Public sentiment was outraged by the high-handed measures of Judge McKean. Popular excitement ran high. For a time there was a threatened collision between the court and the people. It was at this juncture that Elder Taylor published five letters in the _Deseret News_, reviewing the situation in Utah, and denouncing the Territorial government as un-American in principle and oppressive in its operation; but at the same time warned the people against violent resistance to the court, insolent and oppressive as it was. He was in court with President Young when Judge McKean made the statement: "It is therefore proper to say that while the case at bar is called 'The People _versus_ Brigham Young,' its other and real name is 'Federal Authority _versus_ Polygamous Theocracy.' * * A system is on trial in the person of Brigham Young." This he took for his text in the letters above referred to, and interpreted it to mean, which it did, that war was declared against the Church of Jesus Christ. "Stripped of all its tinsel and wrappings," said he, "it simply resolves itself into this: that the government of the United States is at war with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." Elder Taylor then proceeds to show that in making war on a system of religion, the great principle of religious liberty itself is threatened, and that such a crusade as that foreshadowed in the declaration of Judge McKean, could but end in disaster to the liberties of the people. Giving himself wide latitude in the discussion, he inquired into the principles underlying American institutions, and from that inquiry arrives at the following conclusion: "The whole foundation and superstructure of American ethics or jurisprudence is based upon the popular will. That its executive, legislative and judicial powers originate with the people, and that the people having granted to the men of their choice, certain powers, agencies and authorities, to act for and in their behalf; limiting all of them by the provisions of the Constitution which all of them take an oath to support, they reserve to themselves, to their state or to 'the people,' all the remainder.