The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1868-01-18

The Deseret Nescs is the official organ
OF the Mormon Church. Its editor, Geo.
=. Cannon. is not only high dignitary
of the Church, but he is conceded to be
the ablest man in Utah. Brigham
Young is President, Prophet, and ossen-
sible Head of the Church. George O.
Cannon is the Richelieu of the Theocra-
cy; tie Priest that puts the words in
the mouth of the Oracle. the power be-
hind the POlygamic throne, greater than
the throne itself. What the Nescs saws is
the voice of the Church, and what the
Church says is the highest law in Utah.
In view of these facts. the opinion of the
Ne1es on Senator Cragin's Utah Bill may
be accepted as the orthodox Mormon
view of the situation. We present the
leader of the Ne1os in publishing the
conclusion of the law. The Prime Min
lister is highly indignant at the idea of
suppressing polygamy and putting the
control of Utah in the hauds of ap-
Pointees of the general government, but
the point is in tile concluding sentence
If it means anything il means that if the
bill becomes a law, Mormonism will
welcome those who attempt to enforce
it, with bloody hands TO hOspituble
graves" or that they will abandon their
Utah homes, as they have done others,
in preference TO their institutions
Could devilish ingenuity cram more odious
features into smaller limits than are Co be
f. und in this Bilil We have read of laws
against the ews, in the days when it was al
most considered meritoTiOus to rob and Inur-
der one of the race who had crucifed Jesus;
we have read of the bloody edicts passed
against hpretics when Catholicism held high
carnival in the earth; but when we consider
the age in which we live, the nation to which
we belong, we must assign Senator CraSin, of
New Hampshire, pre-eRiDeDce over all bis
predecessors In tyranny. Their reputation for
turpitude paleS before the baleful light which
his acts emit.
The f0fty-one sections into which his Bill is
divided, might have been spared had he stated
his object in plain English Had he stated
What be thihks-" No AmeGicpn citizen who
is a Mormon has any rightS-ha is not free
man, but IS n slave, to be tried, convicted,
fined, imprisoned, az the will of his masters
to be made to Pay taxes, but to have those
funds spent by his masters in prosecuting and
toTturing him and enriching them for the SER
xice-to wear the form of man, but to have
none of the privileges of manhood--to have
no right to believe the Bible, practice its pre-
cepts, follow its examples, or TO worship its
God" These are the sentiments aud objects
Of this Bill. They might have been stated
more pointedly in few words than In sou
r~lumBs.
n reading this DiII, Indignation over mas
ters every other feeling. We examine vu.
skius, they are white. We look Nt the people
around Us, their hnenmpnts proclaim their
Auglo.Saxon descent. We listen to their
speech-it u the language of freedom, the
language in which Shakespeare, Milton and
Thomas Jefferson wTOte-Lbg language in
which Patrick Henry, Adams, Lee aud a host
of other patriots clothed their immortal ideas.
We look ar our mountains, thedst tE cir sum
mits are covered with eternal snow they are
not Siberia The valleys they encircle are the
abotles of free people-American citizens,
many of whose fathers fought and died for
liberty and taught their sons Its accents-noI
serfs whose lives and fortunes aIe at the dis
/ posal of an autocfut.A Our color, our lineage,
/ our language, our heaven-boTu and bequeat ed
/ rights, grand mountains and noble val-
Ieys, are so many certificates of freedom. And
we are FREE. We have consecnted this land
/ TO liberty. she has no more fitting or glorI.
ious abode, no more willing and devoted adj
| hersnts. y .rsr.E afausb I'D
Were our color darker-were we lazy, prof
gate, vicious and abandoned, we would have
rights which Senator Cngin might feel il
polite TO respect. But we are none of these.
| We ere the gentleman's equails-his peers, in
birth, breeding, education and every quality
of manhood, aye, shall we not say his supe-
riors in our conception of the rights of Amer
| can citizenship? We never
Let the caDdied tongue lick absurd Polhp,
| Aud crook the pregnant hinges of the knee
| Where thrift may follow tawningi'
/ n.
| the quiet enjoyment of our inalienable rights
much les to gain political power and prefer
! meut.