BRIGHAM YOUNG.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Issue 3, 20 October 1877, Page 3

BRIGHAM YOUNG.

HI 011 OK I'lli; MDIIIMN PItOPHCT. N. /. Evening Star.) A i \i:i.i.ili switch IV.-mi our s|,i. i;il corresl«iinli lit announces the death of Hrighani Voting, llii- Mi.niiuii prophet ami Cn i I ut. Brigliam was ii,,iii in the Sti ti .'i lowa in tlit< year I sou, anl until I lit' revelation to .Joseph Smith began to gain converts, was an iictive Member of i he Methoilisl Church. He attached himself in the m-,v faith, an.l soon took a prominent position aiuiiii;' its leaders, .succeeding alter the death of .Smith in hoisting himself into the founder's shoes. Iti liiiiun heeaine a stepping-stone to enormous wealth ami influence, the early history wa.s written in blooil, ami there is a prevailing belief that Brigliam Young was responsible for crimes which would have sent many men to the wallows. 'J'li. confession of John Jl). Lee, :i Mormon el.ler. recently exeeuteil for the heartless uia.ssji re of a party of iniioeent immigrant* is saiil to have criminated the head of the t'hureh : ami ill the last years of his \\\\. Brighaui Young was ihreatencj with prosecution for his eariv mis.lee.ls. lie has, however, gone to lemler up an account at :i higher tribunal. The following »-couut of the Prophet is taken from the book published by Mrs. Stenhouse, wife of a Mormon elder, and whose daughter is married to one of Brigham's sons. Mrs. Stenhouse was brought to see the folly of iMorinonism, and made n lecturing tour, exposing the inner life at Sail 'bake. She passed Uiroilgh Auckland on her way to Australia, and presented us with a "copy -.I ln-r bonk, which cannot. easily In- pro- . urod. It is almost the only thoroughly H'liabif and complete work on Mormon- ) ,iii. lif Brigliam Voung. she says :- ■- •' Fifteen veal's have, of course, worked :i great change in the appearance of I'.righiim \oiing. but thougli he is now ...■ails ?:! wars of .age lie Ys still a portly looking l" might -:i\ allll.isl lian.l time man. lli . y I bulks are u,,l of the | tic nantic kind at all. lie is appViiiai.e.-, l.ut long ami habitual . M-.eise of despotic 'authority have s auijied i:.si-!l up..ii its features, and is \.n in the ua\ lie carries bims.-if. lb mi ;lil uuh .ut' any stretch "1 tini, U h.n I lust knew him in ; ,. ivas little wit :>t) years. if ' w 1 mini height, weii-t.uilt. ■ and a.s I pi-r stilted, with the im'ed to he obeyed. His b in rta- light, with eves to match, and

i,„ i-vp!.■-„.,n of ln> countenance was . i-ain and manly, i have, ',l course, j ~|llt, I,lit there Wore lltlllH-S Will) WITH accustomed to study physiognomy, ami thev ilctceted or tllollgtlt tlleV ih-liTtnl 111 l'li.- I-..1.1 expression ot' his eye. and the stern h.-inl lilies cif his lips, evidence of iruclty, sein'slmess, ami dogged deteri ation, it is only fair to say I myself deepened of liiti' years, as what little of gentleness his hea.ll ii\w knew has dieil out within him, hm still he presents the appearance of a man who would alt'ord a urej) stoi-v to the oUserver of Iniiuan nature, in .-aiiy life he had tii work linrd for a living, and according to his own statement, lie had a rough time of it, He »-;i, hy tl'ade a painter and gla/.ier, and has frequently said in pnlilie mat m those tunes lie was glad to work Imsy from morning till niglil to get even thai. Whether or not the privations ol early years fostered in him t'n.it avaricious ami "rasping spirit which of late years ha- heen so conspicuous in him. I cannot sav, hm n is certain thai it cropped out Vi'i-v early in his career as a saint. An ohfNatn'oo missionary <>l the Mormons once, hut now. alas! a vile apostate, as Hrigliam would politely call him, once tola me that when the' prophet Joseph Smith --in- the apostle \oiing on a mission a good deal of discontent was shewn that the said apostle did not account properly for tin- collections and tithings wlucti passed through his hand,. I hot hi-1- Joseph, who was then the < 'hnreli, suggested in a pleasant way for (he prophet Smith was a liig, jovial follow, li feet i inches in height, and withal .somewhat of a humorist - thai the said apostle Brigham would appear in his eyes a better saint if he' displayed a little less love for tilthy lucre. Tiieretipon the apostle, like somebody else who snail he nameless, quoted Scripture, and reminded the prophet that Moses had said, "Thou sha.lt not muzzle the i th that treadeth out the corn." " True, \ Brother Brigham," said Joseph, "but , Moses did not say that the ox "Was to eat , up all the corn." Brother Brigham made no reply, hut is said to have ".sulked " for two or three ' ■ lays. I have not. the .slightest- doubt that hut for Mormoiiism the prophet would have remained all his life a ] journeyman painter,and his" sweetness," a. Ihe'poel says, would have been wasted I on the Hi - it air." lint I" iru horn i pisl. ill. the nglil, time, and he lilted into ihe groove., and thus, while tl iginal I prophet of the new faith- Joseph Smith ' t man of ten times the intellect of Ids j a ssor, a ninn ignorant and deluded, it I i. trie., i.ni ..I the Huns 'hue a man in ' \<t\ was tin- malarial I'm' - of thornsll natural giants, who. from age to age, havi i tell tin- impi' M of their Individuality '

