Show LIBERTY OR DEATH mr F A brown charged with unlawful cohabitation makes a state men oath 1 I know that the doctrines that are preached by the latter say saints are true first duly sworn mr P A brown read the following states ment before the court and jury before whom he was being tried on the charge of unlawful cohabitation june 1885 the court or c derad the principle portion of tho document stricken out as testimony but promised oration in passing sentence on the caused if the court please notwithstanding I 1 have able counsel to plead myca useI ami happy 0 o have out speaking a few words dc ferise descended from tho old puritan stock of the new england states tho land of early piety and steady habitat sly forefathers bravely fought and bled during the ever memorable period alie american Kc which brought our National independence and bestowed the boon of religious liberty upon their posterity my parents emigrated from connecticut to alie western portion of the of new york inythe early days and amid great adversity and tho almost insurmountably hardships of a new country reared a family of ten children I 1 being the seventh child I 1 learned in early childhood to love my her ment and institutions and revere and render strict obedience hie isay youth up noih 0 present time while absent iram nay dear homeard home and beloved country sojourning sojo among strangers in foreign lands I 1 could look with pride upon the flag of my country as iti waved gracefully in tho breeze welcoming the downtrodden and oppressed of all nations to the land of the ifred anellie home of the b rave and mine t was taught by my parents and in the sunday school to reference tho of obits siy parents belonged to episcopal church and I 1 was in their doctrines ancl until I 1 was twenty ria years ewhen 1 I first heard of jesus christ as revealed through tho prophet joseppi smith I 1 was now old to act dada agency and think for myself aud after a thorough investigation of the scriptures of divine truth and the doctrines taught by tho elders of tho church of jesus christ of latter day saints I 1 became convinced and from an honest conviction of my heart on the alth day of february ap I 1 yielded obedience to the gospel of elicson of god and received a knowledge hand also tho divine mission of joseph amith as jesus has eaid he that boeth my will shall know of the doctrine whether it bo of god or whether it be of man by embracing an I 1 was belied and reviled by roy relatives and those wh ohad formally professed great friendship in the fall of the same tho saints at Nauvoo arid saner edwith teem in their expulsion rom that place at tUo hands of a ruthless mob on the A D 1 left council bluffs where I 1 resided some six years for utah and arrived here in september following on the and 2nd day of april A D accepted of and entered into th a holy order marriages marria gei as revealed through jaseph smith from an honest conviction of my heart that it a pure principle led from god and that it was roy duty to obey it I 1 WAS convinced that if T would bo a child of Abraham I 1 must do the works of father abraham and follow tho worthy example of ali the prophets and holy men of old who had tha divine favor of Almighty god that I 1 might be worthy to enjoy their society when I 1 pass veil 0 O ver 40 years of my life have been church of jesus clarisl of latter day saints and I 1 have never heard a false doctrine taught inuring that length first wrong counsel given by the leaders of tho church A more loyal people doe not dwell in united states or in any portion of the earth I 1 havo struggled in poverty now nearly thirty long years to formy beloved wives and dear clail husband aind fond father should and I 1 haeft kept solemn vows and most sacred con tracts that I 1 made with those wo men up to the present time to the beat of my ability and I 1 believe to their entire satisfaction it have as good and respectable a family as any monogamist in the united states or in the world and I 1 feel proud of theal my honorable gentila neighbors mr read mr leland postmaster littlefield and never been disgraced by I 1 think have never had any causa to be ashamed of them I 1 now aak your honor wha am I 1 to do shall I 1 break tho most sacred obligation B man can enter into with impunity and sever the strongest ties and affection that has grown up 1 in the human heart between husband and wives parents and children to gratify religious bigotry or the shall I 1 aban acri my wives and children who are as dear to mo as spur lionora II onora if you have any franr other mans wie and children arc to hidi and them off upon the charities of a cold world and thereby render my nivea and my children and orphans or ahall I 1 keep my covenants with my family aliko ft honors able and lionnet man I 1 know apt af what metal your honor is composed but sf 11 II i i ic HI t ti before I 1 will prove recreant to my wives and children and betray my trust I 1 will suffer my head to be severed from my body I 1 have not wronged a man or a woman on the earth during my life that I 1 am aware of I 1 have trespassed upon no ones rights to my knowledge this is the first lime in my life I 1 havo been called to answer to a charge of crime against the laws of my country I 1 hayo either been too shrewd for the officers of alie law or I 1 have proved myself loyal and lived above the law for the past ga years coercion is not known in the marital relations of the latter day