The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1877-09-07

that some Of them were proligate and
disreputable persons; ariaccusation which
they attempted 70 sustain by scandalous
statements which were not probably en-
stlrely destitute of truth. In.1857 the office
OF governor of Utah was conferred upon
Alfred Cumming, superintendent Of
Indian affairs on the upper Missouri, and
that OF chief justice on Judge Eckels. of
Indiana; and a force of twenty-iveI humid
red men under experienced officers was
sent to protect them IN the discharge Of
their functions. The Mormons were
greatly excited at the approach of these
troops. Young in his capacity of govern
or issued proclamation denouncing the
army as mob, and forbidding it to enter
the territoryy, and calling the people. of
Utah to repcl its advance. The army
reached Utah in September, and on
October and a party of mounted
Mormons destroyed several of the supply
trains, and few days later cut off eight
hundred oxen from the rear of the army
and drove them to Salt Lake CITY. The
rmy.of which Col "a. S. Johnston had nv
this time assumed the command was over -
taken BY the SHOWS of winter before it could
reacn Salt Lake valley, and about the mid
ole OF November went into winter quarters
on Blacks fork, near Fort Bridger. On
Nov. ~ Gov. Cumming issued a procla-
matioS the territory to be in a state of
rebellion. In the spring of 1853, by the
intervention of Mr. Thomas L. Kane. of
P'e e nr y lyania, who had gone to Utah by
way Of California, bearing letters from
President Buchanan, "a good understanding
was brought about between Gov. Cum
ming and the Mormon leaders; and
toward the end of May two commissioners.
Gov. Powell. of Kentucky land Maj. McCul-
loch, cite xas arrived at the camp with
proclamation from the President, offer
ing pardon to all Mormons who would
submit themselves to federal authority.
This offer was accepted by the heads of
the church, and shortly afterward the
troops entered Salt Lake valley. and
were stationed at Camp Floyd on the west
ern side of Lake Utah, about forty miles
from Salt Lake City, where they remained
TIL L May, 1860, when they were Withdrawn
from the territory.
With Brigham Young's recent history
the public is perfectly familiar. Of his
troubles with Ann Eliza, his nineteenth
polygamous wife, and Of the efforts lately
made to connect him with the horrible
massacre at Mountain Meadows, the news
papers from time to time have given full
particulars
/ BY the death of Brigham Dung ,proph
ct seer, and "president Of the church
Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day.
Saints the Mormon church has lost a
leader whose place there Is none to I'LL
| completely, and the world has lost char
acter who will be notorious as long as
history endures. He possessed those pecu-
liar traits of character that fit men to be
rulers. He was a despot, absolute as the
car Of Russia, but more endeared to his
people, because he was one of the people,
revered as prophet-a direct agent Of
the Almighty, through whom His will
was revealed to the people. Hc was
cruel, remorse]ess in the.execution Of his
| plans, visiting heresy with the most ter
| rible penalties. The tribe Of Dan, to
which was given the execution of the
death penalty, when decreed by the
churchssor its prophet, was composed of
men who knew no compassion, and who
executed the .jud gments of the despotic
hierarchy with appalling cruelty So
The practice of polygamy owes its
origin among the Mormons to Brigham
Young. Himself Of gross, sensual ma.
ture, he sought qualification for his lust
which would appear sacred, at least to
his followers. When the revelation" per-
hitting the faithful to have a plurality of
wives was given, there was a partial revolt
but as polygamy was a privilege, not
requirement, and was recommended as a
means of rapidly increasing their numbers
the saints finally accepted it.sand gradu-
Ialfy the practice became almost universal
among the Mormons in Utah, although a
few of the followers Of the prophet, Joseph
Smith, still reject it as heresy. All efforts
of the federal government to suppress the
practice have thus far failed. With the
death of the prophet who ordained it,
polygamy will doubtless begin to die.
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