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Show THE CASE IS ESTABLISHED. Thc Tribune considers that, to the satisfaction of all reasonable persons, it has made out a clear case in support sup-port of its contention that Joseph and llyrum Smith were massacred by malcontents mal-contents of thc Mormon church, iu high ecclesiastical postion, at Nauvoo and its vicinity. But the Dcserct News affects af-fects lo believe that we havo not so succeeded. For tho present we shall leavo the matter with a brief statement in ro-vicw. ro-vicw. Tho proof which this paper has produced in support of its position has becu taken from Mormon sources, which ought lo appeal to the investigator investiga-tor as being the best advised testimony testi-mony that could be brought forward in tho matter in dispute from the Mormon standpoint. We havo quoted from thc sermons of early Mormon leaders lead-ers iu Utah, wherein it is distinctly and unequivocally asserted that men who were the closest friends and broth ron of Joseph Smith, hud who were nearest to his bosom, took his life. Wo have brought forward tho convincing testimony of a man who attended three meetings of the Mormon conspirators, at which' plans wero laid by them for making away with their own "'prophet." "'proph-et." Jt was contended at these meetings meet-ings that Joseph was leading tho church to destruction, and that in order to savo the organization it was absolutely absolute-ly necessary lo "remove" Joseph Smith. Joseph was advisod of this con spiracy, and in consequence of this advic.0 ho provided himself with an armed bodyguard. He knew the spirits spir-its of the men who wero conspiring ugainst him, and ho knew that if the opportunity were presented they would assuredly take his life. When ho had crossed tho Mississippi river, coinmenc- j ing his flight from what ho knew to j bo the sure vengoanco of liis Mormon ! pursuers, it was a Mormon messenger ! that induced him to return to tho trap that was ready to bo sprung by his (lis contented brethren. As we arc told by Bishop Dcnison L. Harris, it was knowledge knowl-edge of tho secret meetings held by tin: priestly conspirators that prompt ed Joseph to guard himself, because it was Bishop Harris who attended these meetings and carried information of their doings to Joseph. At no timo had Joseph regarded tho opposition and enmity en-mity of "outsiders" lo bo so threat ening as to impel him to make preparations prepara-tions lo flee; but as soon as he knen' of the conspiracy among his own brethren, breth-ren, he at once prepared to leave" the country. That fact in itself is convincing; con-vincing; and when wo come to remember remem-ber that when asked to return, ho declared de-clared Hint he was "going like a lamb lo the .slaughter," and that "we aro going go-ing back to be butchered. " ho know in advance the identity of his executioners?, execu-tioners?, and (he certainly (hat (hey would kill him. As wo have said, proof produced from tho very heart of tho conspiracy which had the definite purposo of murdering Joseph Smith is vastly superior evidence evi-dence to that given by tho News as coining from men who were not iu tho conspiracy at all, and who, therefore, there-fore, could not possibly bo so correctly advised as to tho details. . . The church organ attempts to mako much of a quotation from -Whitney's History of Utah; but that is not at all a quotation of fact, being merely a reproduction re-production of Mr. Whitney's comment ami prejudiced personal opinion. And this instnuco of presentation may be regarded aa exposing the rule which characterizes most of the quotations made by thc News. Tt has argued the case all tho way through according lo its own bias, and has brought forward for-ward in the main only such testimony as partook of tho same projudice, ig noring tho facts on every point of the controversy. Tho News should ' abandon .Hint old story. It does that paper no good lo ropcat it not even among tho Mormon people, because they nro learning tho truth. Tt is of a piece with tho exploded ex-ploded yarns concerning the pioneers and the Mormon battalion, and is entitled en-titled to no rnoro belief than are those now known falsehoods. |
