Greeley on Young
Horace Greeley, editor of the New York Tribune
I came across the 1859 interview of Brigham Young by New York Tribune editor Horace Greeley this week and was able to add it to our site. The interview is quite comprehensive, in terms of the issues of the day, covering slavery and polygamy as well as some of the unusual aspects of Mormonism at the time, such as tithing.
Interestingly, Greeley’s clearest criticism of Mormonism is what he believes to be its treatment of women. Greeley suggests that under Mormonism “woman will soon be confined to the harem, and her appearance in the street with unveiled face will be accounted immodest,” which is probably a simplistic reading of Mormonism at the time.
The article doesn’t really tell us much about the Church in New York City and environs at that time, but it is certainly fascinating none the less.
September 22nd, 2008 at 11:09 am
I have to research the source, but it is my understanding that this was the first straight question-and-answer interview ever published in a newspaper.
September 22nd, 2008 at 3:19 pm
I looked briefly before I posted, Jim, and didn’t see anything on the Internet to either support or disprove your understanding.
Please let us know your sorce, I’d love to make this claim here.
June 9th, 2012 at 3:37 pm
Is there a link to the interview? The one above doesn’t work. Thanks
June 12th, 2012 at 7:29 pm
Antonio, I’ve corrected the link. It should work now.
June 14th, 2012 at 10:16 pm
Thanks, Kent!