THE LAST DAYS OF "BRIGHAM."

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 689, 18 June 1870, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE LAST DAYS OF "BRIGHAM."

PKOGKESS OF THE RBVOIiIJTION IN UTAH. The correspondent of the New York Tribune at Salt Lake writes :— Brigham 'and Smith and Wells, the reigning triumvirate^ are going down below the Rio Colorado soon on an exploring expedition. 1 ' Some say it is his final, oxodus from the country— that he has been quietly preparing for it a year or so, deeding houses and property to such of his concubines as he is going to abandon— that he will doom certain apostles and' Gentiles to the knife before he 'goes, the sentence • not to ft be executed j however, till he gets a good way> off, so that the blood can in nowise attach to -his: skirts ; that he will instal Cannon here as Chief Devil, set iip " The Kingdom of God" anew in some sweet' dell df Arizona, gathering such of .the faithful as will, unto it, destroying, of course,- what they can 1 fc carry, away, appoint his son Brigharn to succeed him ■ as President/ his- sons John and- Joseph to be young Brig's Councillors, and then give up the ghost, submittingj ' only to death, the .self-willed little autocrat. Some of the leading schismatics are badly scared at this prospect.' The other day Professsor Tullidge was arrested, ostensibly for being too deep in his cups, really in the hope of getting important papers from his person. You should have seen hinw-a little, dried, up,' weazen-faced old man, with small, 1 black, deep-3et eyes burning as a reptiie?s, walking the streets ,on his toes, looking up at the windows,, backward, land over, his small shoulders. "What's the matter with you?" said a friend, "0, my throat, isn't worth a cent." A preacher of Daniteism for a: score of years, he knew its dark secrets, and trembled' for the breath he drew. Kelsey's mother is one of Brigham's wives, and the old man is particulai-ly furious that his adopted son should have the presumption to think for himsolf. Kelsey and Harrison are likely to have their throats cut with considerable "saintly rancor*' — Godbe and Lawrence in the utmost tenderness .of brotherly love. Their best safeguard at present is that some of the Danites have joined them, a;id they' know how to strike back. But I imagine, that Brigham is not yet ready to leave this country. He has always an honorable retreat, one involving no humiliation. 'Let the Government conclude that Mormon polygamy must cease , at any cqst, and so signify to. Brigham in an unmistakable manner, taking care to have it understood that it is the deliverer and ndt' the oppressor of the ; Mormon people. Bring some prominent delinquent ito trial and convict him. • The case will be appealed, 'and meanwhile polygamy ceases, 'for Brigham can say to his people, ' ' 'This is now a . matter between the G^evnmeht of the United. States'ahd the government of the universe. : Before any one of yoii defy the power of the earthly ruler, be very sure within i that the heavenly ruler has commanded , you so to do."' How; many would be likely to. find such indwelling testimony as would cause them to stand, out; against the law \ It should bo remembered that there are but few of the saints living who were driven, as they style it, from Missouri and Illinois. The most of the present members of the church have' been brought directly here from Europe, and their condition has been infinitely improved by the change. They have no. reason to hate the Government whatever, and are kept up to the Mormon standard of hostility only by the outrageous Jine of, their leaders. Not, one in three of them is a polygamist. Brigham has been tried in this wise before. Years ago Gonera! Connor intro-. duced a provost guard into the city, upon which thousands of Mormon militia assembled with their shot-guns and ccni knives, resolved, to conquer or die. After a few days it became apparent that a collision would occur tittles^ they were disbanded and returned homeland Connor sent word that if there should be a drop of Gentile blood shed through, the agency of the said militia, he would give them twenty minutes to move their womon and children out of the town, which he would then batter about their ears. Immediately the recruits, whd looked as though they might have • come frpnt Sleepy . Hollow, departed in e,yery direction for their homes, and it haying come to Brig-* ham through a spy ttiat it, was in Connor's mind to arrest him, he? went to the Chief Justice and gave bonds, to appear any. time he should be wanted. Brigham is more of a fox than a lion. He is not going to Arizona" for 'good, although, in case things'shonld not be too hard against him, he would doubtless' rather know the nature and character 'of that country than riot. It is quite as likely, too, I think, thai he should flee thither from his own people as from the Government. He has expended half a million dollars' worth of tithing, a year, fpr manyyearS) "dividing nothing with nobody, and accounting for nothing to nobody." There is little else to show for it of a public character than' Tabernacle Square and what is in it. The rest Brigham has used purchasing and improving property, living, building &c.

All this is held by Brigham Young, so far as anybody in or out of the Church knows, and when he dies will naturally fall t.o his children. Brigham differs from Joseph Smith in being avaricious. Joseph was .everything for his Church ; Brigham- is everything for himself."" His leading passions are love of power and # avarice. The theatre was built with tithing, and lots of other buildings the prophet lives in and rents. -The people, from the tenth of their gross earning has been exacted, upon pain of excommunication, these many years, might take a notion to account for it. There is no telling where rebellion will stop when once it is fairly inaugnarated. It is, pretty fairly inaugurated here, and very niany more of the intelligent and. influential members of the Church, as I believe, are only waiting a favorable opportunity to join it.