Show REMARKS by elder erastus snow tabernacle nov 29 1857 REPORTED BY G D WATT watta I 1 am sais satisfied fied that that portion of the citizens ef of utah ulah who first sought out this mountain re tr trean a chive bave seen and experienced enough of the tile actions of state stale governments and of our national government govern ment h have bave ave suffered enough at the hands of officers effi cers of state and by the treatment they have received from mobs organized to operate against k them independent of all law or nominal y bunder under the color of law 0 to o discern dilcer n clearly the tendency of that spirit which pervades th this s people and arid tile the spirit of opposition which pervades our enemies the unbelieving world which have rejected the gospel po revealed unto ug us and a large portion of this people thos who have immigrated to this territory within a few years past have not had the benefit of nie hie experience which the tha minor portion portio n of this ibis people llave had consequently they have not had forced ulion upon them blat tl at series of reflections so well calculated to mature their mirds and enable them lo 10 bontemp contemplate ate with wilh great pre casion the final result of all efforts brought to bear against us by our enemies for the overthrow of the work of god in the last days I 1 aresu presume me othere there is not one of the early members of the the church but what fully anticipated the crisis which has row LOW come upon us tile the spirit of prophecy ey ard revelation has been in the midst of this pe people 0 from tile the beginning and has continually foretold this event and arid one who was no more moie than the son of a prophet with the benefit of or past e ex peri perl cylence ence ende and an observation of the spirit of this people and that of our enemies could not fail to bee see that such must be the result sooner or later it t at every step this kingdom has advanced the 1 opposition of the ungodly has also advanced their hate bate of the truth has never dever been laid by it I 1 has bang seemed to slumber at times only to wake up with renewed vigor and fresh determination and strength to operate against tile the truth while on the other hand the tha lord has ghen gh en this people seasons of rest that they might take breath and have an opportunity of sending their missionaries to preach the gopel gospel that the hie honest in heart m might li lit be gather gathered td out from among the wicked who are smuggling to crush out of existence the last vestige ot of truth and righteousness upon the earth ahat that portion of the citizens of this territory who vrho were personally acquainted with the history of this chui chul chuich chulch ell eil and with the prophet joseph smith 4 in his last years are now able to view in tile the pres ent movement of the united states troops in the measures of the general government and governmental officials and in the spirit of the people at large an attempt to carry ont out it possible the same tame policy that was enacted in the last days das dds of joseph which resulted lesul lesui ted in the expulsion of this people from illinois there is however some little derence difference dlf dif since that period this people have grown a little more numerous and instead of being within two hours nide ride of carthage and warsaw they are a thousand miles from the frontier settlements of their enemies instead of a military encampment in a corn field just on the outside of the city of nauvoo it is now on the other side of the mountains about miles from the tha city of great salt lake the pretended des gns agns of our enemies towards BS us remind me of tile the speech of rolla in the play ef of P pizarro descanting De scanting upon the promises of the bloody and arid treacherous spanish conquerors of his countrymen he lie says they offen offer off ver ler us krotec hlo teon tion n yes yea uch protection as vui I 1 lules luies ut es give gideo ito gamim lamim lan laa lbs ibs covering and devouring them to their unsought and uncalled for protection our answer should be when the state of mib mia ouri in obedience to her own laws shall have hune huna up by tile tiie neck ex governor boggs austin A king old generals lucas lucils clark dark and wilson and about twenty five hundred of lier her citizens who were waye en engaged aged in murdering the saints alun detira them and driving them ahem hem from their homes when they have the acts of their cor runt legislature and returned fourfold to a I 1 whom they have robbed with the lawful interest thereon until the time of payment reinstating those who have been driven drivon from their homes aud aid possessions sess loli 1011 making good as far as money and means can do it their losses when illinois shall have done the same and the general government hail hall take action to maintain the cili clil zens zons of this ibis territory in he the rightful possession n of ail all uie hie land laud