The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-05-17
The Excitement in Utah.

ter Day Saints" in general from his pulpit
in the Salt Lake Tabernacle the prophet
Erastus Snow was deputod to do little
particular denunciation of the press, and
especially Of the New YORK HERALD, which
seems TO have created an unusual commo-
ton among the Mormon leaders OF late.
'sYou lying scribblers." he shouted, "are
classifying for the purpose of destroying the
Saints but You will not succeed y
| We advise the apostle Snow to keep his
temper. SO far as we know he has no oc-
casion for alarm If he has been party to
the Mountain Meadows massacre or to any
other murders we have not yet heard OF it.
and the HERALD's object inst now is to stir
up the officers of justice and the admins
tration at Washington to make thorough
work of the investigation of numer-
Gus murders which District Attorney
Howard has on hand. Why do Brigham
Young and his apostles fall into fury over
a judicial investigation whose only object
is to bring assassins to Justice? We should
have thought these prophets and head
saints would be but too ready to help Mr..
Howard and the other federal officers search
out the authors of one of the most atrocious
and wanton assassinations on record, which
occurred within their Territory, in which
Lee, one of their leading men, is known to
have been leading actor and for which,
certainly, all who had a share either in
ordering, planning or executing it ought to
be hanged.
The federal District Attorney and Marshal
in Utah are making a judicial inquiry into
the history of an atrocious murder Of men,
women and children. The Grand Jury.
which assemblies on the 2lst, and is COM
posed for the greater part Of citizens not
Mormons, will hear the evidence OF large
number of witnesses who have been
subpnnaed because they are believed to
know something about these murders. An
ingenious attempt to blacken the character
and destroy the efficiency of the District
Attorney has broken down. Mr. Howard
it is found, can neither be bought nor
scared, and so, suddenly, Young and the
other prophets begin to below about perse-
cution and to prophesy bloody times. All
this is very silly, unless, indeed, these
prophets have something to conceal-unless
they have reason to fear for themselves at
the hands of justice. Ii they are guiltless
they can have nothing to conceal, and in
stead of denouncing the HERALD they ought
to be helping the District Attorney.
We copy from the Salt Lake Herald, the
Mormon organ, general denial OF the re-
ports that the Mormons are privately arm
ing and drilling "There is no occa-
sion for alarm" says the Mormon jour-
nal; 'yet two or three scoundrelly
newspaper reporters have put in cir
culatlon base lie which, if unchecked,
might bring ruin and desolation upon
whole Territory" Here we do not agree
with our contemporary. No newspaper re-
port, even if it were entirely false, could
ruin Utah or desolate it. That is oil nom
sense. If the Mormons are not arming
and drilling misstatements in newspapers
will do no harm; their falsehood will be
quickly discovered, and there an end. Even
if the Mormons are arming and drilling
ruin and desolation" will not follow unless
they should, at the bidding of their proph-
cts, commit the incredible folly OF making
war against the United States. We have
several times said that we do not believe
they will venture on this. 1t has never
been their policy. Brigham Young has
caused grass and forage to be burned,
cattle to be driven off and farms to be
destroyed, to impede the advance Of federal
troops ; but he was careful even then to
L. a. n;,. hoy cn{Yf al
eral soldiers. 1t was the Arkansas emigrant
train which was murdered, and not Har-
neys or Sidney Johnston's army.
But the Mormon organs denial comes too
late. Our correspondents reports Of the
arming and drilling in Utah are confirmed
by request for reinforcements made to the
Secretary Of War by Governor Emery. We
do not suppose the Governor fears violent
and general uprising, but he knows very
well the great power the Mormon leaders
still have over the more ignorant part Of
their followers he knows privately, in all
probability from the District Attorney,
that it may be necessary presently to
arrest some Of The higher Mormon chiefs I;
he '.knows that rescue may be attempted,
and he means to be prepared against such
an attempt" In all this he is wise. let
ter which we print elsewhere to-day from
our Salt Lake correspondent contains mat
ter which may turn out to bring home to
Brigham Young himself guilty knowledge
Of the Mountain Meadows massacre. 1t is a
very curious and extraordinary story which
our correspondent relates he is careful
and trained Investigator, and it will be no.
ticed that he does not give entire faith to
the revelations Of Thatcher or Idaho Bill !"
But the identity Of this man with one OF
the children saved from the massacre seems
to be ut least probable
Now we warn Brirham Young and his fell