The pioneer West : $b Narratives of the westward march of empire
History
The pioneer West : $b Narratives of the westward march of empire
Frontier and pioneer life -- West (U.S.)
Altogether the Prophet’s appearance was that of a gentleman
farmer in New England--in fact, such as he is: his father was an
agriculturist and revolutionary soldier, who settled “down East.” He
is a well-preserved man; a fact which some attribute to his habit of
sleeping as the Citizen Proudhon so strongly advises, in solitude. His
manner is at once affable and impressive, simple and courteous: his
want of pretension contrasts favorably with certain pseudo-prophets
that I have seen, each and every one of whom holds himself to be a
“Logos,” without other claim save a semi-maniacal self-esteem. He
shows no signs of dogmatism, bigotry, or fanaticism, and never once
entered--with me at least--upon the subject of religion. He impresses a
stranger with a certain sense of power; his followers are, of course,
wholly fascinated by his superior strength of brain. It is commonly
said there is only one chief in Great Salt Lake City, and that is
“Brigham.” His temper is even and placid; his manner is cold--in
fact, like his face, somewhat bloodless; but he is neither morose nor
methodistic, and, where occasion requires, he can use all the weapons
of ridicule to direful effect, and “speak a bit of his mind” in a
style which no one forgets. He often reproves his erring followers
in purposely violent language, making the terrors of a scolding the
punishment in lieu of hanging for a stolen horse or cow. His powers of
observation are intuitively strong, and his friends declare him to be
gifted with an excellent memory and a perfect judgment of character.
If he dislikes a stranger at the first interview, he never sees him
again. Of his temperance and sobriety there is but one opinion. His
life is ascetic: his favorite food is baked potatoes with a little
buttermilk, and his drink water; he disapproves, as do all strict
Mormons, of spirituous liquors, and never touches anything stronger
than a glass of thin Lager-bier; moreover, he abstains from tobacco.
Mr. Hyde has accused him of habitual intemperance: he is, as his
appearance shows, rather disposed to abstinence than to the reverse.
Of his education I cannot speak: “men, not books--deeds, not words,”
has ever been his motto; he probably has, as Mr. Randolph said of Mr.
Johnston, “a mind uncorrupted by books.” In the only discourse which
I heard him deliver, he pronounced impĕtus, impētus. Yet he converses
with ease and correctness, has neither snuffle nor pompousness, and
speaks as an authority upon certain subjects, such as agriculture and
stock-breeding. He assumes no airs of extra sanctimoniousness, and has
the plain, simple manners of honesty. His followers deem him an angel
of light, his foes a goblin damned: he is, I presume, neither one nor
the other. I cannot pronounce about his scrupulousness: all the world
over, the sincerest religious belief and the practice of devotion are
sometimes compatible not only with the most disorderly life, but with
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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