The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1870-05-13
THE REVOLUTION IN UTAH.
Young's Policy Can No Longer be Sus-
Mormon Disease Working cut Its Own
IFrom the San Francisco Bulletin.

From the San Francisco BnIIetin.l
The Mormons are doing what they
eau just now to confirm the trath of the
maxim that revolutions never go back
ward. 1t is certain that rebellion has
been initiated by the Saints, the end of
which most of them do not foresee.
Three years ago, if q Mormon had dared
to oppose Brigham Young on any vital
point of faith or political economy, he
would have been extingnished in some
way. Now hundreds openly controvert
his views, and show up his errors of adj
mlnistration, and even his errors ofdoc-
trine. Meetings are held on almost
every evening in Salt Lake City, at which
times the dissenting Saints fill the larg-
est hall that can be procured, and large
numbers go away because there is no
room. The Tribune is the new organ of
the dissenters, superceding, we believe,
the Utah Magazine. which did much to
initiate the revolution by the boldness
of its discussions, and the freedom with
which it called Brigham Young to &C.
count. 1t is certain, also, that the new
movement includes some of the best
thinkers among the Saints, who clearly
foresee that Young's policy can no
longer be sustained. Every day the
Mormon Chief is growing weaker, and
the reform party is growing stronger
A revolution begun with the Mormon
community, may for time avert a great
er revolution without Young has
reigned for years q spiritual and tempo
raj despOt. His will was law. No man
dare question the wisdom or validity of
his acts.
There was way of dealing with such
questioners, which somehow made them
ever afterwafd silent. Young sealed up
the mines, depressed schemes of i'm
provement, opened the gulf wider than
before between Mormons and Gentiles,
forbidding the former to trade with the
latter on penalty of accommodation
placed q motto with the symbol of the
All-Seeing-Eye on the stores of the
Saints, that the faithful might make no
mistake in bestowing their patronage
The despotism became so intolerable
that revolt broke out among the bet
ter class of Mormons, including men
high in the church, and of the best re-
pute for business integrity. This revolt,
which it was supposed could be put
down with the penalties and terrors of
accommodation, has been steadily
gathering numbers and force, until now
the Godbeites add to their followers by
daily accessions, while the Brighamites
are daily losing their best members.
The points at issue relate both to the
spiritual and civil administration of
Young. His infallibility is denied. His
policy of isolation is repudiated. The
reformers' wish is to bring the Mormon
community in more direct contact with
the outside world, and to remove all lin
itations as TO business intercourse. They
hold that only in this way can the COM
munity be kept from total disintegra-
ton. When Brigham Young has a rev.
citation, they test it by reason and COM
mon sense, admitting the while that he
is true prophet, but like other prophets,
he may err. 1t is clear that the abject
faith has been radically shaken among
the Mormons, and can never be restored
The prophet viii grow weaker and the
revolution stronger. The career of the
former is nearly run: and hereafter he
is to be known in history for what he
was, rather than among living men for
what he is.
The dissenting Mormons, having now
become such Il formidable organization
that it cannot be overcome by force, are
probably destined to see the somewhat
narrow track'of their own reform widen
until both the civil and religious politv
of that community has been shorn of all
its offensive antagonisms to the outside
world. The Mormon pOlity, as shaped
ed half a dozen years longer. This fact
is recorded by the dissenting Mormons.
They thoroughly believe that the exist
ence of that community turns OH the
success of the revolution which they
have inaugurated. In process of time
they will go further and drop polygamy,
because it is n fatal and provoking an
tagonism. And when once abandoned
in practice, it will drop out as an article
of their creed. In fact, Mormonism is
trying to cast its shell, and if let alone it
will take on far more comely exterior
than ever before.
An internal revolution can be trusted.
But the one attempted just now by GER
tain members of Congress, is ill-advised,
and nothing will come of it, if pushed,
but disaster. Those who have closely
watched this interior revolution see
clearly whereunto it tends. 1t is the in
ceptiOn of reform so radical that when
its work is accomplished, there will be
little left of which anybody can COM
plain. We have waited for this revoIu-
ton for years. Now that it has begun
and is growing daily wider in its sweep,
let us do nothing to hinder it. No Con-
gressional bill can ever work such cure
of these evils as the Mormons propose
to work out for themselves.