News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-06-12
THE DANITES OF UTAH.
VIVID ACCOUNT OF THE AyENGING
ANGELS OF THE LATTER-DAY
SAINTS
Their Organization and some of the Work
DGne-The Mountain Meadow Massacre.

| Ineif ORGANIZATION ana some OF Ihe WORK
DGne-The Mountain Meadow Massacre.
SO nearly as it is possible to arrive at
certainty in the matter, the first DANTE
organization was called into existence in
1888 during the Mormon troubles in
Upper Missouri; but the way had been
prepared for work of the sort some three
or four years earlier. Just what it was
that stirred the people of Jackson coun-
ty, No., to such hostility against the
Mormon settlers in their midst it is now
impossible to determine. Their doctrines
were at that time unobjectionable and
their lives inoffensive. The trouble WAS
to a large extent political. Jackson
county rose in a body and cast them
forth. The summary ejectment from
house and land not uflnaturallY stirred
the wrath Of the brethren in Ohio, and
Joseph Smith at once received a revela-
tfon. The Ohio Mormons were therein
directed to raise men by twenties or by
fifties or by hundreds ''until they had
enlisted five hundred of the strength of
my house." These were to s'avenge Me
of Mine enemies, unto the third and
| fourth generations of them that hate
Me-" Whether any organization had
actually been formed at the time Sidney
Riglon preached his famous "Salt Ser
| mon," or whether that was the nucleus
about which Danitism clustered, there
are probably few living to-day who could
| tell. Rigdon took for the text of a
Fourth of July Grafton, 1888: eff the
salt has lost its SAVIOR, it is henceforth
| good for nothing but to be cast out and
| trodden under foot of men," The speech
was a Mormon declaration of independ-
ence, and breathed woe and vengeance
against all who should henceforward in
terfere with the Mormons or renew the
| old prosecutions.
Election was at hand and the anti
| Mormons saw their opportunity. Upper
Missouri was soon in ferment. There
were mobs and fresh talk of repulsion.
Whether the Mormons had banded to-
gether before or not, they had need to
do so now for their own safety. Elder
John Hyde says it was at this time that
the "Death Society" was organized,
under the direction of Rigdon, but with
the sanction of Smith. In looking about
for name, they were at a loss for one
which should combine spiritual authority
with imposing sound. At first they called
themselves 1.-The Daughters of Zion. ,
The name did not sit well. Next they
called themselves destroying Angels. .
but it was Genesis, xlix-17, that furnished
| the name they finally assumed. The
verse is significant: Dan shall be a ser
pent by the way, adder in the path
| that l,iteth the horses heels so that his
rider shall fall backward"
''E5e,4s of D..f." ti1ay hacnlY1o and have
remained, and verify they have justified
the title. The existence of Danitlsm
was made known to the outside world
through the detection of certain of the
! Mormons themselves. In their new
home at Nauvoo the sons of Dan fell III
to the background. The Nauvoo legion
was an open militia organization, and
whatever of the leaven of Danitism yet
fingered among the Mormons, worked
in such darkness and privacy as to es'
cape detection. It was during the
Nauyoo episode that Oren Porter Rock
we'll who has been credited with being
the chief of Danites, came first into no
tice. Ex-Governor Boggs of Missouri
had made himself especially obnoxious
to the Mormons by his repeated efforts
TO apprehend Smith. Joseph had pro
pbesied his death in six months, ant
when he was shot in the head at HI
residence III Independence, suspicion a
once fastened itself upon Rockwell.
After the exodus to Utah there was a
first no room for Danitism to display II
$ self The Mormons had isolated them
selves effectualiy from the rest of tn
: world and were for the time being a
r peace among themselves. But the re-
/ ormation of 1856 ushered in new ers
t II was then that "blood atonement" ws
g first preached, and Danitism became il
u instrument. The reformation" wf
t nreached for months, and violent e.
l. bortations might be quoted from the di
s courses of Young and nearly every oth'
l. prominent Mormon. The fruit of sue
n advice was shortly seen in DANTE worl
d The Parrish murder in Springville
g perhaps as good an example as could
% found of killing the apostate to save
n son1 The notorious Mountain Meade
ct massacre was an instance where tt
t. same policy was put in practice again
rs the Gentiies.
E. To the fear of Danitism was attrlbut
N bic the dread that prevailed OF leavn
#. the Territory before the ESTABLISHING
re of Camp Douglas. Some people h
e. gone without opposition or annoyan
Id but the Danites were active enough
Iy spread a general opinion that there W
e. a great risk to life in leaving the churc
O. An apostate was apt to fall by the ws
l." and his "taking off, was charged up
ri the Indians. But many among
faithful had a shrewd suspicion that
ry Indians were white, and in too ma
Die cases their suspicious were justified.
ey belong to the innermost circle OF
IN elect, to be san instrument In work.
es. the will of the Lord, - was not always
I'd assurance of safety. Damtes themsei
lus were known to suffer, as in the case
full Hickman and Hatch, two namas- long
lid sociated with deeds of criminal vlolen
Hatch finally sickened OF his trade
ave prepared to leave the valley, but
knew too much to go in peace. Ill
ore man "saw him off, =" and While rio
the through a creek lined with bushes u
far, either side, Hatch received shot IL
has hack Hickman hurried back to
do citv with the news that "lndlans
I'M set upon them; but Hatch lived l
i it enouoh to make his way home and
zeal pose the truth.
and Camp Douglas and the influx OF I
tier tiles struck the deathblOw to Damt
and whether the doctrine is believed
b dav or not, to give an apostate the
, ~ direct upon the city streets or to re
,aL TO let the children play together I
~ the walks is now the only manltesta
lad possible in Salt Lake. Out in the G.
-, trv it is still practicable to rob
tiles ben-roost, or disable his GOV
VINO bomstring his horse, but graver 1nl'
It's hove become a matter OF the past.
ping -~-
- pnr,croN is the universal instint