Show I Biography of jf Brigham Y Young ung I and History f Mormon I Church Chur I IVL MR I R. R Werner i s Jo I Journal rn 1 Continued from last week S Meanwhile 1 the people of Utah were making desperate desperate efforts to turn their territory into nto a state a stat Its it Its population n was large larg enough and ind the tIie r 1 Mormons rn s know lenow that once they were ere a a state they could pass whatever whatever what what- ever n marriage laws laws' they plea pleased cd for fol their own gov government rn nent The anci- anci polygamists also realized this and andin andin andin in spite spit of all ll Its Pe petitions and its population Pul on Ut Utah h vas was continued as asa asa a a. territory But even eveh in Brigham Brigham- m. m Youngs Young's lifetime there theio w was s. s a a te tency t ency to compromise lor for fog t the e of statehood In the School School of or the Prophets Prophets' which w was g gd gest d est established by hy Brigham Young in Salt Lake for the ed education of hims himself and nd his associates asso asso- dates Daniel Wells spoke on December December Decem Decem- ber her 9 1871 He was wa's was reported as follows President Veils Wells talked on would polygamy polygamy would ld not think it sf strange range if God would would take take that principle prin prin- ciple b back ck to Himself for a a reason reason through gh the wickedness of His peo pIe However God did not take ake action ac- ac action ac ac- tion while Brigham Young was still sUB olive alive A few years years arter after his death Uie the Edmunds Act was passed by Con Con- gress The Edmunds Act of 1882 provided that any person in the territories territories territories ter ter- of ot the United who States States who had hada a wife and married another should be fin fined d not more than five hund hundred ed dollars and imprisoned for not more than five live years ears It also provided that any male person perron n n. n the terrItories territories ries who cohabited with more than one woman was as guilty of a misdemeanor meanor and nd was thereby subject to toI toa toa a fine of three hundred dollars o or six I f l imprisonment or both This act also legitimated those marI marriages mar mar- I s performed before January 1 lr 1883 and deprived d any polygamist of the right to vote or to hold office under the tile United States government An amendment passed five yc yes s slater later provided that a husband or a ire might testify against each other concerning polygamy and it it- also abolished female suffrage in the t ter- ter r- r I j Any man w o could not I swear that h he w was s obeying the tho lawor laws law or of the Unit United States and particularly particular particular- ly the Edmunds Act was deprived of the right light to serve on any jury and tIle the United States government government- was granted the right to escheat the property of any corporation whose i members were violating the His law of f 1862 In add addit it it was provided that I lIi gratl n for th the purpose of or adding to the polygamous population of oC Utah sh be should uld be prohibited and tho the Perpetual Perpetual Perpetual Per Per- Emigration Fund nd of of the Mor Mormon mon church hurch vas fras was declared r d' d dissolved cj as a corporation The c corporation known lc hewn as the Jesus Christ Christof of oC Day Latter Saints was also dis dis- dis j solved The United States government began began be be- I be-I gan to enforce this thil's act act vigorously I During the next five years eleven hundred Mormons were put in jail and all the leaders of the church were vere either in jail or or fugitives from Justice The United States h hid had d de de determined to extirpate polygamy All All' II the Mormon l church prop property frt was confiscated by the he States gov government government except those buildings used for religious s 3 Immigration lion tion of or converts was stopped Tl The supreme court of or the United States had meanwhile declared the Edmunds Edmunds Edmunds Ed Ed- munds Act constitutional and its ItI Hi provisions were vere being carried out to the letter The Mormons once more I found round themselves In grave ties Woodruff who was vas vas then the president of ot the church issued a 1 proclamation in which he declared that while polygamy was divine It was inexpedient This was not considered considered considered con con- satisfactory by the F Federal deral authorities and nd on ou September 24 24 1890 Wilford Woodruff Issued La a manifesto to the tile saints read To Whom it May Concern Con Inasmuch as laws have been enacted enacted en en- acted by congress laws have been pronounced constitutional h by bythe the court of or last resort 1 I hereby hereIn declare declare de do- clare dare my Intention lo Co 0 submit D these laws and to use my In influence with the members of the tho church hur h over which I 1 1 preside to have them do doUk like wise There is s nothing In r. r i io to tho the in those of ot my associates as as- during during the time tim e specified d d. d which can be r reasonably construed cen tl to or or enco encourage rag polygamy my and vh any hy Y elder of bf f the church ch has used language language which appeared t to c coi convey i v any il such lea teachings lie he lie has beel n reproved d. d And now I publicly declare that my lily advice to thle the Latler Latter Day Saints Latter a aS S Saints i ts IF Ir- Ir Irto to refrain from from rom ra any marriage marriage forbidden if by fhe land I 1 I 1 C 1 I I 1 t t This This proclamation 1 was S' S r unanimously by bythe by the nex general conference ence of of the the ht at Salt Lake Lak City pU fly on October el c u 1 0 it it officially ended polygamy ended polygamy and in ili a aCV Tew V ew years ars Utah w I was officially received received ed a asa a state of the United States Complaints ts T There re- re reY Y were re e other causes a pi of dIssension dissension dis dIs- dis- dis sension between the Mormons and anG the f rest it of the tile population n of the United States besides As soo s their isolation was bl broken by hy the flow of emigration westward Salt Lake City was visited by Gentiles Gen Gen- tiles some of whom remained there The chief c cause use of of complaints besides besides besides be be- sides polygamy was that the Mormons Mormons Mor Mor- and mons were