Year: 1871

The Mormons have proved too
often and under too many trying
circumstances their devotion to
their faith for it to bo doubted
now. At present, not only their
political rights but their religion
is assailed by official authority.
While the nation is worked upon
with the cry of polygamy, that
is but i sound to cover the real
object. Nearly every fundament-
al principle of their faith is at
tackled. not by calm reason and
scriptural argument, but by dis
graceful abuse, ribaldry and pro-
family, sanctioned and indorsed
by official smiles and blandish-
ments, while the forces are being
marshalled to break up the COM
munity as a religious organiza-
ton, destroy the leaders and the
people, or scatter them wanderers
again on the earth. All this is
aimed at under cover of law, by
outrageous and illegal judicial
rulings and proceedings, by men
who use their positions to annoy
and irritate, and whose hearts
overflow with a f;enaticism that
yearns for the destruction OF a
people who have been more tenn
perate.sin their exercise of power
than any other religious body of
whom the world has record.


But from the arbitrary course
now being pursued, there is an
evident intention on the part of
some of the officials, at least, to
goad the people into desperation,
so that some overt act may be
committed that will give Il color
for calling upon the general gov
ernment for an army to be sent
here to chastise them. We are
thankful the people have been SO
calm, so temperate and SO self
possessed, that thus far they have
not given the first occasion for
such 4 demand. But should they
be driven to madness by insult
heaped upon insult. injury piled
upon injury, what would be the
result? Should blood be shed it
would have another and a very
different termination to what
many people think. No men
meet death SO calmly, SO unf1inch-
ingly, as they who believe it
opens for them the portals to
eternal bliss. Does any sane
man think the Mormons would
not feel and believe that death
in such a strife would only be
martyrdom, and the passport to
a martyrs glory? And whether
it would take q long or 4 short
time to cXtcrminate them-for
no other word meets the emcr-
gency--thc consequences to the
territory and all interested in its
welfare would be frightful.


Who desires to see a free peo-
pie bounded to desperation?
Who wishes to see a community
showing sindustry, enterprise, in
telligence. sobriety and virtue
stripped of every vestige of their
political and religious rights, be-
cause they will not change their
faith at the bidding Of a few
fanatical men, who are so blindly
besotted with their folly as to
see in the future they desire only
the destruction of the Mormons
and the confiscation of their
property Yet that this is the
object, the programme arranged,
and the end to be accomplished
-peaceably or by force of. arms
no one who has narrowly
watched their course can for a
moment doubt. 1t is nearly
time that the conservative men
of the territory-.independent of
religion or party-should utter
their protest against a course of
action having such an object in
view. With immense wealth be-
ing developed on every side, mar
minded bigots who desire to
provoke 4 conflict by any or
every means, should be told to
halt in their insane career. The
world has travelled the path of
progress too fast and too far to
sustain the semi-barbarous ideas
which demand that free men
should, with craven soul, fling
their faith at the feet of whilom
satraps Or place their consciences
and purses in the keeping of men
they cannot trust. For nearly a
century "the sovereignty Of the
people, has been an established
doctrine in the United States,


and the principle has gained so
rapidly through the world that it


is too late in the day to intro


ducc the ''sovcrcignty Of the
few" where the other has pre-
,t