New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-12-31


tenn az Office had expired the real state OF things
| 10 Utah had become as well known az 1t IL now
The doctrine of Polysamy had ceasedto be church
secret. communicated only to the most advanced
| disciples. II was now openly avOwed and gloried
in and defended, not only authorized and directed
LIZ special revelations to the heads of the Mormon
| Church. but BY the example Of the patrarchs ana
BY the authority of the Bible cited for that pur'
nose with AZ much boldness and confidence az the
doctors and leaders of the Southern churches cite
the same authorities in behalf Of Slavery. IL was
also perfectly well known that Brigham Young
| made bis secular authority as Governor entrely
subordinate and subservient to the despOtic power
which he exercised as head of the Mormon church.
Now, if any protest WAS to be made against these
| Mormon nnovations if monogamy was to be vind-
Gated as part Of our system, which no Territorial
Government, at least, had any power to set aside;
if the Constitution and laws of the United States
were not to be allowed to be superseded by any
theOcratic arrangements; above all, if the rights OF
/ Is Gentiles as the MormOns denominate every
body not of their faith-to settle in Utah, and to
enjoy there all the privileges of citizens, was to be
maintained, then was the time to have acted with
promptituoe and decision. Brigham Young should
have been at once superseded by Governor
whose responsibility of character and promptitude
of action should have been such rs to inspire the
MormOns with respect, and that Governor ought to
have been supported by corps of Federal officers
against whom the Mormons could have had no
other ground Of complaint except the determine
ton TO enforce the laws and to the authority
of the United States to be respected. But instead
of this, Brigham Young was allowed to hold over,
end has done to the present time while the char
scter of the inferior officers sent into the Territory
has been such as to give the MOrmons but TOO good
ground for regarding their appointment as wrong
and an insult.
Meanwhile, the Democratic party, with Presi-
dent Pierce at ts head, was busy in preaching tho
doctrine of the absolute right of the people Of the
Territories unrestrained by any interference of
Congress, TO arrange their domestic institutions in
their own way. This doctrine was enthusiastically
received in Utsh-snd not without reason-as
S~-~.-, .h~ light Of the inhabitants TO establish
pOlygsmy and theOcracy if they cnvsv - do 40.
while, in the example of the Border Ruf1ianism
law which prevails throughout all the Southern
States for the defense of the system of Slavery,
the Mormons might see, or think they saw, sbun-
dant and supersbundant precedent for the system
which they introduced TO get rid of Obsti ate and
obnoxious Gcntiles. II, throughout the entire
South, the friends of Fremont might be prevented
by force and violence from taking the preliminary
steps to get up electoral tickets if, for attending
Fremont Conventions, prominent and respectable
e.;-~-.- -.:oht find thnrnsoirns h~.;-'-' - '-'
Slave States; if citizens Of Free States, emigrst
ing to Kansas, might be intercepted in Missouri,
robbed of their property and compelled to turn
back; if respectable and wealthy citizens of the
same State-as in the case of Mr.. Park of Park
vlle-might be driven away upon suspicion of sym.
pathizing with the Free-State men of Kansas; if
Northern men, proposing to settle in the State Of
Virginia, might upon the charge Of hostility to the
institution of Slavery, be threatened with violence,
and even with death, il they presumed to do so
it is not altogether surprising that the MormOns,
with these precedents before their eyes, might feel
encouraged to adopt to certain extent the ssme
system in defense of their peculiar institution and
M means of preventing the settlement among
them, and freeing themselves from the presence of
those already there openly hostile, or suspected
to be 80, to that institution.
That the doctrine of Squatter Sovereignty, enun-
ciatcd by Mr.. Cass and adopted by Douglas and
Pierce ss the basis of the Kansas-Nebrasks BILL
greatly encouraged the Mormon leaders in substtu
ting their theOcrscy in place OF the authority OF
the United States, there cannot be- o doubt.
Everybody who has followed up the progress of
IN Utah bc well satisfied Of that. II is
not less certain that the leaving Brigham Young in
authority as Governor seryed to strengthen the
Aiormons in the idea that they were to be allowed
to do as they pleased while the countenance given
by the Government 10 Border Ruffsnsm in Kansas
unquestoDably encouraged them to similar viO-
lences sgainst the "Gentiles" settled among them
Ii thus appears that he Government at Wash.
ington, both by what it did not do and by what it
did do largely contributed to lead on the MormoDs
TO the position which they now occupy. Should
the result be-, "a there 10 too much reason to fear
. resistance on the part of the Mormons to the
military operations now directed against them and
if that resistance wrought up 10 the highest pitch
of fanaticsm and desperation, should end In the
massacre Of half the men, the starvation OF half
the women and children, and the desolatiOn by fire
and sword of the Mormop settlements, great Will
BE- the responsibility of those who suffered the
evil 10 attain head at which the remedy becomes
slmOs, worse than the disease. The flight OF
seventy thousand people from comfortable homes
L.. ho.r nlu he hui A