their negative iufluence, like the summer rain on the thirsty vegetation. Lack of spirit, show of cowardice and policy ends on the part of the government have emboldened this fiendish system to exhibit a feeling of importance and of disloyal defiance.* In a special message to congress, dated February 14, 1873, President Grant said: "I consider it my duty to call the attention of congress to the condition of affairs in the territory of Utah......Several years of unhappy experience make it apparent that the terri tory requires special legislation by congress." And after noting points to which he calls attention he adds: "I cannot doubt that Congress will agree with me that such a state of things ought not to be tolerated, and that no class of persons should be allowed to treat the laws of the United States with open defiance and contempt."

In strict accord with this pronounced policy, in the Spring of 1875, "Brigham Young himself was adjudged guilty of contempt of court, and Chief Justice McKean sentenced him to twenty-four hours imprisonment therefor." Under hazardous circumstances this sentence was faithfully carried out. "But," says our informant, "just as the loyal portion of the community began to hope that the example of official firmness, which the people had witnessed, would cause them to respect the majesty of the law, news came from Washington that the President, influenced by considerations which Utah Gentiles do not understand to this day, had deposed

In justice to the Government and the people however it should be noted that no one out of touch could know the deadly character of this moral cancer during its incipiency. It was not until 1869 that the Railroad passed through Salt Lake City, and for years these people were a thousand miles or so beyond the confines of civilization. In Washington too there were always smooth tongued Mormon apologists.

the incorruptiblt Judge, whose only fault was the faithful and fearless performance of duty, and though years have passed the moral effects of that action are still felt."* Emboldened by such long continued trifling, George Q. Cannon, the chief counsellor of Mormonism, recently delivered a speech in the presence of ten thousand people in the Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, in which he said: "The Government of the United States will be powerless in the future as it has been in the past, to enforce the antipolygamy, or any other law detrimental to the interests or the progress of the kingdom of God on earth. Nineteen years ago on the second of last July, the congress of the United States passed a law to prohibit polygamy in the Territory. How much prohibition has the law effected? How many of us have been punished for the practice of polygamy?"‡ We shudder at suce boastful and defiant language; but we can hardly wonder at it when we remember that at the time more than three fourths of the members of the Utah legislature were polygamists and were receiving pay as law makers from the United States; when we remember, too, that the author of these words, who had for eight years been a delegate in the congress of the United States, had, at the time, "in his harem in Utah four living wives,"S while those guilty of like offences outside of Mormondom are paying the penalty of their crimes in the penitentiaries of the states and the nation. We blush at facts like these, and think it strange that a few thousand men and women should, in so brief a

* Madame La Tour 300-301. † Law passed in 1862. Speech delivered in 1881. § Judge J. R. McBride, International Eeview, February Pres. Rev. Apr. 1881, H. B. of M. 43.

1881.

time, become so strong and defiant. But with a farsighted and unscrupulous leader, whose word is regarded as law and divine authority, for a score of years almost completely isolated from the surrounding world, with laxity on the part of the Government in enacting measures and prosecuting existing laws, with tenets of faith holding communicants under an absolute despotism, with disobedience of church authority as the highest crime, and the securing of its accesions chiefly from the ranks of the ignorant and superstitious, from the unfaithful and disaffected of Christian denominations, from the vile, the fallen and the lawless, the down-trodden and oppressed of foreign lands, who become the dupes of a cunning and unprincipled priesthood, and seek relief from their hardships by leaving their homes for the promised paradise in Utah; -with their antecedents in view, I repeat, it may not seem so strange that the system has grown to be a peril, demanding stern measures for its suppression.

In dealing with this evil, however, we should bear in mind that a nation which has given so much protection and fostering care, should, in justice to the unwary and innocent ones, be careful of exercising unwarranted measures. And though an outraged public, just opening its eyes to facts, cries out for vengeance, as it looks upon a system which "stands against the world for fiendish crimes," "there is justice even for criminals who have been encouraged by national authority. This is duly recognized by the bill which has just passed the houses of Congress and becomes a law by the signature of the President.

* Madame La Tour pg. 360.

It should be remembered, too, that in dealing with this threatening evil there is danger of being charged with religious persecution. It may seem strange that, on religious grounds, there should be any delicacy in dealing with this system-un-Christian and un-American-which parades itself as religion, but is in fact a "law-defying hiearchy."* But when we remember that religious liberty stands as a pillar in our national government, and that the public heart is most sensitive to its claim, however unfounded and hypocritical its pretense may be, we cannot with safety ignore the claim. We may look with just contempt upon the claim of inspiration for the so called "Book of Mormon" when we have unquestionable and abundant evidence that, in the mai, it is only a reproduction of a strange religious romance written by Rev. Solomon Spaulding and entitled "Manuscript Found," and purporting to be a his

* "The Mormon church is merely a gross political machne; it is changed, expanded or contracted, at any time, to suit its leaders; kindness or coalition are lost upon its members; their purpose is perpetually aggressive; they mean to destroy free government in the United States, and reproduce in this country such a state of affairs as rules in Mohammedag countries; and there is but one thing they respect, which is irresistible power." Judge C. C. Goodwin, Harpers, Oct. 81.

