LATTER-DAY SAINTS,
EUROPEAN PUBLISHING AND
EMIGRATION OFFICE.
Received beginning of April
President Orson Hyde, Orson Pratt, Wilford Woodruff,
John Taylor, George A. Smith, Amasa M. Lyman, Ezra T.
Benson, Charles C. Rich, Erastus Snow, Lorenzo Snow and
Franklin D. Richards:
Beloved Brethren,
As I stated in my last,
under date of December 13th, that it was my intention to open
and keep up a correspondence with you, I now again attempt
to fulfil that promise. Since my last letter was written every
thing connected with the Work in these lands has continued
to move on harmoniously and with tolerable success. The Elders
and Saints have, generally, manifested a disposition to throw
off every feeling of lethargy and to engage in the discharge
of their duties with greater energy than ever. I feel, however,
that there is still room for abundant improvement in all, and
I trust we will not rest satisfied until it is made.
[Redacted name] whose excommunication I mentioned in
my last, has been doing all in his power to public lectures
of the most wicked and malignant character, to arouse a
spirit of hatred and persecution against us. He has fully
abandoned himself to the influence of the spirit of Satan, and
indulges in every conceivable slander against us. So far, his
efforts have been attended with no particular results; for blind
as many people are respecting the Truth, they are not so
(2)
utterly destitute of reason and sense as to fail to be perceive his
inconsistency and falsehood, ^he^ having told them two stories, both of
which cannot possibly be true. An apostate, of the name of
Parrott stirs the Elders up occasionally by raising a mob when-
ever he can to annoy them and to disturb our meetings. He gave
me a chariavari early in January, while visiting Bristol
to attend a Conference; but he did not succeed in interrupt-
ing our proceedings or in preventing us from enjoying ourselves.
Since then, he has paid Elder Bramall and the Saints in South-
ampton a visit and issued handbills of an exciting and in-
flammatory character, and has delivered public lectures against
us for the avowed purpose of interfering with an putting a
stop to all our labors in this country. One of his handbills is
headed "One Hundred Guineas Reward" to Bro. Bramall
and some others of the Elders and myself, if we will meet him
and prove our doctrines true upon a certain night, named in
the placard. That night he had a large audience in expecta-
tion of a discussion; but there being nobody there to meet him,
and the people being disappointed in seeing the fun which
they expected, they left as many as twenty at a time and at
the conclusion of his lecture there were scarcely any present.
He disgusts every decent person who goes to hear him, and though
he succeeded in obtaining a "Reverend" for his chairman in
his first lectures he became so ashamed of his connexion with
Parrott, that he left him. I counselled Bro. Bramall to
refrain from noticing him in the least. He and the Saints
have adopted this policy and thus far it has been attended
with the happiest results. In Bath our people are much
persecuted by a mob incited and headed by members of an
(3)
"anti-Mormon" association, which exists in that city. They
have hired a hall quite close to that occupied by the Saints
and are doing all in their power to break up our meetings there.
A man by the name of Charles Derry, waited upon me
atwo or three weeks ago to ask me, as he said, for the privilege
of setting forth his principles to our congregations in our chapels
throughout the country. He said he was a missionary sent over
by the "New Organization of the Church" under young Joseph.
IMy reply was, that he could not have that privilege. He thought
I was not as fair with him as we wished others to be with
us—that we asked others for the privilege of preaching in their
halls, but would not grant him ours for such a purpose. I
told him, that I would feel very differently were he an honest
sectarian, who wished to set forth his views in sincerity; but
he, himself, had once known the truth and had apostatized from
it, and those who sent him where in the same condition, and
I knew they were neither honest nor sincere. I knew their
history well, and knew them to be base, bad men. He said I
was afraid of the truth, and feared investigation. I replied
that I knew the truth, and that there was no need at this
late hour to investigate the claims of such fellows as he,
for we had learned it through long years of sad experience.
He then wanted to know, (though he prefaced his request
by the remark that he thought I would not grant it) if I
would publish the "General Epistle of President Joseph Smith."
I told him of course I would not. He then left. On ^the^ Sunday
morning following I found him esconsed in a seat in one
corner of the chapel, when I went in. After I got through speaking
(4)
he rose, and requested the privilege of making some re-
marks. I repeated my refusal, and as he was disposed to
be pertinacious, I told him that if he did not sit down im-
mediately I should put him in charge of a police officer. At
that he caved. After meeting he came up to me and said
that it was the weight of his responsibility under which he
was laboring which induced him to rise. I replied that it
was just such a responsibility as the Devil had ever felt. He
evidently intended to arouse, if possible, a feeling of sympathy
in the minds of the people in his favor, but he failed most
signally, and when he was compelled to sit down I caught
sight of an expression on his face of baffled and disappointed
hate. Not knowing where he might direct his steps I wrote a
circular to the Presiding Elders throughout the mission, putting
them on their guard against the insidious approaches of such
"wolves in sheeps' clothing." I warned them particularly against
permitting themselves, or any of the Elders and Saints under
their jurisdiction, bto be drawn into a arg discussuion with this
man or any others with similar pretensions, telling them to
adopt the let-them-alone-severely policy. I learn by letter
from Elder Mills, that he was at West Bromwich last Sunday,
in company with some old apostates, and arose to "say a word
by way of bearing testimony," but they ^(the brethren)^ had been put upon
their guard by the counsel which had been given, and they
would allow no such thing. After meeting he wanted to
speak, and attempted to inweigh against Polygamy. The
Doctrine and Covenants, Book of Mormon and the Bible were
about to be appealed to, when the brethren told him to desist
at once, and they ordered the room to be cleared, as meeting was
over. It was in this town where he married his wife before he
(5)
emigrated to the Valley. He has been shown no quarters, how-
ever, by any of our people, and will, I am confident, do us more
good in the end than harm. I felt to predict this when I
first knew of his arrival. My teachings to the Elders and Saints
have been, not to descend from the dignity of their positions to
argue and hold controversy, neither with the Devil nor with
those filled with his Spirit; nothing can be gained, I have told
them, by reasoning with apostates, men who have known the Truth
and denied it and forfeited the Spirit of the Lord and yielded them-
selves up to the spirit of the Evil One. I have a thorough
and deep grounded dislike to these miserable liars and covenant
breakers—so many of whom are to be found within the bounds
of this "New Organization." They are a base crew of malignant,
bloodthirsty creatures who were so corrupt years ago, that they
could not bear to see holiness and purity and virtue exist em-
bodied in human nature, and therefore sought to shed the blood
of those who cherished these principles. I regret greatly thant
any of the children or relatives of our beloved prophet should be
connected in any way with such a crowd, many of whom sought
and rejoiced over the death of their father. I feel convinced,
however, that circumstances are being so overruled that they,
or at least a portion of them, will yet have their eyes open to
see their true position and where alone they can find the true
friends of their father and family. It is my prayer that they
may be thus enlightened.
