increase disorder, and to change
orr city from 4 condition of peace and
ouiatudc to lawlessncss and anarchy.
They have donated literally to sustain
a corrupt and venal press, which has
given publicity 10 the most atrocious
libcls respecting old citizens.
And have they not had their cmmis-
sarics in Washington to misrepresent
and yiIiiy the people Of this territory
Have they not kcptliQuor and surrep-
tiliously sold it in violation oflaw, and
. endeayored.t to bias the minds Of the ,ju-
dietary to give decisions favorable to
their own practices? Have they not
entered into secret combinations to re-
sist the laws and to thwart their healthy
operation, and refuse to pay their tax
es and to give the support to schools
required by law? What claims can
such persons have upon the patronage
OF thiscommunity? And what com
munity on earth could be so besotted
rs to uphold and foster men whose aim
is to destroy them? Have we not the
/ IlLLI 10 iIlitt 1T Nils'tN'Ni W. w
please? Or does the Constitution OF
the United States bind us to enter the
stores Of our deadlicst enemies and
purchase Of them? IF SO we should
like that provision pointed out to US
II is to these men whom | have desert
bed, and to Il csc alone. that ] am OPP
posed, and | an determined to use my
/ influence to have the citizens here stop
dealing wit them, and deal with honor.
able men. There are honorable men
enough in the world with whom we can
do business without being reduced to
the necessity Of dealing with the class
referred to.
/ have much more 10 say on tbs sub.
Jet.
BRIGHAM IouSG.
Great SAT- Lake City, Dee. 81, 1866.