Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1875-08-12
A Cr.sr 10 THE .coUNrRY.

A CURSE 10 rHk NVVNrs.
The Dsssrst Nses. Official organ OF
the Mormon Church In Utah. after es-
uitine over the result in the late trial Of
John d. Lee. takss umbrage al the sue-
esstion Of certain 'Gsntils" journals
shss, - no justice can b obtained In
Utah under the present system. the Ter
rissry should b placed under martial
Law. Il says that such . eourss would
b unrspublican and tyrannical. Perhaps
u would. but extreme cases require dos
psrats remedies. lis Of record that the
cardinal principles Of tho MormonCh urch
arc anti-rspublican. We use this word
not In a partisan view. but in liz largest
sense. One OF the doctrines Of the
Mormon Church Il against the laws OF
the nation. It recognizes and givss
sanction to . practice which. In every
STATE Of this Union. and in every civil
lied nation Of the slobs. Is declared .
crime and punished - such. Polygamy.
. practice taught by the Mormon
Church. 10 against the spirit Of c~ivilila-
tios. and - such. essentially unrspubli-
can. But there L. another feature Of the
Mormon faith which IL even more
directly In conflict with the Government
under which 10 live. In all govern
msnts supreme power 10 somewhere
vested. Without this. In times OF q.
iesncy. the fabric Of government would
b Destroyed. In our systsm this power
IL lodged in . majority Of the people.
Who. BY their right Of suffrage. are en-
powered TO choose Law givsn and e.
scutors. Tho doctrines Of the Mormon
Church negative this theory. The
Head Of that Church. Brigham Young.
claims and exercises the right TO control
not only the spiritual but the temporal
Affairs Of its members. He IL their law
river and President. To him they are
directed to look for their orders ~ we'll
In temporal a. spiritual matters. From
him they receive directions In regard to
the disposition Of their persons and
property. and by his orders the dirsst
penalties arc threatened and have been
executed upon disobsdisnt members.
By his directions and that Of his subal-
terms. the Mormon church in Utah in
1857 was arrayed against the FsdsralGov-
eminent, and the male members OF the
church marshaled into lesions to resist
the advent Of Federal troops upon terri
tory under the jurisdiction Of and owned
BY the United statss Government. For
years the dictum Of Brigham Young has
been . Law. above that Of Congress and
Territorial Legislatures. Whenever the
two cAme in conflict, q Mormon In fsl-
lowship with the church was forced 10
Obey Brigham and disregard the laws Of
the nation. To-day this 10 the case.
Brigham Young. al Salt Lake City. Ia an
autocrst more imporious than the Rus
sian Gar. and moro sensual than the
ruler Of the Ottoman empire. His au-
thority over Mormons 10 absolute. His
commands must DO obeyed. We say
that these things arc not Republican,
not Democratic. They are In d.
rect conflict with the genius
Of q governmental system.
which recognizes no control over the
temporal Affairs Of its subjects save such
- 10 provided by its laws. Theocracy and
Rspublicanism are and must ever DO OPP
positss both In theory anil practice. OF
the effect Of the teachings OF the Nor
mon Church upon its prosslytes. We have
latsly bad such evidence as must
convince the nation that IL Is subversivo
Of justice and morality. We are In favor
Of any measures which will destroy its
balsful influence. for like slavery 70 isa
esrss not only TO lis advocates but 70
the world.