Weekly Trinity journal., 1877-09-08
THE MORM0ES.

brigham olhg, inc mormon Iresl-
dent, is dead. This is an event of more
than ordinary significance. There aro
those, and we are Of the number who will
regret the death Of the Mormon chief at
this time. The government of the coun-
try has hunted down and punished one Of
the Mormon leaders implicated in the
Mountain Meadows massacre of 1871
But he was only the tool, or one of the
tools of those higher in the Church than
himself. There is little doubt but the
crime would have been eventually
brought home to Brigham Young that
it would be proven sufficiently to insure
conviction or, at least stamp the brand Of
guilt So fixedly upon the Mormon leaders
a. to make the Church and its adherents
such an object Of scorn and despicahilitS
that its power for evil would be forever
gone. They regret, not Bfigham's death,
but the manner of it. He should have
died like his tool, Lee, shot to death above
the graves of his victims.
But while the natural desire Of all just
minded men ever is that high crimes
should be punished whatever the station
OF the criminal, il is ar open question
! whether it is not better for the interests
OF true religion, as the event now Is. In
The Eastern Stntes, in Missouri and Hi
nois the early days Of Mn,moniam were
MAJ ked by crime and Outrage, against the
| public peace, which caused the expulsion
OF that people from the country. Did the
! history Of the Church Since the killing of
Joe. Smith ut Nauyuo, is sufficient an
>wer to the question. Their slain Proph-
/ ct became martyr; the creed for
which he was claimed to have died be-
came more sacred in the eyes of the ig-
norant misses who made up the Nor
with their neighbors the Mormon lead
ers decided to remove to place where
they could practice the peculiar doctrines
OF their creed undsturbcd by outside in
auencps. And the decision to which the
leaders came was submissiyely accept, d
by the humble followers. Though we
may despsc the blind, unreasoning be-
Iici which could accept such creed, we
must also admire the !ortitude Of the be-
levers. The Pilgrim Fathers who
sought the ihhospitable shores of New
England in The blenk winter, displayed
no more lurttude for the sake of freedom
Of religious worship than did the early
MorInons. Their trail led through the
prares of Iowa, itself an unsettled coun.
try until it reached the Missouri River al
the Council Bluffs. At this point they
rested while their scouts went forth to SPY
out the hand. Their huts, in which they
abode temporarily, were yet standing al
KnneSville when we came over the same
r ,ad five yoars later From here they
took up their line Of march across the
Great American Desert" to the place
selected rs their future abode. One
thousand and liy-four miles Of tIavel ovel
pathlcss country, with streams wide and
deep without ferry or bridge was between
them and the promised lanl. But these
privatloGs were cheerlully borne, and the
Latter Day Saints lelt themselves ut last,
| in place where they would be beyond
the reach of hostile intrusion. And SO
they might have been, hid it not been,
for the acquisition of California and
The di-covery of gold within its Dor
ders, which was going on while the
Mormons were making their settlements.
The tide Of emigration setting toward the
! Pacific passed close to their chosen re.
treat and they found themselves again in
the way of the hated Gentiios.
Their President, Young, showed him
self man well calculated to sway the
ignorant masses who accompanied him t..
D-,cret. Living, no man in the church
p rmitted himself to question his right.
to rule with absolute power. Dead, he
still has an immense influence but moth
idg to what it would have been had h,
suffered the penalty Of his crimes against
human life. The succession to the Nor
m N Presidency j, II question well calcu
lated To produce disscnsiou in the Church
and vi the Church divided its downfall
i, but "A question of time. AS n matter
of course the leading men of the Nor
mon. are astute enough 10 see this, 6u
they are ambitious also. They have no
the strong belief in their own dngmas
which their deuded followers have, and
civilization and plogroFs has much Il
hope for in Utah since the death o
Brigham Young.