Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-04-04
I Threatened War of Extermina-
ton to Be Waged Against the
Early Mormon Settlers Of Utah

in the midst OF traclSess wastes, after
years Of hardship and persecution. is
something from which no one who has
particle of sympathy with pluck, for
tltude and coustancy can withhold his
admiration. Right or wrong sincerity
thus attested Is not q thing to be
Fneered at. True or false a faith to
which so many men and women prove
their loyalty by such sacrifices is ~
force IN the world. we think IT UNI
wise TO treat Mormonism as a nuis-
ance to be ahated by posse conn
mitatus. It is no longer 81 social ex-
| crescense to be cut off by the sword.
When people abandon their homes to
| plunge with women and children into
the wilderness to seek new homes they
| know not where, they give higher
proof of courage than IL they fought
for them. When the Dutch submerged
Holland TO save 1t from invaders they
had heartier plaudts showered upon
them than il they had fortified it with
their blood We have certainly the sat-
isfaction of knowing that we have to
deal with foemen worthy of our steel.
! IL the conduct of the recent operations
has been the means OF driving away
10000 Of our fellow citizens from fields
which their labor had reclaimed and
around which their affections were
. clustered we have something to answer
for Posterlty should not be called up
on to acknowledge with shame that
our indiscreton, our ignorance, drove
the population of a whole state from
house and home. to seek religious lib
erty and immunity from the presence
of mercenary troops in part of the
continent to which our rule was never
likely TO extend.
WONDER EXPRESSED.
From Reynolds Newspaper came the
positive language that Mormonism re-
manned after every disparaging charge
brought against it, THE most wonder
full fact of the nineteenth century. AMI
as such was entitled to respectful con-
sideratlon. This new faith has put life
under the ribs OF death 1t has. in the
great majority of cases really improved
the earthly condition of those who
have embraced it, More than that it
| has inspired thousands of vretched
! and hcart-broken persons who prior
| TO their conversion seemed abandoned
! of God and man. 1t has given thou
| sands of destitute Englishmen some-
thing to live for. and fight for. and IL
need be To die for. on this ground,
then. We're it for nothing else, the
Momons, not as fanatics or sectaries.
h11t laa
ing, and earnestly struggling. are en-
titled to the sympathy of the enslaved
classes throughout the world.
ENTITLED TO RESPECT.
But they have "A claim to something
more than sympathy. Their heroic
endurance and marvellous achievements
entitle them TO respect and admiration
OF their fellow creatures. Twice were
the Mormons driven from their settle
ments i'm the United States before they
We're resolved upon their stupendous
pilgrimage to the valley of the salt
lake"
And thus II was ON a summer morn>
ing in May, so years ago, that the
army that had come west to conquer.
marched through salt Lake with only
the gurgle OF the City creek to greet
them and under solemn promise
to march directly through the city ana
camp below 1t on the way 10 a station
well removed from its proximity. one
OF the sublime incidents of the day WAS
the fact that I.ieut.-Co. Philip st.
George Cook who had formerly COM
manded tho Mormon battalion ON its
long march 10 Los Angeles, rode
through the settlement that these same
troops Of his former command had
helped to build. with barred head. out
OF respect for his memory of their SER
Vice to the government no now had
the honor to represent in a service OF a
different character.