The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1889-10-10
IN SELF DEFENSE.

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CourE in his own Behalf. A Stirring
EBis of ESlOquence.
The following speech to the court
was made some time ago by F. A
Brown of Ogden, Utah, who was ar
laigned under the Edmunds acs for
violating the law against polygamy:
Placed under oath this gray haired
Norman gave the evidence which con-
victed himself. Then like another
Paul before another Agrippa. ne spake
boldly of the faith that was in him.
He told the court that he had come of
old Puritan stock. He was a native of
Connecticut. His forefathers had
fought in the American Revolution
which brought our national indepen-
dence and bestowed the rich boom of
religious liberty upon their posterity. -
He had been converted to MoTmonism
when he became of age, and had been
driven our of NauvOo by the mob.
Then he told the story of his plural
marriage.
Said he: ION the second of April, A.
D. 1857, l accepted of and entered into
the holy order of celestial marriage, as
revealed through Joseph Smith, from
an honest conviction of my heart that
it was pure principal and had ema-
mated from God. and that it was nv
duty to obey it. / was convinced that
if would be a child of Abraham
must do the works of Father Abra-
ham and follow the worthy example of
all the prophets aud holy men of old.
who had the divine favor of Aim lightly
God, that might be worthy to enjoy
their society when l passed behind the
veil.
"Over forty years of my life have
been spent in the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter Day Saints, and have
never heard false doctrine taught
| during that length of time, or the first
wrong counsel given by the leaders of
the church. A more loyal people do
not dwell in these United States or in
| any other portion of the earth.
II have struggled in poverty nearly
| thirty long years to provide for my be-
loved wives and dear children as fond
| father and a kind husband should; and
L bave kept inviolate my solemn VOWS
and most sacred contracts that made
with these women, up to this time, to
the best of my ability, and, believe,
| to their entire satisfaction. have as
good and respectable a family as any
| monogamist in the United States or
/ the world, and feel proud of them.
| My honorable gentle neighbOrs, MIR.
Read, Mr.. Leland, Postmaster Little
field and others have never been dis
/ graced by them, and, think have new
er had any cause to be ashamed OF
/ them.
81 now ask your honor what am to
| do? Shall break the most sacred OBJ
/ locations man can enter into with i'm
| punity, and sever the strongest ties OF
| love and affection that have grown up
| in the human heart between husband
and wives. parents and tchildren. 10
crafty religious bigotry or tie spleen
| of men2 Shall i abandon my wives
4 ~. Id 70
your hOnor's, if you have any. are to
you. or as any other mans wife and
children are TO himl or shall keep my
covenants sacred with my family, like
a high-minded, honorable and honest
man"
Il have never wronged a man or
| woman on earth during my life that
am aware of. I have trespassed upon
no ones rights to my knowledge. This
4 is the first time ia me- life that I have
been called upon to answer to a charge
OF crime against my country'e laws
Coercion is not Known ia the ma
rital relations of the Latter Day Saints.
1 hey have entered into these holy re
lations mutually of their own free will
and choice, as vital part of theiI
religion, not to merely initiate the ex.
ample of the prophets and patriarchs
of old, but they have embraced the
celestial order of marriage for time and
/ all eternity, because God has revealed
il unto them through his prophet and
commanded us to obey.
II wish to say this 10 the court, as
you are a stranger among US and ignor-
ant of our doctrines and practices, that
we honor and respect you in your posi-
tion as q representative or our great
government. entertain no malice in
my heart towards this court or any of
my accusers. / will therefore say to
| your homer before you pass sentence
upen me, to consider well all of the
circumstances connected with my
case. ! am well known In Ogden CITY
and have been for the past twenty
| eight years, and defy any man, Rou1-
an or child 70 justly accuse me Of
| WrOnging them. No one ever heard
me take the name Of God in vain; no
one ever saw me intoxicated. No one
ever knew me TO patroniZe houses of
ill-fams or gambling dens. / have
/ lived above Hepfoach and set q Chris
tian example before my family and all
the world. No one can justly accuse
me Of violating the laws of my country
or of committing any crime. unless it
is crime to love my wives and chill
dren.
ssIf have embraced an error in my
religion, come 70 me in the spirit OF the
Gospel and point it out. Take the
WORT of God that yeu profess To believe
in, and show me any portion Of my
faith false, and viii rencunce il; and
If you will present me something bet
ter than Ialready have, will accept
it gladly.
az know the doctrines that are
preached by the Latter Day Saints as
! the pure Gospel Of the Son Of God.
For this knowledge 1 am not dependent
upon the testimony Of Joseph Smith,
Brigham Young. John Taylor or any
other man have obtsined this
knowledge Cor myself tlrou0a f zs=