[redacted] wrote me a very humble letter from
[redacted] I can scarcely reconcile its contents and the Spirit
it breathes with the fact of the girl's confession at [redacted]
(6)
that she had been seduced by him. I mention this letter
to you now, because in my last letter to you, I informed you
that he had denied having done any wrong with any person
in the Church, yet this girl had testified that he had ruined
her, and as I have not seen the girl, myself, I wish him
to have the benefit of the doubt in your minds which his
penitent letter has rasied in mine.
Unless some counsel should come from the President to the
contrary, I expect a number of the Valley Elders will be released
this Spring to return home. They feel very pleased at the pros-
pect of so soon enjoying the society of their families and the
Saints of God. The saints are very desirous to get away this
Spring; already applications from all quarters have commenced
flowing in to me to know if I cannot extend them a little
help to get away, some lacking more and some less money,
and these applications will increase very rapidly as the time
of emigration appro^a^ches. As yet, I have received no intima-
tion from Brother Brigham respecting the sending down of
Teams to the Frontiers to carry up the poor, and as I do not
like to make any very definite moves, or to stir the people
up very much upon the subject of Emigration until that
arrives, we feel considerably anxious to receive some word.
The people from Scandinavia are intending to come by way of
Liverpool this Season instead of via Hamburg as they did
last. We think the advantages are greater by this than the other
route. The Work is prospering there and numbers are being
added. In many Conferences, in this Mission also, the labors
of the Elders are being attended with marked success.
(7)
Brother John L. Smith is pursuing a very wise and saving
course towards the Saints and the people within the limits of
his mission. When everthing is considered I think the Elders
there have done and are doing remarkably well. In France
Bro. Bertrand has many grave difficulties to contend with,
which prevent him from being as successful in his labors
as he otherwise would be. He does not appear to get discouraged
or to give up trying, and occasionally baptizes a few. I proposed
to him, when I was in Paris, in view of his lengthy absence from
home and the almost ^utter^ indifference of the people to the message
of which he is the bearer, to return home this season; but left
it with himself to decide. He has since expressed a wish
to remain another year. The Holland Mission, I think from
present appearances, will have to be abandoned. You will
doubtless recollect that Elders Vander Woude and Paul A.
Schettler were appointed ^a^ missions to Holland in the
Spring of (18)61. For some time after their arrival they had but
little succeess, and Bro. Vander Woude wrote some very dis-
couraging letters here, in which he evinced but very little faith.
Money had to be sent there to sustain them, and as I had no
authority to thus use funds I mentioned the matter in a letter
to the President. He counselled the withdrawal of the Elders,
if they people would not receive their message. In the mean-
time, however, they had baptized a few, and as prospects
appeared brighter we thought it better to let them try a little
longer. As I had learned that there was difficulty in the
Branch they had raised up I thought it better to visit them to
while I was on the Continent, and concluded it would be
(8)
wise to separate the Elders and remove Bro. Schettler
to labor with Bro. John L. Smith, who was much in need of
his help, and with whom he could labor with greater pleasure
and harmony than where he was. I investigated the difficulty,
and though the principal opponent of Bro. Vander Woude
evidently had a bad spirit, yet Bro. Vander Woude's course
had been a very unwise one. The latter promised to do bet-
ter and the difficulty was settled, only, however, to break
out with greater violence, as I have since learned. One
object that I supposed would be gained by the removal
of Bro. Schettler would be that the Branch, as I was inform-
ed by them, would be able to sustain Bro. Vander Wonde; but
I have since learned that they refuse to sustain him—that
is, those of them who have the means—and I have been com-
pelled to forward him money to keep him from suffering.
As I have no hopes respecting his accomplishing anything
in that country I have deemed it better to release him to
return home in the Spring. I think that the right kind of
man might do good in that country, but it is without doubt,
I think, a hard field.
Bros Bigler and West still travel through the mission
and their labors are attended with very good effects.
Accept my love to yourselves, individually, and to your
families in which my wife joins. Praying the Lord to
fill you with his Holy Spirit and to endow you with the
power of your Apostleship and to preserve your lives long
upon the earth
I remain, as ever,
Your Brother,
Geo. Q. Cannon