The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-08-20
Utah AHaira.

From letter in the Sacramento Union, dated
Placerverville, July l, we copy the following !:
Mr.. Wilkins, who came passenger. ia direc.
from Salt Lake, where he has been residing
for nine months, having had to fee with biSs
family to California.
Brigham Young las heretofore reported)
had gone north with his expedition. fuuy
equipped, with three months provisions. and
train OF eighty wagons. Various rumors were
ahoat as to its object. The most important
and conclusive is, that he has gone in search
OF a locality to defend the faithful against the
expected troops from the East. He exhorts all
the saints, If it comes to fight, to kill each his
man, and his salvation is secured.
Inc destroying angels are busily engaged
az tneir neiiish work, numbering and robbing
Wilkins and party are composed of twenty
six persons, eight of whom are women. After
leaving Salt Lake, they were arrested BY a large
body OF Mormons, and taken back, on a charge
OF horse-steaiing. As no evidence, even for a
Mormon court, was offered against them, they
were discharged, at the request of one Mesick,
who knew three of them in San Francisco-he
being the clerk of the court. After that, they
we're hunted like wolves, night and day, until
they reached Goose Creek mountains, over 100
miles from Salt Lake, when the Mormons made
charge on them, and killed six of their ami.
mails.
One half of the population would leave, and
will DO so, if the Government sends sufficient
force to protect them.
Brigham declares, that if the saints will stand
by him aud the church, he will be President of
the United States in less than ten years.
Williams, the lawyer, had fed. The Destroy
ing angels were on his track, and it was not
known if he escaped them. Open and avowed
murder OF all who have become and are becom.
ing obnoxious is advocated in public assemble.
| ges in fact, an offer was publicly made in a
meeting, by one of the faithful, to murder two
| Gentle traders at Box Elder, near the city,
who had incurred the displeasure of Elder Lo,
renzo Snow, if they did not leave by the lst OF
June.
A train of one hundred wagons had left Salt
Lake, bound for the States, all of which be-
| longed to apostles.
New dissensions are continually arising.
That which causes the most illfeeling is Brig
ham sealing young girls to old men. Several
heads of families have been put out of the way,
as they call it, on suspicion of their being apps.
tates, by which means the family cannot leave.
Several who heretofore have been in the conf
dence of the high priests are known to have
been murdered in attempting to leave secretly.
Seven ladies, with their families whose hus-
bands had made their escape, begged to be
taken away by Wilkins's party, expecting daily
to see some of their number dragged away to
the harem Of some Of the anointed.
Brigham breaches open repetition to all at
tempts On the part of the Government to estab-
lish a foothold in his Territory. He has inau-
gurated new law, by which he governs dis
obedent wives, by degrading and making me.
mails of them, depriving them of the right to
marry or have protector. 1t is called an
Earthly He'll"