roughing it-第112章

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likely　to　be　fit　representatives　of　such　a　conjunction；　and　then　let　it
be　remembered　that　for　forty　years　these　creatures　have　been　driven；
driven；　driven；　relentlessly！　　and　mobbed；　beaten；　and　shot　down；　cursed；
despised；　expatriated；　banished　to　a　remote　desert；　whither　they
journeyed　gaunt　with　famine　and　disease；　disturbing　the　ancient　solitudes
with　their　lamentations　and　marking　the　long　way　with　graves　of　their
deadand　all　because　they　were　simply　trying　to　live　and　worship　God　in
the　way　which　they　believed　with　all　their　hearts　and　souls　to　be　the
true　one。　　Let　all　these　things　be　borne　in　mind；　and　then　it　will　not　be
hard　to　account　for　the　deathless　hatred　which　the　Mormons　bear　our
people　and　our　government。

That　hatred　has　〃fed　fat　its　ancient　grudge〃　ever　since　Mormon　Utah
developed　into　a　self…supporting　realm　and　the　church　waxed　rich　and
strong。　　Brigham　as　Territorial　Governor　made　it　plain　that　Mormondom　was
for　the　Mormons。　　The　United　States　tried　to　rectify　all　that　by
appointing　territorial　officers　from　New　England　and　other　anti…Mormon
localities；　but　Brigham　prepared　to　make　their　entrance　into　his
dominions　difficult。　　Three　thousand　United　States　troops　had　to　go
across　the　plains　and　put　these　gentlemen　in　office。　　And　after　they　were
in　office　they　were　as　helpless　as　so　many　stone　images。　　They　made　laws
which　nobody　minded　and　which　could　not　be　executed。　　The　federal　judges
opened　court　in　a　land　filled　with　crime　and　violence　and　sat　as　holiday
spectacles　for　insolent　crowds　to　gape　atfor　there　was　nothing　to　try；
nothing　to　do　nothing　on　the　dockets！　　And　if　a　Gentile　brought　a　suit；
the　Mormon　jury　would　do　just　as　it　pleased　about　bringing　in　a　verdict；
and　when　the　judgment　of　the　court　was　rendered　no　Mormon　cared　for　it
and　no　officer　could　execute　it。　　Our　Presidents　shipped　one　cargo　of
officials　after　another　to　Utah；　but　the　result　was　always　the　samethey
sat　in　a　blight　for　awhile　they　fairly　feasted　on　scowls　and　insults　day
by　day；　they　saw　every　attempt　to　do　their　official　duties　find　its
reward　in　darker　and　darker　looks；　and　in　secret　threats　and　warnings　of
a　more　and　more　dismal　natureand　at　last　they　either　succumbed　and
became　despised　tools　and　toys　of　the　Mormons；　or　got　scared　and
discomforted　beyond　all　endurance　and　left　the　Territory。　　If　a　brave
officer　kept　on　courageously　till　his　pluck　was　proven；　some　pliant
Buchanan　or　Pierce　would　remove　him　and　appoint　a　stick　in　his　place。
In　1857　General　Harney　came　very　near　being　appointed　Governor　of　Utah。
And　so　it　came　very　near　being　Harney　governor　and　Cradlebaugh　judge！
two　men　who　never　had　any　idea　of　fear　further　than　the　sort　of　murky
comprehension　of　it　which　they　were　enabled　to　gather　from　the
dictionary。　　Simply　（if　for　nothing　else）　for　the　variety　they　would　have
made　in　a　rather　monotonous　history　of　Federal　servility　and
helplessness；　it　is　a　pity　they　were　not　fated　to　hold　office　together　in
Utah。

Up　to　the　date　of　our　visit　to　Utah；　such　had　been　the　Territorial
record。　　The　Territorial　government　established　there　had　been　a　hopeless
failure；　and　Brigham　Young　was　the　only　real　power　in　the　land。　　He　was
an　absolute　monarcha　monarch　who　defied　our　Presidenta　monarch　who
laughed　at　our　armies　when　they　camped　about　his　capitala　monarch　who
received　without　emotion　the　news　that　the　august　Congress　of　the　United
States　had　enacted　a　solemn　law　against　polygamy；　and　then　went　forth
calmly　and　married　twenty…five　or　thirty　more　wives。