they have pin chased of them from irom which they have been driven by the force of mobs and arid then admit ohp chiq people a groan or c but with brotherly love iove hin kin kindness driess and arid fath fatherly pirly care to the ilia free and undisturbed enjo enjoyment 3 ment of ilag liberty and arid all those poli ical Ucal rights that ahat belong to american citizens in commo iii lii of which the he chief chir is the light 1 of being gove governed by bv men of their own choice and arid of worshipping wor shipping god according to the dic die dictates of their own conscience the principle thing for which our fathers fought when our government gover n ment shall doull do all bil this and cease their threats and menaces to intimidate free men call home their dogs of war and set them to administering justice on the ibe scoundrels at home ai d keep away their mean dirty sycophant whom they wish to force on this thia people for heir rulers at he the point of the tile bayonet then we may begin to think of having a little confidence in their hiah pretensions then they may talk to us about their boasted pi pio 0 lection and their regard fur the ri nights rights abts of mankind until they hat hai hae a done all ail al these things and an d are willi witling I 1 to pay his this territory Terri territory tor y some portion of the few hundred thousand boldis which mitch it has expended to preserve peace with wilh the ravages around us we shall shail have llave no reason to think tile tiie they are honester ho honest nestor or sincere in their intentions otherwise we shall be compelled to regard them all an ani i their armies armies as WP we now liok kuk upon Govern governors Go vernois ford of illinois arid and boggs of misouri mi ali and arid their minder ers clan of mob forces even eve n as whited sepulchres chres e fair without but within full cull of dead men mens bones ones rottenness and all uncleanness until then we shall have bave no guarantee for trusting one particle to them or their promises when we have trusted in the lord our god kept his commandments alid and revered his laws lairs lie he has not betrayed us nor isaken forsaken fo us in trouble 1 but he has ever stood by us ils arld and led us forth elit cill of affliction and anil has given unto us governors and arid judges and Couns counselors elois after his own heart to feed tills this people with knowledge and understanding to lead them forth in the paths of peace unity and love ione we at aie ale a sati satisfied fied with wah our pre present ent rulers when we have trusted in our god arid and his servants sei sel we have been happy and blessed but when we have trusted lo 10 the enemies of our god we have been pierced with many sorrows if any of the citi elti citizens zens of this territory have not as yet experienced enough of the tile tender mercies les ies of this generation and an d the of corrupt ru t officials of the united states government an and they wish still to trust in them a little further 1 they have the privilege the way lias has been kept open for them to leave Altho although uh martial law has been declared in this Teni tury and persons are not allowed to pass through into or out of it without a permit from the proper officer yet it has been declared by our governor published abroad and aad has been repeatedly acted upon that all persons feeling un willii g io to remain in their present po and arid wishing lo 10 go to 10 1 ur enemies and place plate themselves under their protection and accept of thir their th ir proffers they with ba be furnished with a passport pass t and escort if thy wish to leave for other climates and will pay their honest debts not steal their outfit they can have tile ilia privilege two or three small parties have started this fall embracing the few remains of our bentile traders who remained in our midst for purposes of speculation and I 1 have heard that one or two small families who wiio once counted themselves saints went with them the road is still open for others to follow who wild wish to do so my own feelings and I 1 believe belleve a the feelings of all the authorities of this people are iare that we want no disaffect edor indifferent ones to remain among us we wilf will not net lay jay a straw hi in their nayif ay if they will depart in pece pwe if t ey do not wish to remain with the people of god arld and share with will them in their joys and arid sorrows the tile principles of our holy religion claims from us the exercise of our own inculcate the largest degree of freedo freedonia nii of soul and will extend to every soul of mail man like lika privileges the union which edisis in the midst ol 01 this firis people and arid of which our enemies ba have e ever complained so much has bever never been the greult of coercion it has not been created by iron bands placed around the outside of this people only so far as the lord has made use of the wicked to persecute and drive them together that union has