381 CORRESPONDENCE. of art, and by visiting it in the person I told them I knew to Switzerland. nothing about the language, and that I did not know where I should have to labor before I received the appointment, but I left home with a full de-ror of Russia, and Napoleon III., Emtermination to go where the servants peror of the French, ride tete-a-tete go," and if I should together in one carriage to the opera, of God said " have to learn a foreign language, other accompanied by a royal cortege in Nor would it have been men had learned it, and I believed I courtly pageant, as we saw them last could; I was willing to try and do the evening. deemed possible, one month ago, that Brevet I feel like that nowbest I could. my desire was and is to know my duty, King William of Prussia, I have never seen Emperor of North Germany," as some and then do it. the day nor the hour that I was sorry style him, could have experienced an I had come on this Mission, and I hope Imperial reception such as we saw exto fill the same as a faithful Elder in tended to him to-day at the station of Israel, do good both for myself and the Railway du Nord, by Napoleon others, and assist in the great work in III in person. which we are all engaged. Lest I should weary you by writing too much, I will close for the present, praying God to bless you abundantly, and all his faithful children. With love to yourself, the brethren in the office, and all inquiring friends, I remain your brother and fellowlaborer in the cause of truth, J. S. HORNE. FRANCE. Grand Hotel, Boulevard de Capucine, Paris, June 5, 1867. Dear Brother,-Although we have only been in this city about twentyfour hours, we have been favored, in some respects, as many others have not been who have spent a much longer time here. We did not come, as some seem to have done, to find fault with everything we see or hear, for while we behold much that for frail humanity's sake we heartily wish were widely different, still there is much of human We have no greatness to admire. hope to see all around us as it should be, until humanity is made subject to divinity; then the Holy Spirit-the mind of God shall govern all that pertains to this lower world. It is fairly presumable that Paris is at present the most glorious spectacle of human greatness that is to be found on this terrestrial globe. Indeed the idea, though at first startling, is not so wonderful when we reflect that nearly all nations are contributing to make it so, by bringing their best productions It was very gratifying to look upon Delightful and bedazzling as is the un 1 382 A FRENCHMAN'S VIEW OF THE MORMONS. waste them until their full end has come. The Mene Tekel of ancient Babylon expresses but a small part of the judgments which the God of the whole earth has decreed in the way of disaster, destruction, and overthrow, upon those who will not acknowledge the right of Jesus to rule over them, temporally as well as spiritually. While we have witnessed pomp and splendor, we have also in these few hours necessarily observed the " mystery of iniquity" which is rapidly working death and destruction at the foundation and the vitals of all societies, nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, and which must inevitably invoke the wrath of an offended God. How joyful all the Saints should feel that God has commenced to reign in one small part of this lower world! And he has promised that his kingdom shall extend until it fills the whole earth. O that Emperors, Kings, Queens, and rulers, would turn to the Lord, and render the obedience that is due to him, that they and their works might not be destroyed, but be made to serve and praise him in his excellent greatness! I have made several calls to-day, but have not yet seen the Exhibition. To-morrow the three sovereigns are to attend a grand review of the French troops at the Bois de Boulogne. With love to all in the office, I am your friend and brother in the Gospel, F. D. RICHARDS. A FRENCHMAN'S VIEW OF THE MORMONS. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SAN FRANCISCO COURIER. Ogden, Utah, Feb. 22, 1867. Sir,-Here I am in the midst of the Latter-day Saints-of course I cannot fail to obtain my salvation. Whilst waiting for my conversion, I am forced to admire this people, who have been so much slandered under the name of Mormons. It is a positive fact that all the country that forms the desert of Great Salt Lake would yet be a wilderness, with no inhabitants save the men paid by the Overland Mail Company, to take care of the horses on the road, had not the Mormons fled from persecutions in order to enjoy the rights bequeathed by the Constitution, to practice freely their religion, and had they not had the noble energy to leave their fertile fields of Illinois, to cross the desert plains and pitch their tents on this side of the Rocky Mountains, on the barren shores of