Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-06-06
the CRITIC CRITICIZED.


The author Of the History has now
taken up his own defense and In the
following forciblo but courteous sem
fences dissects and cuts TO pieces the
pr-iudlced u,ts frances OF the Tribune
EDITOR
editor Tribune;
"Drar sir-Permit me TO express 10
YOU my sincere thanks for the extend.
ed notice given In Sundays issue OF
YOUR PAPER 10 the hrst volume OF my
History Of Utah. submitted TO you
for review. For the compliments paid
the author from a literary point OF
view, and the concentration passed
upun the book ~ product OF we
printer'n art, I gratefully acknowleuge
your courtesy and generosity. Here i
fain would rtop, did not duty, or what
1 conceive TO be- such, urge me on 70
point out some things In the editorial
article cflticising my work which 90
not deem fair, and which L believe
your own sense Of justice VIII not APP
provs when you have thought more
carefully upon the subject.
"Passing by tho statement made by
YOU 10 the effect that In my prelimi'
nary story OF Joseph Smith | have
idcaIized him anu made him walk tue
earth q second Christ'-which state
ment think you will find Ia very DIFF
ficult 20 prove by anything that the
book contains, either In original or
auotcd matter-I come al once TO the
episode OF tho Mormon Battalions VITA
which you ind 90 much fault. You
virtually charge me with perverting
history, because, In n paragraph which
you isolate from lie context and quote
In your article, have endeayored TO
portray the thoughts and feelings OF
heMormon people encamped upon the
Missouri ia the summer 81 1886, when
the call for the battalion was made.
You say that the history Of that batta.
lion ia thrust into this book In form
10 show that q mighty hardship was
inflicted upon the Mormon people by
that call, aud that go intent Is the
writer In making that portrayal that
he does not SEQ when he gives his own
case away You then give what you
call the real history Of the matter, In
which you affirm that the calling OF
the battalion was'an Acto unqualified
mercy on the part OF the Government
In response TO petition for relief made
by the Mormons themselves when
they were scattered or thrust out upon
the frontier,' so. desperately poor that
they could not move.'
"Now, Mr.. Editor, n your Tins had
been less limited, and you had read the
whole instead Of = portion OF the chap
ter from which you quote; or, granting
rused II n little more carefully, you
would have found that had not failed
to give the Government all due credi
for what you term its act Of un
qualified mercy and which | myself
believe was not designed a. an un
friendly move, hut rsther thc reverse
on the part OF 'Uncle Sam toward the
homeless and migrating Saints. In the
paragraph cited merely strove to show
how 'ths main body OF the Mormons'
at that time received the startling
news that Ave hundred OF their hes
men wcrs wanted by tho Government
to assist In the war against Mexico. II
is their view at that time, not my view
at this time, that Ia given In the his.
tory. This 10 evident from the closing
words OF the quoted paragraph, IL
which, however, your typo and proof
reader are responsible for Sigh
mistake. I said; such was the suhIec
as IL presented itself to them,' not nj
you make me say: Such was the sub
Iect which pre- scented itself TO them.
Arc you prepared TO prove that this wa
not tho cnse, that the main body OF tn,
Mormons' did not feel as | say they
did, when the call OF the battalion frs
came to them9 think not; no NOR,
than you are prepared to Prov
that they were so desperately poo
that they could not movs,' for the,
had already moved across Iowa, and 4
LA well known fact that they contem
plntsd sending their pioneers 10 tn,
Rocky Mountains TO look out HON,
for the people In the summer Of lsip
and that the call for the battalion
however kindly meant, delayed tn
departure Of those pioneers until tn
following spring. All those things mr.,
set forth Ia my history. You mus
remember, my dear sir, that howeve
clearly you and may see the subjoc
now, the MormonH at that time wer
not In possession OF any Information
that would lead them to look nj tn
matter In the light that you do, or evei
that the poor mentally color blind
suthor OF the history II now able TO do
Captain Allen, the government rs
cruiting officer from Fort Lcaven
worth, had arrived upon tho Missoul
anu set the whole Mormon camp Il
conformation before Elder Little an
Colonel Kane, who were better poste
than their friends on the frontier AS /
tho purpose OF the government In call
ing for the battalion, had arrived fror
Washington. Now as 10 giving m
case away because | speak, two page
Dver,, Of u farewell ball given 10 IN
battalion prior TO their departure 10
Fort Leavenworth, and Indicate this
he young fellows who la
enlisted and were about I
leave sweethearts, wives, parents
friends, perhaps forever, enjoyed then
ielves nj the ball. This certainly do,
not prove that the call for the battnlio
vas not startling Ia its nature, nor Thu
the subsequent partings were nl
painful, There wGsR ball At Brussels Q
The eve Of Waterloo, and British No
iers and aw eethearts were there el
Dying themselves Ia the dance, San
bright the lamp ahone DER fair WON,
mi brave men" But this did n,
preclude, after the battle had begu
those "suddcn pattings such as pre-
the life from out our young hearts NJ
ehOhing signs that ne'er might be r.
reutod.r Nor had the nn,icipat'
strife prevented those warriors from
lAIius for few hours their stern a
lures aud inlulging In the festiyity.
these Mormon soldiers, At parting wi
heir wives ami sweethearts, did n
throw themselves DOWN aud paw