The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-05-18

4 IAsIuR 10 AQnH territory into tue u mon
which more than possesses all the qusliti-
cations ever before exscted, on the ground
that this mOnstrous and "inveterate evil"
dominates the territory, than you now
have 10 refuse to receive its proclaimed
apostle, its accredited am bassador for the
same reason? You have no right to
strengthen and digRify this system by
ad hitting their agent 10 a seat on this
floor, because that would be in aid Of
power which is st war with The inciples
OF the org4nic law, the settled policy of
the government, and the spirit of our
institutions. And, Mr.. Speaker, Utah is
unrepublican because
FIrst. 1t Is theocrscy stronger in
practice than the laws OF Congress, and
seeks union OF church and state.
Sec md. Because no political COM
munity ca; be republican that maintains
civil or ecclesiastical law which abro-
gates the Americ.n institution OF mar
riage an6 substitutes in its plsce the
system Of plural wives.
From its Infancy every step in its
growth has been distinguished by the
complete subordination o. the civil to the
ecclesiastical power:
From its cradle in Seneca County,
Men York, to Kirkland, Ohio, thence to
Jackson County, Missouri. aud back
again across the Mississippi to Nauvoo in
1910, 1t every where exalted the shib-
boleth of the prophet over The authority
Of law, and s.pired to local independence
and supremacy. The legislature of Illi-
nois. in the kindly exuberancs of their
sympathy for men claiming to be flying
from unjust persecution, granted them y
city Charter so artfully framed that the
laws of the state were practically nullifed
within the corporate limits Of the holy
city of Hauvoo.
Under it, its courts had original and
exclusive jurisdiction; q little army
called the "NauvoO Legion" was organ
lied and commanded by the prophet as
lieutenAnt-general. Such open abuse of
their hospitality and such high-haDded
defiance OF their laws, led first 10 iReffect-
HaI prosecutions for treason, and then to
the death of the prophet at the hands of
the people, and their final fight beyond
the borders of civilization that abhorred
and spewed them out, under the leader
ship of Brigham Young, to the shores of
the Salt Lake and the fertile pie ms and
picturesque valleys of that charming
solitude.
And here, where, in The words of the
old familiar hymn,
Where every prospect plesses
And only man is vile.
And fondly fancying themselves be-
yond the control Of the government,
las they have been ever since,)
they set up the standard of the
prophet, again proclaimed their right to
govern themselves, organized the free
and Independent estate Of Deseret," and
planted themselves on the manifesto of
Sidney RIgdOn, their great orator ct Far
West, Missouri, in 1888
We this day proclaim ourselves free,
with purpose ard determination never
to be broken-no, never! no, never! no,
never" And with the aid of Congress
until now they have kept their word. Up
to this hour, and for more than thirty
years, against the indignant protest Of
the Christian world. against the laws
they have set at naught, in the teeth of
great nation that has vanquished every
other foreign and domestic foe, this moo-
strous and phenomenal power has more
than held its OVID. And now l ask what
in all these years of territorial tutelsge
has Congress done 10 make such need
full rules and regulations" as would bring
about the subjugstion Of this un:eOubli-
can and inveterAte evil and prepare this
embryo state for admission to the Union?
Congress in 1850. with a view of sup
planting the Estate of Deseret," gave
Utah the right to govern itself only sub
ject TO the Constitution and the laws Of
the United States so far as applicable.
The legislature organized under this law
proceeded with all convenient speed to
gather Utah, her woods, her mines, her
fields and streams, her women and every
body else's women, from Iceland to tina
tropics, into ABRAMS ms bosom. They
re-enacted the ordinance Incorporating
the" Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter day
Saints" aid under it, through Brigham
Young and the apostles, acquired vast
tracts Of the most fertile and inviting sec
tons. They organized surveyor-Een-
erals Office and sold the public lands to
the highest bidder They destroyed the
monuments of survey the government
had established, captured the records of
the Eurveyor-general andS compelled him
10 fly for his life. Brigham Young was
the absolute head OF the church, tho vice.
gersnt Of Heaven and the civil governor
Of the territory. In Septem Der, 1857, a
little army was marched against them.
Brigham Young declared the territory
under martial law, and threa' ened to re-
sist the advance Of the troops by armed
force, but the pacfcstion Of the territory
was apparently secured, the troops with
drawn and the civil power remsnded
without additional safeguards, conditions.
or penalties into the reckless and wicked
hands efthe Mormon hierarchy, with no
sembiance of federal authority excent
federal governor and bsfled
and despised federal court.
To he continued,