Perhaps it is expected that I will make a few remarks, after hearing
the statements made by our Delegate, the Hon. J. M. Bernhisel.
I presume that but few of this congregation, and I may say that but
few of the people of this Territory, have a thorough knowledge, or
even a general understanding, of the business transactions and
responsibilities of our Delegate in Congress. It is a matter this
people have not immediately before them, it does not directly concern
them—hence they do not inquire into it.
Brother Bernhisel has given you a very brief sketch of the doings of
Congress, necessarily omitting most of them. Doubtless the people of
this Territory were perfectly satisfied with the labors of their
Delegate during the last session of Congress; or, in other words, it
would be hard to find an individual who is the least dissatisfied with
him, though it is true that the greater part of the people do not
understand what should constitute a proper cause for approbation or
disapprobation. They are not dissatisfied with him, and I am not
dissatisfied with him, neither have I ever been. He has been in
Washington during the past six years, most of which time he has spent
there for this people. The general government paid him for the
services of four years, the appropriation for the services of the
first two years another received.
I can say freely that I am perfectly satisfied with the labors of Dr.
Bernhisel in Washington; and I will fur ther say, for the satisfaction
of the parties concerned, that I very much doubt whether we could find
another man, belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, who could go to Washington and do as much for this people, in
the capacity of a representative, as the one we have sent for years
past. Why do I doubt this? In the first place, he is a man of sterling
integrity, firm to his faith, punctual, industrious, fervent, and
always on hand to do everything that can be done. Another reason is,
but few of the talented men who belong to this Church could go to the
seat of Government and endure the slang and misrepresentations which
the Doctor has endured.
The Doctor is different from that class in this respect, he can endure
their insults and abuses. It is true they have to be offered, if at
all, behind his back, for you cannot easily find a man who will abuse
him to his face, as he is so kind in his manner, so gentlemanly in his
appearance, and so easy in his deportment, treating everybody with due
courtesy and respect. When a deadly foe to his operations and to the
interests of his constituents is in the field, that is the first man
the Doctor visits, and he labors to make him our friend.
Having before us these reasons, with many others equally weighty, that
might be given, I doubt whether there is another man in the Territory,
or belonging to the Church, in or out of the Territory, who could have
accomplished what brother Bernhisel has done in Washington for
this people. I am confident that I should not stay there long, for
there is too much fight in me.
You have seen some persons who, when mad, would fight a whole crowd as
readily as they would a single person. I am somewhat of that
temperament; if I should get mad in Washington, I would as soon fight
the whole crowd as one individual, and they would use me up. There are
but few spirited men who would endure the abuse and lies heaped upon
this people.
There is one statement which I have already made in this stand twice
or thrice, but I will now make it again before our Delegate, for it
has caused him much trouble. It has been reported in the United States
that Brigham should have said that the President of the United States
could not remove him from his office. I will repeat what I did say, as
nearly as my memory will serve me. Exhorting the brethren and sisters,
I said, "Do not be alarmed, neither let your hearts sink within you,
or be worried in the least with regard to a new Governor's coming to
this Territory, for the Lord Almighty will preserve your present
Governor unto you as long as He pleases, and no power can hinder. And
if it is His will to remove the present Governor, know ye that it will
be for the best."
That is the spirit of what I said, if not the exact words; and I say
so now. President Pierce has been in power long enough to try the
experiment, and there have been many to influence him to remove the
Governor of this Territory from office. Is it done? It is not; though
we nearly thought it was, when Colonel Steptoe received the
appointment; but the Lord operated upon the Colonel to continue his
march to California. He received his commission, but he would not be
qualified. There were many applicants for the office, but they have
not yet got it, and the Lord can baffle them as long as He pleases. He
turns the hearts of men when they know it not, and the mysterious
workings of His providence among the people they do not understand. He
rules in their midst, and controls the nations of the earth according
to His will and pleasure; so He does in this case, and will continue
to do, just as long as seemeth Him good. When He wishes another
Governor here, the proper person will be on hand; until then, there is
no power beneath the heavens that can simply remove the present
Governor of Utah, much less the loyal people who inhabit these
mountains.
The people abroad are at enmity with us; we expect this, for they have
been our enemies ever since we were Saints, or professed to be. Are
they opposed to us in consequence of the doctrine which has been
alluded to by brother Bernhisel, I mean polygamy? No. Let the
Methodists, Church of England, Presbyterians, or any other popular
church, adopt that principle, and it would be applauded to the skies.
They are not opposed to us in consequence of the doctrine of polygamy.
