Current:

Leader (1850-1860), 12th September 1857, Edition 1 of 2, Page 881, Untitled Article

Page 881
Page 17
17 of 24

On this page

  • Departments (1)
    • (l!)ltPTT ((TlliTTtrTl vj/tn. \i/L UUill»
  • Text (6)
  • Transcript

    • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

      Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

      Untitled Article

      was occasionally treated with , a specimen of Lynch law , was even tarred and feathered ; but he had established a mill , a store , and a farm , at Kirtland , and also the growing colony in Zion . If any of his own followers proved troublesome , he shook them off with the readiest ease ; he bad a ' special mission , * declaring that they were degenerate or corrupt . Thus a special mission told him . that one of his trustees could not be trusted with moneys , and that he must keep the cash himself . His followers learned to consider the unbelievers as incapable of possessing property ; a virtual extension of their own rights which they

      exercised granaiy , iney naa , moveu their new Zion—Nauvoo , in Illinois . A state crusade drove them from their fine temple and city ; schisms , arose amongst themselves ; some of their leaders were seized and executed before conviction by Lynch law ; and at last the 3 again gave way- and marched oft to the Great Salt Lake Valley , to found the new Zion of * Deseret , ' recognized hy the G-entilea as the capital of Utah .

      ancient historical parallels . But there are still stronger reasons than any of these which maybe called negative . If there are horrors in Mormonland , are there not horrors in our own ? If polygamy affrights the moralist , the Mormons tell our humbler classes , fathers and mothers , and girls who find it difficult to earn their bread , that there is not in Monnonland tliat monster which , stalks our streets , fed by tlie poor for the delectation of the well-to-do —prostitution . There is freedom in Mormonland , plenty of it—andnot / £#£ .

      There is something besides—there is adventure , excitement . With the growth of our large towns , with the rapid gathering in of enclosures , with the difficulty of retaining space for sport , or the means for it amongst those that cannot purchase land and amusement , there is a growing dulness in this our own land—a something which the inborn instincts and energies of mankind rebel against ; and Mormonism is a vast monstrous rebellion against the spirit of enclosure , whether it take the form of commons-enclosure or of bitter

      Sabbath observance . The success of the Mormons has its birth in . the triumph oi class government .

      Here they carry on a greater controversy than any that they have yet engaged in . The G-overament of President Buchanan insists that the laws of the Federal Republic must extend over the whole face of the federated territory ; while Bbigham Toukg , the successor of Smith , maintains that the JZooh of Mormon is superior to the Bible or Congressional statute book , and that Deseret is more sacred than Utah . The controversy has approached the point of warfare with sword and gun . The city of Deseret is torn with intestine discord , numbers of the believers finding that they were mistaken , bub being prevented from deserting their home by the armed tyranny of "Young and Ms colleagues , who are not at all willing to give up so rieh . a farm . " While this civil war is going on , awaiting settlement only until the Government at Washington can organize a force , pass the desert , and reduce the rebels , certain leaders of the Mormons , headed "by the ¦ well-known Pratt iu this col iu mis col

      Oeson , are over country - jjeson jritATT , are over counury - lecting converts , —sheep to stock the farm on which Brigham Young and his partners are making hay while the sun shines ; and they are succeeding . Emigration to Deseret across the republic continues on an immense scale , and emigrants carry with them large stores of money and goods . The success of the Mormon propagandise remains a mystery only until wo refuse to look at ; sufficiently obvious causes . In the first place , there are immense numbers of the people uneducated ; not only unable to read or write—many can do that who are

      uneducated . —Due unacquainted with tacts , or with a sufficient number to draw practical conclufeions . Some judge only too practically from limited facts . The Mormons have raised a great city ; they have established themselves in tli e desert ; they continue to attract men and revenue ; they send their representatives to Congress , and maintain themselves ; and the army which the United States is raising delays its doparture , as i f Heaven forbade an attack upon the sacred people . " These aye facts , " as oar newspaper writers say ; and English mon and women , judge by them . If

      we think the religion of the Mormon absurd , cannot every sect point to the monstrous absurdities of all the rest ? If we hoar of crimes committed in Deseret , do wo not know that all religions havo instigated crimes ? The snrcasm of the Hoinan sceptic— " Tmitum rclgio pofcuit suadero nmloi-um" —such "boundless cvila could religion teach , —trtill holds good all round . Ji the apostles ot the Mormons are laughed at for preaching even within hearing of nn asa ' u bray , the ridicule might bo checked by very

      Untitled Article

      FORESTERS' TAWDRY . ( To tfte Editor of the Leader . ' ) Sir , —You may rely upon 3 t that by a large numfber of our society your recent remarks have been read with unreserved approval . What you have said echoes an opinion which lias long been held by intelligent [ Foresters—that it is foolish on the part of the members to bedizen themselves with childish and theatrical finery , and that it is wrong on the part of the Society to encourage them . Now , you are perfectly right in saying they do encourage them . The executive council not only sell , regularly , green , white , and red fringe , at 2 s . a yard , and medals from 1 / . to 5 ? ., but horns , coating from 5 s . Gd . to 9 a . 6 d . each ; ribbon for district a n « i court officers , red ribbon for members , and black and green Bashing . Is not

      this a positive encouragement of such exhibitions as you most properly condemn—I must say in a friendly although caustic manner ? Why , I find in the cash account for o « o quarter , 111 . paid for ribbons , and nearly 140 / . for sashing . Would it not be better to add this to the mutual benefit fund , instead of squandering the money upon absurdity ? « Sick pay and levies' for tlio quarter , <>/ . Ms . 1 Id . ; ribbon and sashing , lGf >/ . lla . ' . hi . ! £ agree with you , that the Foresters form a noble and valuable Society ; but with you , I am altogether of opinion that these fantastic and undignified displays should bo discontinued . I am , Sir , your obedient servant , A lfOKESTEn .

