| 1079 to take separate territory, and confine their numbers within their respective limits, with the exception of the public right of ingress and egress upon the highway. If all these failed then the simple question of legal right would have to settle it. It is this last that I am afraid I shall have to conform my action to in the end, and hence the necessity of keeping myself in the best situation to do my duty impartially.
Rumor says that each party are preparing themselves with cannon. That would be illegal, it is not necessary to self defence [defense], as guaranteed by the constitution, and as there are no artillery companies organized in this state, no field pieces provided by the public, an preservation of that kind will be considered as without right, and, in the present state of things, would be understood to be with a criminal intent. I am told that the people of Jackson county expect assistance from the adjoining counties, to oppose the Mormons in taking or keeping possession of their lands. I should regret it extremely if any should be so imprudent as to do so; it would give a different aspect to the affair.
The citizens of Jackson county have a right to arm themselves and parade for military duty in their own county independent of the Commander-in-Chief, or some other authorized by him, it would produce a very different state of things. Indeed the Mormons have no right to march to Jackson county in arms, unless by order or permission of the Commander-in-Chief, men must not "levy war" in taking possession of their rights, any more than others should in opposing them in taking possession.
As you have manifested a deep interest in a peaceable compromise of this important affair, I presume you will not be unwilling to be placed in a situation, which, perhaps, you can be more serviceable to those parties. I have therefore taken the liberty of appointing you an aid to the commander-in-chief, I hope it will be agreeable to you to accept. In this situation you can give your propositions all the influence they would have, were they to emanate from the Executive without committing yourself, or the command-in-chief, in the event of failure. I should be glad, if you, or some of the other gentlemen who joined you in your communication, would keep a close correspondence with these parties, and by each mail write to me.
The character of the State has been endured in consequence of this unfortunate affair; and I sincerely hope it may not be disgraced by it on the end.
With high respect your obed't serv't
(Signed) DANIEL DUNKLIN."
EDUCATION.
By a reference to the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, it will be seen that the Lord, in an early day gave directions for teaching the saints all manner of instructions. As far back as 1832, we find the following:
Therefore, verily I say unto you, my friends, call your solemn assembly, as I have commanded you; and as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom: seek learning even by study, and also by faith. Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing, and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God; that your incomings may be in the name of the Lord; that your outgoings may be in the name of the Lord, with uplifted hands unto the most High.
Therefore, cease from all your light speeches; from all laughter; from all your lustful desires; from all your pride and light-mindedness, and from all your wicked doings. Appoint among yourselves a teacher, and let not all be spokesmen at once; but let one speak at a time, and let all listen unto his sayings, that when all have spoken, that all may be edified of all, and that every man may have an equal privilege.
See that ye love one another; cease to be covetous, learn to impart one to another as the gospel requires; cease to be idle, cease to be unclean; cease to find fault one with another; cease to sleep longer than is needful; retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary; arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated: and above all things, clothe yourselves with the bonds of charity, as with a mantle, which is the bond of perfectness and peace: pray always, that you may not faint until I come: behold, and lo, I will come quickly, and receive you unto myself: Amen.
There are several other places in the said Doctrine and Covenants, giving instructions and directions to not only teach the children but to teach one another. This as far as could be has been done, and many of the Saints have gone so far as to obtain several of the learned languages since they came into the Church.
