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Show A PERSONAL EXPLANATION. In yesterday's Evening News appears ap-pears a correspondence between Rev. Dr. J. I'. Newman and President B. Young, in which my name is introduced intro-duced in such a manner as to claim a personal explanation. It is statedly Dr. Newman that he understands I wrote a certain article which appeared in the Salt Lake Telegraph of May 3rd, in which he is pleased to assume that a challenge was given to discuss the question, "Does the Bible sanction Polygamy?" And he assumed likewise like-wise that such challenge emanated from President Brigham Young, for he announces an-nounces to that gentleman that hj is Lore "In acceptance of the challenge jiven in your journal, The Salt Lake Daily Teleyraph of the 3rd of May last." He says "I understand the article containing the above expressions" language he had quoted from the article referred to "was written by Elder Sloan, of the Mormon Church, and at that time Associate Editor of the Telegraph." How did Di. New-,man New-,man get to understand that "Elder Sloan," the "Associate Editor" of the paper wrote that article? Did any of the compositors steal the copy and take it out of the office, for some person to make affidavit to the handwriting? Is not this assumption, by Dr. Newman, as gratuitous as that a challenge was given at all in the article, except it might be so construed in a general sense; or that such challenge emanated from President Young? That there may be no doubt as to President Young's having no knowledge know-ledge of the article in question, I will here say : From the day M. A. Fuller engaged me as associate editor of the Tele raph until it stopped, I never received advice, suggestion nor hint from President Young as to what should be published in its columns; he never saw a line nor heard it read that was to be published until it was given to the world ; I was notdictated in what I wrote by any person whatever ; and President Young knew no more what was to be published in any issue of theTelegraph than if it had been published in Bom bay or Ilong Kong. It was an independent inde-pendent paper, so declared itself, so appeared, and asked advice of no one ; and though I was, and feel honored in etill beinj, a member of the Church of Jesus Chri.it of Latter-day Saints, I never forgot for a moment that the proprietor and editor of the Telegraph was not a member of that church, nor that he was responsible fur all that appeared in its columns. I will also nay here that neither have I ever received re-ceived a hint or a suggestion from President Young as to what I should or should not write for and publhh in the Herald, of which I am now editor; edi-tor; nor has he had at any time a knowledge ef what was going into its columns. On both papers I have written as an individual, representing my own views ; as a man who dure think as freely and speak as frankly as any 'tli-:r man on this wide continent. As Associate Editor 1 held and hold my-' !'' .-ii-Mx-i itely responsible for all thai ,p eared in the Telegraph while it be imjimI to M. A. Fuller; an 1 if it is an -atisf-cMon to Dr. Newman, I will tell him that whether I wrote l!ie article in question or not, I knew uf if s existence L' f; ie it went into the eom-po-it' -r ! liavi.-. Further, wilh a very slight .dti ration. 1 will adopt the article arti-cle and a'.vt pt it.-, full responsibility; andtli.it .-ill v-rat'oii is nut when: the Miggesiioti i. thrown out lor Dr. Newman New-man to cone; here, nor wher'' mi-si n-arie.s n-arie.s and l.ii.licil arguments ere dug posted as letter weapons with which to - i u 1 1 j-x t error- than bayonets and bullets. I limy no', quote correctly, fm I Lave nut t'.e niticlo near Die, and this is being wrillen hurriedly, with the 'devil" vailing lor copy; hut the sentiment is idven. The positon taken ta-ken by M. A. Fuller was that whatever errors might he believed to cxi.-.t here should be met by truthful argument and not by strong coercive measures ; and his in-tiuc'ians to inc were to give his paper tha! tune ; while it was dis tinelly understood that th : paper wa-not wa-not to tn at e on ie'ous questions. Dr. Ni-wn an in Ids correspond-ii f"..rtln-r .-:.' -- : "'I he same Elder Khun.' jrjthe I. vr'"f lb: S I.T LKK Ih.ll M.li Of e;o.-.t In ,t s lor tin: 111" -t t'nn. ;,. ..I,si . :. ; iil.lii: ol'llic id' a f.o i-i,ri.tl'.. .f vjIciii." ''Th'' ,-.111" Eld'T .-'I ' a'i" iv i- ii"l aware id' I li'' c. ,),., h i I,;, ! ir ' had I" ' ii '.oven g t IJBBW! until an article appeared in the Dtseret Evening News of August 1st, I think, with regard to the matter, for he never supposed that the editorial suggestion in the Telegraph was the cause of the announcement in the New York Herald and other papers, that a challenge had been given. Now, having set this matter straight, a few words to Dr. Newman personally. Did you. Reverend Sir, ever intend to discuss the question: Does the Bible sanction polygamy ? in Salt Lake City ? If you did, why did you not address yourself to Elder Orson Pratt, to learn if bis came had been used with or without authority ? And why, . when you were here, did you not act ou the suggestion which you were so prompt to recognize, by preaching in the New Tabernacle "with ten thousand Mormons Mor-mons to listen" to you, and give Elder Pratt or some prominent Mormon an opportunity to reply ? This was what the Telegraph artie'e suggisted. You were offered the Tabernacle. You have the offer of it still. If you had time to come from Washington here for the purpose, you can surely stay a few days longer for so noble a work! Be assured you will have all of ten thousand auditors. I say this on my individual responsibility, responsi-bility, knowing how disappointed were thousands on Sunday because they did not hear you; and seeing by the published pub-lished correspondence that President Young has renewed to you the offer of a suitable place. You will be listened to patiently, even if you should indulge in language such as characterized your discourse of Sunday afternoon. If you can convert any of our peop'e, all right; if you are open to the truth and should be converted yourself, so much the better. But whatever course you may adopt with regard to this matter of discussion, it will he well to remember remem-ber that we are of the same stock that planted the first Puritan colony on the shores of New England; and when you use threats of coercive measures you speak to a people many of whom have left, and a'l of whom ran leave, i homes, kindred and everything held dear on earth of earthly things for the truth's sake; but who can not and will not bow down at aitars reared by strange hands, nor worship a God in whom they do not believe. With regard to the awkward position posi-tion in wnich you have voluntarily-placed voluntarily-placed yourself, there is yet an opportunity to place yourself right before the conntry. A gentleman of your intelligence, ability and knowledge of the world need not be prompted with regard to the means to be employed for that purpose. Edward L. Sloan. |