Brother Ezra T. Benson's remarks referring to our present difficulties
with the Indians, and prospects of future difficulties, should be well
considered by this people. As we have here an assemblage of the people
from other settlements, I wish to impress them with the necessity of
treating the Indians with kindness, and to refrain from harboring that
revengeful, vindictive feeling that many indulge in. I am convinced
that as long as we harbor in us such feelings towards them, so long
they will be our enemies, and the Lord will suffer them to afflict us.
I certainly believe that the present affliction, which has come upon
us from the Indians, is a consequence of the wickedness which dwells
in the hearts of some of our brethren. If the Elders of Israel had
always treated the Lamanites as they should, I do not believe that we
should have had any difficulty with them at all. This is my firm
conviction, and my conclusion according to the light that is in me. I
believe that the Lord permits them to chasten us at the present time
to convince us that we have to overcome the vindictive feelings which
we have harbored towards that poor, downtrodden branch of the house
of Israel.
I spoke a harsh word here yesterday with regard to a man who professes
to be a Latter-day Saint who has been guilty of killing an innocent
Indian. I say today that he is just as much a murderer through
killing that Indian, as he would have been had he shot down a white
man. To slay an innocent person is murder according to the law of
Moses. Not that we believe that the law of Moses should, in all its
bearings, be observed by us; but we believe that it has been fulfilled
in a great measure with regard to the law of sacrifice. The Lord said
to Noah, before the law was given to Moses: "Whoso sheddeth man's
blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he
man." Those who shed the blood of the innocent at the present day will
have to pay the penalty here, or come short of receiving the glory and
the peace which they anticipate receiving hereafter. This may
appear very hard and unreasonable to some.
Brother Benson expressed himself as though some of the brethren felt
like wiping out the Lamanites in these regions, root and branch. The
evil passions that arise in our hearts would prompt us to do this, but
we must bring them into subjection to the law of Christ.
I am told by Bishop Aaron Johnson that the Indians who formerly lived
in this district, in Provo, on Peteetneet and round about Spanish Fork,
have sent word that they wish to return to these settlements and live
as they formerly did. Were they to come back again without the minds
of the people being prepared, probably some of the Indians might get
killed. I wish the people to take care of themselves—to not expose
themselves to the ignorant Lamanites, without being prepared to defend
themselves. When they come to live in your vicinity again, let them
come in peace; and that they may come in peace and safety, and live
with us as heretofore, it is necessary that all feelings of vengeance
should be banished from our hearts. Do we wish to do right? You
answer, yes. Then let the Lamanites come back to their homes, where
they were born and brought up. This is the land that they and their
fathers have walked over and called their own; and they have just as
good a right to call it theirs today as any people have to call any
land their own. They have buried their fathers and mothers and
children here; this is their home, and we have taken possession of it,
and occupy the land where they used to hunt the rabbit and, not a
great while since, the buffalo, and the antelope were in these valleys
in large herds when we first came here.
When we came here, they could catch fish in great abundance in the
lake in the season thereof, and live upon them pretty much through the
summer. But now their game has gone, and they are left to starve. It
is our duty to feed them. The Lord has given us ability to cultivate
the ground and reap bountiful harvests. We have an abundance of food
for ourselves and for the stranger. It is our duty to feed these poor
ignorant Indians; we are living on their possessions and at their
homes.
The Lord has brought us here and it is all right. We are not
intruders, but we are here by the providence of God. We should now use
the Indians kindly, and deal with them so gently that we will win
their hearts and affections to us more strongly than before; and the
much good that has been done them, and the many kindnesses that have
been shown them, will come up before them, and they will see that we
are their friends. We could circumscribe their camps and kill every
man, woman and child of them. This is what others have done, and if we
were to do it, what better are we than the wicked and the ungodly? It
is our duty to be better than them in our administrations of justice
and our general conduct toward the Lamanites. It is not our duty to
kill them; but it is our duty to save their lives and the lives of
their children. We may not be able to foretell all things that will
come to pass in the future, but we can tell when we deal righteously
with one another.
If the people had taken the counsel which has been given with regard
to the proper steps to be taken for the defense of life and property
in new settlements, they would have been as secure from the
depredations of Indians as the people are in the old settlements; but
they would not build forts nor believe it necessary to follow the
salutary counsels which have been continually given them. They
have gone out unprotected with their wives and children to settle in
the wilderness, exposing their lives and property to the attacks of
the untutored, ungoverned and wild Indian. By their works shall ye
know them, and by their works shall they be justified or condemned.
Their works speak for them. We beg of them to secure themselves when
they go into new places; they will not do it, until sorrow overtakes
them, and they are obliged to mourn the loss of a father, a husband, a
wife, a brother, a sister, a mother, a daughter, or a son who has been
killed by the Indians.
Shall we do as the Lamanites do? No. I forbid it in the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ—I forbid any elder or member in this church slaying
an innocent Lamanite, any more than he would slay an innocent white
man; but treat them as they are in their degraded state. When a man
undertakes to shoot an ignorant Indian, except in defense of life and
property, he degrades himself to the level of the red man, and the
portion of that Indian shall be his, and his generations shall be cut
off from the earth.
We shall have an end of this Indian war; they are not going to slay us
by any means, no; they will see the time they would rather defend this
people than slay them. The present difficulties will end in the
benefit of the Latter-day Saints, and the exaltation of the poor,
ignorant Lamanites; and the person or persons who supply the Lamanites
with powder and lead, and foster and encourage them in killing the
Saints, will find that their iniquity will turn upon their own heads.
Let the Indians live, and help them to live.
By and by they will be suing to us for mercy, and if they repent,
according to the revelations given to us we are bound to forgive them.
I would rather that a man repent than persist in his wickedness. Is
there a heart here today that would desire to have a man damned
rather than to be saved? I would rather all men would serve God. That
heart that would rather have a man damned, and never come to the
knowledge of the truth, is devoid of the Spirit of revelation that
wishes all men to be saved. The spirit of Him who has redeemed us,
cries upon all men to come unto him and be saved. Jesus Christ has
redeemed the earth and all things belonging to it, and all mankind may
receive salvation if they will come unto him and receive it.
If the Lamanites come in here, and there is any person who kills any
of them, take that man and try him by law and let him receive the
penalty. The law will slay him. If any of the Lamanites who return
have been guilty of murdering our brethren, request them to keep a
little to themselves, and not be too free in mixing among the people;
we do not wish to see them, and let the friendly Indians get a slice
of bread and carry it to them. If they get over it, so that they
repent enough to go and bring in Black Hawk and his men and deliver
them up to the law, then we will believe that they are sincere in
their repentance. But they are ignorant. How is it with the whites?
Let the spirit of war be let loose among the Elders of Israel, and
they will become as wild as unbroken colts on the prairie. If this
would be the case among this people, what may we expect of others?
What may we expect of the degraded and ignorant Lamanites? Let us set
an example for all mankind to follow in the high road to peace, love,
union, fellowship, and confidence, restoring to the world that which
has been lost. To close my few remarks, remem ber that you must
not slacken your hands in the least with regard to guarding the people
and the stock day and night.