Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1869-12-14

~ iS''O4"" "''" SNSii W. hbulh Vti
ly t. ample ou it. If the Hindoos should
come hithcr and insist on practicing wi at
they regard as n religious ritc--the bhrn-
ing Of widows ON the funeral plies Of their
husoands-you would scout such reve-
laton and such religion"
The report in the Springfield .RepuM-
can gives the same ideas and illustrations
in language as identical as two reports
by two different reporters would quote
them:
"Aud yet, while you assume that this
later revelation gives you the right tc
turn your back on your old faith, and to
disobcy the law, you would not yourselves
tolerate others III assuming rights for
themselves under revelations they might
claim to have re cpived, cr under religions
they might profess. The Hindoos claim
ed, as part Of their religion. the right, to
burn widows with the dead bodies Of theit
husbands If they were to attempt it
here, as their religion, you would prevent
il by force, lfa new revelation were to
be proclaimed here, that the strong men
should have the right to take the wives
Of the weaker, men, that the learned men
should take tie wives Of the ualexned,
that the rich men should take thel wives
Of the poor, that these who were, poWer-
ful and influential should have the right
TO command the labor and the service of
the humber, as their bond-slaves, you
would spurn it, and would rely upon the
law and the power Of the United States
to protect vou.'
John Taylor, one of the twelve apostles,
in replying from Salt Lake City, Noy.
ID, 1869, in a letter to the N. Y, Tri-
Ji0e, to this speech, says that in my
structures or our institutions there is an
apparent faith and sincerity manifested;
but he attacks these structures and de-
lends their institution in language which,
to do him full justice, [ quote literally:
That our country is governed by law,
We all admit; but when it is said that no
assumed revelation justiies any one in
trampliug on'the law would respectful-
ly ask, What, not if it interferes with
my religious faith, which you state is
matter between God and myself alone 2
The assumed revelation referred to is cne
of the most vital poiuts of our religious
faith it emanates from God, and cannot
be lcgislatcd away, 1t is part Of the 'ev,
erlasting covenant which God has given
to man."
s'Mr. Colfax has perfect right to state
and feel that he does not believe the rev.
lation on which my religious belief is
based, ner in my faith at all hut has he
the right to dictate my religious faith ? l
think not. He does not considcr'it .relig.
ion. 1t is, nevertheless, mine. ;Ifa rev.
clation from God is net a religion, what ID
it9 His not believing it is from God
makes no difference" "F.
cali religions are tolerated with US,
and all revelations or assumed revelations.
We take the liberty of dlsbelieving some
Of them, but none are interfcred, WITH,
ard, III relation to turning our back on
our old religion, we have never done it.
Concerning our permitting the Hindoos to
burn their widows, it is difficult to say
what we should do" 6
As to his statement that "all religiona
are tolerated with u.s." | would say that
the refusal to allow the sons of their srst
prophet, Joseph Smith, to preach the old
anti-polygamous Mormon doctrine in their,
Tabneracle, ward houses, public buildings
or on the streets and the threats and abuse
to which they have been subjected ever
since they attempted to preach in the few
Gentle houses open to them, with the pn-.
punished murdercrs of Gentiles like DR..
Robinson, Brass6cld, and others, and the
recent brutal attacks en- Beadle, Waters,
and others, for daring TO speak against
polygamy, are specimens of federation"
rather novel in the Untad States. :
But ] come directly to the apostles ar
gument, He passes over all the illgstras
tions cited except one and it is significant
that about the same time he was writing
it, when Godbc and others were being ex-
PEELED from the church for doubling the.
infallibility of Brigham Young, Daniel Fl.
Wells, the mayor Of Salt Lake, and now
the next in authority in the church to their
president, declared that ope miCht. as we'll
dispute the infallibiity of the Almighty ).
showing that, whatever revelations Brig;
ham Young may see fit to proclaim, now.
or hereafter, they are to be obeyed un-
questioningly, no matter what law they
repudatc what authority they contravene
or what crime they may command. And
in the full and frank conversation of our
party in 1865, at the residence Of Mr..
Young, with himself and bis apostles, Mr..
Carrington, then editor Of their church
organ, declared that, if he received a
revelation through tho church to kill his
son, he would obey il nnhesitatingly The
details of this conversation are to be
found in Mr.. Bowlcs' book, "Across the
Continent" published some years since.
The one illustration cited by me, to
which Apostle Taylor does see fit TO refar,
is that Of the Hindoos; and he confeases.
in reply to it, that "it is difficult to say