Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-07-07
EVENING STAR,
1CONNrNIcATEn.

| toe Captain he has it) and Brigham Young,
| with reference to the Governorship of Utah
Being personally acquainted with Colonel
steptoe, Gov. Young, and all the proceedings,
justice to the parties assailed, requires a cor
rection from my pen, of the falsehoods Of Col
Benton with reference to them.
In the fall of 1854 Lieut. Col. Steptoe ar
| rived at Great Salt Lake City, Utah, in com
mand Of several companies, on his way to
| California. The season being far advanced
on his arrival, he went into winter quarters
Col. Steptoe was received as an officer and a
| gentleman by Gov Young, and the people
there; and indeed he never forfeited that
confidence by act or deed during his stay,
| which was some six or seven months During
| Col Steptoe's stay in Great Salt Lake City
President Pierce, who was, and had been con-
tlnually beset since he first came into the
Presidential chair, by political demagogues
| and Office seekers, like Col Benton, (not by the
| gallant Col Steptoe, for he never applied) to
remove Gov. Young, or to appoint some one
else to fill his place. At last President Pierce
consented TO appoint another Governor for
Utah, as Gov. Young's term of Office had
| then already expired Accordingly President
| Pierce officially informed Col Steptoe that he
had been appointed Governor of Utah if he
would accept the office.
On the news of Col Steptoe's appointment
| reaching Great Salt Lake City, heard Gov
ernor Young publicly express himself before
| thousands, in these words: "IhGt there tcas
not man ltUing outside tie Church of
,rh,h he tcGS q neD,5er that he ,couLd prefir
for tie GOUerMor Of Utah before Col. Step
toe and that If lie accepted ths 0ppolntment
he Gov. Young 1yOHtd take off has hat to
him and salute him scith a band of an7tsic
for he considered him a gentleman all
the people said Amen. But Col. Steptoe,
caring little for the Office, well knowing that
the emoluments of the Governorship of Utah
for few years were a mere nominal consider
alton compared to the emoluments from his
position In the army, (Which he would have
had to resign if ne accepted the Cover
norship,) and also knowing the general feeling
existing in the community there, that they
would prefer Brigham Young to any other
man to govern them, he (Col. Steptoe) wrote
10 President Pierce declining to accept the
office. Whereupon Brigham Young retained
the GOvernorship of Utah, and has, ever since
his term of Office expired in 1854, under the
organic act creating said Territory, which
says that "the Governor shall retain his Office
until his successor is appointed and qualified
Governor Young's successor has never been
"appointed and qualified" President Pierce
did not appoint Governor Young, neither has
he removed him, nor appointed another in his
place that would accept the Office.
Thus Mr. Benton will perceive that the
prophecy" he says Brigham Young uttered
when he made speech to the people on the
occasion of Col. Steptoe's being Governor
"that he intended to remain in his place until
God should say, Brigham, don't want you
to be Governor Of Utah any longer is be-
ing fulfilled. But there were no such words
uttered by Governor Young on that occasion,
though he did utter them in substance at the
time the first judges left Utah some three
years previously. So Mr.. Bentons West
Dn,n toot; 80. Ill
reminds me of the =. Indian that cursed tie
King on the other s,de ofthe hill"
But, says Mr.. Benton: 90 There tcas some
thing else iohtch ! did NOT forSee trhtch tcas
that this Military Governor carried off four
dozen of tie Mormon Betty Martins Gctth
him, to the infinite distress of tie saints,
profoundly chagrtnned to find Themselves
encr0acted upon by tie Genttles." o, nasra-
bile dictu, What is Mr.. Benton's object in
misstating and exsggerating every thing he
writes or speaks about? Does he expect to
make political capital thus! If he does, let me
inform him that such bogus coin will not go in
the market; but "drowning men catch at
straws," cven to making ugly or tcry faces,
and cranping cOntOrttOnS Of tie same at
generals tcAite sitting IN court marttGkS.
Poor old man; he is certainly in his dotage
There were eight females in all that left
Utah with the officers and soldiers of Col.
SteptOe's command, one or two Of them were
married to the soldiers previous to leaving;
some left with the officers, and the balance
went off of their own accord and Gov. Young,
and all the "ISaints" there were heartily
glad they were gone. For, let me inform Mr..
Benton, the loss of such Betty Martins" does
any thing else but " chagrtW tie Saints"
l would further inform Mr.. Benton that
Utah is too hot place for "Betty Mar
tins,' lbertines, or adulterers to tarry i'm
long; they soon "cut stuck" and make
"s.ratght vakes," and, bowling, fee away.
If Mr.. Benton has ever passed through Salt
Lake City he can bear testimony TO it, no
doubt These Betty Martins" went of with
the soldiers, and some inferior officers under
the promise Of marriage, as l understand
But Col. SteptOe declared expressly that no
female from Utah was going with him or by
his consent and if others carried them off,
they did so upon their own responsibility.
Mr.. Benton also says Utah is in revolt"
Revolt against what? Why, against all in
fernal scoundrels that wish TO contaminate So
ciety-adulterers, &c.,-that ruin female vir-
tue, destroy the peace of families, deny their
own flesh and blood, and all liars, hypocrites,
murderers, and wicked men, that are a dis
grace to society, to the very name of mana
stencil in the nOstrils of the Almighty and all
good men! But Mr.. Benton would imply in
revolt to the Government of the United States.
He knew better when he made the remark;
anu cNcIJ Mdu iIdt udo CfCI bOCu III
Utah will bear testimony to the same for a
more aw-abiding people, or one that is more
attached to the Constitution Of the United
States, than inhabit the Territory of Utah,
cannot be found But Mr.. Benton must spit
out his spleen against Utah and the Mormons
whenever and wherever he speaks. To be
sure, his influence is not much at present, but
he well recollects, no doubt, what his influence
brought upon the innocent and unoffending Of
the MormOns in the State of Missouri some years
ago The widows, orphans, and the MANNED
now in Utah have not forgotten it. Mr.. Ben
ton is like all others of the same stripe. They
know the increasing power and inAuence.of the
Mormons, and are afraid Of retributive JUS
tice. Hence, they keep barking. But a
"guilty conscience is its own accuser." Mr..
Benton, the Mormons will not hurt you
''YOu are hitting at a hat that has no head in
itn
Polygamy, too, like 'Hamlet's ghost" is
always haunting him; or, perhaps the thought
Of the feminine gender almost Overcomes the
old man now, who, DO doubt, is like one of the
ancients '-aS Ons dead TO the toorid and as
imp-t as the grave" 1t is matter OF as
tCnishment to me that such reformer as Mr
Il. TAIL has