The New York herald., 1877-07-09
How Brigham Young May Escape.

How Brigham Young May Escape.
Our correspondence from Utah grows in
tensely interesting as the downtrodden
people there begin to realize that their
wrongs have found an utterance in the
columns of the HERALD and that the facts
which are daily given to the world will
force the present administration to such
definite action as will settle forever the
.barbaric rule of Brigham Young The peo-
pie of the United States everywhere demand
it. The national honor and name cannot
longer be disgraced. 1t was the ambition
of General Grant from tie day of his first
Inauguration to the end of his second term,
to get at this Utah questions but the oppor-
tunity was never reached, though he sought
it earnestly. The national questions which
prevented him reaching it have all been
settled, or SO met that the obstacles in his
path are now no longer in the way to pre-
vent Mr.. Hayes handling effectively this
question. Our correspondence from WASH
ington points out the first steps to be taken
in the reconstruction of Utah." to which
the sympathizers with Brigham cannot
properly object.
No one thirsts for the blood of Brigham
Young; but there is an urgency for dealing
with the question now. if it is ever to be
met. He is now more than seventy-six
yeaB Of age, and in the ordinary course of
nature will, in a few years, go down to his
grave, and once that his dust has mingled
with mother earth he will be greater idol
to the ignorant and deluded masses in
Utah than ever he was while living among
them. Let him die now, and he would be
embalmed in the memory of the faithful as
a sorely prosecuted and maligned saint; but
let him be tried and let the evidence Of his
crimes be blazoned abroad, and the scales
would fall from the eyes of the deluded,
and Mormonism would crumble to dust and
take its place with the multitude of issues
that do but little evil to the world.
1t is imperative that we proceed at once,
because the most important witnesses are
fast passing away and leave behind no evil
dence that can be of legal value in any
criminal trial. 1t is but a short time since
we recorded the death of George A. Smith.
Brighams first counsellor, the very man
who carried the order from Brigham to
Dame, Haight, Highloy and Lee for the
murder of the emigrants at Mountain
Meadows. So long as Smith lived Brigham
controlled the juries in Beaver and no con-
viction OF Lee was possible; but Smith was
scarcely in his grave when the Mormons tes-
titled against Lee and he was convicted,
sentenced and shot. In his death ON i'm
portant witness was lost. On Lees confess
sions the world is morally certain of Brig
hams guilt but by the shrewdness and
tact of the Mormon leaders the
belief in his guilt in the minds of
charges preferred against Lee; but
Lee living could not have been so dealt
with. In our correspondence from Utah
published yesterday Captain Tobin, who
rises, as it were, from his grave and gives
testimony against the parties who tried to
assassinate him and three Gentiles leaving
Utah, refers to witnesses whose deaths we
have already recorded. The Lyman he
speaks of knowing all about the murderers
was the eloquent apostle who apostatized
from Brigham's Church ten years since and
who died only few months ago mourned
by the best people of Utah. He would have
been most important witness, for it was his
knowledge of Brigham's iniquitous and MUIR
derous course that made him sever his re-
lationship with the Mormon Church at the
price of everything he possessed. There
are still many witnesses of these murders
living, but death and the Danites will
swear them out" Mr.. Tobin is himself
an important witness, not only in the case
detailed in our paper yesterday, but he is
said to have evidence that will inculpate the
Mormons of the massacre of Captain Gunni-
son and his party of typographical engi-
neers We hope that he may yet be granted
the opportunity which he desires of giving
his evidence on the cruel murders in Utah.
But with such an array of witnesses and
opportunities, unless the officers Of justice
are firmly sustained and the courts clothed
with the jurisdiction which the popularity
of the crimes to be tried calls for, as sure
as fate Brigham will escape the gallows he
so richly deserves.