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Show fBy W. U.Tolefraph hint. PIUI,. SHERIDAN OS T1IK C U 1 -CAHO CALAMITY, Washington. 10. General Sheridan telegraphed lielknap, last night: The Qre here last night and to-day has destroyed des-troyed almost alt that was very valuable in this city. There is not a business . house, bank or hotel left. Most of tho j best part of the city is gone. Without exasgeratinn all the valuable portion ! of the city is iu ruins. I think not less : than io,iV) people are homeless, and : those who have had most wealth are ' now poor. It seems to bo such a ter-; ter-; rible misfortune that it may with pro-, pro-, nriety be considered a national ea-i ea-i lamiiy. THE DRIFT OF PUBLIC OPIX ION AS VIEWED BY A GENTILE Editor Jlrrald: Not only is public opinion abroad as indicated by the press drifting around in sympathy with the Mormons in the present crisis, but the Gentiles in Utah arc daily becoming be-coming more and more dissatisfied with the course pursued by the prosecuting pros-ecuting officer of tho govornment. The anti-Mormons, who disapprove of the present course, admit that is the duty of the Federal courts to ouforco the United States law against polygamy, and they would sustain the oflicers in so doing, even though they might consider the law unjust or unconstitutional. unconstitu-tional. They would consider it the duty of the prosecuting officer and tho judges to endeavor to execute the law while it remains on the statute books; but when tho U. S. attorney ignores this statute of the United States and attempts to use a law of the Territory by making it serve a purpose entirely foreign to the intent ol the legislature which passed it, tho people feel that the attorney is actuated more (strongly by a love of trickery than love of justice; jus-tice; and as it is evident that no conviction con-viction can be procured under this law, the public are at a loss to underetand the motive of such strange proceedings. proceed-ings. This act was intended to punish lewdncsM.and under its provisions none but the vilest characters could be convicted. con-victed. Not even a prostitute could be found guilty under this act, except by the testimony of a partuer in her guilt. How absurd, then, tho idea of convicting con-victing men who hold tho high positions posi-tions in the community occupied by the persons accused. The intent of the law must govern the jury, and it is evident that the men who passed the act did not intend to stamp as infamous one of the prominent prom-inent articles of their religious faith, t would therefore bo a gross perversion perver-sion of law, as well as of justice, to so construe the act as to make plural marriage under it "lewdness." If it is true that one of tho wives of Iirigham loung will testify against him, it is possiblo that ho may be convicted, con-victed, but a conviction under such circumstances would have a very bad moral effect worse by far than the immunity from punishment which poly-gamists poly-gamists have for so many years enjoyed to the groat dissatisfaction of some people who do not bclievo as they do. Tho peoplo would perceive that the , conviction was procured by means of a lawyer's trick, and no rightminded i person desires to see even a bad man 1 overcome by trickery. Peoplo admire j straight-forward ness in everything. If there arc serious charges against Brig-ham Brig-ham Young as has been asserted why not havo him arrested on such charges, and afforded a speedy trial? Why tins delay this boating about the dubIi as if tho game were not in plain sight? It is a course unworthy of high-minded, conscientious officers of the law, and it is fast destroying tho sympathy which tho Gentiles at first felt for tho United States officials. I say this advisedly, and after ascertaining ascer-taining to my satisfaction, that a large mojority of tho Gentile population of tho Territory who would gladly have tho guilty brought to justice aro becoming be-coming disgusted with tho potifogging course that somo of the officers seem inclined to pursue A Gentile. |