The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-03-14
TIE UTAH REBELhEOB.
Public FEELING on the Matter.
Correspondence Of the-HkRAEED
CHICAGO, March g. 1ss2.

CHICAGO, March 6, 1852
I have taken some pains-to &SEEE-
tain, by direct inquiry. the aeEUR
state of feeling in this commaR1sg,
in regard to the pending co7gRs-
SIGNAL action in reference to Uaah-
In certain circles there is psTRpt-
IDLE evidence that the agitatiO4 OF
the question has created degree az
sensation. and the opinion is freeEy
expressed, in terms more empbstiE
than polite, that the id MorEROnS
ought to be squelched cat sEectn-
ally this time. Others, MeN Oh
somewhat more pronounced indy
lduality, are doubtful of the sound
ness Of the proposed methods, and
still others do not hesitate to de-
neunce the propositions embodiR&
in Edmunds bill and other DSas-
ares of similar purport. Kh&
trouble is with the latter class thaA
they are not public men, and
have no inclination or msthO5
of declaring their views publicIy.
If they were placed upon the bench.
or questioned by government N IT,
gard to their opinions, they wOU&
not hesitate TO declare themselves
but they lock upon the matter a.
they do upon practical politics, ~
no concern of theirs. The popular
theory is that the governments =
paid for attending to such business
out every man sticks to his OER
calling. The average good citiH3.
of the United States appears IL.
have less influence on political oE8s-
tions than the similar individual 4.
England or France. Then there Is
the press, apparently unit in push
ing on the crusade. Many OF Tie
editors think they see big popular
sentiment arrayed against Utah q.
and so echo whatever the preachers
and demagogues have to say; others
would like TO get the repubk-
think that can be best
accomplished by forcing them inio.
indiscreet action in regard to Utah
There is absolutely nobody who
cares 20 defend the practice of
polygamy; hence all public defeEee-
IF the MOrmOns is stopped. Bus
for this feeling l think this popular
raid would find stalwart OpponeDs<s
among men who do not care to cgAS
ate a president SO fatal to rsligi GUS
and political liberty, as are m0sE9O5
the measures proposed in Congress-
Though the government. b1@
stretched the Constitution Of tia
United States till it has becOm& ~
very attenuatel parchment dunn
the lifetime OF the republican party
it can hardly affeTd 10 strike out IN.
the direction now proposed, pOlyx
amy dad in principle and in results
as L believe 1t to be-. could not sa>
outrage every principle of our "
public or nation, or whatever govern
ment We have. as would the passage
and enforcement of such bill
as EdmundS has offered, i'll my hTIJR-~
| ble opinion. The bad results OF the
system can hardly interfere with III
reflect upon the states, or the pSOEs1e
who declined 70 enter into such alb
n, rInaI relations; but the attemQt
by Congress 10 define what religious
beliels shall pass current, or WIZ z
class of Christians shall be allow sd
political privileges would strike 3
vital blow at Tie remnants Of 0aK
free institutions. Where is the maD,
who has the courage and the DIS
position to attack this species az
| fanaticism, and strangle it, as s85
gallant Henry A. Wise once grappIeH
with Know Nothingism, and saat-
tered the priests and bigots Who aNs-
tanned that dangerous innovation
upon liberal government Evidently
the little group of Utah ''rebeEg
need attention and wise action. n
ter all; when we think how Itt1k
there is in this Utah raid, and hSN
fierce are its instigators, we are- n
clined to believe that it will not
succeed, if timely and judiciOus az
ton is taken by The people of Utah
E. N. f.