B。
THE　MOUNTAIN　MEADOWS　MASSACRE。

The　persecutions　which　the　Mormons　suffered　so　longand　which　they
consider　they　still　suffer　in　not　being　allowed　to　govern　themselves
they　have　endeavored　and　are　still　endeavoring　to　repay。　　The　now　almost
forgotten　〃Mountain　Meadows　massacre〃　was　their　work。　　It　was　very　famous
in　its　day。　　The　whole　United　States　rang　with　its　horrors。　　A　few　items
will　refresh　the　reader's　memory。　　A　great　emigrant　train　from　Missouri
and　Arkansas　passed　through　Salt　Lake　City　and　a　few　disaffected　Mormons
joined　it　for　the　sake　of　the　strong　protection　it　afforded　for　their
escape。　　In　that　matter　lay　sufficient　cause　for　hot　retaliation　by　the
Mormon　chiefs。　　Besides；　these　one　hundred　and　forty…five　or　one　hundred
and　fifty　unsuspecting　emigrants　being　in　part　from　Arkansas；　where　a
noted　Mormon　missionary　had　lately　been　killed；　and　in　part　from
Missouri；　a　State　remembered　with　execrations　as　a　bitter　persecutor　of
the　saints　when　they　were　few　and　poor　and　friendless；　here　were
substantial　additional　grounds　for　lack　of　love　for　these　wayfarers。
And　finally；　this　train　was　rich；　very　rich　in　cattle；　horses；　mules　and
other　propertyand　how　could　the　Mormons　consistently　keep　up　their
coveted　resemblance　to　the　Israelitish　tribes　and　not　seize　the　〃spoil〃
of　an　enemy　when　the　Lord　had　so　manifestly　〃delivered　it　into　their
hand？〃

Wherefore；　according　to　Mrs。　C。　V。　Waite's　entertaining　book；　〃The　Mormon
Prophet；〃　it　transpired　that

〃A　'revelation'　from　Brigham　Young；　as　Great　Grand　Archee　or　God；　was
dispatched　to　President　J。　C。　Haight；　Bishop　Higbee　and　J。　D。　Lee
（adopted　son　of　Brigham）；　commanding　them　to　raise　all　the　forces　they
could　muster　and　trust；　follow　those　cursed　Gentiles　（so　read　the
revelation）；　attack　them　disguised　as　Indians；　and　with　the　arrows　of　the
Almighty　make　a　clean　sweep　of　them；　and　leave　none　to　tell　the　tale；　and
if　they　needed　any　assistance　they　were　commanded　to　hire　the　Indians　as
their　allies；　promising　them　a　share　of　the　booty。　　They　were　to　be
neither　slothful　nor　negligent　in　their　duty；　and　to　be　punctual　in
sending　the　teams　back　to　him　before　winter　set　in；　for　this　was　the
mandate　of　Almighty　God。〃

The　command　of　the　〃revelation〃　was　faithfully　obeyed。　　A　large　party　of
Mormons；　painted　and　tricked　out　as　Indians；　overtook　the　train　of
emigrant　wagons　some　three　hundred　miles　south　of　Salt　Lake　City；　and
made　an　attack。　　But　the　emigrants　threw　up　earthworks；　made　fortresses
of　their　wagons　and　defended　themselves　gallantly　and　successfully　for
five　days！　　Your　Missouri　or　Arkansas　gentleman　is　not　much　afraid　of　the
sort　of　scurvy　apologies　for　〃Indians〃　which　the　southern　part　of　Utah
affords。　　He　would　stand　up　and　fight　five　hundred　of　them。

At　the　end　of　the　five　days　the　Mormons　tried　military　strategy。　　They
retired　to　the　upper　end　of　the　〃Meadows；〃　resumed　civilized　apparel；
washed　off　their　paint；　and　then；　heavily　armed；　drove　down　in　wagons　to
the　beleaguered　emigrants；　bearing　a　flag　of　truce！　　When　the　emigrants
saw　white　men　coming　they　threw　down　their　guns　and　welcomed　them　with
cheer　after　cheer！　　And；　all　unconscious　of　the　poetry　of　it；　no　doubt；
they　lifted　a　little　child　aloft；　dressed　in　white；　in　answer　to　the　flag
of　truce！

The　leaders　of　the　timely　white　〃deliverers〃　were　President　Haight　and
Bishop　John　D。　Lee；　of　the　Mormon　Church。　　Mr。　Cradlebaugh；　who　served　a
term　as　a　Federal　Judge　in　Utah　and　afterward　was　sent　to　Congress　from
Nevada；　tells　in　a　speech　delivered　in　Congress　how　these　leaders　next
proceeded：

〃They　professed　to　be　on　good　terms　with　the　Indians；　and　represented
them　as　being　very　mad。　　They　also　proposed　to　intercede　and　settle　the
matter　with　the　Indians。　　After　several　hours　parley　they；　having
（apparently）　visited　the　Indians；　gave　the　ultimatum　of　the　savages；
which　was；　that　the　emigrants　should　march　out　of　their　camp；　leaving
everything　behind　them；　even　their　guns。　　It　was　promised　by　the　Mormon
bishops　that　they　would　bring　a　force　and　guard　the　emigrants　back　to　the
settlements。　　The　terms　were　agreed　to；　the　emigrants　being　desirous　of
saving　the　lives　of　their　families。　　The　Mormons　retired；　and
subsequently　appeared　with　thirty　or　forty　armed　men。　　The　emigrants　were
marched　out；　the　women　and　children　in　front　and　the　men　behind；　the
Mormon　guard　being　in　the　rear。　　When　they　had　marched　in　this　way　about
a　mile；　at　a　given　signal　the　slaughter　commenced。　　The　men　were　almost
all　shot　down　at　the　first　fire　from　the　guard。　　Two　only　escaped；　who
fled　to　the　desert；　and　were　followed　one　hundred　and　fif