“‘Permit me, John,’ returned I:  ’we tend well the great things; this Mormon evil will work its own remedy!  Westward the wave of empire rolls on; that’s the word we speak as the world looks on, grudgingly acknowledging its truth.  We nurture small things that they may become great; we make men feel themselves living equals, not inferiors; we put the lowly emigrant in moral progress, and from his mental improvement reap the good harvest for all.  By sinking from men’s minds that which tells them they are inferior, we gain greatness to our nation.  Simon Bendigo is made to feel that he is just as good as Blackwood Broadway; and Blackwood is made sensible of the fact that he is no better in the body politic than any other man.’

“’Now, Smooth, just let me interrupt you in your train of Yankee logic,’ said Littlejohn; ’the safer a man feels his position the better is it for the nation; but the policy of equality in men, though it might do for your young place, never would do for ours.  Age and its attendant glories demand different rules of guidance for society.  All your fancy articles of freedom, equality, and dignity among common people become doubtful, when subjected to long practice.  Our people, sir—­take my word, not unworthily—­are above considering such degrading innovations; their grades of society are a sacred protection.’

“’Ah! those are English opinions, iron-bound.  Your social institution is a perfect curiosity shop, where everything old may be stored away unmolested, but upon which the man of plain sense looks distrustfully, while sycophants waste contemplation in devising means for its preservation.  How few estimate the cost to a nation of maintaining those ancient inconsistencies so preserved by governments of the old world!’

“’Never mind that, Mr. Smooth; these things are our own, and on us will the evil recoil.  Be not so earnest in condemning us, for the same sins you lay at our door are fast developing themselves in your would-be fashionable society!  Your society is fashionable without being refined.  Your aristocracy is a base imitation of our snobby, revelling in the heartless hording of gold, and vaunting of bad English.’  John looked down ere he finished, and seemed taking a bird’s-eye view of the great Utah territory.  The Great Salt Lake I assured him was where the venerable navigator Noah discharged his ballast of salt bags.  As for the settlers on its borders, they were the followers of Joe Smith, a veritable descendant of Ham, who never was known for the good he did.  That clever mouthpiece of English opinion, the Times, says they will one day confuse and cause much trouble to the people of the United States; but this is only the offspring of that one strong idea so characteristic of Mr. John Bull.  Now these descendants of the veritable Smith have a fantastic appreciation of many wives—­a strange delusion in which there cannot be much happiness; but beyond this they are a very harmless people, who, beyond the sin of having many wives (and if this be a sin, it may be found at many a cleaner door!), may be excused from much they do.