been the legitimate result of the princ principles iries irles of truth revealed unto us from heaven and adopted as tiie the guide of their conduct by the people although many of these those who have left this leople people and returned me the dog to his vomit kornit arld and like ilke ke the sow that washed to her liar wallowing in the mire and who have gone down again to the filth and degradation of babylon have reported that they narrowly escaped with mith their lives that efforts had been made to prevent their departure yet all this people do verily know that they were of their father tile the devil who was a liar from the beginning and ard that iii ill their thein air tales were base and wicked falsehoods as an excuse for their own mean arld and traitorous course the only tyranny and oppression that ever existed among this people if indeed any virtuous person would call it so has been the sharpness ol 01 theford of god reproving tile the wicked wickedness wick ednes ness neEs of the ilia beope holding lle lie the vie ale vile and wicked from riding over and arid trampling underfoot nie hie weak and innocent saying fearing to the people if you wish to do to wickedly to oppress a cl eh other to bite and arid devour each other oilier if it is is your our nature to gouge out youn your nei nel neighbors ebors eyes ee to purloin his h s properly seduce his wife and daughters in in fine il it yon you wish to practise tise tiie wickedness and abomination after the order of the gentile world from which wh ch you ou have been gither gather a rethe from ibe ilia midst of the saints return to the ilia hole from whence you have been d in us and wallow again again in the fil limes from whence you on have been taken and not attempt to carry on your 5 our oun w in in the filst of th is 8 people who love rj ness and desire to put away all ill un holiness holin ess sa from them thi is 13 the only dupres oppression ion lon wa which 1 ich any individual has been abie able to complain of in in truth and justice in in the midst of this corn unify tn mormonism does not coerce but all tile the time lima nade teach enlighten instruct and arid invite by fhe the beauty excellence and arid vii vil tue tua of those tt ose osa holy p principles in cills wilch wh ch god has revealed to us u gradually al y drI drawn rg g the beope together benien ing lug their feelings and aud brinan g them by common consent cot coi sent to ad act upon the of truth trueh hand and righteous i ties ne there is is but one ait alt altermat ernat ive lve for this people it it 14 our rc religion ligion our god our liberty or slavery the devil and arid eath inele is no drawing back the file wedge lias has been entered our gull has led us forth and directed our course from the beginning be inning to the present hour shall I 1 cause to come come 0 fo o the birth sarh sai sal h tile the loid lord and ind not bring forth no A although the tire woman in in travail and arid in iain lain pain idin to be de is anxiety mingled with fe fear r yet soon iler liar sorrow forrow is 13 forgotten fo gotten for lor loy joy hit tha a maa mai child is born into the world sj go it will be with this tins people and arid our eller Prier enemies nies cannot hinder it the ilia devil and arid all till the hosts hols hots of hell cannot prevent the tile corum mation of the ilia desired object that god go I 1 hav has ii 11 view the king kingdom doin doln of god is 13 esail shed no more io to be thrown down dow n and in in it we shall in live e and reign and every righteous ois mail man and arid woman who loves love god and his it uth nth more than khan nan their own lives ilves and the treasure res of this tins world shall shail be exalted in it the file kingdom of god they see the of tr truth tl and ri ss alid and th kingdom of god shining on 01 the earth as the tiie sun in in the firmament I 1 but the thy lime linns will come when wien the fainthearted fint faint hearted and the wicked whose hoe knees tremble and who cannot endure the contradiction of ibe the ungodly ai aid d choo choose e rather to hiie their heads and letre making lies their refuge they wi I 1 lift up lip mii nir ea byis in liell hell being in torment they will wil ivok lack tack and arid they wi will 11 try tryl to repent a as it were in sack cloth cioth ai d ashes they willse pk filia fully y with tear tears but will pot rot and it because there will willbe bo i io 0 chance left for them to regain w what hat they have bavel lost if the tiie lord has fins compassion upon ihm them arld and heers their cries their weeping and arid their bit ter ler I 1 in tile the day of their degradation and mi ery it will be to div give tiem the of becoming becom leg iLg it in a future day da the he servants of those who wiio maintained their integrity the state of my luigs is is such that I 1 shall shail be under the necessity nece sity ol 01 I 1 pray god to bless all israel and arid help us to keep our covenants to the end amen |