upon ii,,- hi thi ul ii* world while I sn . this mills nam - have ceased to iiiteii -t any but [i us wind. Brigliam Voung, whuse narrow soul could never look beyond the little circle in which he lived; whose selfishness and heartlessncss have been only equalled by his cruelty and degrading avarice, has by the force of circum<tances alone, obtained a place in the recognition of the world, to which by nut lire or by grace he had not a shadow of a claim, I have often heard intelligent Gentiles remark, " Well, Brigluim Voting may be a wicked man or an imjMistor, but there must be a great deal of talent in hiin to manage those people for so many years. From this opinion I altogether dissent, and those who know Brigliam l»st think with me, though many of them would not dare to say so. I do not think lirighain Young a wicked man or an impostor in the sense in which those words are ordinarily used ; and experience and a careful study of his life and doings have convinced me that he is certainly not a gnat man, or a man of genius in any sense of the word. There can be no doiibl that he has been guilty of many and great crimes, but I believe thai in the carle part of his career he was so bliniled'by hmatiei-m that those cri appeared'to him actually virtues. The force of habit, and tliedaflv association of his life, has so completely taken from him all sense of right and wrong, whi!" the devotion of his people has made the idea that " he ' could possibly do the slightest wrong so utterly inconceivable

in iiim :liit Itu thrin, tliat liis perceptions of justice, truth, honor, honesty, and upright dealing are as utterly stultified us tli. v ever were in the "mind of the wildest savage who prowled amongst the dirts and canons of the Rocky Mountains. People think that Brigbam Voting attained to his present position hy the exercise of ability such as has heen dis |>iayed, only on a greater scale, hy ail those men wlio not being born to power, nor having it thrust upon them,have, by the force of their genius, seized it and held it -and lawfully it might lie, hut nevertheless with "talent and moral w,i-rjv. Nothing could he more untrue. Tin- fact that he was of a certain age at o e.-it.-,iii lime, and only thai was the eaii., ( of Hi, ,tln r ilii-ham's lir.d tep up tie ladd.-i- of ambition. Joseph Smith endeavoured ill organising his newlvinveliied religion to make it resemhle. a< much as was possible both tl Id and new dis]».nsatii.iis of I 'hristianity : and iitiMi.'i',' other he appointed ■ Tweh • Ali os lies." who Were to Hs.-Nl in -overling the Church. Ilea iated with himseif his elder brother llvrum, and also Svduev Kigdon, who had so greatiy assisted in every way to establish This Kigd'ol), has always been suspected of the authorship of the book of Mormon-

