roughing it-第99节

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temple　which　made　some　pretensions　to　architectural　grace　and　achieved
some　celebrity　in　a　section　of　country　where　a　brick　court…house　with　a
tin　dome　and　a　cupola　on　it　was　contemplated　with　reverential　awe。
But　the　Mormons　were　badgered　and　harried　again　by　their　neighbors。
All　the　proclamations　Joseph　Smith　could　issue　denouncing　polygamy　and
repudiating　it　as　utterly　anti…Mormon　were　of　no　avail；　the　people　of　the
neighborhood；　on　both　sides　of　the　Mississippi；　claimed　that　polygamy　was
practised　by　the　Mormons；　and　not　only　polygamy　but　a　little　of
everything　that　was　bad。　　Brigham　returned　from　a　mission　to　England；
where　he　had　established　a　Mormon　newspaper；　and　he　brought　back　with　him
several　hundred　converts　to　his　preaching。　　His　influence　among　the
brethren　augmented　with　every　move　he　made。　　Finally　Nauvoo　was　invaded
by　the　Missouri　and　Illinois　Gentiles；　and　Joseph　Smith　killed。　　A　Mormon
named　Rigdon　assumed　the　Presidency　of　the　Mormon　church　and　government；
in　Smith's　place；　and　even　tried　his　hand　at　a　prophecy　or　two。　　But　a
greater　than　he　was　at　hand。　　Brigham　seized　the　advantage　of　the　hour
and　without　other　authority　than　superior　brain　and　nerve　and　will；
hurled　Rigdon　from　his　high　place　and　occupied　it　himself。　　He　did　more。
He　launched　an　elaborate　curse　at　Rigdon　and　his　disciples；　and　he
pronounced　Rigdon's　〃prophecies〃　emanations　from　the　devil；　and　ended　by
〃handing　the　false　prophet　over　to　the　buffetings　of　Satan　for　a　thousand
years〃probably　the　longest　term　ever　inflicted　in　Illinois。　　The　people
recognized　their　master。　　They　straightway　elected　Brigham　Young
President；　by　a　prodigious　majority；　and　have　never　faltered　in　their
devotion　to　him　from　that　day　to　this。　　Brigham　had　forecasta　quality
which　no　other　prominent　Mormon　has　probably　ever　possessed。
He　recognized　that　it　was　better　to　move　to　the　wilderness　than　be　moved。
By　his　command　the　people　gathered　together　their　meagre　effects；　turned
their　backs　upon　their　homes；　and　their　faces　toward　the　wilderness；　and
on　a　bitter　night　in　February　filed　in　sorrowful　procession　across　the
frozen　Mississippi；　lighted　on　their　way　by　the　glare　from　their　burning
temple；　whose　sacred　furniture　their　own　hands　had　fired！　　They　camped；
several　days　afterward；　on　the　western　verge　of　Iowa；　and　poverty；　want；
hunger；　cold；　sickness；　grief　and　persecution　did　their　work；　and　many
succumbed　and　diedmartyrs；　fair　and　true；　whatever　else　they　might　have
been。　　Two　years　the　remnant　remained　there；　while　Brigham　and　a　small
party　crossed　the　country　and　founded　Great　Salt　Lake　City；　purposely
choosing　a　land　which　was　outside　the　ownership　and　jurisdiction　of　the
hated　American　nation。　　Note　that。　　This　was　in　1847。　　Brigham　moved　his
people　there　and　got　them　settled　just　in　time　to　see　disaster　fall
again。　　For　the　war　closed　and　Mexico　ceded　Brigham's　refuge　to　the
enemythe　United　States！　　In　1849　the　Mormons　organized　a　〃free　and
independent〃　government　and　erected　the　〃State　of　Deseret；〃　with　Brigham
Young　as　its　head。　　But　the　very　next　year　Congress　deliberately　snubbed
it　and　created　the　〃Territory　of　Utah〃　out　of　the　same　accumulation　of
mountains；　sage…brush；　alkali　and　general　desolation；but　made　Brigham
Governor　of　it。　　Then　for　years　the　enormous　migration　across　the　plains
to　California　poured　through　the　land　of　the　Mormons　and　yet　the　church
remained　staunch　and　true　to　its　lord　and　master。　　Neither　hunger；
thirst；　poverty；　grief；　hatred；　contempt；　nor　persecution　could　drive　the
Mormons　from　their　faith　or　their　allegiance；　and　even　the　thirst　for
gold；　which　gleaned　the　flower　of　the　youth　and　strength　of　many　nations
was　not　able　to　entice　them！　　That　was　the　final　test。　　An　experiment
that　could　survive　that　was　an　experiment　with　some　substance　to　it
somewhere。

Great　Salt　Lake　City　throve　finely；　and　so　did　Utah。　　One　of　the　last
things　which　Brigham　Young　had　done　before　leaving　Iowa；　was　to　appear　in
the　pulpit　dressed　to　personate　the　worshipped　and　lamented　prophet
Smith；　and　confer　the　prophetic　succession；　with　all　its　dignities；
emoluments　and　authorities；　upon　〃President　Brigham　Young！〃　　The　people
accepted　the　pious　fraud　with　the　maddest　enthusiasm；　and　Brigham's　power
was　sealed　and　secured　for　all　time。　　Within　five　years　afterward　he
openly　added　polygamy　to　the　tenets　of　the　church　by　authority　of　a
〃revelation〃　which　he　pretended　had　been　received　nine　years　before　by
Joseph　Smith；　albeit　Joseph　is　amply　on　record　as　denouncing　polygamy　to
the　day　of　his　death。

