Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-07-24

1 {arts OF peace and industry of Which
/ they We're so well possessed.
/ In the city of San Diego they dug
the first good wells, laid the first pave
/ ment. built Il court house and school
| house. and many houses for the citi-
! zens. To the liceattous and indolent
people of this sunny climate they set
I Il truly worthy example of sCbriety,
] virtue and industry. BY their kindness
they so Won their affections that when
| Company p WAS ordered to Los An
| SeleS \ special messenger was sent to
! the commander requesting that an
4 other company of Mormons be sent
| there. The inhabitants desired none
| other than Mormons.
STRIDES OF CIVILIZATION.
| In whatever locality they We're sta
! TONED u new order of things was soon
| Institutes, a high moral atmosphere
| characterized their presence and q new
| stride toward a superior civilization
was made, When fair unprcjudiced
| history of California shall be written
F, the Mormon Battalion will be men
| toned as one of the prime factors in
the introduction Of modern American
civilization into that state.
One OF these soldiers at least did re-
ceive a well deserved honor 1t was
Henry Bigler, one who had been pres
ent at the saw mill when the first
handful OF gold was washed out. IN
1897, at the tine of the 50-year jubilee
OF the discovery Of gold in California,
this old veteran. then a resident OF St
George, was Invited to be present in
San francisco. He went and was re-
ceiNed as a conauering hero For days
he was Toasted and courted. He was
carried in triumph through flower
strewn streets and thousands of the in
Hal NJ f.lf t,i-
hand.
What did the Mormon Battalion ac-
complish for the Church?
There is II disease germ known as
religious hatred that has Gpurished i'll
all lands and in all ages So universal
IS its power of infection that people OF
all classes have become inpculated With
It's deadly poison, Nirulcnt indeed
are its symptoms Of prejudice and per-
aecution. History Sroans with its weight
of woes resulting thercfrom. Jews. ear
ly Christians. Professionals, Puritans.
have added their blackened pages. SO
terrible Is this disease In its complica-
4tions that governments have sanctioned
the invention of instruments Of tor
sture, courts have failed in their Justice.
Legislatures have enacted cruel and un-
just laws, kings, presidents and COVER
nors have stood passively by. washing
their hands as did PLATE, while howl
ing mobs glutted their Unsuitable greed
with the blood of innocence.
BLACK PAGE IN. HISTORY,
The Mormon Church likewise has its
list of martyrs. The Haun's Mill mas
sacre had preceded the tragedy ut Car
thage. but still the enemies of the
Church were not satisfied. They de-
sired nothing less than the complete
determination of, the Mormon people.
To accomplish this end required the
sanction of the government. Leading
men, including officers of the law. gov.
errors and senators enlisted in this ln-
holy cause. Burning. with hatred and
prejudice, they Informed the president.
of the United States that the Mormon
people We're disloyal to the government;
that they were then marching west.
ward with the intention of combining
with Mexico and taking up arms
against their country. AS test 10,
their loyalty the senator from Missouri
suggested that the president call for.
900 ablebodied men. A failure to meet
this call would be proof that they we're
traitors and enemies to the government,
and would he sufficient cause for the
militia of three states to fall upon them
and completely wipe them out. Senator
Benton knew the weakened condition of
the Mormon travellers and did not think
lit would be within their power ia meet
the call. But meet 1t they did and
most glorlously. To all students of his
tory the enlistment Of the Mormon.
/ Battalion must ever stand as a monu-
ment to the patriotism and loyalty of
the Mormon Church. The Mormon
people We're at that time, however.
totally ignorant of the plan Of Senator.
Benton and his colleag CUES They did
not know that their refusal to comply
with the demand for volunteers you'll
bring upon them the armed forces of
three states. They met the demand
because they believed a call from their
country was "A call from their God.
Thus did the Mormon Battalion ac-
complish the actual physical salvation
of the Mormon Church. Had 1t not
been for the timely sacrifice there might
have been enacted upon the banks of
the Missouri river, a tragedy unsur-
passed in all history. Modern Israel
might have been placed upon the. altar
had not God in His goodness provided
"a ra m In the thcket" IL.