The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-12-12

opportunity of expressing his opinion BY
his vote whether Kansas shall be received
into the Union with or without slavery;"
and thus this exciting question may be
peacefully settled in the very mode required
by the orgrnc law. The election will be
held under legitimate authority, and if any
portion of the inhabitants shall refuse to
vote, fair opportunity to do so having
been presented, this will be their own vo-
luntary act, and they alone will be response
BILE for the consequences.
Whether Kansas shall be free or slave
State must eventually, under some authori-
ty, be decided by an election; and the ques-
ton can never be more clearly or distinctly
presented to the people than it is at the pre-
sent moment. Should this opportunity be
rejected, she may be involved 70: years in
domestic discord, and possibly in civil war,
before she can again make up the issue now
so fortunately rendered, and again reach the
point she has already attained.
Kansas has for somo years occupied TOO
much Of the public attention. 1t is high
time this should be directed to far more i'm
portant Objects When once admitted into
the Union, whether with or without slavery,
the excitement beyond her own limits will
speedily pass away, and she will then for the
first time be left. as she ought to have been
long since, to manage her own affairs in her
own way. If her Constitution on the sub
ject of slavery, or on any other subject, be
displeasing to majority of the people, no
human power can prevent them from chan
ging it within brief period. Under these
circumstances, it may well be questioned
whether the peace and quiet of the whole
country are not Of greater Importance than
the mere temporary triumph of either of the
political parties in Kansas.
Should the Constitution without slavery
be adopted by the votes Of the majority, the
rights of property in slaves now in the Ter
ritory are reserved. The number of these
is very small but if it were greater the
provision would be equally just and reason
able. These slaves were brought into the
Territory under the Constitution of the Uni
ted States, and are now the property OF
their masters. This point has at length been
finally decided by the highest judicial tribu-
nal of the country-and this upon the plain
principle that when confederacy of sover-
eisn States acquire new territory at their
joint expense, both equality and justice de-
mand that the citizens of one and all of them
shall have the right to take into it whatso-
soever is recognized as property by the COM
mon constitution. To have summary con
fisticated the property in slaves already in
the Territory, would have been an act Of
gross injustice, and contrary to the practice
of the older States Of the Union which have
abolished slavery.
i tcrritOriol government was established
for Utah by act Of Congress approved the
or September, 1850, and the Constitution
and laws o. the United States we've thereby
extended over it -" so far as the same, or any
provision thereof, may be applicable. This
act provided for the appointment by the
President, by and with the advice and con-
sent Of the Senate, of Il Governor, who was
TO be ex-oiiicio Superntent ofIndian Affairs,
a Secretary. three Judges Of the Supreme
Court, Marshal and a District Attorney.
Subsequent acts provided for the appoint
men. of the officers necessary TO extend our
land and our Indian system over the Terri
tory. Brigham Young was appointed the
tirot Governor on the Goth September, 1850,
and has held Office ever since. Whilst Gov
ernor Young has been both Governor and
Superintendent Of Indian Affairs through
out this period, he has been at the sar,e
time at the head Of the church called the
Latter Day Saints, and Processes TO govern
its members and dispose Of their property
by direct inspiration and authority from the
Almighty his power DtSll,
absolute over both Church and State,
The people of Utah, almost exclusively,
belong to this church, a d believing with a
fanatcal spirit that he is Governor of the
Territory by divine appointment, they obey
his commands as if they were direct revela.
tons from Heaven, If, therefore, he choo-
ses that his government shall come into col
iison with the government of the United
States. the members Of the Mormon Church
will yel implicit obedience to his will
Unfortunately, existing facts leave but little
doubt that such is his determination. With
out entering upon a minnie history Of &C.
currences. it is suffieien, TO say that all the
officers OF the United States, judicial and ex-
ecu,ive, with the single exception of two In
dian agents, have found il necessary for their
own personal safety to Withdraw from the
Territory, and there no longer remain any
government IN Utah but the despotism Of
Brigham Young. This Icing the condition
Of affairs in the Territory, could not mis-
take the path of duty. As Chief Executive
Magistrate, | was bound to restore the su-
premacy Of the Constitution and laws with
in the limits In order to effect this pur.
pose, | appointed new Governor and 9TH
err federal officers for Utah, and sent with
tham a military force for their protection,
and to aid as posse comitatus in case of
need, in the execution Of the laws
With the religious opinions of the Nor
mons, as long as they remained mere opin-
ions, however deplorable in themselves and
revolving to the moral and religious senti-
ments of all Christendom, had no right to I
Actions alone, when in violation |
Of the Constitution and laws of the United /
Ststes, becomes the legitimate subjects for |
the jurisdiction of the civil magistrate. My .
to Governor Cumming have |
therefore been framed in strict accordance |
with these principles. At their date ahope |
was INDUCED that no necessity might exist
or employing the military in restoring and
the authority of the law; but
his hope is now vanished Governor Young
las, by proclamation, declared his determi-
,a,on to maintrin his power by force, and
las already committed acts of hostility ag's,
he United States Unless he should retrace
his steps, the Territory of Utah will be in o
state of open rebellion. He has committed
hese acts of hostility Notwithstanding Ma
or Van Nliet, an officer OF the army, sent
o Utah by the commanding general to pur-
base provisions for the troops. had given
i'm the strongest assurances of the peaceful
Intentions of the Government, and that the
roops would only be employed as posse
when called on by the civil au-
hority to aid in the execution of the laws.
There is reason to believe that Gov Young
as long contemplated this result. Hs
nows that the continuance of his despotic
over depends upon the exclusion of all set
lers from the Territory except those who
'ill acknowledge his divine mission and i'm
licitly obey his will and that an enlight
ned public opinionion there would soon
rostrate institutions at war with the laws
9th of God and man. He has therefore
Or several years, in order to maintain his [
been industriOusly employed
, collecting and fabricating arms and mu. {
itions of war, and in disciplining the Nor ,
IONS for military service. AS Superinren-
ent of Indian Affairs, he has had an oppor-