New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-09-12
THE pORvON SUCCESSION.


The course of events in Utah takes the di-
recton predicted by our Salt Lake CORE
snondent in the letters which we printed last
week. There is no one ready to TIL the place
of Brigham Young. and the Saints have re-
course again to the cXpedient which they
| adopted on the death of Joseph Smith. lnclr
first prophet like their second, made no pro-
vision for success sOr. His death threw every
thing into confusion. The leaders were scat
tered; some were at the East; some were IN
Europe and when they came together at
Nauvoo to deliberate upon their future, the
Church, by rival interests and ambitions,
was on the point of splitting into dozen
fragments. The most Formidable aspirant
for the mantle of the martyred leader was APP
parentIy the violent and fanatical Sidney Rig
don. The first TO reach NauvOo after Smiths
death, be had lost no time in opening his soul to
the prophetic afilatus, and while the other
apostles and elders were travelling in haste
toward the holy city, he was already making
the pulpit resound with the widest farragos
of inspired nonsense threats of mundane ven
peance mingling with the narrative OF ecstaiic
visions, the counsels of politician cOnfoundcd
with rawlings of the possessed. The shrewd-
there was always an artful method, saved the
Saints in this critical time lie taught
them that Joseph Smith, being dead, yet
spoke to his followers; he was no less
truly the head of the church ling in his cof-
fin than riding in full uniform at the head of
the NauvOo Legion no one should take his
place; but the Quorum of the Twelve Apos
ties must exercise the supreme control OF af-
fairs on earih-at least until Heaven should
manifest preference for some other arrange
ment. Then. mt a meeting of the Saints. Sid
ney Rigdon was solemnly given over to the
buffetings of Satan for n thousand ycars-a
period of punishment which has yet a good
while to run.
BRIGHAM was, by seniority, the head of the
Quorum Of Twelve. He assumed the direction
of everything. In due season his ascendancy
became complete; and then, three years and
n half after the death Of Smith, the
voice Of inspiration commanded him to
restore the First Presidency of the Church. as
it existed in the time of his predecessor, and
to present himself before the world as the
autorIat, the seer, and the revelator of the new
dispensatiOn. His claims were not admitted
without dispute. There was a contest among
The Apostles; there was apOstacy among the
Saints; but his victory was complete and quick
Shut up with an ignorant and credulous peo-
pie. behind barrier of deserts and mountains,
he developed the system OF MormOnism, built
I'D It's despotic theOcracy, divulged its es0teric
doctrines, lived his thirty years of impOsture,
consolidating his power, amassing wealth and
wives, ald bearing, like the Turk, no brother
near the throne. Thus, when he dies there is
no one in the Mormon Church upon whom the
general voice confers the vacant honors.
The Church naturally falls back upon the old
expedent and again the sceptre is put, so to
speak, in commission. Whether a successor to
Brigham shall arise out of the Twelve, depends
upon the question whether there is any one of
them with the force of character, the talent
for command, the courage. the ambition, the
knowledge of men, and the genius for swindling,
TO follow Brigham's example. 1t would be rash
to conclude that there is no such man in the
City of the Great Salt Lake because no such
man has yet appeared. There was no room for
strong men in Brighams company whoever was
not content to be his docile and modest follower
was forced into obscurty, banished to distant
missions excluded from every position in which
he might have won fame or popularity. There
may be some stout-hearted and aspiring Saint
who has chafcd in secret under the repressve
policy of the departed egOtist, and who watches
now for the oppOrtune coming of the divine
afilatus, as Brigham, in bis youth, waited for
his chance, patient, laboriOus, and unObtrusve.
If leader is to be disclosed, Mormonism may
enter upon new career, directed by an in
dividual character which, of course, we cannot
even conjecture. If the Twelve are to retain
the Government the heaven-directed State
will speedily crumble away, and the Latter
Day revelation will take its place with tho
other religious deusions and impostures which
crowd the records of human folly.
Brigham Young is understood to have de-
signed the succession for his son. Joseph
Smith entertained a similar purpose of making
the prophetic Office hereditary. The Mormons
seem to be as little disposed to respect this de-
sire in the present instance as they were in
the earlier Indeed, it ID agreed on all hands
! that the younger Brigham lacks the personal