ism -though ,t must In- admitted that nothing mull- than circumstantial evidence can he adduced in support ~1 this .statement. However, that might he. tin- two Smith's, Joseph ami rlvi-uni, and Svdnev Rigdon. formed what was called the " l-'ii-st'l'residency"- in other-words, thev were the Church. Next inonU-rto thein cam,- the "Twelve Apostles." and after tin-in tin- ' Seventies," ami other guard, of the Priesthood, The "Twelve Apostles " wen- first appointed according to a plan of Joseph's own. Lvinau Johnson was placed first, Brigham Voting came next, and others followed. Not long aft,-,-, however, Joseph made a new arrangement, ami placed tin- twelve according t.. their age ; and this plan was followed'subsequently, Thorn.-., 11. Marsh now st I first, and next to him came David Baton, ami then Brigham Voting. 1 am obliged to give th.— little details in order that tin- reader may understand Brigham's position after the ,leath of Joseph Smith. When Joseph was murdered in Carthage goal with his brother llyium. Sydney Rigdon alone nn- m-.I i th.- in- t I'--.-. ■•let::-;. At that time Thomas B, Marsh, the first ~f the Apostles, had apostatised ; David Pat,,n had he,-ii killed in a light with the uioh ; and, consequently, Brigham Voting was now president of the Twelve, he being the next ill age. Thus it wiil he seen that even had he I" en which he was not) the most stupid and 1.-ast fitted of all the apostles to preside over tie- ('hurch, his years would, nevertheless, have given liiui tin- leadership. L'p to this time, there is no evident* that any idea of entering the I 'hurch had ever entered ling-ham's mind, hid I, it is r.-port.-.1. that Joseph on one occasion reproving him, said ironically that if ever the Church had the misfortune to be led by Brother Brigham, In- would lead it to well, a place which Is understood to l.e urn l'oit.ibly warm. lint Joseph was now dead, and Rigdon alone remained between the Apostle Voung an.l the headship of the Church. Then it was thai his eyes appear for the first time to havo been fully opened to the advantage of his position. Now, when the ancients took the fox us an emblem of craftiness, it was because they had never known Brigham. Brigham worked cautiously and prudently, for he probably was one of iln- greatest cowards in exist, nee, both i ally mi.l physically, and, like nil Cowards, lie was 'perfectly " RU fail" ill working in ihe dark. In accomplWiino the removal of Rigdon. Liigdon himself wan Brijiaai's best assistant. A mail of prudence, or i \eii eoinuioii sense, might have iafely held his position against all ii„ i:,, Kam'd in n,.. world,bui prudence 1n ,.1 common sense wore qualities iiUerlj unknown to Mfldofl He began i , have wonderful vision* and i delations,

.11 • Ol 111. I that he \1 mid forthI OUt tilt- WmioS of the 1..nil t. the battle of Annagetldon, in Palestine Kin) then rvturn in triunipli calling b\ the Way, as he said, "To pull the mi* of little Vic" " Little Vie." was the English Queen, then a young woman, bill i how she iiicurn.il Rigdon's wrath I «k not know. In addition to all this absurd nonsense, he ordained some of his particular friends to lie prophets, prii ■; ami kiiiL;-s. ami otherwise shewed that lie intended to carry matters with a high hand. Rriglutui watclwd his i-hanee, ami when he considered that matters were ripe t'oi :i change bvdint of secret niana-uvering, he caused Itigdon to Ite tried before th. "High Council," at Nauvoo. Rigdou sent ui.pl that he was sick, and could not come, hut the trial went on, and of course it could have hut one ending. The result wits as the Mormon papers at the time reported that : " Elder Voting arose, and delivered Sydney Itigdon over to the hum-tings of Satan for n thousand years, in the nan f the bird; and all the people .said, # Aii>.-n." 1'(,.. - Svdm-V : lie Had to' set up a elmr-h for hini.-elf, and a good many people followed hilll.l.Ut th.Mtttempl Wl{s a faiiaie. 11.- is i,„w a yerv old man, and cannot live long, hut he still believes in th.- truth of Mormoiiism, as established l.y Joseph Smith. Hriglmm's next step was to declare that the (lovernnient of the church was not vested in the Twelve, of whom lie was the h.-ad. Later still he contrived,

