The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-08-31
rhe Fn,ure OF sIor.nonl.m.
Fro,n a. L0ndon Daily Ne.es. .4ug. u

A crisis appears to have overtaken at
the same time the civil community
established at the Great Salt Lake City
and the Mormon Church, which has its
central seat there. We have heard OF
late that schisms ofa most serious char
acter have broken out in Utah; that
President Young's authority is deied,
and that his practices are denounced
by some who have hitherto held high
places under him, while his chief occu-
patton has been the accommodation
ofthe unruly. The marriage laws of
Utah, which have hitherto been held to
be fundamental parts of the Mormon
polity, appear to be called in question
by some OF the principal men in the
society, and this is mHtter on which
Young, IL is understood, will make no
concession. But the cause which most
threatens the character, il not the ex-
istence OF the Mormon settlement,
is external. Gold. Whieh builds up
so many things, IS distHte9rdtin9
Morinontsm. Mines, whleh IN the
first excitement OF discovery are
said to exceed in value all previously
known to exist on the American Conti-
nent, have been found near the South
Pass, about two hundred and finy
miles from Salt Lake City, and six
weeks ago the people were departing for
them by hundreds, leaving the richest
wheat harvests ungathered. There is
nothing leads so rapidly to the settle
ment of a region in America as the dis
covery of gold, and the depopulation
OF their capital is not the direst evil the
Mormons have to fear. In the present
disorganiZed condition OF large por-
tions of the population OF the United
States, II Is inevitable that thousands
IUhO hdUs been disLOeuted by the eUcHtS of
tcdT should make their Icdy to the neigh
bOThOod of Utah, iUhither they tGiI curry
sentiments aud ideas anything but favor
able 10 Mr.. Young and his institutions.
Whatever view we may be disposed to
take of the stability and strength of
Mormonism, il is certain that its lead
ers for the last twenty years have acted
on the belief that isolation tcdS neceSSd-
T.y to the success of their plans, and they
have accordingly discouraged, to the
utmost, the attempts of strangers to
approach or mingle with them. II is
only at distance from all rival power
thar authority such as Young and his
associates have hitherto claimed, can be
exercised. But just as that authority IT.
self Is called in question IL Is about TO be
subjected to the severest strain. The
strong element OF discomfort which has
been absent from Utah will now be able
to make alliances Which have until
lately been impossible; while Northern
opinion IViH also find neW agencies IDiM
which to combat PoiygdHy. Many elab-
orate plans have been devised in New
York and Washington for destroying
an organization of society 50 repuR-
nant as Mormonism to the best feu-
lures of modern civilization. 1t has
even been proposed to suppress its "pe-
culIar Institutions" by the power of
Federal law, supported by military
expedition. What is happening shows
how much wiser 1t is in young coun-
try, where unsuspected forces are al
ways suddenly developing themselves,
to look with certain amount OF pa-
tience on departure from custom and
usage, and to wait for Il aremedy In the
course OF the operations OF natural
laws, rather than seek II in the best-in-
tentioned violence. Nobody need be
scandaIized at seeing these self-styled
"Saints" leaving the seat OF their the
ory for the gold mines. They have
never dissembled that the prosperity
they sought was earthly and material,
and il to realize il by gold mining they
have to abandon detestable habits, they
and their neighbors may be congratu-
lated on the result.