Now　was　Brigham　become　a　second　Andrew　Johnson　in　the　small　beginning　and
steady　progress　of　his　official　grandeur。　　He　had　served　successively　as
a　disciple　in　the　ranks；　home　missionary；　foreign　missionary；　editor　and
publisher；　Apostle；　President　of　the　Board　of　Apostles；　President　of　all
Mormondom；　civil　and　ecclesiastical；　successor　to　the　great　Joseph　by　the
will　of　heaven；　〃prophet；〃　〃seer；〃　〃revelator。〃　　There　was　but　one
dignity　higher　which　he　could　aspire　to；　and　he　reached　out　modestly　and
took　thathe　proclaimed　himself　a　God！

He　claims　that　he　is　to　have　a　heaven　of　his　own　hereafter；　and　that　he
will　be　its　God；　and　his　wives　and　children　its　goddesses；　princes　and
princesses。　　Into　it　all　faithful　Mormons　will　be　admitted；　with　their
families；　and　will　take　rank　and　consequence　according　to　the　number　of
their　wives　and　children。　　If　a　disciple　dies　before　he　has　had　time　to
accumulate　enough　wives　and　children　to　enable　him　to　be　respectable　in
the　next　world　any　friend　can　marry　a　few　wives　and　raise　a　few　children
for　him　after　he　is　dead；　and　they　are　duly　credited　to　his　account　and
his　heavenly　status　advanced　accordingly。

Let　it　be　borne　in　mind　that　the　majority　of　the　Mormons　have　always　been
ignorant；　simple；　of　an　inferior　order　of　intellect；　unacquainted　with
the　world　and　its　ways；　and　let　it　be　borne　in　mind　that　the　wives　of
these　Mormons　are　necessarily　after　the　same　pattern　and　their　children
likely　to　be　fit　representatives　of　such　a　conjunction；　and　then　let　it
be　remembered　that　for　forty　years　these　creatures　have　been　driven；
driven；　driven；　relentlessly！　　and　mobbed；　beaten；　and　shot　down；　cursed；
despised；　expatriated；　banished　to　a　remote　desert；　whither　they
journeyed　gaunt　with　famine　and　disease；　disturbing　the　ancient　solitudes
with　their　lamentations　and　marking　the　long　way　with　graves　of　their
deadand　all　because　they　were　simply　trying　to　live　and　worship　God　in
the　way　which　they　believed　with　all　their　hearts　and　souls　to　be　the
true　one。　　Let　all　these　things　be　borne　in　mind；　and　then　it　will　not　be
hard　to　account　for　the　deathless　hatred　which　the　Mormons　bear　our
people　and　our　government。

That　hatred　has　〃fed　fat　its　ancient　grudge〃　ever　since　Mormon　Utah
developed　into　a　self…supporting　realm　and　the　church　waxed　rich　and
strong。　　Brigham　as　Territorial　Governor　made　it　plain　that　Mormondom　was
for　the　Mormons。　　The　United　States　tried　to　rectify　all　that　by
appointing　territorial　officers　from　New　England　and　other　anti…Mormon
localities；　but　Brigham　prepared　to　make　their　entrance　into　his
dominions　difficult。　　Three　thousand　United　States　troops　had　to　go
across　the　plains　and　put　these　gentlemen　in　office。　　And　after　they　were
in　office　they　were　as　helpless　as　so　many　stone　images。　　They　made　laws
which　nobody　minded　and　which　could　not　be　executed。　　The　federal　judges
opened　court　in　a　land　filled　with　crime　and　violence　and　sat　as　holiday
spectacles　for　insolent　crowds　to　gape　atfor　there　was　nothing　to　try；
nothing　to　do　nothing　on　the　dockets！　　And　if　a　Gentile　brought　a　suit；
the　Mormon　jury　would　do　just　as　it　pleased　about　bringing　in　a　verdict；
and　when　the　judgment　of　the　court　was　rendered　no　Mormon　cared　for　it
and　no　officer　could　execute　it。　　Our　Presidents　shipped　one　cargo　of
officials　after　another　to　Utah；　but　the　result　was　always　the　samethey
sat　in　a　blight　for　awhile　they　fairly　feasted　on　scowls　and　insults　day
by　day；　they　saw　every　attempt　to　do　their　official　duties　find　its
reward　in　darker　and　darker　looks；　and　in　secret　threats　and　warnings　of
a　more　and　more　dismal　natureand　at　last　they　either　succumbed　and
became　despised　tools　and　toys　of　the　Mormons；　or　got　scared　and
discomforted　beyond　all　endurance　and　left　the　Territory。　　If　a　brave
officer　kept　on　courageously　till　his　pluck　was　proven；　some　pliant
Buchanan　or　Pierce　would　remove　him　and　appoint　a　stick　in　his　place。
In　1857　General　Harney　came　very　near　being　appointed　Governor　of　Utah。
And　so　it　came　very　near　being　Harney　governor　and　Cradlebaugh　judge！
two　men　who　never　had　any　idea　of　fear　further　than　the　sort　of　murky
comprehension　of　it　which　they　were　enabled　to　gather　from　the
dictionary。　　Simply　（if　for　nothing　else）　for　the　variety　they　would　have
made　in　a　rather　monotonous　history　of　Federal　servility　and
helplessness；　it　is　a　pity　they　were　not　fated　to　hold　office　together　in
Utah。

Up　to　the　date　of　our　visit　to　Utah；　such　had　been　the　Territorial
record。　　The　Territorial　government　established　there　had　been　a　hopeless
failure；　and　Brigham　Young　was　the　only