Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-09-25

is as free as the air we breathe to
every one who will seek for II. 1t
is this, l say, that constitutes the
strength OF the Church. The Spirit Of
God is poured out upon the people
and they are eXhorted and pleaded
with continually to seek to know for
themselves individually that this Is
true. II Is an easy thing to govern
the Latter-day Saints when they are
living as they should do.
Thirty-nine years ago "a good many
of you who are here today were not
here them the Prophet Of God said 1t
was the win OF God that the people
should abandon salt Lake city and
county and these northern settlements.
1t looked as though there was mob
coming upon us-a mob in the guise OF
government troops. The most iniam-
Gus lies had been told concerning u.s.
until war fever was worked up
throughout the Nation. and there being
at the seat of government men who
were induging in secret plans for the
overthrow of the goVernmcnt-sOme of
them standing near the President him
seli-the opportunity was seized To
send troops to this country. These
troops were coming, as they announced
on tho way, with the intention Of do
ing dreadful and unmentionahle things,
and especially to the women, the news
papers having created public opinion
that justified every outrage. We
could not meet them; We had not the
strength even II 1t had been prudent
to do so; but after they had been kept
out until the nation could know the
truth. until men of thought through
out the land could see the serious step
that was being taken ana the stigma
that would inevitably flU Ipun the es-
cutcheon of the uniied states,
to show that We were IN
earnest and that we were
resolved that we would not stand and
he destroyed. the word OF God came to
the Lattcr-day Saints to abandon
their homes in this city and county
and in the northern countless and to
take their flight, If you choose to call
II so, to the south. The whole people
responded. 1t had not been eleven
years since we had come in here, the
first of us, as seekers FOR a home. The
memory of the sufferings the people
had endured was fresh In every mind.
Nearly every one knew the painful
privations that would result from
abandoning their homes aud launching
once more into the wilderness to find
n new place Of residence. The eNpul-
sion from Illinois. the weary, toilsome
and dreadful march across the then
territory of Iowa, and through the In
dian country up to this point lived
wildly In the memory of all. But the
word went forth to burn every house,
To destroy every fruit tree, TO make the
land what it was when we came here.
Preparations to this end We're made.
All entered into 1t without hesitation,
without murmuring. kindling wood
was provided in the houses; the axes
We're ready to cut down the trees to
make the land as desolate US we found
II.
How was this done? Was this state
Of feeling brought about by Coercion2
No. The army of the United States
was within reach. and any man that
wanted could walk out and claim its
neutrality-suspicious. that would only
have been too gladly given under the
circumstances. But the spirit of God
rested down upon the people. They
mad testimony for themselves that 1t
was the right thing to do. They left
their homes, they Travelled by every
kind Of conveyance. / remember my
self passing families who were drag
ging handcarts through the storm dt
was a very stormy period at the time,
and my sympathies and pity were
moved to the deepest extent. But
there was no murmuring. This whole
valley and every settlement in the
north was abandoned, and, as / have
said, preparations Were made for the
destruction of our property. These
homes that had cost so much toll,
that had been built by such
sacrifices, and which we loved be-
cause of the associations connected
with them. We're to be destroyed.
When we built them we expected we
would live here for generations. When
the trees We're planted II was hoped
that the children and the grandchi-
dren would eat the fruit thereof. This
was not an ephemeral settlement; it
was not settlement for u day, or for
wear. for nRFHHns ~ "a cot
Element for all time. But notwith-
standing these feelings and these
hopes, this spirit To leave the homes
which had cost the severe toll of years
rested down upon the people as
whole, and without murnuring with
out any disposition to refuse. the
whole body moved out and marched to
the south. And II was only by the
mcrest accident, it might be said, that
the destruction Of the city was avert.
ed. The man was ON his horse land
we had horsemen In those days who
could ride from Provo to this city i'm
four houis) ready to carry the word to
this city to burn the houses, when
President Young said, stop" He re-
1lected awhile and then said, Don't go
now 1t was by those few words at
that critical moment that the burning
of this country was stopped.
Then the word came that the nd
here to treat with the people. There
had been public opinion aroused in
certain quarters that showed the
President and his cabinet the gravity
of the situation and the dreadful con-
sequences which would follow IL the
policy that had been adopted should be
persovered In. And. strange to say
IT would be strange, If we We're not So
familiar with it-many Of the men who
melted that expedition, the men also
who We're the leading men i'm the
troops, who commanded the expedi
ton. in few short months were fight
ing against the Nag of the Union
They had stigmatized us as rebels. II
was told that the judges had been ex-
PEELED from the Territory, that the
Territorial library and the court rec
ords had all been destroyed, and that
n reign of terror existed here, which
was utterly false. These stories had
been circulated with great ingenuity
and diligence, the purpose being TO in
name the public mind and to Justify
the administration In these extreme
measures that were proposed When
rebellion came. We the people of Utah
were In the Union; We honored the nag
anu we showed our devotion TO the
principles of the government. Our com
duct stood out In bright contrast with
the conduct of many who at that time
expected to scourge us.
cite this to show how this peoule
nave been governed. What other
upon the face of the earth
could be moved upon by such influence
10 do what they did? There was no
appeal made to the people, only for
hem to seek to God to know concern