The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-04-07

NC
embarrassed.
Permit US to refer to our own cases.
President John Taylor, lat the beginning
of this year, hearing of the persecution
to which our brethren were subjected
in Arizona, determined to visit that
region, in company wi h number OF
the elders. His object in going there
was to visit with and, as far as posi-
Bile, comfort the Saints. Five of our
co-religionists had undergone form
OF trial, travesty of justice, and three
of them had been sent, under a SEN
tence of imprisonment of three and a
half years and $500 fine each, to what
may be rightly termed the American
Siberia, upwards of 1000 miles distant
from their own homes-the House OF
Correction at Detroit. The other
two had been sentenced to six months
imprisonment and $500 fine in the J erri-
torial Penitentiary at Yuma. Every
member of our Church was shocked at
these outrageous proceedings. For.
while all were prepared to endure the
legal consequences of the violation of
the Edmunds law, they we're not pre-.
pared for such gross and tyrannical per-
versions of the law as were involved in
these sentences. No man who could by
any possibility be accused, any longer
dared to submit his case to such treat
ment. Many of them, therefore,
left their homes, to seek in foreign
land that freedom from persecution
which was denied them in their own.
1t was under these circumstances that
President Taylor, and the company of
Elders referred to. visited Arizona
Upon his return, and while at San Fran
cisco, he received kilograms informing
him that it was unsafe for him to come
back to Salt Lake City. Disregarding
these, however, he did return and pub
Fcly attend to his business for some
time; in the meanwhile delivering a
discourse to the Saints in the Taber-
nacle. Seeing, however, how deter
mined certain Federal officials here
were to embarrass, arrest and place
under bonds every prominent man, and
being informed of threats made against
his own liberty. he deemed it wise,
under the circumstances, to Withdraw
for awhile to attend to his business in
more private manner than he had been
in the habit of doing in his public office.
This he has continued to do up to the
present writing receiving and answer
ing letters. giving council and instruc-
ton, and devoting himself assidHously
to all the duties of his calling. except in
delivering public addresses from the
stand Neither he, President George @.
Cannon, nor President Joseph F. Smith
have had any official notification or
reliable information from any officer of
the court that process of any kind had
been issued against them; at the same
time their residences, especially that of
Brother Joseph F. Smith, have been
invaded and searched, and the Marshal,
his deputies and their spoilers and
spies have displayed zeal to ascertain
the whereabouts of the First Pre- idency
that has led to the conclusion that they
wished TO get them into their power
and place them under arrest. And not
only this anxiety was manifested in
their cases. but President Woodruff and
several of the Twelve Apostles, besides
numbers of other leading men, have
been threatened and sought for with
sSsiduity.
In England, upon one occasion, the
.ioquent Lord Chatham said, N speak
ng of the rights of the subject, that a
mans house was his castle; that though
t might be so poor that the rains of
heaven could penetrate it and the winds
,eat through its crevices, yet the King
If England could not cross its threshold
its owners permission.
A recent iiln.t alton of the zeal of
hese officials and their creature has
ome to light in the case of President |
George Q. Cannon, who has just re-
urned from the East. The railroads |
nd highways have been swarming with |
Deputy Marshals and their myrmidons |
o intercept ana arrest him. We have |
ct to learn that it has become neces- |
airy for honorable gentlemen in Amer !
"a to report themselves to courts, Mar
halls or any civil officer when they leave !
lome on business, or to ask for pass
orts or to have them Uised.
The question has been asked us, how |
ong we intend to pursue this course. |
n answer we say, that at no time dur
ng our existence have we ever shrunk |
rom the investigation eff our conduct,
ur utterances or of our lives by any |
air tribunal. We have lived under the |
age of the public, and where every act I
nd expression could be scrutinized. |
We are as ready to-day, as ever, to sub (
nit our cases to properly organized |
curt and jury of our peers, to decide |
Ipon. So confident are we of our in |
Iocence of alleged wrong-dolng that we |
ntertain no fears of the result of such |
trial. We are willing to meet the |
ssue at any moment. We are |
ully conscious of our inno- |
ence of .all violation OF the
avs of God or of Constitutional laws i
nacted by man. But if there are laws |
made to entrap US, because of our be-
ef in and practice Of the revelations |
which God has given to His Church, |
which a court and jury shall decide we |
ave violated, we desire at least. that it |
hall be upon what all the world call |
God evidence and substantial proof, |
nd not upon religious prejudice, and |
through q determination to convict and |
unish. evidence or 10 evidence. We |
ught, at least, TO have the same rights |
hat burglars. thieves and murderers |
re accorded under the law. In that |
ase. should conviction follow we should |
ubmit to it as martyrs have submitted |
n every age when God has had people |
ipon the earth, as persecution in |
licted upon US for our adherence to His
avs.
Our faith and practice, for which we
re sought to be condemned and pun |
shed, is the faith and practice OF the |
,est and hottest of Gods children. II
re arc sinners in this respect then !
Abraham, who is distinguished by the |
Lord himself as the friend OF God, was |,
sinner. II we are sinners, then Jacob |
n l. ~ nd