Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-11-04
TIE INDICTMENT OF brigham
TOTNr

A correspondent of The Cincinnati Com
mercial, writing from Salt Lake City On the
Mormon troubles there, describes in lively
manner meeting of the leading Saints, in
which their course Of action was determined
There were gathered together in the Lion
House Brigham's chief counselors Old John
Taylor, who stood by Joe Smith when he
was shot in Carthage Jail, and was himself
wounded, and would rather take his chances
in the open air than 60 to GENTLE jan again
"a tall, good-looking, severe man, win gray
hair. There was George A. Smith, cousin to
| Joseph, and, next to Young, the highest man
! in the Church, also witness OF the sack OF
| Nauvoo polygamist, but with wlves-a tat
aged, good humored ard rather weak Saint
There was Orson Pratt, the chiefstheologan
| and expounder, whose brother, Perley Pratt
was shot dead by the Gentiles-a venerable
looking, Mosaic sort of man, with flaming
beard, and large interpretive eyes, Greek
student, and sort of Mormon Matthew
Henry. The nattYnd fowery DR.. Newman
of Washington, who came out here with SIX
Hebrew roots carefully committed to memory
expecting to demolish Orson with them,
found the old fellow to be capable of talking
Hebrew with Moses or Daniel There was
Joseph Young, President of the Seventies,
lean face and low forehead, with a mouth like
Abraham Lincoln's-elder brother of Brigham
| Young.
These and others, baked dry in the furnace
| of old Mormon dangers which they now ac-
| count to their glory, gave counsel to Brigham
| Young as to his duty. Almost unanimously
they urged that he must never give himself
up, the people would rise if he were to be
convicted, whether he forbade them or no.
Their counsel was to cut the irrigating ditch
es, burn every Mormon settlement in the
Territory, leave the valley of Salt Lake in
desolation, and march across Arizona with
their herds and portables to Mexican soil !;
these were their own, and they had right to
annhilate the property they had created
Brigham Young. himself in the condition
of an old lion, not uncertain that his proves
was not now part of his nature and religion,
urged that he was promised safe conduct and
fair treatment. To this old John Taylor re-
torted: $50 was Joseph! saw the safe treat
ment they gave him in jail!" There was a
general exclamation of deep feeling and cry
of perfidy at sand am writing no fancy
sketch, but the statement Of two attorneys
who were present. Brigham himself was
deeply moved. Perhaps the recollection OF
his more youthful Captaincy of the Mormon
exodus across the alkail plains inspired him
with enthusiasm. To the urgent statement OF
the Genties that he could not hold out a week
against the United States, the old man re-
torted with strange, almost childish conf
dence, that if he were disposed to resist, the
ally of Moses, of Gideon, and of David would
appear upon his side.
Then, after minutes. Brigham closed his
great square mouth and jaw, and said calmly
s'God is in courts as well as in battles and
marches. There will be no resistance. !
shall obey the summons" In due time he
dismounted from his buggy before the little
old squalid stone stable where the United
States Court meets, climbed the creaky out
side stairs, and at his colossal, venerable ap-
pearance the whole Court unconsciously
arose, bar and audience. He was the over
shadowing presence there, and when he an
swered 'not guilty." Judge McKean's elocu.
ton flew out of his head, and he forgot tenn
porarily to be dramatic.