the Great Salt Lake-which until then presented the wildest asspect of horrid desolation to the bold explorers who visited its shores, that are to-day so delightful. The city of Salt Lake, with its twenty thousand inhabitants, is situated to the north-east of a valley which was considered incapable of producing a single bushel of grain. Thousands of farms, sustaining at present more than a hundred thousand people, are scattered on that desert so much dreaded that formerly but few would venture to cross it. The irrigating canals which abound in the country, produce everywhere abundance and fertility. Those soils which had until then produced nothing but the sage brush, are to-day covered with cereals and gardens of fruit trees; the desert has been changed to an oasis, and not only supports its inhabitants, but furnishes provisions to the neighboring Territories. All this is the work of the Mormons, the work of a people who came here with no other help but the strength of their own hands. In order to preserve their faith, they have accomplished that miracle with the sweat of their brows. Their hard labor and indomitable perseverance have been rewarded; and now that through their marvellous industry that people has dotted large portions of the country with fertile fields of inexhaustible wealth, is it not a heinous crime to seek to bring trouble on that peaceful and laborious population, and molest them in the enjoyment of their labors, under the pretext that their religious SUMMARY OF NEWS. ideas do not agree with those of the people who surround them? The American Government, to which they pay their taxes, should it not, as well as the Constitution, give them protection? Why enact laws contrary to their doctrines and manners, when under the boon of freedom, and when they only claim the right to live as honest and peaceable citizens of the United States? But some will say, "they practice polygamy. That practice is abominable and immoral." Let me say that this assertion must be proved. Polygamy has been practised by the most civilized people of antiquity, and is now practised by those who are not Christians. The abomination is not very great. With regard to immorality, I wish some one to give me a precise definition of what is moral, so that I may at once be able to make a distinction between moral and immoral. 383 with the affairs of conscience, is it not a veritable persecution by the government against a religion of which the Constitution enjoins free exercise. I am no Mormon, and I am perfectly disinterested in the question. I speak only as a citizen. When one has always in one's mouth the words Constitution and liberty, and uses them in his own behalf, one must give others the same privilege. The stronger should not oppress the weaker, not even in the name of liberty, because liberty would then be only disguised tyranny. My ideas will perhaps hurt some of your readers, but when one has set down a principle, it must be admitted with all its consequences. Polygamy is not enforced here, it is entirely optional. A woman marries a man already married of her full consent. She does it with her own free will, and does not complain about it. She does it because it pleases her, and moreover, because she thinks she does right, under the inspiration of her re If morality is a unit, as is truth, it has been, is now, and always will be everywhere the same. Howbeit poly-ligious convictions, and the laws of her gamy was considered moral by nearly the whole universe before Jesus Christ, and since his coming has been considered as such by almost half the inhabitants of the earth. I will admit that Christianity has changed our ideas on that subject, but in a country that professes no religion, and under a Constitution that declares that the government must not meddle country (Utah) which allow her to do so. Is she more to blame than the young girl who takes the veil, and confines herself in a convent, under the impulsion of her conscience, and in virtue of her free agency? Liberty for all is what the Mormons require, and they have a right to claim it. Respectfully, &c., Ch. DE LABAUME. SUMMARY OF NEWS. The cattle plague has made its appearance again in Liverpool. The sentences of all the Fenian prisoners who were condemned to death, have been commuted to penal servitude of life. The Committee of Congress appointed to consider the question of the impeachment of President Johnson, has determined to recommend that he shall not be impeached, but only censured. On the 6th of June, while the Emperor of Russia was riding in a carriage in Paris with his two sons, and the Emperor of the French, a young Pole stepped forward and fired a pistol at the Czar, but the pistol being overloaded, burst, and wounded the hand of the would-be assassin, who fell to the ground crying "Long live Poland." The royal party escaped unhurt. Ten The news from Paraguay is to the effect that the allied army was obliged to move its encampment at Curuzu and Tuyti owing to cholera. The mortality was terrible, as upwards of 2700 Brazilians died at Caruzu in four days. thousand fires (tar and pitch stacks we understand) were kindled each night in Buenos Ayres, as a cholera "annihilator." CALMNESS IN ARGUMENT.