scribed ceremonials—the hewers of wood and the drawers of water to make proper obeisance to the King. There were burnt offerings to begin with. The head of each family brought a fowl, and a heifer was thereupon killed. Its body was dissected without breaking a bone. After these ceremonials there was feasting and rejoicing, and the people danced on the greensward. King's day was the same with the islanders as the Fourth of July is with us."
King Strang was now supreme on Beaver Island, and bade fair to soon control the entire group of islands. His policy was to foster the fisheries as a source of profit to his colony, and to use the power of political machinery to secure immunity for infractions of the law. As the population of the island multiplied and the power of the Mormons with it, the hatred of the traders and fishermen on the opposite coasts became more intense. The border feud grew so bitter that the newspapers of Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo and New York[1] devoted considerable space to its incidents. As a rule, these accounts represented the Mormons as a band of pirates engaged in plunder and crimes of all kinds. The center of the hostile camp was at old Mackinac, and here plans were made for discomfiting the Mormons. It is difficult at this day to judge how far the Gentiles were in the wrong and in how far the Mormons. Doubtless there was much wrong on both sides. "Such expressions as 'the earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof,' and 'we are the Lord's chosen people' stilled the consciences and justified the use of property owned by others; yet it is undoubtedly true that many depredations were committed by irresponsible persons and deliberately charged to the Mormons."[2]
- ↑ "Rough Notes," a paper published at Buffalo, and the "Detroit Free Press" were particularly conspicuous in publishing reports of Mormon depredations. Strang published an elaborate defense in the "New York Tribune" of July 2, 1853.
- ↑ "Beaver Island and its Mormon Kingdom," by Chas. J. Strang. in The Ottawan," p. 66.