      Telegraphic Communications With The East,

      line . Now this , no doubt , is a practicable line—from Kurrachee to Bagdad , through shallow waters , and from Bagdad to Constantinople , twelve hundred miles by land . "Within five months the sea portion might be constructed , and from Bagdad relays of horsemen , without riding more than eight miles an hour , might bring despatches to the Turkish capital in , less than a week . Meanwhile , the works on land might be proceeded with ; the suggested difficulty being the

      danger to which the wire would be exposed from the predatory Arabs . The predatory Arabs , if properly paid , would be its natural and best protectors . They form faithful escorts ; and why not faithful police ? The estimated cost of the Bed Sea line is 700 , 000 / . ; that of the Euphrates line 400 , OOOZ . Why not encourage both ? Here is the Bed Sea Company ready to commence operations , and

      positively , while every home in England is iilled with an anguish of expectation , a discrepancy of opinion between the Treasury and the Court of Directors is allowed to stop the way . Suppose the Euphrates Valley telegraph finished , and the communications accidentally interrupted—a hundred miles of the cable swept away ? "With the Bed Sea line in working order no inconvenience would be felt . And vice versa . There would

      TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE EAST . The Easb India Company have offered to guarantee—under conditions not likely to be accepted in their present shape—the working expenses of a company established to lay down telegraphic wires between Alexandria and Aden . The Government , we should have thought , would have immediately added its sanction , so that little would have remained but to give the project a practical realization . So late as March last w e pointed to the facilities offered by the Red Sea route . From Alexandria to Suez tliere exists a series of structures looking from horizon to horizon , which have hitherto been used for the transmission

      of signals . It is proposed to follow this line , setting up intermediate posts , so that it will be a comparatively trifling business to conduct the wires so far . Thence they will be laid down along the bottom of the lied Sea to Aden , a distance of about twelve hundred miles , one of tlie most important stations being in the territory of the firm friend and ally of the English , the Imaum of Muscat . Beyond , in the open waters , the Kooria Mooria Islands are Britisli possessions . The

      necessary soundings have been taiccu all the way ; the East India Company have been satisfied as to the feasibility of the scheme ; tlie coral reefs have been surveyed ; Sir Frances Beaufort and Mr . Bkight , the engineer of the Atlantic telegraph , arc of opinion that the difficulties suggested are chimerical ; in . fact , the sub marine cable would be laid down , in all parts , entirely beyond the reefs . Nowhere need it be swung

      across deep sea chasms ' measureless by man , ' or exposed to friction upon sharp rocky edges . From Aden , nlao , to Kurrachee , the essential soundings and . surveys havo been completed , and it is not- pretended that any serious obstacles exist . Thus , with the two hundred and forty miles hung between Alexandria and Suez , and the four thousand one hundred and sixty iniica sunk between Suez and . Knrracheo , >\ c have tin instantaneous communication eatsiblished between the

      shores of tho Mediterranean and those of India . The capital is forthcoming ; tho East India Company have ottered a guarantee , and it is scarcely possible that they will persist in appending to it a set ut' impossible stipulations . What , then , is tho main eauso of delay ? Tho Treasury . Tlio British Government lias had a pet project in hand—tho Euphrates telegraphic

      be a distinct advantage in having two companies . We should escape a monopoly . Competition would quicken the directors , and the public service would gain proportionately . But would two telegraphs pay ? A glance at the Indian Shipping-lists and Directories is enough to satisfy us on that point . On the one route we have Alexandria , Suez , Cosseir , Jeddah , Moka , and Aden

      —all places of commercial importance — as stations . On the other , the line would follow the greatest land routes between Europe and Asia . We believe that the Government will adopt this view , and tliat , although delay may arise from its previous engagements with the Euphrates Company , it will not be long before the Bed Sea Telegraph is an established fact .

      Untitled Article

      There is no learned man lmt -will confess he hath , much profited toy reading controversies , his senses awakened , and his judgmentsharpened . If , then ., it be profitable for him to r « ad , why should it not , at least , betolerablefor hisadveraary to writei—Mii / roy

      (L!)Ltptt ((Tllitttrtl Vj/Tn. \I/L Uuill»

      c ! i > w CnnnriL

      Untitled Article

      IN THIS DKPA . UTJ 1 KNT . AS ALL OriBIO . NS , HOWKVKIt BXTRBME , A . UK AI . I . OW 1 C »> AN tCXl'llKSSION , C 1 IU BIlITOIt N 1 SCKSSA . R 1 LT HOLDS U 1 Msui . f i ; ksi'oxsir . i . u ion nonk . 1

      Untitled Article

      No . 390 , September 12 , 1857 . ] THE LEADER . 881 _

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 12, 1857, page 881, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2209/page/17/