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The Mormons Or Latter-Day Saints In The Valley Of The Great Salt Lake
The Mormons Or LatterDay Saints In The Valley Of The Great Salt Lake Author:John William Gunnison, Brigham Young Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. CIVIL AND THEOCRATICAL CHARACTER. Such then is the general appearance of the country settled by tho Mormons, and for a minute description, I be... more »g leave to refer to the able report of the Surveying Expedition by Capt. H. Stansbury laid before Congress. But the peculiar character of the founders of Desere't, their energy, union and hopes, stimulated by their religious views, more especially demand our notice; and this subject is equally interesting to the politician, the philosopher, and the theologian. We found them, in 1849, organized into a state with all the order of legislative, judicial, and executive offices regularly filled, under a constitution eminently republican in sentiment, and tolerant in religion; and though the authority of Congress has not yet sanctioned this form of government, presented and petitioned for, they proceed quietly with all the routine of an organized self- governing people, under the title of a Territory; — being satisfied to abide their time, in accession of strength by numbers, when they may be deemed fit to take a sovereign position; being contented so long as allowed to enjoy the substance, under the shadow of a name. They lay and collect taxes, raise and equip troops for protection, in full sovereignty, on the soil they helped to conquer first, and subdue to use afterward. While professing a complete divorce of church and state, their political character and administration is made subservient to the theocratical or religious element. They delight to call their system of government, a " Theo-Democracy;" and that, in a civil capacity, they stand as the Israelites of old under Moses. For the rule of those not fully imbued with the spirit of obedience, and sojourners not of the faith, as well as for things purely temporal, tribun...« less