The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-30
THE PLEDGES AS MADE.
a correspondent writing from Brigham

| 50, WHdL are the contents OF tIldt CpRl-
pact, and where can II be obtained?'
| The Government of the United states
| docs not enter into compact with any
| church, or church authorities. nor could
| any church offer anything In exchange
| for Statehood. since church and state are
| entirely separate. The indiscriminate use
of terms has become SO common In this
| region during the long war that has been
waged upon the church that IL Is exceed
| lnsly difficult 10 come to an understand
| ing about what is the truth on the various
| questions raised,-DeSeret NeWs editorial,
| November 2S. 1908.
It would be difficult indeed for the
citizen to properly understand the sit
| uation if he were left entirely to the
| garbling presentations of the church
organ; but the truth is plain and Of
| easy understanding, when that truth Is
made known.
| Briefly stating that the Mormon
| church had been at constant war with
the Government OF the United States
over the practice Of polygamy during
i Territorial days, let us pass on to the
| occurrences which Immediately pre-
ceded the admission OF Utah into the
Union. The church leaders, after years
of stubborn resistance, finally came to
luc COuCIuSloH IudL lUe CuUISu Spil'
! not win in contest with the United
States. Under date of September 26,
1890, President Wilford Woodruff pro-
mulgated the famous manifesto, in
hibitine tho practice of plural marriage.
This was presented to the general con-
ference of the church held in the fol"
lowing October, aud it was unani-
mously adopted as the rule or law
which was to govern the whole body
leaders and followers alike. Based
upon the issuance and adoption of this
document by the Mormon church, in
compliance with the demand OF the
Nation that polygamy should cease, the
first presidency and the twelve apos-
ties, in December, 1891, forwarded to
President Benjamin Harrison petit
ton In this prayer for amnesty for
past offending the church leaders rem
dered the following recitation Of fact:
AT the late October conference. after
once more submitted TO the thousands
OF people gathered together, and they
again In the most potential matter ratified
the SOLEMN COVENANT.
Pleading the adoption aud reahirma-
ton of the manifesto as an earnest of
the church TO discontinue the objec-
tionablc practices, the first presidency
and the twelve apostles prayed In all
humbleness for mercy for themselves
and such of their followers as had
placed themselves under the National
ban. The promise, or compact, made
with the Government (addressed
through the President of the United
Statcs) closed with the following word
ing;
As shepherds OF patient and suffering
Pgopie we ask ask AMNESTY Iif t9T Tn then aNnp and
FOR THEIR FUTURE.
Upon the representations so made,
President Benjamin Harrison, on Janu
ary 4, 1898, issued his amnesty procla
nation, whose preamble specifies that
the prayer was granted III response to
the action of ''tho Church of the Lat
ter.day Saints, commonly known as the
Mormon Church, plcdging its adj
herents TO lawful behavior, The con
dition of the amnesty was that the
church aud it's followers would forever
abstain from UNLAWFUL COHABI-
TATION UNDER THE COLOR OF
POLYGAMOUS OR PLURAL MAR
RAGE" Subsequently President
Grover Cleveland practically duplicated
this action. Throughout all OF these
negotiations officials of the United
States appeared on the one side aud
the rulers of the Mormon church rep
resented the other party TO the com
pact. Without actually entering upon
such a measure, IL was almost as il
treaty were being negotiated with
foreign power. But If yet there shall
remain any doubt in tho mind of the
investigator that there was indeed
compact between the Government and
the church, we present the following:
I wish to assert that the church has
obeyed the law of the land, and that
IL has kept It's PLEDGES WITH THIS
GOVERNMENT. but l have not, as an
individual, and / have taken that chance
mYsclf.-TeStimony OF Joseph +, Smith
III Smoot case. volume t. page 1877.
For many years previous 10 1890
Utah had been asking Tor admission TO
the Union. She was denied sovereignty
on account of the very defiance of
United States law which the Woodruff
manifesto and subsequent pledges were
intended TO rectify. Gentios here had
opposed admission upon the precise
grounds that it was refused by Con
gress; but when the compact had been
made which promised to bring obscrv.
ance of the law they joined hands with
prominent men in the church TO secure
the coveted boon. And their action i'll
this matter was distinctly based upon
the solemn pledges that had passed,
Otherwise, Utah would today have been
Territory.
Keeping in mind these understand.
ings, promises, pledges, and compscts,
let us see what was the Interpretation
placed upon them by the church. Be
fore the Master in Cbapcery III the
church prnuertv escheat caseS nearly