Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1857-04-30
AEEAIRS AT UTAH.

Justice of the Supreme Court, in the
Territory Of Utah, has addressed a
letter to the Attorney General of the
United States, dated March 30th,.
1857, rssigniug his seat on the
bench, for the following reasons:
In the first place, Brigham Young,
the Governor of Utah Territory, is
the acknowledged head ofthe"Church
Of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints"
commonly called "Mormons," and as
such head the Mormons look to him,
and 10 him alone, for the law by
which they are to be governed; there
fore no law Of Congress is by them
considered binding in any manner.
Secondly. | know that there is a
secret oath-bound organization a.
mong all the male members Of the
church, and to acknowledge no law
save the law Of the Holy Priesthood,
which comes to the people through
Brigham Young, direct from God, be,
Young, being the prophetic successor
Of Joseph Smith, who was the founder
Of this blind and reasonable organi-
cation.
Thirdly. l am fully aware that
there is set of men set apart by
special order of the church TO take
the lives and property ofpersons who
may question the authority Of the
church, the names of whom | will
promptly make known at a future
time.
foarthly. That the record,papers,
&c, of the Supreme Court have been
destroyed by order of the church,
with direct knowledge and approba-
ton of Governor B. Young, and the
federal officers grossly insuited for
presuming to raise single question
about the reasonable act.
Filthy. That the federal officers
of the Territory are constantly insul-
ted, harassed and annoyed by the
Mormons, and for those insults there
is DO redress.
Sirthly. That the federal officers
are daily compelled to hear the form
Of the American government ira
duced, the chief executives Of the
nation, both living and dead, SLAM
dered and abused from the masses,
as we'll as from all the leading men,
bers Of the church, in the most vulgar.
loathsome and wicked manner that
the evil passions Of man can possibly
conceive.
Judge Drummon proceeds to cite
cases in which the action of the U.
S. authorities was overruled to favor
the Mormons aud Cypress the Gen
tiles-the former being convicted Of
crime, we're released, while five anti
Mormons,you men emigrating from
the Western States to California, are
snow in the penitentiary of Utah,
without having violated any criminal
law in America" Judge D. then
makes the following startling asser-
lions:
Again, sir, after careful and ma
ture investigation, have been COM
PEELED to come to the conclusion,
heart-rending and sickening as it may
be, that Capt. John w. Gunnison
and his party of eight others we're
murdered by the Indians 10 1858,
under the order, advice and direction
of the Mormons; that my illustrious
and distinguished predecessor, Hon.
Leonidas Shaver, came to his death
by drinking poisonous liquors given
to him under the order of The leading
men of the Mormon Church in Great
Salt Lake City; that the late Secre-
tary Of territory, A. w. Babbitt, was
murdered on the Plains by a band Of
Mormon marauders, under the par
ticular and special order Of Brigham
Young, Heber G. Kimba|l, and j.
N. Grant, and not by the Indians. as
reported by the Mormons themselves;
aud that they we're sent from Salt
Lake City Tor that purpose, ard that
only; and as members Of the DANTE
Band they were bound to do the will
OBJ. Young, as the head ofthe church
or forfeit their lives. ] could, sir, if
necessary, reier.o acloud of witnesses
TO. attest the. reasons l have given,
and The charges, bold as they are, o.
gainst those despots who rule with an
ron hand their hundred thousand
souls 10 Utah, and their two hundred
= a =