saints they hae entered into these holy relations mutually of their own free will and choice as a vital part af pf theia religion imitate tho i example of the prophets and but haap eniy brace d the celestial order 01 marriage for time and all has though Hia Prophet unto osand commanded us to obey it your honor can consign us to prisons and assess lines and even put us to death but that will only place us beyond your power and in possession of cherich th erich blessings god d unto us ence to his everlasting gospel if congress cair by enactment liander the free excer cise of that part of our religion in taking to ourselves a plurality of and not violate the constitution of the united states then congress can hinder ace exercise bour religion in being baptized the paying gathering to zion or any other 01 the goi pel of christou r a living feitli we show bjorr alien it ceases to produce cpr has declared is dead might congress termine the of children our wives should us if alie conscience of people h outraged at kiy conduct by obeying aliat my bromps me tobe my duty toiny godana demand jeny liberty they to 1 l decisions of courts enactments of congresses and edicts of tyrants strike no terror to me when they come in contact with my known duty to my got hope our government and her officers will prove as zealous in the execution of the edmunds law in punishing monogamists who cohabit with more than one woman and cause them to live a life of shame as they are in prosecuting who provide for and honor and rear and educate their children and thereby prove to the world eliat they administer the law impartially if the conscience of the american people bow submissively toan unconstitutional law which your honor has the power to execute I 1 am in your hands arid if your honor thinks it will the interests of our country or benefit humanity in any way by inflicting pains and penalties upon me for doing what I 1 i know to bo my duty to my god you can incarcerate me in prison prisons nor death itself can not obliterate the knowledge god lias given me of his great latter day work I 1 stand here innocent of any known crime chave a conscience void of offense before god and all men I 1 am guiltless of violating any law of god or constitutional law of the land now while you are enjoying your liberty and the immunities of a freo government and while gamblers lib i artines and prostitutes can revel in binand corruption without the fear of prosecution or of being deprived of their liberties libei ties pi ease remember mo and my brethren who you are instrumental in depriving af pf cheso heaven born treasures being icino centofant cen crimo yon and yours are enjoying all that is near and bear on earth with all the comforts an d even remember tho innocent women jand childr en you cause to buffer by tearing from them their only support I 1 have made bip my dimind while water runs or grass grows and a drop lof blood alowa through my veins or I 1 am permitted to breath the breath of life I 1 shall obey the supreme lawa of ray god in preference to the changeable and imperfect laws of man and I 1 can only exclaim in the beautiful language of the heroic and patriotic american orator patrick henry give me liberty or give me death I 1 wah to say to all court as you arc a stranger among us aal ignorant of our doctrines and practice honor and respect you la your position as of our great government I 1 n i bertain no malice in my heart to warda jbf court or any of accuser 3 J will therefore say honor you pas sentence upon me to consider wc all the circumstances connected with my case I 1 am well known in city and have been for alie past twenty eight years and I 1 any man woman or child to justly accuse me of wronging them no one ever heard roe take the name of god in vain no one ever saw me intoxicated no one ever knew me to to patronize houses of or gambling dons I 1 emoi lived above reproach and set a christian example before my family and all the world and rimond can accuse me laws of my country or of being kullay of committing any crime unless love my wives and children if I 1 an error in ray religion corns tomo intro spirit of the gospel and point it out taking the word that you profess to be cievo io arid show mo any portion of my faith false and I 1 will renounce it and if you will present me something than I 1 have already I 1 will ac cent it kindly I 1 know the doctrines that are preached by the latter day sainta 1 are the pure gospel of of god for thia knowledge 1 I am not dependent upon the testimony of joseph smith brinham youn jolin taylor or nn man I 1 have obtained thia knowledge for myself through the revelations of jesus christ untwine un toine with what sura you inele unto it shall bo measured toyo I 1 expect to stand before the bar of god in abo court above and alve an j 0 ft i a t ix i x account of the deeds done in the body and if I 1 cannot obtain my rights in the courts on earth I 1 havo no fears but what I 1 shall receive equity and justice at the bands of god in heaven and I 1 caa afford to wait I 1 would to god abat not only thi court but also all who are interested in persecuting the saints of god and all who hear me this day were both almost and altogether such as 1 am except my may god have mercy court and all who are engaged in this unholy crusade against an honest virtuous industrious and God fearing people this is all I 1 wish to say at present thanking booti for indulgence 3 FABa oiw |