The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1877-05-23
THE WAR ON THE MORMONs
Brigham Young Responsible for
the Mountain Meadow Mas
e-Statement of a
Mormon Woman.

The following is extracted from
an interview of Herald correspon-
dent with a Mormon woman residing
in Lockport:
Mrs. Eliza j. Webb, mother of
Ann Eliza" the recently divorced
wife of Brigham Young, has resided
here since her return from Utah,
where 81 backslid from the Mormon
faith with her daughter more than
two years ago. Mrs. Webb was one
of the original Mormons, having
joined the sect in New York, in 1888,
when she was sweet sixteen and
dreadfully poor. Three years later
she was married in Kirkland, Ohio,
to Chauncey G. Webb, a Mormon
like herself, whom she followed
through years of vicissitudes to
Missouri, to Nauvoo, in Illinois, in
the long journey to Utoh, and thro'
the wilds and settlements of that
famous territory. She has encounter
ed hardships enough to drive a SEN
sitive woman crazy, yet neither her
health nor spirits are broken. The
worst thing she had at first to en-
dure after Joseph Smiths "revela-
ton" in 1843 concerning polygamy,
was the accession of her husband to
other wives. First he brought one
wife, who, according to Mrs. Webb,
was every good girl" When
he brought three more wives. and all
in the course Of a month";" says Mrs.
Webb, "I felt that my heart was
sore" Mrs. Webb's long residence
in Utah, her acquaintance of AZ
years with Brigham Young, and the
former close connection of her
daughter with the prophet, rendered
her statements in regard to his re-
sponsibility for the Mountain Mea.
dow massacre very important.
EVIDENCE AGAINST BRIGHAM YOUNG.
Sue received me pleasantly this
morning at her cottage home, and
thus responded to my questions
T" Have you any opinion or eyid-
ence," | asked, Sin regard TO Young's
connection with the Mountain Mea-
dow affair?''
q have a positive conviction )"
she replied.
9 To what effect?'
"That Brigham Young instigated,
and probably ordered, The slaughter.
This conviction was long in forming,
but it has been matured since fifteen
months"
DIouua ct of q -
They are several. They spring
out Of th rough knowledge of the
life and character of Brigham Young,
experience Of the fanalicism and
regulations of the Mormon church,
recollection of circumstances at the
TIM OF the massacre. and the tes-
timony of men familiar with the
facts. Brigham Young's abilities
are not to be despi ed, although he
is popularity credited with many
that he has not. To this day, after
all the shocks the Mormon church
and his own reputation have met
with, he continues to hold 100000
people in subsection. Some he holds
| through their fears or their sense of
self-interest but the most of them
are still physically, morally and in
tellectually PROSTATE before him.
At the time OF the butchery at Noun
tain Meadows his mastery over his
people was far more absolute than
the people of Rome could ever have
| boasted Of
/ BRIGUAAI. AS GODS MOUTH PIECE,
"His word was law; it was. in
fact, accepted as the. word of-God
himself. /. among thousands OF
others. implicitly believed it to be so,
and every member of the Church OF
Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
was swoin, as John D, Lee was
sworn, to obey oil the orders Of the
priesthood Of which Brigham Young
was the head. lie was Acknowledged
almost worshipped, as prophet.
priest, revelator. To the most
ignorant of the Mormons he was the
only God they knew anything about
and to the rest he stool as mediator
between them and the Almighty
All, excepting, of course, who held
the mental reservations which no
body can allege for or against fel
low being, imagined that they mus
comply with Brigham Young's re
quirements or suffer the Supreme
Gods displeasure.'
BRUTAL TYRANT.
Ibid this feeling, that they mus