Show A HEROIC AND ELOQUENT PLEA BISH BISHOP P V N A BROWN STATES HIS MOTIVES MO- MO TIVES S A AND D ASPIRATIONS S BEARS A POWERFUL TESTIMONY AND ASKS THE COURT SOME POINTED QUESTIONS QUESTIONS QUES- QUES Our readers have already been in- in informed informed in informed formed that Bishop F A Brown of Ogden on being arraigned before the First District Court o on 01 i th the charged with unlawful cohabits tion on wIth his wives read a written statement state state- statement statement ment under oath to the he Court Our O Ogden den correspondent has also narrated the substance of that statement bu buthe but the full text of it as we find it pub pub- published published pub published in the Ogden Herald is so well worthy of general perusal and expresses expresses expresses ses so well the sentiments that ought to and really do animate every true day Latter day Saint that we herewith re- re reproduce reproduce re reproduce produce it The Court aft after r listening to the reading of the document or- or ordered ordered or ordered dered a portion of it stricken out as testimony but promised to take it Into consideration in passing sentence on the Notwithstanding I have able counsel to plead my cause canse I am happy to have havethe havethe the privilege of s sneaking eakin a afew fe my own defense row rom ne be old Puritan stoc stock o a th oi-th New Tew England States the the lan OjE t ea e ly 1 piety and steady habits f forefathers of ef hers fought and bled d ri rig i g toe e a ever memorable memorable able period of the American a can Revolution 0 which brought our National independence ence and bestowed the rich boon o 0 religious liberty upon their My y parents emigrated from cut to the western portion of the Sta tat of New York in the early lY days an aD aDamid amid great d the nos al-nos insurmountable a s 8 s of a ne country reared a a ly y f ten child children children ren I being t o e eve ev h child X 1 learned in early d d to love my country and her er a and institutions and revere and rend strict obedience to all tier her laws la ys whit I have done h 1 up to th tb present time i fi s se nt fr B dear home ac beloved ed c co so- so sojourning sojourning so sojourning among strangers in iQ ir foreign ands I could took tok with pride upon the flag of my country as it waved grace gr gracefully I fully fally in the breeze i ze re-ze f welcoming the he downtrodden and opp oppressed essed of all na- na nations na nations to the land laud of the the free tree and tile the theme me of the brave and and call it mi miI miI miI I I was was t taught by my parents arents an ant anthe t the e Sunday School to to everence everence th tb holy Bible tl r ve va i as the won wor of God an and to Cco acco ing to It precepts the Metho Methodist st p sc 1 church an anI anI I was ona th r doctrine and reared tell t fa until I wa twenty-one twenty s of at a e 1 wh when u I firs tirs heard the fullness s of 01 o the Gospel Gospel Jesus Christ as revealed e through gt th tb Prophet J Joseph oseph Smith Smith- t It XI X f n I was now old eno eno to act upon pon my own agency and t think for myself and after a thorough b investigatIOn of I the scriptures of divine ine truth and the I doctrines taught bv by the Elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Latter S in I became convinced and from froman froman an hon honest st of my roy he heart rt on tb the y of f February A D I o i e Gospel of 01 nu nuSon Son of God and thereby reCeived received a knowledge knowledg of ot its tn trl th tb and albO aiso alt o the divine mission of ot Joseph Smith as Jesus has said He that my will shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or 01 whether it be of man manBy By embracing an an- unpopular religion I Iwas Iwas Iwas was belied and reviled by my relatives and those who had formerly profess professed d great friendship In the fall of the same year I gathered with the Saints at Nauvoo and suffered with them In their expulsion from that place at the hands 0 of a ruthless mob On the day ot of June A D 1856 1800 I left Coun Coun- CouncH Council Council cil cH Bluffs where I resided some someday six ix years or Utah aa i iv ivin in September follow n n the 2nd day of April 1857 1857 I o 0 and entered i i iato O th the h ly or er of ce- ce celestial celestial marr marriage g as eale r through Joseph Smi fr hen t conviction conviction tion of my eart t at i as a pur pure principle an ema ed d from God and that it was my duty to obey It itI I Ii i was convinced that if it I would b be a achild aI child of Abraham I must do o the works of Father Abrah Abraham and follow the worthy example exam of all all the prophets and holy men of old who hart had toe the divine favor of Almighty God God that I might be worthy to to enjoy t their society when I pass behind the veil Over 40 years of my life have hae been spent in the Ch Church arch