REVELATION SUPPORTED BY BIBLICAL EXAMPLES--THE ISRAELITISH GENIUS OF
THE MORMONS SHOWN IN THE PATRIARCHAL NATURE OF THEIR INSTITUTIONS--THE
ANTI-POLYGAMIC CRUSADE.
Next after the revelation on celestial marriage, through Joseph the
prophet, the Bible of the Hebrews, and not the sacred record of the
ancients of this continent, must be charged with the authority, the
examples, and, consequently, the practice of polygamy in the Latter-day
Church. The examples of Abraham, Jacob, Solomon, and the ancients of
Israel generally, and not the examples of Nephi, Mormon, and their
people, whose civilization is now extinct, have been those accepted by
our modern Israel--examples of such divine potency that the women of
England and America, with all their monogamic training and prejudice,
have dared not reject nor make war against in woman's name.
Ever and everywhere is the genius of Mormonism so strikingly in
the Abrahamic likeness and image, that one could almost fancy the
patriarchs of ancient Israel inspiring a modern Israel to perpetuate
their name, their faith and their institutions. Who shall say that this
is not the fact? Surely this patriarchal genius of the Mormons is the
most extraordinary test of a modern Israel. Jerusalem, not Rome, has
brought forth the Mormons and their peculiar commonwealth.
And here it should be emphasized that polygamy had nought to do with
the expulsions of the Mormons from Missouri and Illinois. The primitive
"crime" of the Mormons was their belief in new revelation. Fifty years
ago that was a monstrous crime in the eyes of sectarian Christendom.
The present generation can scarcely comprehend how blasphemous the
doctrine of modern revelation seemed to this very nation of America,
which now boasts of ten to twelve millions of believers in revelation
from some source or other. Thus wonderful has been the change in fifty
years!
Viewed as a cause of their persecutions in the past, next to this
faith of the Mormons in Jehovah's speaking, was their rapid growth as
a gathered and organized people, who bid fair to hold the balance of
political power in several States. A prominent grievance with Missouri
and Illinois was exactly that urged against the growth of the ancient
Christians--"if we let them alone they will take away our name and
nation!"
Following down the record until the period of the Utah war, it is still
the fact that polygamy was not the cause of the anti-Mormon crusade. It
was not even the excuse of that period, as given by President Buchanan
and Congress. It was merely an Israelitish trouble in the world.
Soon after this, however, polygamy did become the excuse, both to
Congress and the dominant political party of the country, to take
action against the Mormons and their Israelitish institutions. In
framing the Chicago platform, the Republican party, just rising to
supremacy, made slavery one of its planks, and polygamy another. Upon
these "twin relics" they rode into the administration of the government
of the country.
Then came the anti-polygamic law of 1862, especially framed against the
Mormons. But it was found to be inoperative. Lincoln, who had known
many of them in the early days, let the Mormons alone.
The civil war was over. The South had succumbed. The work of
reconstruction was fairly in progress. The conquerer Grant, and his
administration, resolved to grapple with "polygamic theocracy," as they
styled it--if need be by the action and issues of another Mormon war.
First came Colfax to Zion, to "spy out the land." To the polygamic
saints he administered the gentle warning of a soft tongue, which,
however, concealed a serpent's sting. Returning east, after his famous
tour across the continent, he opened a theological assault upon Mormon
polygamy in the _New York Independent_, and soon became engaged in a
regular battle with apostle John Taylor. Returning to Zion, on his
second visit, the Vice-President actually preached an anti-polygamic
sermon to the Mormons, one evening, in front of the Townsend House,
in Salt Lake City, in which he quoted what he interpreted as
anti-polygamic passages from the Book of Mormon.
The scene changes to Washington. Colfax, Cullom, Grant and Dr. Newman
are in travail with the Cullom bill and anti-Mormon crusade.
The Cullom bill passed the House and went to the Senate. President
Grant had resolved to execute it, by force of arms, should the courts
fail. Vice-President Colfax, while in Utah, had propounded the serious
question, "Will Brigham Young fight?"
Congress and the nation thought that now the doom of Mormon polygamy
had come.
Suddenly, like a wall of salvation, fifty thousand women of Mormondom
threw themselves around their patriarchs and their institutions! A
wonderful people, these Mormons! More wonderful these women!