OCR Text |
Show A DANITE CAPTAIN. Thcro are some very interesting things snid in the letter of Reed Peck, written in 1S39, concerning tho "Dan-ites" "Dan-ites" of Missouri days. Mr. Peck was onco a lieutenant in tho band, but upon becoming disgnslod with the outfit he left them and later exposed some of their doings. .Tared Carter, in the year 1S32, as we find l)3r reading section 70 of the Ufah edition of the Doctrine and Covenants, was "called of the Lord by special revelation." Paragraph 4 of that section, sec-tion, which concludes the pretended revelation, says, "Wherefore, let your heart bo glad, my servant Jnro.-l Carter, Car-ter, and fear not, saith your Lord, even Jesus Christ. Amen." dared, therefore, there-fore, was one of the supposed special instruments in the hand of the Mormon loxd for the accomplishment of certain purposes. Ono of these purposes was later developed when .fared Carter (who was called "tho terrible brother of Gideon," because ho had a brother, Gideon Carter), was made "Captain General of tho Lord's Hosts" at and near Kirtland, Missouri. Whilo ho was thus activoly engaged with the "Dan-ite" "Dan-ite" band, .larod Carter complained to Joseph Smith concerning sonic observations observa-tions made by Sidney Rigdon in a sermon, ser-mon, and was tried for having found fault with ono of the first presidency, and was deprived of his office, and Elias Uigbce was appointed in his stead. Under Un-der tho rules and oaths of the band, Carter's punishment should havo been death; but doubtless his special designation desig-nation by "revelation" saved his ucck. Reed Peck says in his lotter that on the evening after Carter's trial ho was in conversation with Sampson Avard, Dimick B. Huntington, Elias Higbee and Apostle David W. Patlon, all of whom had sat in the trial. Mr. Peck's letter has tho following to say of this conversation: Sampson Avard related at the same time the arrangement that hud been made by the presidency and officers present at tho trial, respecting tho dissenters. Said he: "All the head officers arc to bo furnished fur-nished by the presidency with a list of dissenters, both In Ohio and Missouri, and. if, for example. 1 meet with one of them who Is damning and cursing tho presidency. I can curse them too. and if he will drink I can get him a bowl of brandy, and after a while take him by the arm and got lilm ono side in the brush, and I will Into his guts In a mln-uto mln-uto and put him under tho sod. When an officer has disposed of a dissenter In this way ho shall inform the presidency, arid them only, with whom It shall remain re-main an Inviolable secret." Probably this is some of the evidence discovered by the Dcsoret News in its promised investigation of lho "Danitc" quostion, which if. declared would show that tho gang was not of tho Mormon church in thoso das, and was not approved ap-proved by church officials, nor directed by the heads of tho church.. The Tribune merely presents it on account of tho fact that the public is entitled to it, since tho News promised it to the public and has not since shown any disposition to kcop its promise, |