[Afternoon January 27 1852 [Statutes on?] large Indian tribes etc. . . . The bill was referred to a committee on Indian affairs. By a unanimous vote. Daniel H Wells chairman. An act in relation to service was read. Moved by Orson Pratt that the bill be rejected in toto. The bill was read by sections. First section read. Second section read third section Pratt I am opposed to that section and wish to make a motion in relation to it but previous to making it I beg leave to state my views in regard to slavery of the African race it has been considered by almost every state and territory that slavery was a great evil I presume that almost all the slave holders in south look upon it as an evil and as a very great evil consequently it is not merely the white headed abolitionist of north that considers this but it is the individual whose fathers entailed upon them this evil that considers it in such point of view though they are in possession of thousands dollars of human flesh they have common sense to know it is a great [evil] how [to] get the curse of slavery out myself not prepared to say slavery does not exist here we are not under the necessity of legislating and designing plans to get rid of evil but we stand in same relation to fore fathers that introduced slavery into the southern states they pirates that went to Africa purchased Negros and made them slaves in United States they introduced the evil and who is the most under condemnation the children that have this evil riveted upon them and know nothing of the manner to get rid of it or the individuals that introduced [it] in into the country every body reflects upon the individual that introduced this abominable tyranny are the individuals most responsible before God shall we then assume the same position in this our young and flourishing territory that those pirates that trafficked in human blood and pulled the slave from his native land tore him from his wife children and bound him out in foreign country to serve there all the days of his life shall we introduce this evil in our midst no I hope wisdom light and intelligence enough within the bosoms of this honorable council to spurn the idea [with] indignation it has been argued that the curse brought upon them by the Almighty admit it has there not been many curses pronounced upon certain nations and people by Almighty and when other people step in and inflict that curse upon [them] have they not been cursed for doing yes there may be curse upon a people and that when that is curse is pronounced by the authority of the priesthood [of the] Almighty unless he designates the individuals to inflict it they come into condemnation if inflict it example we will take one of the first individuals that committed crime we will take Cain the Lord cursed him with a mark [he/Lord?] did not curse him to slavery but cursed him with a mark and no doubt he had forfeited his life for laws of God same as now by slaying his brother but sir were the brothers of Cain those that were then numerous upon the earth were they justified in stretching forth their hands to put Cain to death Lord upon this subject [note?] whosoever slayeth Cain vengeance seven fold here then we perceive a curse may be put upon a man and by the authority of Almighty and if an individual undertakes to inflict that upon without being commanded by the same individual that put the curse there [he] exposes himself to vengeance some people carried out then supposing that Noah after having been intoxicating that they should serve Shem and Japheth he did not Shem to bind him down in servitude they have taken that upon them to do this thing to execute the curse of Almighty upon that race without being commanded to do it and they will have to be punished for rising up and inflicting this curse upon descendants of Adam as another example Israel by their transgressions subjected themselves to curses as nation their transgressions exposed them to some [severe?] curses ever upon the human family what were they not [only?] disease sicknesses and death dispersion disasters tongue cannot name they were to be cursed by all the nations of earth and buy them and sell them as bond men and bond women notwithstanding it was pronounced by the authority of Almighty placed upon them by the everlasting priesthood that does not justify [anyone] that lives to lay their hands upon Israel neither does [it justify anyone] to lay their hands upon descendants of Canaan those very nations that inflicted this curse pronounced upon Israel have to be called to account and vengeance taken upon the gentiles double the the Lord has to turn the iniquities upon their own head and we have numerous example of this in the dealings of the Lord with different nations by because of curse pronounced upon them look at Nebuchadnezzar that was called the golden emperor who stretched out his hands and brought them in subjection the prophets told Israel that Nebuchadnezzar should come upon them and lead them away captivation into Babylon it came to pass was Nebuchadnezzar justified no sir he was not neither was his nation justified but because they did it because they executed the fierce wrath of Almighty upon Israel notwithstanding they should be the very individuals yet they did it without being commanded by the Almighty yet they did it destroyed them up and thy [visage?] of it be [seen/sin?] why because they inflicted curse upon that people they done it without an authority shall we assume the right without the voice of Lord speaking to us and commanding us to