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Show "IB HE DISLOYAL?" in .'a. somewhat abusive letter, and yet In a letter which attempts to be argumentative ar-gumentative in style, a well-known-citizen of this community who does not wish hlB name to bo published, asks why We continue to "harp" upon tho disloyalty of Jdseph F. Smith. As the "harping" upon this disloyalty has usually been accompanied by the proofs, the question seems to betray lack of unprejudiced observation. Furthermore, there exists a general situation sit-uation in Utah which should be evident to every Intelligent mind. The attitude toward the Government of tho United Stales of the 'Mormon leaders Is one of hostility and offense. If our correspondent correspond-ent Is not conscious of that public situation, sit-uation, let Us cite one thing to him: Believing thnt the object of the Government Govern-ment wa.s simply tho vindication of Its own authority and to compel obedience to Its lawa, and that It takes no pleasure In persecution, wo respectfully pray that full amnesty may bo extended to all who arc under disability bocauso of tho operations of tho so-called Edmunds nnd Edmunds-Tucker Edmunds-Tucker laws. Our pcbplo nro scattered: homes nro mado desolate; many arc still in prison; others aro banished or In hiding. hid-ing. Our .hearts bleed for these. Jn tho past thoyfollowed our counsels, and whllo they aro thus afflicted our souls nro In sackcloth and ashes. Wo bcllovo thero are noivhero in the Union a more loyal peoplo than the Latter-day Saints. They know no other country except this. They expect to live and die on this soil. When tho mon of tho Southk who wcro In rebellion against tho Govornmont In 1SC5, throw down their arms and asked for recognition along old lines .of citizenship, tho Government hastened to grant their prayer. To bo at peace with tho Government and In harmony with their fellow-cltlzcns who wore not of their faith, and to share In tho confldcnco of tho Government and pepplo. our people havo voluntarily put asldo something which all their lives they havo belloved to ho a sacred principle. Have they not tho right to nsk for such clemency as comes when tho clnlms of both law and Justlco have been fully liquidated? As shepherds of a patient and suffering pcoplo wo ask amnesty for them and plodgo our faith and honor for their future fu-ture And your petitioners will ever pray. Foregoing are the closing paragraphs of a petition for amnesty presented to President Benjamin Harrison, and signed by President Joseph F. Smith and others, dated December 19, 1S01. We call the attention of our correspondent corres-pondent to tho fact that this petition for amnesty was granted by Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States, in a proclamation which contains con-tains the following language: Therefore I. Benjamin Harrison, President Pres-ident of tho United States, by virtuo of tho powers In mo vested, do hereby dc-claro dc-claro and grant a full amnesty and pardon par-don lo all persons liablo to tho penalties of said act by reason of unlawful cohabitation co-habitation under the color of polygamous or plural marriage, who havo slnco November No-vember 1. 1SS0, abstained from such unlawful un-lawful cohabitation; hift-on tho express condition that they shall in futuro faithfully faith-fully obey tho laws of tho United States hereinbefore named, and riot otherwise. Thus, by the humble petition of Joseph Jo-seph F. Smith (whom we name individually individ-ually because he is now tho head of the church, and because' most of the other principal signers are dead), and by tho act of General Harrison, oblivion for past offenses connected with plural marriage was gained for the Mormon people. Upon the most solemn pledges given and received; upon a mercy granted upon his word ' of honor, Joseph F. Smith accepted the gift of forgiveness from the Government, and was made-a free man in the Territory of Utah. For many years the leading Mormons had been exiled from Utah, or had been In hiding in tho Territory, or had been in prison. President Joseph F. Smith took a littlo of his exile in Washington and tho Hawaiian islands, and a littlo of his hiding In the Territory; and to tho Joy of all the saints, himself Included, In-cluded, he escaped Imprisonment entirely. entire-ly. But it had been a sad period. The woo of that time can only be described by the piteous language of the petition for amnesty which we have quoted. There wcro times when men and women 1 felt desperate' beyond description; when little children were compelled to suffer In want and loneliness and apparent orphanage; and when some communis ties seemed almost paralyzed by the exigency to which the prosecution of tho law had driven them. This calamitous situation seemed to have no visible end until some of tho Gentiles of Utah, wrung to the heart by the, affliction which had been produced, pro-duced, felt that they must join with some of thh Mormons in getting a cessation ces-sation of governmental activity against those who had -violated the law. Arid such Gentiles clasped hands with leading lead-ing Mormons; perhaps it was a noble Gentile hand that wrote the petition for amnesty; and they besought, with the Uonnons, that the President of the United States would be merciful to those who were In want and peril and hopelessness. Glorious Ben Harrison granted the petition, and this was followed by Statehood by Gentile assent, and the Mormons who had been as outlaws became be-came the rulinjr citizens of a sovereignty. sov-ereignty. But for tho compact made with tho Gdvernment, Joseph F. Smith would still have been, an exile or a prisoner, or in hiding or on the underground. Instead of being in this condition he is ruler of a commonwealth and an open nnd defiant law breaker. And moro than that, ho broke tho promise which he gave to Benjamin Harrison, he lied before God and man to gain this amnesty, as is shown by his own testimony given at the Snidot Investigation In "Washington. The man who can not recognize in these facts that Joseph F. Smith is disloyal dis-loyal to the Government hath neither eyes to see nor ears wherewith to hear the truth. And not only is he disloyal himself, but by example ho -teaches disloyalty, to all his people. " But; thank God, thousands In tho Mormon church refuse to bo dragged back Into this horrlblo warfare with tho Government of the United States; and tliey will not follow Joseph F. 'Smith,' the forsworn leader Into trea-I son. |