History of Utah, 1540-1886 - Brigham Young University

A PROSPECT OF WAR. 657
lorn anti-polygamy bill 2 was before the representatives,
and the honorable Thomas Fitch was amusing congress
with his speeches on the prospect of another
Mormon war. 3 Early in 1870 mass-meetings were
held at the tabernacle, by men and women, to protest
against the bill, and to draw up a remonstrance against
its provisions. A memorial was also prepared and
forwarded to congress, setting forth the revelation on
polygamy and the duties of the Mormon church in
that connection, wherein it was declared that the
church would stand by its faith and polygamy institutions
in spite of all human will and law. 4 During
this year, also, an act was passed by the territorial
legislature, granting the right of suffrage to women,
but the measure subsequently adopted in Wyoming
and elsewhere seemed to be in advance of the times, 5
or was in some way unpopular, and little use has ever
been made of the privilege. 6
Among those who realized the danger of the situation
were the leaders of the Godbeite movement,
who well knew that, in the event of another Mormon
war, the dramatic farce of Buchanan's administration
could not be reenacted, and that if the United
States government again entered into the controversy,
it would never withdraw from it until it had
cut with its sword the Gordian knot of Mormonism.
2 For debate and amendments when the bill passed the representatives, see
Cong. Globe, 18G9-70, 2180-1.
3 For career of Thomas Fitch in Utah, see Elliott