roughing it-第100节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


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　fifty　miles　before
they　were　overtaken　and　slaughtered。　　The　women　and　children　ran　on；　two
or　three　hundred　yards　further；　when　they　were　overtaken　and　with　the　aid
of　the　Indians　they　were　slaughtered。　　Seventeen　individuals　only；　of　all
the　emigrant　party；　were　spared；　and　they　were　little　children；　the
eldest　of　them　being　only　seven　years　old。　　Thus；　on　the　10th　day　of
September；　1857；　was　consummated　one　of　the　most　cruel；　cowardly　and
bloody　murders　known　in　our　history。〃

The　number　of　persons　butchered　by　the　Mormons　on　this　occasion　was　one
hundred　and　twenty。

With　unheard…of　temerity　Judge　Cradlebaugh　opened　his　court　and　proceeded
to　make　Mormondom　answer　for　the　massacre。　　And　what　a　spectacle　it　must
have　been　to　see　this　grim　veteran；　solitary　and　alone　in　his　pride　and
his　pluck；　glowering　down　on　his　Mormon　jury　and　Mormon　auditory；
deriding　them　by　turns；　and　by　turns　〃breathing　threatenings　and
slaughter！〃

An　editorial　in　the　Territorial　Enterprise　of　that　day　says　of　him　and　of
the　occasion：

〃He　spoke　and　acted　with　the　fearlessness　and　resolution　of　a　Jackson；
but　the　jury　failed　to　indict；　or　even　report　on　the　charges；　while
threats　of　violence　were　heard　in　every　quarter；　and　an　attack　on　the
U。S。　troops　intimated；　if　he　persisted　in　his　course。

〃Finding　that　nothing　could　be　done　with　the　juries；　they　were　discharged
with　a　scathing　rebuke　from　the　judge。　　And　then；　sitting　as　a　committing
magistrate；　he　commenced　his　task　alone。　　He　examined　witnesses；　made
arrests　in　every　quarter；　and　created　a　consternation　in　the　camps　of　the
saints　greater　than　any　they　had　ever　witnessed　before；　since　Mormondom
was　born。　　At　last　accounts　terrified　elders　and　bishops　were　decamping
to　save　their　necks；　and　developments　of　the　most　starling　character　were
being　made；　implicating　the　highest　Church　dignitaries　in　the　many
murders　and　robberies　committed　upon　the　Gentiles　during　the　past　eight
years。〃

Had　Harney　been　Governor；　Cradlebaugh　would　have　been　supported　in　his
work；　and　the　absolute　proofs　adduced　by　him　of　Mormon　guilt　in　this
massacre　and　in　a　number　of　previous　murders；　would　have　conferred
gratuitous　coffins　upon　certain　citizens；　together　with　occasion　to　use
them。　　But　Cumming　was　the　Federal　Governor；　and　he；　under　a　curious
pretense　of　impartiality；　sought　to　screen　the　Mormons　from　the　demands
of　justice。　　On　one　occasion　he　even　went　so　far　as　to　publish　his
protest　against　the　use　of　the　U。S。　troops　in　aid　of　Cradlebaugh's
proceedings。

Mrs。　C。　V。　Waite　closes　her　interesting　detail　of　the　great　massacre　with
the　following　remark　and　accompanying　summary　of　the　testimonyand　the
summary　is　concise；　accurate　and　reliable：

〃For　the　benefit　of　those　who　may　still　be　disposed　to　doubt　the　guilt　of
Young　and　his　Mormons　in　this　transaction；　the　testimony　is　here　collated
and　circumstances　given　which　go　not　merely　to　implicate　but　to　fasten
conviction　upon　them　by　'confirmations　strong　as　proofs　of　Holy　Writ：'

〃1。　　The　evidence　of　Mormons　themselves；　engaged　in　the　affair；　as　shown
by　the　statements　of　Judge　Cradlebaugh　and　Deputy　U。S。　　Marshall　Rodgers。
〃2。　　The　failure　of　Brigham　Young　to　embody　any　account　of　it　in　his
Report　as　Superintendent　of　Indian　Affairs。　　Also　his　failure　to　make　any
allusion　to　it　whatever　from　the　pulpit；　until　several　years　after　the
occurrence
〃3。　　The　flight　to　the　mountains　of　men　high　in　authority　in　the　Mormon
Church　and　State；　when　this　affair　was　brought　to　the　ordeal　of　a
judicial　investigation。
〃4。　　The　failure　of　the　Deseret　News；　the　Church　organ；　and　the　only
paper　then　published　in　the　Territory；　to　notice　the　massacre　until
several　months　afterward；　and　then　only　to　deny　that　Mormons　were　engaged
in　it。
〃5。　　The　testimony　of　the　children　saved　from　the　massacre。
〃6。　　The　children　and　the　property　of　the　emigrants　found　in　possession
of　the　Mormons；　and　that　possession　traced　back　to　the　very　day　after　the
massacre。
〃7。　　The　statements　of　Indians　in　the　neighborhood　of　the　scene　of　the
massacre：