Year: 1877

and grecnbncks OF the rich tor nOthlnB,
there is no reason why it should not keep
the money of the poor for handsome profit
Death of Brigham Young.


This extraordinary man, whose name has
for the last twenty years been so well known
throughout Christendom by the piquant
descriptions Of American and European
tourists and in consequence Of the sin
gularty Of the Mormon religion and institu-
tions which excited universal curiosity, died
yesterday Of an acute disease at four o'clock
in the afternoon, or at about quarter be-
fore seven in the evening by New York time
Our views Of his character are SO we'll known
that we need not repeat them on this occa-
sion. There is a certain kind Of forbearance
which in civilized communities is practised
toward the recent dead, founded less on
truth and candor than on q sense Of our
common humanity, which we will not vio-
late on this occasion, nor on any occasion.
When body from which the animating
soul has fed lies pale and cold, awaiting
Christian or unchristian burial, ''and the
mourners go about the Streets" even gener-





voice Of censure and refrain from wounding
the sensibilities Of the living In the brief
interval between O mans death and his
burial he is exempted from the attacks which
are freely launched against contemporary,
and he has not yet come within the
it from us to violate this brief truce with
a mans evil deeds which is established by
the courtesies Of civilization and the
chivalry which disdains to make war on
corpse Brigham Young has gone to his
final account he is beyond the reach of
uman censure or approval, and until his
lifeless remains are deposited in his mother
earth we leave him to the unerring Judge
from whom he will receive his deserts. He
will be sincerely mourned by the Mormon
community, and we respect their sorrow.
Even the sudden and lamented death Of
President Lincoln did not produce SO
deep an impression of grief among us as
the decease Of Brigham Young will cause
throughout the small but peculiar COM
muuity which has so long venerated him as
a prophet and obeyed him as a spiritual
father The devoted loyalty Of simple
and ignorant people does no discredit to
their hearts, whatever we may think Of their
intelligence. We respect the sorrow of these
misguided mourners, and would think it in
human to affront them in their affection.


But intense sorrow for the dead is tran
sient feeling, and when the rites Of burial
are over that singular community will have
to consider their new situation. The Nor
mons must be as fully aware as
the outside world that the death of
Brigham Young is the most important
event which has yet taken place in their
history. That very sense Of the greatness Of
their bereavement and of the orphanage in
which they are LETT by their irreparable loss
will have an important influence on the
events which are to follow. Ever since
their emigration to the Salt Lake Valley this
man has been the grand pivot of all their
spiritual and temporal affairs, and when the
strong prop upon which they have leaned is
struck from under them and they are com.
PEELED to look about and see what is to sup
ply its place they will be troubled with a
feeling of doubt and insecurity. One Of the
chief evils of despotism is that it dwarts and
discredits the talents Of all men in the CON-
munity except the chief ruler and despot
like Brigham Young who suffered no rivals
and tolerated no will but his own. has so
efiectually prevented concentration Of
confidence on any other individual that the
Mormons in this grave crisis are virtually
without a leader None of the bishops,
even if there were one among them who
possessed the half of his talents, can step
into his shoes and WELD his authority, be-
cause his jealousy of power has pre-
vented any of them from gaining q
strong hold on the community. He has
accordingly, within the last few days,
adopted the weak device of appointing one
of his sons as his successor, an experime ent
which may end like that of Oliver Cromwell
in bequeathing his authority to his son
Richard. Can Brigha1ns son haranpue in
the tabernacle with the controlling skill
and pungency of his deceased father? Can
he put as strong hand on the helm of ad-
ministration? Will his advice be sought
and taken with the same implicit conf
dence? Will he have the same easy, COM
manding ascendancy over the men who
can preach and who therefore possess
one Of the chief means of influence in
such community2 This is not TO be ex-
pected; it is contrary to all probability. 1t
is more likely that after little time the
son will be despised and that the rival am
bitions Of the surviving Mormon leaders
| will split the community into factions The