News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1883-12-27

that is foreign to our history, unknown
to our laws, not according to the genius
of our institutions nor of our people. |
think the poorest people on the face OF
the earth to play at despotism is the
great, intelligent American people, and
to send forth body of men armed to
the teeth to exterminate polygamy, not
bound by the laws Of evidence, forming
their own Judgment as to guilt or inno-
cencc, laying the hand of power on
whomsoever they think it necessary to
lay it, that would be an extraordinary
state of things.
Aud yet l don't think any legislation
short of that is going to accomplish
anything. OF course, all the wisdom
OF legislation is not in my poor head
thank Heaven. But [ think one reason
for the turpidity of our government is
that it doesen't know what to do. You
don't know what to do. You hate
MormOns. I don't. [ hate the institu-
ton. l love the Mormons. [ should
be very glad to see this vast body Of
men brought into harmony with all our
institutions and methods. But if you
ask me by what legislation you are 60
ing to do it, [ don't know. [ should be
glad to hear from any one who does
know. The wise men of Washington
are not wise on this subject. That |
have from headquarters.
Well, what is the other remedy? Let
them alone; receive them into the
Union; withdraw your soldiers; let
them have their Church; let them be
open to all the infiuencest that are affect
ing the public sentiment of every State
III the Union; send there your intelli-
gent teachers; establish schools among
them as You do among the heather;
send IN there those who can preach a
better gospel. Do you believe that,
while we may convert the people of Asia
and Africa, there is nothing in the Cos
pei that can touch Utah? Take perse-
cutiOn off of them. Go back absolutely
to moral influences. Take away from
them the feeling that they are singled
out from all the people ON this CONT
nent and held in, and denied their civil
rights, and are abused on account of
their religion. Take away all that, sub.
Stitute kindness and patient teaching
and preaching of the Gospel with more
piety and fervOr than it is now preached
to them, and wait for time. 1t is not
likely that they are going to take pos
session of the United States. If there
be any such thing as the superiority of
intelligence over ignorance if there be
any such thing as the triumph of divine
power or pure faith over an abiect SUI
perstitious faith; if there be any truth
in the claim that liberty emancipates
men; if it be true that the Gospel of
Jesus Christ is adequate to all the
emergencies of depravity and wicked
ness, in high places and in low, it would
seem to me that the way of the future is
the way of religion in all the days that
have gone by. 1t is an cdious thing TO
have such a stink-pot right in the midst
of the nation, We loathe the mere thought
of polygamy, and yet [ don't see any
other way to eradicate it. So far as
can see at present there are but two
courses-one is by the sword of the gov
ernment and the other is by the word of
the Lord, and of the two it seems to me
that | would little rather trust to the
sword of the Lord than to the sword of
Gideon. Settle New Testament against
the Old Testament. If the New Tesla
ment cannot whip out Moses and the
then it is not what it pretends
to be.