160 years ago today - Jul 7, 1861 (Afternoon)

[Brigham Young]

We talk about fellowshipping and disfellowshipping men for certain acts. Suppose we were to adopt the constitution of our Union for the constitution of the kingdom of God which we ought to thing a great deal of. My interest is in it at any rate, and nowhere else. I believe it is written in the constitution of the United States defining the crime called treason, giving aid and succor to our enemies, those we were speaking of today, according to our constitution it would make them treasoners, to give aid and comfort to persons who are seeking to destroy this kingdom. What do the southern States that have seceded in such case, the confederate States, suppose they find a man that is giving aid and comfort to the federal government, do you know any of them what they are doing with them, don't they tie a string round their necks, and hang them out. They are now beginning to look to those who are giving aid and comfort to draw the seceding states, they begin to look after them. What are they doing with them not merely bleeding of them, not in the nose only, but they tap they tap them where they will bleed effectually, and they take all the blood they call bad blood, rebels blood on both sides. Suppose this affray was to come to an end in the course of a year or two, and. the southern States should receive the benefit of br. Kimball's prayer and be enabled to whip the Northern, party and the southern States be the loyal government then, and the northern that old creature we used to think very odious, that we used to leek upon as a set of old Tories not fit to live. The loyal party is always the one that whips the disloyal ones, and the rebels are the ones that get whipped.

So it is in every case, it would be with ourselves if we were to get soundly flogged and thereby be brought into subjection, they would say we are Tories, and disloyal to the government. They have you very well know published the statement that the people called Latter-day Saints are not loyal to the Government. Now what is to be done with those that are disloyal to that kingdom you and I are in? I said this morning bleed them a little, You may put your own definition upon this saying, I put mine on it to suite myself, perhaps we shall do nothing more than turn them out of the synagogue, And then there is some things to he reckoned on here that is not taken into account with other Christians, that is I will say with the reformers. ...

Now this wont prove that I am a prophet when we see this come to pass. It won't prove anything less than this that I have guessed some things that are coming to pass. You will see them rise up state against State. Is this going to be so? It is. The South has risen up against the North which calls upon the north to defend themselves. Men will rise and contend against the South by and by, and it will be State against State. The South will be divided. ... by and by you will see man against man; and he that will not take up his sword against this neighbor, must needs flee to Zion. You will see this all come. to pass. ... And when the president of the United States sent his minions here, it was with all the power I could muster to keep from taking the sword, and not leaving a man of them to tell the tale. with all the power I could muster, I could hardly hold myself in subjection until the Lord Almighty should give the Lord, and he would have needed to hint it slightly, to have whispered it, and I would have wasted them away, and not left a grease spot... One of the best men there is in all the American Army I will venture to say, along a thousand he cannot be excelled in veracity and truth, I speak of Vanvlete that was here. When I introduced him to my family it seemed as though his head touched the floor. '"O presi- dent Young it seems very hard, that you have so many beautiful women, and I cannot have one of them,'" No sir you never would leave this city alive if you dared to infringe upon this family, but a dozen would drop before he would. ... Adam's ale is the prettiest stuff to drink, and if you want anything very strong take a little good sour butter milk. I really feel my weakness. The Sisters while I was South would pour out a strong cup of tea and coffee...

[The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Ed. Richard S. Van Wagoner, Smith-Pettit Foundation, Salt Lake City (2009), http://bit.ly/BY-discourses]