Has the wrath of the enemy become any more enraged since that doctrine
has been published than it was before? No, not one particle. Christ
and Belial cannot be made friends; the devil is at war with the
Kingdom of God on the earth, and always has been, and will continue to
be, until he is bound. They do not personally hate you, nor me, any
more than they did Joseph Smith, whom they have slain; they do not
hate the Latter-day Saints any more now than they did twenty years
ago. The same deadly hatred was then in the heart of everyone who had
the privilege of hearing the doctrines of this Church and refused to
embrace them, that we see exhibited at this day. If they had
had the power twenty or twenty-five years ago, they would have slain
the Prophet Joseph as readily and with as much rejoicing as they did
when they massacred him in Carthage Jail, in the State of Illinois. It
is not any particular doctrine or men and women that they are opposed
to, but they are opposed to Christ and to the Kingdom of God on the
earth. I observed here last Sabbath, "Let the wicked rage and the
people mock on, for now is their day, and it will soon be over." Let
them do all they can, and if they have power to destroy any more of
this people, Amen to it; what will it do? It will only augment the
cause of Zion, spread the Gospel of Salvation, and increase the
Kingdom of God on the earth. Their persecutions will never destroy
this people, or the everlasting Gospel. Every time they have killed
any of this people and opposed the Gospel, both have increased
tenfold, and the work has spread still the more; yes, more than it would
have done had they let it alone, and not have come against the Saints
to drive them from their possessions. If it is wisdom that the Saints
should be driven again, it would be the greatest blessing that could
come to this people, for it would give greater permanency to the
Kingdom of God on the earth.
As I said when I commenced preaching twenty-three years ago, and saw
the same spirit of persecution exhibited then as subsequently, "Let us
alone, persecutors, we do not wish to fight you, for we have not come
to destroy men's lives, or to take peace from the earth, but we have
come to preach the Gospel, and to make known to you the things of the
Kingdom of God. If your doctrine is better than ours, let us know it,
for we are searching after the true riches, we wish the light of
heaven to accompany us, we are searching after salvation, and if you
have anything better than this, let us have it, and if we have
anything better than you, you are welcome to it. But just let us
alone, for we are determined, in the name of Israel's God, not to rest
until we have revolutionized the world with truth; and if you
persecute us, we will do it the quicker."
I say the same now. Let us alone, and we will send Elders to the
uttermost parts of the earth, and gather out Israel, wherever they
are; and if you persecute us, we will do it the quicker, because we
are naturally dull when let alone, and are disposed to take a little
sleep, a little slumber, and a little rest. If you let us alone, we
will do it a little more leisurely; but if you persecute us, we will
sit up nights to preach the Gospel.
To return to our Delegate. It is not my intention at this meeting to
mention whom I think we had better send to Washington, as I did two
years ago this summer, when brother Bernhisel arose to speak here, at
which time we nominated him for our next Delegate. Before he is again
elected I wish to learn whether he is willing to return. The office is
a toilsome one, and is a mission which is not desirable to any Elder
in this Kingdom; but if I can learn that he will accept the mission, I
have no question but that he will have to round up his shoulders and
go again. If he declines accepting, and wishes to be excused, we will
pick up somebody else. Who? Why the man who will do the least hurt of
any man we can find; as for doing much there, in the way of getting
our just share of the appropriations, we care not whether he can do it
or not, for we care not whether they make them or not.
True, the members of the Utah Legislature get their per diem, and some
money has been appropriated to this Territory, but is it paid to the
Territory? No, only a small portion of it, and it has leaked out that
they have determined in Washington, never to pay another
dollar to Utah, until they can have all the federal offices in this
Territory filled by persons of their own choice.
A few of the brethren have received some money for the labor they have
done on the military road, but I think I can take men on to that
route, for which $25,000 were appropriated and said to have been
expended, and do more good work with $6,000 or $8,000 than has been
done with the $25,000.
They wish political gamblers to have the money, in order to work
corruption, and make the influence of money affect the ballot box, as
in the United States, and thus use the appropriations for this
Territory to subserve party purposes and pander to corrupt favoritism.
They had better keep the money out of the Territory, than bring it
here with such objects in view.
If the government of the United States never pay another dime to this
Territory, I will insure that in ten years we shall be ten times
better off than if we received a hundred thousand dollars a year from
them, and that too upon natural principles.
I will use a familiar comparison to illustrate this. Suppose that a
father has a number of sons, and one of them wishes to set up for
himself; whereupon the old man furnishes him a farm, buys him a team,
builds him a house, and puts bread into the house for his family; buys
his seed corn, a plow and harrow; shows him how to plow, and perhaps
sends one of his hired men to plow for him. In a great majority of
such instances, the son will remain inactive upon his plantation,
leaning upon his father for support until he becomes indolent, and
says, "If I want wheat I can go and get it from my father; or if I
want a team, a barn, a house, or anything else, the old man will
supply them; I have nothing to do but call upon my father."
