Show vi t THE EPISTLE how The First Presidency Looks Upon The Enforcement Of Law and Morality in Utah Territory Ter-ritory The following is a synopsis of the letter let-ter of John Taylor and George Q Cannon Can-non as the First Presidency of the Church to the people assembled in conference con-ference at Logan Comment has been refrained from as the intelligent mind needs no prompting to place a proper I value upon its expressions The letter l begins with an expression of regret that the writers are unavoidably prevented from attending the conference in person and goes on to say that under the circumstances it is proper for them to address the people by letter to express the FAITH FEELING AND HOPES by which they are animated in regard to the work in hand Never at any time have we had more joy and satisfactionin the Gospel We see Gods hand marvelously marvel-ously manifested in behalf of His people For a wise purpose in His providence He permits the wicked in the exercise 01 their agency from time to time to afllicl His followers We have submitted to His laws have obeyed His gospel and have chosen the path which He assures us will bring us into His presence Others of His childreirprcfer a different cour3e They yield to a different influence and under its power they seek to destroy the work of God and all who are connected with it Not only in time past but in our own days the wicked have persecuted tormented and MURDERED TIlE SAINTS OF GOD But while so doing they bring upon themselves them-selves everlasting condemnation their acts being overruled for the glory and exaltation of His faithful people and the accomplishments of His purposes For a few months past we have seen in these valleys an exhibition of tIns deadly hostility against the Latterday Saints The best men in the community communi-ty men of pure lives men who have set an example to the people who have led in works of righteousness who have been citizens of the highest type of character char-acter have been selected as victims of a VILE PERSECUTION and been assailed and denounced as criminals of the lowest grade Juries have been selected for the express purpose pur-pose of convicting men who are prominent promi-nent in the church and their partisan bias has become so thoroughly known in the community that the common expression ex-pression is that an accusation in the courts as now constitutad is equivalent to a conviction The result has been that a Latterday Saint would be almost as safe in seeking justice in the infernal regions or at the hands of Algerine pirates as in courts of this character A reign of JUDICIAL TERROR has prevailed and still pi evails in these valleys Seeing no prospect of fair trial men have deemed it better to avoid arrest ar-rest for a season or until there was a prospect of receiving impartial treatment by the courts and juries A law which in and of itself as we believe unconstitutional unconsti-tutional and aimed at the practice of religion re-ligion and so viewed by a number of our leading statesmen in Congress is taken advantage of and carried car-ried to lengths probably never dreamed of by many of the men who voted for it The letter then goes on to discuss the case of President Taylor himself reciting the history of his visit to Arizona where I it states live 1 Mormons had undergone a form of trial a travesty of justice While all were prepared to undergo the legal consequences of the violation of the Ed munds law they were not prepared for such tyrannical provisions of the law No man who could by any possibility be accused any longer dared submit his case to such treatment Many of them there fore left their homes President Taylor being informed of threats against his own liberty deemed it wise under the circumstances to WITHDRAW FOR AWHILE to attend to his business in a more private pri-vate manner than he had been in the habit of doing in his public office The question has been asked us how Inner tn intend fn rmiciin > t hi a mit on In answer we say that 1 at no time have ve ever shrunk from the investigation of our conduct our utterances or of our lives by any fair tribunal Our faith and practice for which we all sought to be condemned are the faith and practice of the DEST AND HOLIEST of Gods children If we are sinners in this respectthen Abraham MosesElkan nah Solomon and David were also sinners sin-ners After a further defence of polygamy polyga-my in this strain the letter makes the fol lowing REMARKABLE STATEMENT As the male members of our church who practice plural marriage are estimated esti-mated as not exceeding but little if any two per cent of the entire membership of the church we consider it an act of great injustice to the ninetyeight per cent to hr > nlmsnrl nnH nut n raged and have all their business relations disturbed values of every kind unsettled neighborhoods agitated and alarmed and the property of the people generally jeopardized because of this raid upon these alleged breakers of the law The letter then after charg ing upon the Gentiles the introduction of everything evil into the country concludes con-cludes with religious counsel and assures the people that in spite of everything Gods work will roll forth and those who fight against it will perish |