In fact the day is not far distant when all nations will marvel at the knowledge and wisdom of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day-Saints. What has been done can be done again. When they find a place of "rest"-a Library, a Museum, and a place of Antiquities, will be among the first works of wisdom. To this end, let the elders that go to the nations prepare accordingly. In Germany they will (1078)
find such a catalogue as the following document described to cull and collect from:
"In the means of Education, the north of Germany far surpasses every other country-The Protestant States are more enlightened than the Catholic, and in Saxony there is hardly a peasant that cannot read and write. In Prussia, there are upwards of twenty thousand elementary schools. The gymnasia of the north of Germany are celebrated; they are schools preparatory to the universities; but the studies pursued in them are equal to the universities in some countries. The gymnastic exercises are pursued in some, though in the most they are discontinued. The universities of Germany are the best in the world. They have students from every European nation, and America. The university of Gottingen, though it has been established but about a century, holds the first rank; but the universities of Berlin, Jena, Halle, and Leipzig, are celebrated. In 1826 there were in the German universities, thirteen thousand two hundred and ninety-five students, and nine hundred and twenty-seven instructors. At Berlin, there were fifteen hundred and twenty-six students, at Halle, eleven hundred and nineteen, at Gottingen, fifteen hundred and forty-five, and at Leipzig, thirteen hundred and eight-four.-The smallest number out of twenty universities, was two hundred and fourteen. The instructions are given any, in a great measure, by lectures, and one professor often lectures in several subjects. The libraries are the best and most extensive in the world; and any student may take out many books at a time, a hundred if he will. The libraries contain all that is valuable in ancient or modern science. The library at Gottingen, contains three hundred thousand volumes, all collected in less that a century. North of the Mayne, it is difficult to travel a day without finding a library; at Carlsruhe, is one of seventy thousand volumes; at the distance of a few hour's ride, is another, at Heidelberg, of thirty thousand volumes. At the distance of thirty miles, is a third, at Darmstadt, of ninety thousand volumes; at Mentz is another of ninety thousand, and another still at Frankfort, of one hundred thousand. Thirty miles from Frankfort, is a small library of twenty thousand volumes, but at Marburg, twenty miles further, is one of fifty-five thousand. At Cassel, the library contains 70,000 volumes, and from this town the traveller [traveler] may arrive in a day at Gottingen, where he finds a collection of three hundred thousand books; and at Walfenbuttel, about forty miles distant is another of two hundred thousand. At Hamburg are two libraries, one of twenty-five thousand, the other of eighty thousand volumes.-At Weimar, is another library of ninety-five thousand volumes; and at Jena, a second of thirty thousand. Dresden has one of two hundred and fifty thousand volumes; Berlin another of one hundred and fifty thousand, and Munich one of the greatest, four hundred thousand. Thirty-one libraries in Germany contain more than three million three hundred thousand volumes, or on a average, one hundred and seven thousand each. The thirty-one largest libraries in the United States, do not contain two hundred and fifty thousand volumes."
Brethren, "wisdom shall be justified of her children" and knowledge of God cover the earth as the waters have the seas in spite of all the combined efforts of wicked weak beings!-Whose wisdom is able to cope with God?
SINGULAR PHENOMINA [PHENOMENA].
During the last few weeks various singular appearances have been at different times visible in the heavens. About a fortneight [fortnight] ago, a star belonging to that class of physical phenomena generally known by the name of "falling planets," was seen by many of the inhabitatnes of St. Helier's (Jersey,) and after careering [careening?] through the heavens for some minutes, it was observed to descend rapidly to the earth, bursting into a thousand fragments. It is curious and interersting at all times to watch the phenomena of the celestial sphere, especially from the circumstances that so far as modern science has yet determined, they exercise no inconsiderable effect on the general operations of the terrestrial world. Within the period of eight weeks the savans of Jersey have had their scientific casuistry called into the field to indulge in speculations respecting comets, auroa borealis, shooting stars, and various other appearances of a singular and remarkable nature, and if we may judge from the immediate past, they will require, in order to exercise their ingenuity, to keep awake during the night for a considerable time further. On Saturday evening se'nnight, or rather early on Sunday morning, another phenomenon made its appearance in the sky, if possible more strange than any which have of late preceded it. A globe of fire, apparently of the dimensions of a good-sized balloon, was observed to move about from position to position, making its appearance now in one place, now in another. It might be seen at one moment blazing with all the crimson lustre [luster] of the sun as it sets in an autumnal sky, in another shining with a full, clear, and burnished light, irradiating the whole aerial vault. Some times stationary, it would all of a sudden shift its position,
(page 1079) |