Now what is that boy good for? He is not worth a red cent; turn him
out into the world alone, and he will starve to death. But first learn
him to go and earn his farm, his teams, and his breadstuff; to
understand the value of everything by knowing how to earn it; and he
will become independent like the father, and know how to take care of
himself.
So it is with States and Territories. Let them be unduly fostered and
sustained by the General Government, and it will lead them into
idleness, inactivity, and corruption; they will not be as spirited and
active as when they are made to rely upon their own resources.
What does it do still further? You distribute money here, and what
would you see, should men come in here this fall willing to pay a high
price in money for the little grain that will be raised here this
season? I tell you, these poor men and women would have to suffer for
the want of it, as those who have it, at least many of them, will sell
the last mouthful for money, as has been done. Men have taken their
grain from their wives and children, and made them live on wolf flesh,
in order to get money. The love of money raises trouble among a people
and sends them to the devil.
We want none of their money, and if they are not disposed to send it
here, I care nothing about their money's coming; and this proves to
me, and should to you, that I do not care about a man's getting one
dime appropriated to this Territory. But we will send a Delegate who
will do no hurt; and if it were not that the hue and cry of "Treason
against the General Government" would be made, we would not send a
Delegate at all; or were it not that they would say, "Now you have
proof sufficient that the Mormons mean to secede from the Union, as
they have sent no Delegate;" and thus hatch up a pre text for commencing fresh hostilities against us.
It has been observed that the people where Judge Douglass resides say
to him, "What are you going to do with Utah? We hope you will do
something to put down this odious doctrine, for they will have more
women than one, and they will acknowledge them openly." I am now
talking in accordance with their practice. "We want to hire our women
in the dark, and pay them a few dimes or dollars, use them as long as
we wish, and then kick them out of doors. But the Mormons will own
them, give them their name, acknowledge their children and educate
them."
That is one great difference between the "Mormons" and the Gentiles,
and, upon natural principles, that is, to outward appearance, in
reality all the difference there is, though we are laying a foundation
for another state of being. Are they men of virtuous character who
talk so about the "Mormons" having more wives than one? How odious it
was last winter, in the sight of certain men who were here, to think
that we had more lawful wives than one; yet they would creep into your
houses, and try to coax your wives and daughters away from you. What
for? Was it to make them more honorable, to give them a better
character in the midst of the inhabitants of the earth, sustain them
better, and make them more comfortable, and acknowledge them? No—they
wanted to prostitute them, to ruin them, and send them to the grave,
or to the devil, when they had done with them.
I do not know what I shall say next winter, if such men make their
appearance here, as were some last winter. I know what I think I shall
say, if they play the same game again, let the women be ever so bad,
so help me God, we will slay them.
If any wish to go to California to whore it, we will send a company of
them off; that is my mind, and perhaps some few ought to go, for they
are indeed bad enough.
There are some things I learned, when I was in the south country
lately, which I do not wish to mention, because of the friends of
those girls who are gone; but when they passed through the southern
settlements they were weeping all the time, and they are perhaps now
in their graves. The men who coaxed them away did not intend to take
them to California. If any offer to do the same things again, in these
mountains, "judgment shall be laid to the line, and righteousness to
the plummet;" and they say that Brigham does not lie.
If they want women to go to California with them, we will send a
company of the same stripe, if they can be found, and then both
parties will be suited to and for each other. I would rather follow
her to the grave, and send her home pure, than suffer my daughter to
be prostituted. I will not suffer any female member of my family to be
polluted through the corruptions of wicked men.
Write this to the States, if you please. If there are any Gentiles or
hickory "Mormons" here, and so disposed, write it down and send it to
Washington, that if they send their officers and soldiers here, to
conduct themselves as they did last winter, they shall meet upon the
spot the due reward of their crimes.
Though I may not be Governor here, my power will not be diminished. No
man they can send here will have much influence with this community,
unless he be the man of their choice. Let them send whom they will,
and it does not diminish my influence one particle. As I said, the
first time I spoke on this stand, my Governorship and every other ship
under my con trol, are aided and derive direct advantages from
my position in the Priesthood.
The office of Governor is not necessarily in the least degree
incompatible with the upright course of any person clothed with the
Priesthood; but, on the contrary, such a person should be far better
qualified to wisely and righteously administer in any civil office,
and in this manner the channel of true intelligence would be opened,
and light and truth flow freely into every avenue of social life.
There are more things I might talk about, but no matter now, as the
meeting has been held long enough. I say, God bless you. Amen.