of Jesus Christ of day Latter day Saints and I have never heard a false doctrine taught during that length of time or the first wrong counsel given by the leaders of the hurch A more loyal people does not dwell in these United States or in any option ion of the tile earth ye ve struggled strangled in poverty now near near- nearly nearly nearly ly 30 long years to provide f for fear r my beloved beloved be- be beloved loved wives and dear children as a kind husband and fond lather father should and I have k kept t i io jay y solemn mn vows and mo mot t sac d cont is that I Imade Imade made with ose men u to the present time to t e est eat of m ability and nd I believe to e e a tion I I have as g od a d sp e a fam- fam family ilyas ily as any m t in e United States or in t tS world e-world world au an and and- f feel proud of them My honorable Gentile neighbors Mr Read Mr master Littlefield and others have never ever been disgraced by them and I think have never had any cause to be shamed of them PI I now ask Your Honor what am I to tolo tolo lo Shall I break the most sacred ab- ab ob b- b man can enter into with im- im im impunity unity and sev the str strongest ties of love and affect affection n t that t h haite grown up in the human meart eart betwee husband nd nd wives ren d chi LA ren to rell i us g T or t spleen f men Sh 1 n wives nd children ho a aR aA dea to me as our our Honors Honor's if you Jon have y or any other mans man's WI did chi dren are to im and cast I rfd if ff upon the chart Char charities ties of a cold wort worm and thereby ran ren rander r der my wives pro toes and my chil children dren bastards and Or shall keep my covenants covenants sacred with m family l like ke a hi minded mi h e ed honorable d honest man i i know not Of w mt metal Your Honor is compos hut ut for myself before I will pro to my wives and children and betray my trust I will suffer m my y head to be sev- sev severed severed sev-j sev ered from my body f I have not wro wronged ged a man or a woman on the earth durin during my life that I am aware of I have trespassed upon on no ones one's r rights to my mv knowledge This is the first time in my life I have been called to answer to a charge of crime against the laws of my nay country I have either been too shrewd for the officers of the th-e law or I have Proved myself loyal and lived above the 1 for the 1 past ast 63 years I Coercion is ot known in the maral mar feal al relations of the Latter day Saints They have entered into these holy boly rt- rt re- re re relations relations lations If mutually of their own free will willand willand willand and choice as a vital part of their re- re re religion ligion not to imitate the example o 0 othe the Prophets and Patriarchs of old hut but they have embraced toe the celestial order of marriage for time and all eternity because God Ged has revealed it through His Prophet unto us co mended us to obey it it Your it rio our Honor can us to prisons And ud nd assess fines and ana even put us to death but that will only place us beyond your power and put us in possession of the rich bless bless- blessings blessings blessings ings God has promised unto w us through obedience to bis is Everlasting Gospel If It Congress can can ly enactment bin binn der der the free exercise of that part of our religion in taking to ourselves a plurality of wives and aud not violate the Constitution of the United States then Congre Congress s can hi hinder Q the free ex- ex exercise exercise ex exercise of our religion in tu being bf f for r the remi remission sion of our sins th the pat par par- pay 1 in leg ins of our tithes the tile gathering to Zion or the attending to any o 1 I or requirement of the th p pel l of Christ Our is a living faiths for it produces works hence we show our faith by b our works When it ceases to prod e works it becomes a dead faith for the Apostle James has de- de declared de declared that faith without works is alone as well might Con Congress Con Con- Congress by unconstitutional laws de- de gress laws umber of the number of Chil opi wives Hives should bE bear r unto us fit f the conscience of the American ople is ie outraged at m ny my r act by hv obeying what my conic e a prompts m Sto to be m my d duty ty tt a my God God an demand my they ar welcome to it Decisions courts enactments of Congresses Con an edicts of tyrants strike no terror to tome tome me when they c come me in contact w my known duty to my ray God Goda I ho bo government o and her officers offic gill will m prove as zealous in the execution of ot the Eft munds Eri-munds mends munds law in punishing monogamists who cohabit with more than one 4 cue w f t N t tUn Un a of shame as they are in pOlygamists who provide provide for au an honor lonor their wives and r rear ar and educate edu cute cate ate their children and thereby pro proto to the world that