New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-30

President Taylor, or Sumner Howard, or both OF
chem together, can explain how il happened that
Lee was the only one of the fty-eight Mormons en-
gagged in the massacre who was ever brought TO JUS
tce
IL is little late in The day to learn that during
The seventeen years succeeding the massacre, when
the Probate Courts of the Territory which are
always presided over by Mormon priests exercised
common law az well az a chancery jurisdiction and
when the punishment Of crime was wholly IN Nor
mon hands. the souls of the Mormon leaders were
filled with an ardent desire to ayenge the innocent
blood shed at Mountain Meadows. During the
years of which speak, the whole Mormon ChuTch
silent the grave concerning the massacre a7
Brigham Young had commanded; and that re would
have been a brave man indeed who would nave
dared suggest to the Mormon leaders the pro-
priety Of an investigation. 800,
made it possible for the United states Courts IN the
Territory to bring criminals TO trial number Oh
prominent Momans were indicted for completely IN
the massacre. Among these Bishop Dame
Colonel of the Iron County Regiment, into whose
mnrderous bands the emlgrants were decoyeG ny d
flag OF truce. | saw him while under arrest ana as
he knew that | had recently published an account
of the massacre, he asked:
NDid Won mention my name =
"NO did not
Do yOu think me guilty =
shall wait to hear the evidence before making
up my mind about that 49,.
Before Cod madam. / am innocent. ] did not
give the orders, and | am not responsible Tor the
orders that were passed over my head"
On the whole, it hardly seems wise for =" Fresi-
dent Taylor to thrust the Mountain Meadows
massacre upon the attention OF his readers. lheie
are too MANY uQV flcts on record not only impll-
eating the Mormon leaders but establishing beyond
reasonable doubt the statement that the ORDER LOT
the massacre came from headquarters. COlGneI
Dame was Lees superior officer, and the orders
which Dame says We're passed over his head must
have emanated from his superior officer. Many old
residents of Utah, respected and lnnueh-
tiaI citizens whose faith in MOrmOnism re-
a
say hat the supervision which Brigham Young ex-
crcised the people extended TO the minutest
affairs and that for any of his subordnates tO plan
or carry out important undertaking without ms
knowledge would nave been Impossible as Tor one
of the States 10 make war upon foreign rover
without the knowledge of the Federal Government
SHEDDING BLOOD FOR sALvATIoNs SAKE.
On page Il President Taylor says:
We hold further. all culprits worthy OF death
should bc executed by proper civil officer without the
Intervention Of ecclesiastical authority
This is certainly news to residents Of Titan. Nhen
be Potters and Parishes were killed at Springvlle
for apostasy, aud their dead bodies washed
anointed dressed in temple robes and placed on eX-
hibition in the Ward Meeting House as warning
to Others who might ne tempted to apostatze, was
there not some " Intervention OF ecclesiastHai
| authority - 1t certainly looks th2t way 70 oHt-
sdcrs The Dfselp Ncirs the official organ OF tho
Mormon Church publishes authorized reports OF
the sermons delivered in the Tabernacle III Tile
columns of that paper find a sermon OF Brigham
Young in which the following passage occurs;
saw rather than that aposiaes shall flourish IN Uni,
Territory will myself unshcathe my bowie knife ana
conqer die You who with me IN THIS thlE ralSt
your right hands. (All hands raised Now let us cal
on the Lord help MS in this and every good work
Another sermon of Brigham Young officially re-
ported for the sane paper contains this passage;
Do you love your ncighbor yourself II you do you
ought willing shed hs blood tor say atl"E sake
In the same paper, j. Grant. brigham Young
counsellor, tells the people:
II Is the will OF God that affairs OF Uuhewn stone should
be erected IN different parts o the Territory ana that
the blood Of eovenantbreakers should be shed thereon
with knife.
To most persons this certainly has the appearance
of ecclesiastical intervention" and the aspiration
that follows: wish we were in situation to obev
God in this thing without being hindered by
Gentle laws" gives the impression thar there !
not q perfect understanding between the authorl-
ties OF the Church and the proper civil officer
CORNELIA PADDOCK.
Salt Lake March /, 1851.