† Rev. Solomon Spaulding was a graduate of Dartmouth College. He had a special fondness for the study of history and for writing romances. While engaged in business and living in the small town of Conneaut in the state of Ohio he became intensely interested in the prehistoric mounds near his home, which he caused to be opened. In these he found parts of skeletons and other relics, evidences of a past civilization. These discoveries suggested to him a subject for a new romance which purported to be "A Translation from Some Metal Plates found in the earth mound, to which he had been guided by a vision.' He called it, "Manuscript Found." This was in 1812. He read it to a circle of friensd and concluded to publish it. Mr. Spaulding removed with his family to Pittsburg, Pa., and presented the manuscript to a Mr. Patterson, a printer and an intimate friend of his, for perusal and publication. In Mr. Patterson's office was a young man by the name of Sidney Rigdon, an employee. The "Manuscript Found" was not published, but was returned three years later to Mrs. Spaulding. Rigdon however had access to it and copied it. Mr. Spaulding died in 1816 and his family removed to the home of Mrs. Spaulding's brother who lived in Onondaga Co., N. Y. In a trunk which was left unlocked, were the literary effects of her husband, among which was the romance above named. Joe Smith worked for a time as teamster for Mr. Sabine in whose house was the trunk and Smith had free access to the same. Seven years after the

tory of the peopling of America by the "Lost Tribes of Israel" and stealthily secured from the author, who made no claim of inspiration for it. When we know farther that the pretended prophet was, to some extent, the dupe of the artful Sidney Rigdon; that he was known as a disreputable character; that he left New York in disgrace and fled seven years later from Kirtland, Ohio, because of crimes laid at his door; that he became an outlaw and a felon; that he was addicted to the use of most obscene and profane language and was anything but pure in his life,* that he died, not as a martyr to his religious views,

He

death of Mr. Spaulding, Joe Smith announced that he had discovered golden plates which were inscribed with strange characters. In 1825 he presented to Thurlow Weed, then of Rochester, New York, a manuscript for publication, which afterward proved to be the "Book of Mormon,' Mr. Weed speaks of Smith as "a shrewd, scheming fellow who passed his time in tavrens and stores in Palmyra, without business and apparently without visible means of support." Sidney Rigdon a tonguey, shewd, eccentric, unprincipled man, visited Smith two years later at the latter's home in Palmyra, N. Y. Together they had a long secret iuterview. At this time Rigdon was a backslidden Campbellite Preacher in Ohio. started an independent mission and out of the "relics of dead and dying isms he found material for his purpose and established a church near Mentor, Ohio, to which he gave the name of 'Disciples." He afterward turned this congregation over almost entire to Mormonism, Rigdon was the "literary genius behind the screen." In 1830 the "Book of Mormon" was printed at Palmyra, N. Y. Its resemblance to Mr. Spaulding's "Manuscript Found" was at once recognized by those familiar with Mr. Spaulding's writings. The religious teachings not found in Spaulding's work seem to be a "reflection of the debates on Universalism Anti-Masonary and baptism prevalent at that time." (P. M. C. of M. pg 31) The original Manuscript was borrowed of Mrs. Spaulding in 1834 by one Dr. Hurlbut, who sought to expose the fraud, and who took it to the former home of Mr. Spaulding in Ohio for identification. The Mormons have no other evidence, nor do they attempt to produce any, of the authenticity of the work, except Joseph Smith and the three men who claim to have seen the plates. But the unreliabilty of their testimony has been emphatically shown, as each afterward declared the statement was false. Cowdery, one of the three, and who assisted Smith in the translation, as claimed, was a "Traveling school-teacher." He lived in open immorality and died a miserable drunkard. The lives and character of the other two, Whitmer and Harris, were but little better. (See Beadle Chapter 1.) the original manuscript of Spaulding was lost sight of. ter the above was given this manuscript came to light the Hawaiian Islands. [See Independent Sept. 10, '85.] found its way to Oberlin, Ohio, where it now is. [See Scribner's Monthly Aug. '80-Book of Mormonism pg 3.-[H. B. of M. pg. 33.-Literary Mag. Nov. '85 pg. 333.]

For fifty years Three years afin Honolulu in Later this Ms.

*See as to Smith's character Madame La Tour.-H. of M. Meth. Q Rev. Apr. '82 W. of M. pg. 33-35.-P. M. C. of M.-M. U. 72, 90-91, 157-160.