The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-04-19
LEE AND THE MORMONS.
Curiosities of Utah superstition-Why Lee
Was Shot and Not Hung-The Effect of the


From the Alta California;
There is in the Mormon faith a pro-
fessedly particular regard for women
Man is the cause of all the frailty of the
opposite sex, hence the husband, from a
Mormon standpoint, is I" the head, +" and
is responsible for all her sins. She can
not sin beyond all redemption. She is
sure to be saved in eternity, even though
she may be destroyed in the flesh. Chill
dren are proportionately more innocent
than their mothers, and are to be more
tenderly cared for-so far as their life
is concerned. This explains the trouble
OF Dame first and Brigham afterward
about the number of the women and
children killed in. the massacre. There
is, however, a point beyond this that
hinges upon constructive guilt Of both
women and children, and here Haight
informs Brigham that "there was not a
drop of innocent blood in the whole
train" They were condemned in toto
for being the relatives, in some degree,
of those who had, long before many of
them we're born, driven the Saints, as
before stated, from Missouri and Hi
nois. "Innocent blood" is, therefore,
credited to women and children only I'M
til the Mormon priesthood sits in iudg
ment upon them, and then, as seen in
the Mountain Meadows, they are no more
secure from violence than the rest of hui
mainly. It was only after the Lord had
assured him that there was nothing
wrong that even Brigham Young felt re-
heved from anxiety.
The Mormons fully believe that with
out the shedding of blood there is no re-
mission of SINS" hence the murderer
who is hung by the neck till he dies
makes no Precipitation of God what
ever. The blood must be. split ON the
ground, and the smoke thereof ascend to
heaven, before the atonement for crime
is fully accomplished. In that spirit and
understanding Lee was firm in his faith
to the last moment, and, without falter-
ing in voice, expressed himself ready, to
"meet God face to face, and also the
emigrants." He died with the fullest
confidence that, whatever there may have
been of wrong in the killing of the emf
grants, or in any other of the dark crimes
that he alludes to, his blood split upon
the ground cleansed him from all in
iquity. This denunciation against Brig
ham Young seems to convey the idea to
some of his having abandoned the Nor
mon faith, but to the initiated it has not
that Interpretation. Lee abiured Brig
ham, but chung to Smith, the founder Of
the faith.
There are many persons in Utah to-
day in fellowship with Brigham Young
anxiously awaiting the hour of his death.
These persons will be confirmed by Lees
confession in their resolution to abandon
Mormonism altogether when the heel of
Brigham is off their necks. Many who
have been told that the massacre was the
work of the Indians will be undeceived
and ultimately doubt and tumble out of
the church; but the old Mormons, the
Interchangeable fossils, will only be sorry
that Lee has brought them so unfavor-
ably before the world They will Justify
the massacre as much as those did who
were engaged in the bloody work. In
foreign nations Lees confession will be
published, the pains and troubles of the
missionaries will be greatly increased,
and the emigration to Utah will no doubt
be greatly injured. Lees statement is a
severe blow to the Latter-Day cause, and
should be the death of Brigham's hopes
that Utah will be admitted into the
Union; but the willy prophet has faith in
the kindness of his foes.