ruled autocratically ac acted ed politically as a group By Dy their heir power over their own courts the Mormons con controlled trolled justice jus S justice tice lice and men who did not agree faithfully with it i Brigham Young cameto cameto came cameto to feel a a d desperate sper te sense of grievance Yance Y- Y ance which was was was' j justified by their situations A Mormon juror would not convict a Mormon if it could be I avoided when a Gentile or an apostate apos apes l tate t was the plaintiff and and- the thc chances of conviction were abnormally abnormally abnor abnor- mally mailly great when the Gentile or an au apostate was the def defendant n lant Another cry against the MormonS Mormons MornIon Mor Mor- mons nIon was that at heart they they were were disloyal to the th-e United States gov gov- In their expression of oC of contempt contempt- the Mormons wore were frequently fre fre frequently outspoken they dwelt feelingly feelingly feel feet on the wrongs which several I state governments had subjected them to and which the Fe Federal 1 government goy goy- gov go had permitted to be eec executed t ted ed cd without interference Those who took ook the most lost tP part in ill the opposition to the Mormons Mor Mor- Mormons 01 mons were the F Federal deral hr vl who o were Yer sent to Utah Utan to the po- po 1 of United States ta ics ics- judges S. in iii the far away te were we're were not co considered cither profitable o 0 or pleasurable amI and onT onTy t the iov ha on ha er of the political j al adminis administration accepted them o 0 asked for foJ I l them At AL one one onetime a time le lOw er j e w s 5 opposition to to the rp reappointment of of ot Brigham Young as as' governor of ot f th the Territory of at f Utah and the the now new Federal officials end endeared ared themselves themselves them them- selves s to lo th the Mormons by sending a petition to President lt Franklin Pierce urging him to reappoint Brigham Young an and l praising highly high high- ly the Mormon presidents president's a ability 1 and loyalty to the tion President Pierce reappoint n Brigham Young as governor go and on the c celebration of th the following Fourth of pt r July 1855 this tills toast tast was WIS e by the the the- Mormons in gratitude I Franklin Pierce Pierce may o omay may he hei i l live live- l' l till his popularity is l l lo to Ills Ills- Ih virtues and may no future president e t I of the United States do any more harm or less good Buchanan's Message La Later er the United States officials spread rumors that the Mormons not not only lacked respect and and loyal for tor the United State States goY government nt but hut that Brigham Young ha had threatened threatened threatened threat threat- ened them with with personal danger In lu his sermons a and they forgot to mention mention men men- tion that the only thre threats ts he mal against them were directed against th their ir personal conduct rather than their om official ial acts The he e. e result wa was an agitation in Washington t to Ui re remove remove re- re moye move Brigham Young as governor 9 of Utah to which he replied in a sermon sermon Wo W Vo have got gol a territorial government and I am aRId will 7 p I governor and and no ne power power can hinder It un until the tho Lord Almighty says BrIgham you need not t no ne e governor any longer and then I am willing tc tr yield to another r governor I From Journal of or Discourses Vol Vot On Last Page From Prom Page One BIOGRAPHY OF Oli BRIGHAM YOUNG YOUN G and amI HISTORY OF MORMON CHURCH I P. P This attitude e of defiance den deff- ance occasioned much newspaper comment in the east ast and soon men i in Washington and nd newspapers els elsewhere else else- where hole i egan to advocate sending an an army army to Utah to for I the purpose of or placing a new governor and of protecting protecting pro pro- pro pro-I te the United States judges who were sen sent t there I In 1857 President Franklin Pierce who vho had been l negatively friendly to tile the Mormons was was- I no longer In in of- of lice uce and James James' Buchanan was 1 President dent of the United Slates States In reSi 1 his uis I first annual message to congress on December S S 1857 1857 Buchanan pointed point point- 1 ed out that Brigham Young was governor of or Utah superintendent of I and territory In Indian lan affairs of af the of ot J Jesus sus president of the Church and Christ Chris of Latter-Day Latter Saints wrote further t I tHis His power has been therefore ch church r h anc and both absolute over sta state j. j rhe The people of ot Ut Utah b almost to this ch church rc exclusively b belong lo fan fanatical spirit with a and or of the ter territory to Y that at he Is Is' Is governor ol obey ey rte felt appointment hydl by divine c commands as If these y ere e direct revelations from from p. p if lr th there therefore r fore tor he he lie chooses that that hi bis govern government ru meat ment of oC the United States the mom mom- m mbel'S m- m Intent will church bers belS of the Mormon obedience to his will y yield Implicit Unfortunately existing f facts fads ll leac lea c is his det de- de b bu but ut t litt little e doubt that suell t termination l n. n WH Without Oll c entering alien aliena upon a a minute history of occurrences c it itIs Itis Is sufficient to say thay tha all all an the ofil cers of the tho United St States tes judicial with the singly ex ex exception J a and nd executive of two to I dt n 9 have for tor person f f found it necessary safety to n withdraw w from rr m. m the t terii- terii n 1 tory tor ani an there there e n no no io lonar ar remains s soy any government in Utah but despotism des dc- Tins be being l' l holism of of Yo Youa un i ing lg the c condition on iq d ard in the theU U I 4 UP an 6 T. t-T. ti shi i j path h of or Ac As- As T magistrate gis n J was wa- 1 bound lo tu lQ tore restore J t the he supremacy of on laws within Its ts liml limits s ilir hr order t to o titled this purpose I dr appo d a a new governor and other federal fl o for for Utah and sent wi wf with lt them thema a 3 mn military tary force for t 1 t p pi protection ot end r. r nd to aid as a lO posse poser se u in in inI I S Q of need in t the e e c evolution of of the l laws aws From Works of or James Buchanan B Buchanan Vol X pp 54 j T To be Continued |