The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-10-08

nndiate tnelr wives, have been sent
There, in nearly every instance,
through their own testimony or the
testimony of their families. And II Is
well known that every one OF them
rould have escaped the penalties
If tue law il they would
ant promise to obey the law, in
future, as construed by the courts
IT would have been easy to make the
promise aud avoid Imprisonment. But
their regard tor their word was such
tbat they would not make a promise
which they did not intend to keen. so
hey accepted a lOathsOme prison and
1ocnuiarY loss in preference TO the an
9esrauce OF falsehOod. 1t NAV seem
20 those who do not understand the
situation that the requirement OF future
incidence to the law is but reasonable
and that every good citizen should
make tbs agreement. But an eXpla-
nation OF the facts will speedily disSi-
pate this conclusion. Obedience to the
a. construed by the courts. would
ne difficult of comprehension if the
numerous and diverse definitions of the
law were considered. But according
10 the latest rulings, & promise to obey
the law signifies an agreement to VIC
late the most solemn covenants of
MARTA. 1lGelltY that mOrtaiS can make
with each other and their God. l
means the utter reputation OF lovins
wives and the separation either Of th
father and some of his children or OF
the mother and her children. 1t is .
promise not to visit, go to the sam
place Of worship or amusement, o!
recognize, associate with, or even caiI
on when sick or dying, or when hrI
child is sick or dying, inc plural Wiit
tn ~ = 40 nj in oil 2 Ia 4
means dlShonOr, treaCheTy, cruelty anu
cOWal dice. 1t places, IOU the law but
q gross and wicked perversion of The
law, above the revealed will OF Goo
and the nOblest prOmPIngS OF the hu
man heart. 1t Is a promise that no
true LatteT-day Saint can make ana
that no humane being would demand.
Thus the legal difficulties that sur
round the Saints are not so much the
effects of a special and partial law
aimed at a feature of their religion ~
of the wicked and absurd cOnStruc
tions of that law and its improper and
unprecedented administration, prompt
ed by malice, inspired by Satan and in
tended TO crush out a system OF re-
ligiOn which cannot be overcome by
truth, reason and the agencies Of en-
Hghtened humanity.
RETALIATION DEPRECATED.
Before leaving this uninViting sub
iect We desire TO say to the Latter day
Saints, that though we are suffering so
acutely IRON the inhUmanity of our fell
low men, We must not descend in the
slightest degree to acts that would
SAVIOR Of retaliation, or in the least seek
to cuTtail any man in his individual
rights. We wish it fully understood
by the Saints and by all the world !
that we have profound respect |
for all wholesome and cOnSti- !
tutional laws. We are the firm and !
uDeqUivOcal advocates OF law and |
order, and Of every principle assOclat- |
ed WITH human freedom, and though we /
regard the EdmundS Act, in its prOVi- /
SiOlS and its administration, as &c post /
fGcty, cruel, oppressive and uncOLsti- /
JULiuDal, vet we are not COntending
against Il in our own interests alone,
but We are also fighting the battle OF /
Civl, and religious liberty, and Of rec
dom of conscience in behalf of our
common humanity and in the interest
Of every people. We feel assured that,
as the founding OF these United States
formed an epoch in the history OF hui
man liberty, so this action OF ours will
have Cue weig lt in It restraining the ten
dtncy 10 Intolerance and oppression
that to-day upTearS its head TO stay
the progress OF human freedom. We /
say, as Eider Farley 7. Pratt very (
fOTci5ly expresses Il IL one of MS Pc !
etical illusions:
Come ye Christian sects, and Pagan,
Pope and Protestant and Priest,
Worshippers of God or Dagon,
Come We TO fair freedoms feast
Come ye sons of doubt and wonder
Indian, Moslem, creek and Jew,
Au your shackles burst Ssunder;
Freedoms banner waves for YOU"
THE REFUGE OF LIES.
Probably at no period in the worlds
history has Satan had such power over
tie hearts of the children Of men a.
be appears to WELD at the present. He
has flooded the earth with lies, en-
deaYOTing by means of these decep-
tons 10 retard the work of God, TO
destroy its influence, and to make vic
TINS Of its believers, especially those
VINO have the authority to administer
the ordinances of the Gospel. A more
striking illustration of his power il
this respect has not been furnished u,
than was witnessed at the meetings
which were attended by some of the
members Of the Grand Army of the
Republic who were passing through
here. 1t would be Incredible to be
Leye that people could be so deceived .
by the false statements which were
made to them by our enemies who
reside here, had it not been witnessed !
Inc most abominable falsehoodS, :
which could be disprOved with the !
greatest ease, were told with an I'M !
CRUSHING effrOnt5ry that WaSiSatanic; :
&nd though many of the visitors had t
opportunities OF seeing for themselves,
ana OF mingling with the people, some s
went away fully imbued with the idea '
mat the Latter day Saints ought to be I
eGJerminated from the face of the {
earth. But to the credit of humanity {
9e 1t said, others became thoroughly {
ulSSuSted with the proceedings, and ;
denounced UnSpaTingly the folly and I
wrong OF cOndemuing people afford Y
.Hs so many evidences of the qualities [
mat 90 to make excellent citizens, from r
ne one-sided statements of their 3
showed enemies. i
2, The course Of the former class is an t
l-luStTatiOn of the malignant power of f
-s4.-Sehood welded by Satan IN other '
directions and places. If lies could s
oFerwhelm the work of God,w should '
9e completely crushed under their i