THE MORMON WAR. We hope this war will be prosecuted with vigor.—There need be no scruples in the matter. Open hostility on the part of the rebellious followers of the false prophet has left us no alternative. The sooner they are brought into subjection the better, and, if we would spare blood, we must do so by putting a large force into the field, and crushing all opposition. We must either do this or submit to be the reproach of the civilized world. It may cost us money, it may cost us the lives of our citizens, but at whatever cost, it should be accomplished at once. It will never be cheaper than now—never more practicable or safe. We cannot hope that a temporizing or a forbearing policy will diminish the bitterness or determination of the Mormon leaders. When men violate, as they do, the most sacred rights of their fellows without a blush—when they are willing to array themselves against the opinion of their race, and for purposes of lust and sensuality to abandon all communication with the respectable portion of their own country—they are not made of stuff to be melted by tender-ness or overcome by forbearance. They must be sub-dued by arms into subjection, and held so until they are dispersed or exterminated. This may give rise hereafter to troublesome constitutional difficulties—but just now, there are none in our pathway. Open warfare is our justification and defense. We annex as germane to this topic the following article from the "London Times. While we do not assent to all its positions, it is a word spoken in season and we would do well to heed its suggestions: Those whose political recollections can stretch five-and twenty years back can remember the idea or image of a country which the United States then raised in everybody's mind. It was the image of a newly discovered country, for two centuries seemed hardly to have made any inroad upon that vast con-tinent of a country that had just felt the first passage of the plough, of primæval forests, a virgin soil, of cities just rising to the dignity and importance of commerce, and of illimitable, untried resources, which absorbed the activity of fresh thousands every month, and allowed nobody to stand idle for an hour. It was the image of a new world over which the sun rose and set without seeing want, of a world in its springtime and infancy, when nature repaid a hun-dred fold the slightest attention, and had only to be asked in order to obtain from her the amplest nour-ishment, of however rude and simple a kind, for everybody. That was one great contrast between the United States and England. Another was the immunity of this new world from the perplexities of diplomacy, the jealousies and rivalries, the encroach-ments and the resistance to encroachments, in-volved in the European system. In that new hemis-phere war was impossible, because there was no foe, and an army was unnecessary because there was no war. Thus at one stroke an expense which swelled the budget of every nation of Europe to a most por-tentous size was cut off, and taxation did not rise above the lowest and simplest scale. Thus all was simple and all was primitive in the United States, soil, policy, and finance; there was nothing of the old world about them; they exulted in the light atmosphere of national youth; and rejoiced in a complete freedom from the gorgeous but onerous trappings of the States of the old world, their pomp, titles, ceremonies, ranks diplomacy, and taxes. Such was the picture of the United States five and-twenty years ago; but any one with moderate politi-cal observation will see that this picture is now con-siderably altered. The United States are not, indeed, an old nation yet, but there are signs of advancing time pressing upon them. New York was a month ago the scene of bread riots. That is a mark of age; a nation cannot call itself quite young that finds itself involved in a financial catastrophe, the effect of an extremely developed artificial currency, and the cause of bread riots. These are features of an old world, of long established commerce, of overgrown population. The city of New York may claim now the rank of one of those vast concentrations of human power and activity, and condensations of human life, which constitute the great cities of the old world, and with the rank it exhibits also the melancholy accom-paniments of such a growth—its large needy, de-pendent masses, living from hand to month, and thrown out of employment by any serious jar in the financial system. We may now add another sign of advancing age—a war with an unruly dependency—a war accom-panied by great hardships and involving endless marches over difficult and barren ground, were the invading army must carry everything whatever necessary for human or brute life with it. Port Leavenworth is about 1,500 miles from the American seat of Government; that is no short distance, but when an American army has reached Leavenworth its hostile journey to the Salt Lake City is only begun. Another journey of 650 miles up the Platte River conducts it to Fort Laramie, and after reaching Fort Laramie a full month's journey succeeds before the Salt Lake City is arrived at. Of the month's journey the whole is over difficult country, and much of it over ground with very little grass, which, little as it is the Mormons will, of course, set fire to. The Mormons are perfectly aware of the advantage of their position, and meet the invasion with insolent defiance, and it must be added, hitherto with successful defiance The American advanced force under Colonel Albert Johntsone having proceeded 250 miles beyond Fort Laramie is stopped by a seven-inch depth of snow, combined with a total failure of corn and grass, the Mormon force having cut of their trains of wagons in the rear. Under these circumstances the Govern-ment expedition pauses, and the rebel State has a temporary triumph. Of the transiency of this tri-umph we can have little doubt. The honor of the Federal Government and the honor of the whole United States, is now pledged to the suppression of the Mormonite rebellion; but we have also little doubt that the affair will cost a good deal, and swell disagreeably the United States' budget. The United States, in short, as they advance to im-portance and dignity, are also rapidly advancing to the cares, responsibilities, and expenses of empire. This Mormonite war is creditable to them; they could not, consistently with the national honor and with respect for their own position among civilized nations, have avoided it. No nation that is a member of the great circle of civilized nations, and forms a part of the established phalanx of civilization in the world, can escape the duty of defending the necessary laws of civilization. That cause is a sacred and sublime cause committed to its trust by Providence, and it cannot avoid the responsibility of it without giving up its place in the civilized world, and its fellowship in the association of civilized nations. The United States have only acted in consistency with their posi-tion as a civilized State in refusing to recognize and sanction the system of polygamy, which the Mor-monites have endeavored to engraft upon the Ameri-can national code; and it is this refusal that has brought on this war. But, while we give the United States all credit for not having avoided an honorable war, we must observe at the same time that wars such as these are a sign of a nation's growing years. This is no bad compliment to a country, as it is to an individual; the age of a nation is its glory and pride—it is what gives it character, life and weight. A new nation, like a new world, is a formless, nondescript thing; it is hardly a nation at all till it is in some sense an old nation, till it has a past, a vista of events to look back upon, a history to recall. But the honors of growing antiquity bring their responsibilities, en-cumbrances, perplexities, and grievances with them, jars and collisions of the State, difficulties of finance, popular distress, wars, taxation. The crown of empire, like the crown of reason, brings its cares with it and sets heavily upon the brow. "It is not for a statesman," says Homer, "to rest all the night—he must be wide awake while others are sleeping." Our Transatlantic kinsmen are in their private business quite up to this duty, and they will now in their na-tional capacity have more and more to exercise it.
19th Century Mormon Article Newspaper Index
