The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1870-07-16
sALrLlkE CITY.
Bayard Taylor Interviews Brig
ham Young.
Correspondence N. Y. Tribune. |

Correspondence N. Y. Tribune.]
In few minutes Brigham Youn,
came out from his office At the frs
glance you would take him to be sue
cessful bank or railroad President, anc
his quick, straightforward business-likt
manner carries out the impression
After he Is seated, however; and yor
have chance of observing his features
more closely, the signs of a quality with
which bank presidents are not accus.
toned to deal begin to manifest them.
selves. He is both short and broad,
but his thickness gives the impression OF
strength, rather than corpulence. AL
thoug b sixty-nine years old, there is no
gray in his sandy hair, and his small
blue eyes are keen and full of power.
His head is large and approaching to
squareness in its form, and his complex
ion is strong, healthy red. His thin,
6rm-set mouth and large jaws express
an indomitable energy. The general
expression of his face is at once reticent
and watchful.
In his greeting there was the blandness
of an acquired rather than natural
courtesy. His voice is mild, even-toned
and agreeable. and I can imagine that
he might make himself fascinating to
women, most of whom find a peculiar
charm in a playful and purring lion.
He said but little at first, and q thought)
seemed to be holding himself secretly at
bay for questions which I did not in
tend to ask. By-and-by. when I re-
ferred to the similarity of the scenery to
that of Asia Minor, and led the CONVEX
sation to the resources of the Territory,
he spoke freely and fuently, and gave
me considerable information concern
ing the remote southern counties. On
all points of material growth he was
frankly communicative. While he was
talking studied his face sufficiently to de-
tect the three chief qualities of his nature
great prudence, great determination,
and great belief in himself
During the visit his oldest son, Mr..
Joseph A. Young, came into the room.
He is a tall blonde, good-looking man
Of thirty, very cheerful and courteous in
his demeanor. He is intelligent and
practical, butt venture to say-will
never develop into a Prophet Brig
hams brother, John Young, an old,
gray headed man, also came ; and, soon
afterward hearing bell ring somewhere
in the interior Of, the house, I took my
leave. Curious travellers, among them
some Englishmen, were calling, shaking
hands, and leaving again, during the
hour of my interview, and the CONVEX
sation was made fragmentary by so
many Interruptions. A register is kept
in the room. and the visitors ara always
to leave their names
/ tried to ascertain the extent to
which polygamy is practiced, and, also,
the proportion of the sexes Of the chill
dren born in it, The estimates varied
and fifteen per cent. of the
married population, while the general
is that the ratio of male and
female births is about the same as in
marriages. If the latter be
a fact, however, it proves nothing. Poly |
gamy is condemned by the intelligent
instinct of the race, and the history of |
the nations which have allowed it. The
question Is social, not religious and |
herein the Mormons have made the same
mistake as many Of their opponents.
believe chat the number Of polygamic
unions will diminish In Utah, and that
the system will gradually die out, even
without a new " revelation discontin.
ning it from Brigham Young.
Meanwhile. we must admit that Salt
Lake city is one of the most quiet, or
lerly, and moral places in the world.
There are few Gentle liquor saloons
put the Mormons, as people, are
he most temperate Of Americans. They
ire chaste, laborious, and generally
cheerful; and what they have accom-.
olished in twenty-three years, under
,very circumstance Of discouragement,
viii always form one Of the most re-
chapters in our history. The
Territory does not owe a dollar; the
people have established manufactures,
,uilt roads and bridges, irrigated wastes
# sagebush, colonized the oases of the
Interior desert for an extent of four
hundred miles, and made nucleus of
civilization in the most for
bidding part Of the continent. We
reed only to wait little longer, until
hey have outgrown the narrowing ef-
ects of their long isolation, and the
problem of their relation to the Govern
nent will solve itself.
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