Mountain Democrat., 1857-12-26
aV1E Ell DORADO SATURDAY, &C.
Brigham Young 0Md u. 8. Indian Conn
fA1asiOncf Denver

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Brigham Young has addressed letter
to the Commissioner Of Indian affairs,
oStensibly to render report of the deal
ings with the Indians in Utah during the
last quarter, but in reality to give the
Government u piece of his mind. He
transmits draft for $6,4 to cover the
quarters expenditures, but adds that he
has little hope Of its acceptance, two quar-
tcrs being already in arrears. lie in
quircS why the Government refuses to re-
cOgniZc his authority in the Indian Super
intcndcnCy in the Territory, and admins
terS n series of sharp rcbukes. He AYERS
that the Scurvy treatment of the Indians
by overland cmigrants is frghtful source
| of mischief among the tribes, and that the
reported march of the troops towards
| Utah only aggravatrS the evil and adds
n recommendation that travellers omit
their nctarious practice of shooting down
an Indian when they happen to sec one"
Brigham Young is silent Oh Mormon af-
! fairs.
The Commissioner replies as follows:
OFFICE COMMISSIONER or IxDlAx AFFAIRS,
WASHINGTON, Nov. ii, lS57.
SIR Your communication Of the 18th
of last September has been received, aud
would not require a formal reply were it
not for the effort you make to place this
office in the wrong, when, in fact, what
ever difficulties exist have resulted from
your own conduct. Ks the Shperintend1
elt of Indian Affairs for Utah Territory,
it was your duty to keep a supervisory
control over the different Agents, and to
see that they did not exceed their author
ity. 1t was your duty also to notify them
of all things pertaining to their duties, and
especially to keep them, in their cxpcndi-
lures, within the appropriations made for
your Supcrintcndcncy. Their reports
were made to you, and by you transmitted
here. You cannot, therefore, plead igno-
rance of their transactions. Knowing,
then. the amount Of the appropriations,
and being fully advised Of the affairs of
the Agents, and that money could not be
taken ont Of the Treasury without an act
of Congress, you have allowed the drafts
to exceed the appropriations to the
amount Of $3l $3.50 30 to the close of the
fiscal year ending June 20, 1857.
When the Agents were notified that
their drafts could not be paid in consc-
qucncc of the appropriation having been
exhausted, and rcbuked for exceeding
them, they replied that they had no inior-
nation from you OH the subject. These
communications passed through your
hands, and yet you seem to have passed
them by unnoticcd. With full knowl-
edge, then, Of all the facts, you took no
steps, so far as this office is informed, to
protect the public interests, or to keep
your suborctinatcs within the proper
sphere of their duties. On the contrary,
you seem to have been disposed to en-
courage these things, as is evidenced in
your orders to Agent Hurt, sending him
TO Carson Valley at heavy exreIse to
the Government, when it was wellknown
that the services Of an Agent wcrc not
required i'll THAI quarter and again, when
you fitted out an expedition yourself and
conducted it northward out of your Su-
pcrintcndtncy, to give presents to Indians
not under your control. From all this it
follows, that if your drafts arc not paid,
you have no right to complain because
you knew at the time that the appropria-
tions on which they were drawn were cx-
haustcd.
But, even if the money was in the
Treasury, ready for the Indian service in
Utah, ! do not see how it can he applied
to the payment Of your drafts, until they
shall have first passed through the strict
est scrutiny; for this Department has in
formation from reliable sources that, so
far from encouraging amicablc relations
between the Indians and the people of the
United States, outside of your own i'm
mediate community, you have srudiously
endcavorcd tn impress on the minds Of
the Indians that there was difference
between your own sect, usually known as
Mormons, and the Government and other
citizens Of the United States-that the
former were their friends, and the latter
their enemies. In addition to this, YOU
have been dcnouncing this Government,
AMI threatening an armed resistance to
the authorities sent out by the President.
Indeed, unless You and your cOadjutors
are most grossly misrcprCScntcd, and
your language misquoted, the appearance
of those authorities among you is all that
is necessary to prompt you to an over act
OF treason. 1T could never have been in.
tended, when the appropriations were
made by Congress, that the money should
be used in arousing savages to war against
our own citizens, or to enable subordi-
nate officer TO cary on REASONABLE prac-
ticcS against his own Government The
rule of this office is to withhold annutics
from the Indians whenever they place
themselves in a hostile or antagonistic at
titude towards the Government; and |
know of no reason why the game rule
should not be applied to you at this time;
but, as the appropriation has been ex-
hauStcd, it is not necessary to consider
that question now.
"Aou say, "ihc troops must bc kept
away, for it is prevalent fact that whrr.
ever there are the most Of these We NAV
expect to find the greatest amount OF
hostile Indians, and the least security for
persons and property" The troops are
under the direction Of the President, and
it is fair TO presume that he would not
send them to Utah Territory unless there
was necessity for so doing; and if it be
true that wherever the greatest number
OF troops are, there are to be found the
greatest number of hostile Indians, it
arises from the fact that the troops are
necessary at such places to preserve the
peace and to keep the Indians in subjec-
tion. There is no reason why persons
and property should be any the less Sc
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