-Banish utterly out of all conversation, and especially out of all learned and intellectual conference, anything that tends to provoke passion, or raises fire in the blood. Let no sharp language; no noisy exclamation; no sarcasms or biting jests be heard among you; no perverse or invidious consequences to be drawn from each other's opinions and imputed to the person; let there be no wilful perversion of another's meaning, no sudden seizing of a lapsed syllable to play upon it; nor any absurd construction of an innocent mistake. Suffer not your tongue to insult a modest opponent who begins to yield; let there be no crowing or triumph, even when there is evident victory on your side. All these things are enemies to friendship, and the ruin of free conversation. The impartial search of truth requires all calmness and serenity, all temper and candour. Mutual instruction can never be obtained in the midst of passion, pride, and clamour.-Watts 'On the Mind.' WANTED.-20, No. 7, and 3, No. 5, JOURNAL OF DISCOURSES, present Vol. MARRIED: On board ship "Hudson", May 27th, 1867, by Elder N. H. Felt, James Goble, of Sussex, to Merey L. Mills. POETRY. THE FRUITS OF GOOD AND In all our lives how careful should we be And shun the path that will not bear the light. Who can the hasty, bitter word unsay? A flood of tears will wash no act away, Nor grief the spoken thought annihilate. Our works on earth are like the seeds we sow, No skill of man can make two kinds of fruit Shall buds of good and evil both be found. Fruits "in their kind" from seeds prolific spring, EVIL. And fertile germs in these productions dwell, When shall they cease to spread? ah who can tell! Do good to others; though ingratitude May often chill thy warm and gen'rous heart, Hold not thine hand from doing worthy things, Who share the splendour of the Father's throne. Beware of doing wilful injury, Close not thine ear to mercy's pleading voice, For thine own measure shall come back to thee, To bring despair or make thy soul rejoice. CHARLES W. PENROSE. EDITED, PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY BRIGHAM YOUNG, JUN., 42, ISLINGTON. LONDON: FOR SALE AT THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS' BOOK DEPOT, 30, FLORENCE STREET, ISLINGTON, AND BY ALL BOOKSELLERS. THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS' MILLENNIAL STAR. “ARISE YE, AND LET US GO UP TO ZION, UNTO THE LORD OUR GOD."-Jeremiah. No. 25. Vol. XXIX. Saturday, June 22, 1867. Price One Penny. THE LAW OF TITHING. Upon this very important subject a great deal has been said, but like all other principles which need to be continually practised, it is necessary to bring it continually before the minds of the people, and especially to the notice of the Latter-day Saints, because they are under greater obligations to observe the laws of God than any other people on the earth. To whom much is given, of them much will be required; and as the Saints have been blessed with a clearer understanding of the requirements of the Gospel than the world have, it follows that they will be under greater condemnation for infringement of Gospel laws. Tithing is a Gospel law, though some persons imagine that it was an institution peculiar to the Mosaic law. Our father Abraham lived in a Gospel dispensation, long before "the law of carnal commandments" was added "because of transgression." Paul declares that the Gospel was preached to him, and Jesus informed the Pharisees that Abraham knew of His coming, that he saw his day "and was glad." Now Abraham paid his Tithing to Melchisedec, the Priest of the Most High God, who blessed him and administered to him bread and wine. Tithing was a law with which he seemed to be well acquainted, and it was no doubt handed down from his forefathers as one of the principles of eternal truth which were made known to our first parents. It is evident, also, that he taught this principle to his posterity, for we find that Jacob, after receiving the vision commonly called "Jacob's ladder,” made a covenant with God, saying, "of all that thou shalt give me, I will surely give the tenth unto thee." Jesus, when expounding the "more excellent way" of the Gospel to the Pharisees, taught the law of Tithing in plain and emphatic language: "Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith; these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.' (Matth. xxiii, 23.) It will be seen from this quotation, that though Jesus set aside many things which were "said by them of old time," he did not set aside the ancient |