The efforts of sectarian ministers who have come to Utah as missionaries to convert the Mormons to their creeds, have always ended in dismal failure. Even those Saints who through neglect of religious duty, or for other causes have become indifferent as to their connection with the Church, could not be persuaded to feed upon the dry husks of the dead theology preached by sectarian ministers. While those who were feeding to the full in the rich pastures of the gospel of Christ, would not so much as look in the direction of the barren moors to which these missionaries invited them. The result was rage and disappointment in the vexed souls of these ministers; and they concluded that Mormonism was a thing not to be reasoned with, but to be stamped out by force. [1] Hunger for the spoils and emoluments of office, explains the motives of the political adventurers who joined in this agitation. In all the recommendations made to Congress by priests and demagogues, it may be seen that the one object to be attained is the complete control of the Territory by them. Measures ostensibly for the suppression of plural marriage were introduced into Congress; and a call was made upon the churches throughout the country to hold mass meetings and adopt resolutions urging Congress to enact the Edmunds' Bill. These mass meetings were held early in 1882. The one at Chicago was held at Farwell Hall, and among those present was ex-Vice-President Colfax, the former opponent, it will be remembered, of President Taylor in a discussion of the "Mormon question." His presence at that meeting was a tacit, but none the less emphatic acknowledgment, that he had failed to effect anything by his argument. He had the best of reasons for knowing that argument could not destroy Mormonism; he had tried it, and failed. Hence we see him associated with those who had determined that it must be "stamped out." He was at Farwell Hall that night to give the weight of his character to a meeting, the purpose of which was to urge Congress to enact proscriptive laws, to crush a people against whom he had hurled the thunderbolt of his logic in vain. It was bad taste, to say the least, for him to be present at that meeting. A decent respect for himself and the opinion of mankind, would have suggested that he leave such work to be done by other hands. Meetings of this character were held in nearly all the large cities in the Union. They were much alike in spirit. Hatred for the Mormon people characterized them all. Bishop Fallows, at the meeting in Chicago, declared that if the measures then pending in Congress were not sufficient to heal the "political cancer," there were three hundred thousand swords ready to cut it out. I leave it to the reader to judge how much sweet Christian charity there was in a meeting where such a remark was applauded. As a sample of the charges made against the Saints and the Church in this agitation, I take those presented at the meeting held in St. Louis.