New-York tribune., 1873-04-10

doratoud. be has vacated; but he retains his
nlaco at the head of the Mormon Church. The
Mormon hierarchy Is three-fold, consisting Of
the Melchsedelt and Aaronic priestnooos ana
tho Twelve Apostles The apex OF thiS pyra-
mid is the Quorum Of Three OF flISt Presi-
dency. This is the highest authority In the
Melchisedel priesthood; and OF thcse thIGe
Presidents Brigham Young is the cblcI' he
now SAYS he wants seven assistants OF coun-
selors. This means that no wants new
hierarchy trained to take up the sDlrltuai
power when he lays it down.
1t is by no means certain that the MofmonS
will accept any successor to Brigham louhs'
When Joe Smith was killed, in 1874 there
was q considerable struggle for the succession
Young. who was then President OF the
Twelve Apostles, and had been the very hrst
to accent the monstrOus doctrine of polygamy
as "revealedn by Joe Smith, was the formi-
dable rival of Sidney Rgdon. This
man had been q partner of Smiths in
his Infamous imposition, furnishing the
ingenious fiction which was hnal'y pup
lshed as the Book of Mormon. Both klg-
don and Young professed to have had reveal
tions calling them to the Headship OF the
Mormon Church. But the finesse OF Young
was too much for his competitor. Rigdon was
denounced as q fraud; was tried and convicted
of bringing revelations from the devil; and,
finally, he was cut off from the chulcn anu
"deljyercd over to the buifetings OF Satan"
Revelations have been rather infrequent OF
late years; and it is very doubtful II any pre-
tended heavenly dctation determining the
succession would be well received by the Lat
ter-Day Saints.
II il an error to suppose that Young's
fanaticism has been his ruling passion. lie
Ioves money, and the power that money
brings. Consequently, he has built railroads,
established banks, theaters, stores, anu
manufactures, and has engaged in numberless
worldly activities which make money and ac-
cumulate influence. The system OF tlthlng
practiced by the hierarchy has enriched him to a
fabulous degree. Tsthing, in the Mormon ac-
ceptation of the term, does not stop at collect
ing tenth Of the increase of the property OF
the followers. If convert to MormoDlsm,
worth 100000, casts in his lot with the Latter
Day Saints, the Tithing Office determines how
much of that sum he needs. If they leave
him $4,000, he is fortunate; the other S9QOW
goes into the Church "for the public works
Gas directed by the Presidency" This annual
plucking is kept up TO the great enrichment OF
the Church. How the Presidency disposes OF the
enormous fund, no man can tell. There is no
Board of Audit to pass upon the accounts.
But tithing is declining. The free and easy
manners of the Gentiles who have come in
upon this new Canaan have had their influ-
ence upon the faithful, who are now emanci-
h. ,phinb hun0 thpm
when the Mormon capital was unapproachable
from any civilized point except by tedious
Journey of one thousand miles. The settle
ment of California, two or three years after
the Mormon occupation of Great Salt Lake
Valley, was the first threat which the Church
of the Latter-Day Saints received. The Pa
cfc Railroad killed Mormonism.
Brigham Young is shrewd enough to see all
this. lie wants to preserve the church OF
which he is the head; and he desires to keep
his vast property. A draft has been made on
each of the Mormon settlements in Utah, and
colony is prepared for migration to San
Francisco Mountain. This locality is IN the
heart of Arizona, a little south of the Colorado
Chiduito, or Flax branch of the Colorado. Near
here are the ruins OF ancient cities,
built by men of whom we have no historic
records. Possibly, the Mormon priests will
pretend that this extinct people were the
Lamanites who figure in the curious fraud
which Joe Smith gave to the world as new
Bible. At any rate, here are forests, meadows,
abundant streams, and delicious climate
The Mormon leaders have always darkly talked
of "aihiding- place" and "safe retreat" they
have found it in the heart of Arizona, where
Brigham Young says he desires to go that he
may be beyond the reach Of mails and tele
graphs. Thither will eventually remove the
seat of the Mormon Church, leaving the dry
husk of its tempOralities to the manipulation of
the worldly Genties who have come into
possession of the land. There is no longer
place in Utah for the religio-political govern
ment of the Mormons. AS THE TRIBUNE long
since pointed out would be the case, left to
the disintegrating influences which come with
the interfusion of non-MormOn population
and contact with the outer world, the vast
fabric of Mormonism has crumbled to decay.
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The fair Miss Adelaide Nelson has been the acci-