"Our mountaineers never do things by halves or for appearance; if they carry Bibles they mean to use them; they'll read them frequently and thoroughly, too. We have a Bible that has kept us company many years on our pilgrimage through life; it has dangled in our pockets many a thousand miles, when, for the gospel's sake, we have visited towns, cities and hamlets. We have had to patch it together frequently, and in fact our friend has got so covered over with our own notes and references, that a white spot is scarcely discernible. We would, therefore, respectfully suggest to the managers of the American Bible Society—if they propose doing real good to the inhabitants of Utah in the Bible line—do it, gentlemen, respectably, for the inhabitants of that Territory will probably use them as we have ours."
Whether his visit and these remarks dashed the ardor of the Bible Society in the undertaking or not, or convinced them of its uselessness, I do not know, but certain it is that the project failed.
Shortly afterwards the Sun, seized with a sudden spasm of confidence that Christianity could overwhelm Mormonisn, called upon the churches of New York to send out ministers to convert the Mormons from the error of their ways. Elder Taylor approved of the undertaking, and gave assurance that they would be well treated and receive respectful attention; but he at the same time expressed his doubts as to their going, and referred to the failure of the Bible Society, saying:
"The Bible Society got up a report about two months ago, that they were going to send a Bible agent to Utah. We then hastened to offer them our co-operation, but as we advanced to receive the precious gifts, they vanished into their original element—gas!"
But of all the schemes for the suppression of Mormonism, there was one suggested by the New York Herald, which for vileness, stood pre-eminent. In August, 1854, Lieutenant-Colonel E. J. Steptoe arrived in Salt Lake, with a detachment of United States troops en route for California, but remained in Utah until the following spring. During their stay, it is said, that members of the command prostituted a number of squaws and also seduced and betrayed several white women. The latter, having lost caste among their former associates, followed their betrayers to California. When this item of news reached the East, the New York Herald made the following comments and recommendations:
"This is momentous news, and very significant withal. It shows that the Mormon women are ripe for rebellion, and that a detachment of the regular army is a greater terror to the patriarchs of the Mormon Jerusalem than Indians or drouth or grasshoppers. It indicates the way, too, for the abolishment of the peculiar institution of Utah. The astonishing results of the expedition of Colonel Steptoe, in this view, do most distinctly suggest the future policy of the government, touching this nest of Mormons. It is to send out to the Great Salt Lake, a fresh detachment of young, good-looking soldiers, and at the end of two or three months, order them off to California and replace them by a new detachment at Salt Lake City and so on until those Turks of the desert are reduced, by female desertions, to the standard Christian regulation of one wife apiece. Unquestionably, if, with a taking detachment of the army in a new and showy uniform, the President were to send out to Utah at this crisis of impending famine, a corps of regular disciplined woman's rights women, to lay down the law to their sisters among the Mormons, they would soon compel the patriarchal authorities of Salt Lake to an exodus to some other region beyond the reach of our gallant army, and our heroic warriors in petticoats, who know their rights, and knowing, dare maintain them. * * * The hint should be appropriated by the administration, for, if under the doctrine of squatters' sovereignty, we cannot constitutionally reach this crying evil of polygamy at Salt Lake, we must reach it by stratagem. We recommend, therefore, to the President and Secretary of the Interior, the policy of detailing another detachment of troops for Great Salt Lake City with the auxiliary force of half a dozen regular woman's rights women whatever the cost; and thus even should the grasshoppers fail to conquer the Territory in the expulsion of the Saints, the work may be done by a revolution among the wives of the apostles."[[1]]
To this shameless gloating over the downfall of innocence, and still more infamous recommendation, Elder Taylor remarked:
"Such then is the modus operandi proposed! Gentlemenly debauchee officers are to be sent out—'good looking ones,' that they may be the better able to take away from vice the horrid appearance it would have dressed in another garb. After these shall have performed their work of misery and death, they are to be recruited by others—fine, dashing, young, good-looking fellows, who will be quite competent to deceive and destroy; real Christian gentlemen with 'new, showy uniforms,' who will be able to corrupt the daughters of Utah, and introduce Christianity in all its beauty as practiced in the United States. They are to take with them a number of pals,—'woman's rights women,' who are to assist in their conversion, and to show them their rights, that the inhabitants of Utah may have ocular demonstration of the beautiful workings of monogamous Christianity, and be brought back to the standard Christian regulation of one wife apiece—and as many misses or fast young women as suits our convenience, that a deadly blow may be struck at the virtue of Utah: and that she may be crowded with voluptuaries, and prostitutes like all other good Christian states and cities; that debauchery and corruption may run riot, that we may have our procuresses, pimps, cyprians, hotel accommodations, and houses of assignation; that virtue, chastity and purity may be banished from Utah; that our daughters may be prostituted and our wives debauched; that we may have our nymphis du pave, our 'Five points,' our Randall's Island,[[2]] our infanticides, our Maisons d'accouchment, our diseases, doctors and hospitals and all the other appliances of a good Christian community. That when officers, lawyers, judges, soldiers and Gentiles in general go to Utah they can find the same conveniences and accommodations that are to be met with everywhere among the virtuous Gentile monogamous Christians! And all this glory is to be achieved by the gallant officers and soldiers of our army, under the auspices and direction of James Gordon Bennett.[[3]] * * * * * *
"What are we to think of a man who is publishing a popular journal, and who publicly and unblushingly advocates seduction, and openly proposes the introduction of debased characters into a Territory for the avowed purpose of seduction, prostitution and infamy, for the purpose of corrupting the Mormons and reducing them to our standard previous to their overthrow?"