l.v s-elcetinu-a time when nra.lv (ill of the Apostles who would be promoted, or in. some w;iv -rauli, il by a ehang-fi in tin-oi-oanisation of the Church, to got himself elected President of the church, in ; tlio place of Joseph, with two apostles in'M under him as his associates, under thu name of "Councillors," anil they t.x;.-t.l]i-r formed tin; tirst Presidency. Thus liriohani I ame in name as in fact, ; the head of the Mnr Church. Every vear Brother Brio-ham, in common with , : i!i the other officei* of the Church, is duly re-elected. I neetl hardly say that the re-election is a matter of course, an opposition camlidate would stand a poor chance of success, lirighagi Young is an iu....|m-nt.-.J man. l-'or that, of course, he is n.,1 ,!,-.,■,-,ia- of 1,1 am.-, but hi. opposition to education in others, and to ail'that is intellectual and elevating, does him little credit. < >nl t > a very few years mm, he, with hi- two '•councillors.' I'iaher C Kimball, and Jedcdiah M. Crant. who were Loth spoken of as model Saints, held forth in the Taheriiaclo. in sc! Is, and scholastic acquirements of eveiv description. Tliev w. re all three uiitu'ii-ht men, and like all persons of ..mall' mind, who had not themselves received anv education, thev hated and atfected to despise those wilo had.

Thoughtful men, although they may . never have enjoyed Lho advantages o'f 1 literary culture,' never fail to see tin- ' iriVllt pnWl-r tllilt it is, either for good or evil ; sillll in must eases they try to serine fur their children the blessing of ■ which tliev themselves have! Il denied. ' H it tin Murmmi elders, wliil.- they ri.ii.-iil.-.i. and atlected to <U-spis=-, iik.-ii c»t' education, were shrewd enough to see ' .tlmt ifscl Is were established, and the ; children of tin-Saints povinitti'il to attend ! thrill, the liond.s of superstition would ■' certainly he shaken, and the fabric of ! ' Mormoiiisiii imdermiiided. They, eon- ' sequelitly discouraged every attempt, and taught the people to aspire to notliiii',' ' higher for their children, than the rndi--1 incuts of reading, and writing, and ' arithmetic for the boys, and a knowledge ' „f household, dairv, an 1 farm work for j tie- -iris. Of the Prophet's moral character, the ', less said the Letter. He has been remorseless and cruel in his enmities, and , he has connived at and even suggested, if nothing more, son f the most atrocious crimes that, have ever I n ' perpctri i on the face of tl arth. In '• business matters to ire a popular phrase ; -his word isasg 1 as his hond, hut in • the accumulation of wealth, he has ' can scarcely he credited. jirigh.im ' alwavs meets his obligations, and pays 1 hi* debts, and gets a lawful receipt, the ' prophetic business could not nth mvi.se he ■ carried on ; hut the way in which he has obtained his wealth would put to the . blush the most dishonest members of any ■•ring" in New Vork, or elsewhere. Il , was once rumoured that he had eighteen or twenty millions of dollars in the bank of Kngla'nd ; hut Biigham contradicted the report, and said it. was not true. In . the v'rar IH.V2, thee- Prophet „f the Lord,'" found that, he had borrowed an inconveniently large sum from the funds of the church, lb- is "Trustee in trust," and, of course, legally and responsibly, hut he never renders an account of his stewardship, and nonnecver asks him for it. His neti.se of honesty was, however, so strong, that lie resolved to have his accounts balanced, and he went down to tie tithing-office for that purpose. There he found.tlmt his indebtedness amounted to 200,000 dollars, and he proi led t,, pay it after his own fashion-the clerk was instructed to place to his credit, the same amount, "for services rendered." Morally and physically, the Prophcl is a great coward. When he and other church leaders w arrested a year or two ago, charged with the Very gravest crime*, the elect upon the Prophet was most distressing. He had solemnly sworn in the Tabernacle, that he would shoot the man who attempted to arrosl him: bui when Judge HclCean opened e..inl. an.l pll 1 loin under nn.sl. hi iwallowod up bli tki *ta and played th«

U- '-..v.. ~- - j,..ii Befi - ! ■■:- •! ■- -.. \,r,-i.-lu-s who vv. .•■ notorit i I i iii.-hy and tyranny, and who wene, also remarkable f.n their cowardice. V For many years he has imitated royalty, °e and has iia.l a stroll , lunh -gui 1 I ,e wateh and ward around his person . .try it uight.