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!