The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1875-08-11

There Is a mystery connected with
Mountain Meadows, which we would
like some Mormon paper or speaker
to explain. There are thousands of
good people outside of the Mormon
Church who refuse to believe that
Brigham Young, or any Of the heads
of the Church, had aught to do with
it; but the facts we speak of, his
friends should explain, and that
quickly. Everybody in Utah knew of
that dreadful occurrence within year
after it took place; and every man in
the Mormon Church who cared to in
quire. knew the guilt of Haight, Hig-
bee, Lee, Stewart and dozen others.
even if it be admitted that they did
not know the guilt of Dame. 1t is
charged by more than one witness, in
Guiding lee himself, and not at all
denied, that full and circumstantial
account of the entire affair was at once
sent to Brigham.
Denied, did we say? No, it is not
only not denied, but all theapologists
of Brigham insist upon it as fact,
and add that he wept BITTERLY Ev-
erybody admits that he received the
report. And what then-what would
every thinking man say. reasoning a
priori, that Governor Brigham Young
would do? Justice, stern and unwa-
vering justice, hewed to the line and
righteousness laid to the rlummet-
this and nothing less was the dictate
of sound policy and common HUMANE
ty. To relieve himself from the
charge oe completely. to clear the Ter
ritory of such horrible stain, TO con-
vince the world that the Mormons
we're not, as charged. community of
robbers and assassins-surely no ac-
ton SO fitting and appropriate as i'm
mediate steps to bring the perpetra-
tors to justice.
Let the Saints but put themselves
In our place. Imagine for moment
that high officials in Colorado or Mon
tana had deliberately planned the
murder Of hundred and thirty Amer
leans and reported such action to the
Governor-who can believe for mo-
ment that he would not have exhaust
ed his power to bring the offenders to
justice. TO suggest that he would
stop with having them impeached and
removed from office. would be an in
suit. On the superstition of Brigham
Young's innocence. what other action
could he have consistently taken?
uu YET Wudt W VIC set. NV OuS
word or line, as far as we can learn,
in favor of prosecuting these men.
Not a hint or a suggestion to the
grand jury of the district! Nay. not
even a church trial and removal from
office!
Nor does the mystery stop here.
Not only was there no prosecution
and no hint of any. but the murderers
were not even rebuked; they were re-
tanned in Office. publicly approved
from the stand, even promoted Hon
ors were heaped upon them, wives
given to them. They preached from
the stand where Brigham sat as vIsi-
tor and President. And as late as
1867-ten years after the tragedy
Brigham was the guest of Lee, rode
in his carriage, publicly commended
him, walked In procession with him
through the streets of Harmony! Nor
was it until 1871, when Mountain
Meadows could no longer be denied,
when the murmurs of the people Of
the southern settlements warned
Brigham that even he could go too
far, that tardy action was taken, and
Lee osteneibly ''cut off.
Who can explain these things? II
Brigham and G.. A.. Smith have
friends who can show that all this was
consistent with innocence, and the re-
suit of ignorance, now is the time fol
them to speak. Let them fest assured