they administer law Jaw impartially If the con conscience cl nce the American people demand it I 1 bo to an unconstitutional law w which Your Your Honor has bas the power to to execute I 1 am in fn your hands bands and if Your Honor thinks it will t the e interests of our country or benefit humanity hu hu- hu manity in any way by Inflicting pains and penalties p upon me for doing what I 1 know to be my duty to my God you youcan youcan youcan can incarcerate me in prison Prisons nor death itself cannot obliterate the knowledge God has given me of ills HIs great reat latter-day latter work I 1 stand here innocent of any an known crime I have a conscience enee void of of- of offen offence of-fende of fen fence e before God and all men I am guiltless of violating any law of God or constitutional law of the land Now while you are enjoying your liberty and the immunities of pi a tree free government an and while gamblers libertines lib lib- libertine lib libertines and prostitutes can revel in sin Hin Hinand and corruption the fear of pro prosecution or of being deprived of liberties please remember me and my brethren whom iou ou are arc in instrumental Instrumental trumen- trumen tal in depriving of these heaven heaven- heaven born born treasures being innocent of f any crime While you and yours vours yours are enjoying all that is near and dear dear on earth with all the comforts and even luxuries luxuries ries of lile lite please remember the inno- inno innocent inno inno- innocent innocent cent women and children you OU cause to suffer by tearing from them their support I l 1 have made up my mind that white while wat water r runs or Of grass grows and a drop of blood through my veins or I Ilife I Iam Iam am permitted to bl bi each the breath of life I 1 shall obey the supreme laws of my God Gou in preference to the change can able and imperfect laws of mAn d I Ican Ican can only of exclaim in the n- n ngua gua e of the heroic and pa American orator Patrick Henry Give me liberty or give ive me death In conclusion I 1 wish to say Bay to this Court COUlt as you are a stranger stran am among ng us usand usand and aud ignorant of our doctrines and aud practices that we honor bonor and respect you in your position as a representative enta- enta tive of oi our great Government i en- en entertain en entertain no malice in l my heart towards this is Court or any of my accusers rs I 1 Iw w therefore say to Your Honor be- be before before be before fore you pass sentence upon me to LO con consider side I well well- all the circumstances cu connected with my case I am well well- well known known In Ogden City and have been for the past twenty twenty-ei twenty eight ht years yeara and I 1 defy any man woman or t to justly accuse me of wronging them No one ever heard me hear take the name ot of God in in vain rain No one ever saw IW me intoxicated No one e ever bew mew me to patronize houses ef of ill fame or gam- gam gam bling gambling wens dens I have lived above re re- reproach re reproach and set a Christian example before my family and all the world and aad no one can justly accuse me of violating the laws of my country or of b being ing guilty of committing any crIme unless it is a crime to love tove my wives and children If It I have embraced ed an 11 error in my m religion come to me in the Spirit of the Gospel el and point it out out profess taking the word of God that you pro pro- pro fess to believe in and aBet show me ins any ay portion of my faith false and aDd 1 I will 16 re- re renounce it and if you ym will present me something l better bett than I 1 have haye already I will accept it gladly I know the doctrines that are preached by the Latter-day Latter Saints are the pure Gospel of the Son of God For this knowledge 1 I am aDl not dependent D upon the testimony of J Joseph lt Brigham Young John T r- r or other man i 1 have obtained this taw knowledge for myself through the revelations of Jesus Christ unto me With what measure you tou mete met unto others it shall be measured to you 1 I expect to stand before the bar of God in the court court- above and glee ghe an 11 account of ot the deeds done delle in tb the body and if I cannot obtain my r rights in iu the courts on earth I 1 ja have ve veno no tears but what I shall ball receive Godin equity and aDd justice at the s ot oJ God Ged in heaven beaven and I can cD c a a afford om to wait wit I would to God that not one o r this Court but also all who are inter in per r- r the Saints of God and all aU who hear me this day were b almost and aDd alto altogether such as I amt am except my May God has hay upon this art urt and all aU W wo tl al are engaged in this holy crusade haire at an as a honest vir- vir virtuous vir virtuous DOUS industrials and God fearing people God This is I aff-I I wish wisa to say at present thanking you yon tot for your Jd ef W F A BROWN T |