Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1857-05-07
What Shall be Done with Utah ?

The boosted Kansas Nebraska bill which leaves
the people of the territories free to make their
own laws, and say what shall be and what shall
not be their institut tons, is Il hard block to get
over, when considering its application to the
territory of Utah. But we notice disposition
among the minor Buck journals to favor the ex-
termination of such an immoral ,unchristian and
barbarous iusttution. And the only thing that
now remains is to find some means of getting
rid of their institutions without war or any
serious difficulty. with its leaders. That the
evil has grown so monstrous and formidable as
to contemplate resistance to the General Gov
ernment, is amply known by the recent inform
alton from the Territory The Deseret Ne'os,
the official paper of the Mormons, devotes nearly
an entire page to an editorial article which
maintains that the President and Congress have
no more authority to appoint officers and legis-
late for the free white people of Territories
than of States. 1t argues from the Declaration
of Independence, and the Federal Constitution,
that the exercise Of this authority is most I'M
warrantaAle assumption Of power, and closes in
the following style:
$50 far as the free untrammeled consent and
expressed wishes of the governed are concerned
should the ma iority of the citizens in Terri
tory choose to waive their Constitutional rights
and prefer state of vas 'alagc, state of being
ruled by officers thrust upon them and legslated
for by usurped uthority, we see no reason why
their choice should not be complied with, at
least upon the principle of the voluntary con-
sent of the governed. But when said majority,
even to the extent of an entire community, are
known to most persistentlv prefer officers OF
their own election to those foisted upon them
by arbitrary power, and purely Republican laws
of their own enactment to laws carved dictated,
forced upon them by power to which the Con
stitntion gives no such authority, we are con
strained to say that most truly men are prone
to Cypress their fellows.
How long, think We, can such oppression be
quietly endured How long, think ye, will any
people submit to the dictates, ISLANDERS, corrup-
tons and abuse of officers whom they have had
no voice in electing and whose efforts are con-
stantly put forth, 10 their utmost for the de
structi' n Of the people among whom they are
sent! Suppose ye that the few dollars pars
moniously doled out by Congress can buy free
men to overlook such earing inconsistent
cies -
The spirit of rebellion is manifestly al work
here-the same spirit which prompted the re-
sent outrage upon tie authority and dignity Of
the Federal Court of the Territory by the d.
struction of its archives The Mormon leaders
are fast coming to the point of refusing even
nominal submission to the functionares of the
United States Government. That a most shock
ing state Of morality exists in the territory and
that it is fast growing worse, is amply proved
by their own publications And now the cues.
ton naturally arises, what shall be done with
the Territory and its Mormon institutions and
what romedy is there for this loathsome crime
Polygamy is not made a crime by the organic
act Of the Territory, and we know of no remedy
unless Congress repeal the organic act, institute
a new one, and under the right of Congress to
make crimes Of misdemeanors and under lis ex
elusive authority over the Territories, it must
make polygamy in that territory crime, nsti
tute punishment, and see that il is enforced
by the power of arms, if necessary. That Con
gress has right to do this, without infringe
ment upon that clause in the Constitution re
speeding the establishment OF religion, gooc
, law, common sense, the welfare Of our Govern
ment and humanity assert, and that plainly ant
decidedly.