Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1871-10-19
[From the Salt Lake Herald.l
The Trouble at Salt Lake.

The Mormons have proved too Oft
en- and under too many trying cir
cumstances their devotion TO their
faith for it to be doubted now. At
present, not only their political rights
but their religion is assailed by Off
cial authority. While the nation is
worked upon with The cry Of polyga-
my, that is but a sound to cover the
real object. Nearly every fundamen-
tai principle Of their faith is attacked,
not by calm reason and scriptural ar
gument, but by disgraceful abuse,
ribaldry and profanity, sanctioned
and endorsed by official smiles and
Establishments, while the forces are
being marshalled to break up the
community as Il religious organization,
destroy the leaders and the people,
or scatter them wanderers again on
the earth. All this is aimed at un-
der cover Of law, by outrageous and
illegal judicial rulings and proceed
ings, by men who use their positions
to annoy and irritate, and whose
hearts overflow with fanaticism that
yearns for the destruction Of peo-
pie who have been more temperate
in their exercise OF power than any
other religious body of whom the
world has record.
But from the arbitrary course now
being pursued there is an evident IN
tention on the part of some Of the
officials, at least, to goad the people
into desperation, so that some overt
act may be committed that will give
color for calling upon the Govern
lnent for an army to be sent here to
chastise them. We are thankful the
people have been so calm, so temper
ate and self-possessed, that thus far
they have not given the first occasion
for such q demand. But should they
be driven to madnes by Insult upon
insult, what would be the result ?
Should blood be shed it would have
another and very different ter
mination to what many people think.
No men meet death SO calmly, 50
unllinchingly, as they. who believe
it opens for them the portals OF
eternal bliss. Does. any sane man
think the Mormons would not feel
and believe that deathin such 4 strife
would only be martyrd IN, and the
port to amartyr'sglory? And wheth-
er it would take long or short
time to exterminate them-for no
other word meets the emergency
the consequences to the Territory and
all interested in its welfare would be
frightful. ,
bounded to desperation? Who wishes
to see a community showing indus
try, enterprise, intelligence, sobriety,
and virtue stripped Of, every vestlge
of their political and religious rights,
because they will not change their
faith at the bidding Of few fanati,
cal men, who are 50 blindly besotted
with their folly as to see in the flu
ture they desire only the destruction
of, the Mormons and the con6scation
of their property Yet that this is
the object, the programme arranged,
and the end to be accomplished
peaseably or by force of arms,no
one o who has narrowly watched their
course can for a moment doubt. 1t
is nearly. time that the conservative
men of the Territory independent of
religion or pr should utter their
protest aga4ns5. a course of action
having such an object in view. With
immense wealth being developed on
every side, Observation-Disclosures who
desire to provoke conflict by any or
every means, should be told to halt
in their insane career. The world
has travelled The path Of progress too
fast and too far to sustain the semi
barbair:ous ideas which demand that
free men should, with craven soul,
fling their faith at the feet of whilom
satraps or place their consciences and
purses in the keeping of men they
cannot trust. For nearly a century
"the sovereignty of the people. has
been an established doctrine in the
United States, and the principle has
gained so rapidly through the world
that it is too late in the day to intro