The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-12-29

have remained unmolested but it would seem that
mplscabe and blood Thirsty foes envy us even these bar
rem deserts. Now if our real enemies the mobocrat
priests editors and politicians at whose nstgaon the
present storm has been gathered had against IN
stead of You and your command, would not have adj
dressed them thus They would have been allowed
Ia reach the South Pass.
In you we recognise only the agents and Instruments
the administration and with You personally have no
quarrel believe that IL would have been more eonso-
with yotr feelings 10 have made upon the enc
mics Of your country than upon American citizens But
10 US the end TO be accomplished is the and while
Appreciate the unpeasantness of your situation you
must be that circumstances compel the people OF
Utah 10 look upon you in your present begerent at
tude as their enemies and the enemies OF their common
country aud notwithstanding my most sincere desire to
promote amicable relations with you shall feel it my
duty do the people Of the Territory universally to re-
the utmost every attempt 10 encoach further upon
their rights 1925
It, therefore, becomes matter for your serious
sideraon whether it would not be more in accordance
with the spirit and institutions of country to return
with your present force rather than force issue
pleasant 10 ALL and which must result in much misery
and perhaps boodshed and if persisted in the total de-
structon OF your And Furthermore, does IL not
become question whether it is patriotic for officers
Of the United States army to ward on by all honorable
MEANS collision with American citizens, or to further
the precipitae move of ndisceet and rash admins
traton In plunging whole Territory into horrible
ratricidal and sanguinary
Trusting that the foregoing consideration may be duly
weighed by YOU'D and that the difficulties wpending
may be brought to an amicabe adjustment,
With sentimentsof esteem have the honor to remain
most respectfully, &C., &C.,
L. b. ALEX AMBER, iEtt
Col. 10th infantry, U. s. A., Commanding.
&C.,. ~ E HFa GovERNoR's OFEIcE
E .9 Great Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, y
October lG 1857.
Sin have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of
your letter Of the 18th inst at sh 3Om this morning.
itv IN N
esy to your position at this late OF the year
AS you officially allege it, acknowledge that you and
the forces under your command have been sent TO TINS
Territory by the President of the United States but
shall treat you though you were open enemies because
have many times armies in our country under
color Of law drive this people, commonly styled Nor
mons from their homes, while mobs have followed and
plundeed at their pleasure which is now most obviously
the design Of the general government, all candid
thinking men know full well. Were not such the
fact, why did not the government send an army here
to protect us against the sayages when we first
settled here and poor and few in number
So contrary to this their course that they sent
internal requistion for five hundred OF our most eff
cent men, while we in an Indian country, and
striving to leave the borders Of the United States from
which It's civilization ~ had expelled us,) with precon
ceed view to cripple and destroy us And do you fancy
for moment that do not fully understand the ten
der q merces and designs of government against us
Again if army ordered here for peaceful purposes,
protect preserve the rights and lives of the limo
cent why did government send here troops that were
withdrawn from Minnesota, where the Indians were
saughtering men, women and children and were band
ing in large numbers threatening to lay waste the con
try 5a4
You mention that it is alone in my gnbernatoial capa
city that you have any business with me- though your
commanding officer Brevet Bigader General Harney, ad
dressed his letter by Capt Van yet to President Brig
hasn Young of the Society OF Mormons " IN.
You acknowledge the receipt of my official procama-
ton forbidding your entrance into the Territory Of Utah
and upon that point have only to again inform you that
the matter forth that document and the
orders therein contained will be most strictly carried out
If you came here for peaceful purposes you have
use for weapons of war We wish, and ever have wish
ed for peace and have sued for IL all the day long,
out Interest enemies know full WELL and though the
wicked with the administration at their head have de-
termned that shall have peace except 1t be to lie
down in death in the of Israes God will have
peace, though be compelled by our enemies TO
fight for it. y
We have yet studiously avoided the shedding Of blood
though have resorted to to resist
miles, and through the operation OF those mild measures
you easily perceive that you and your troops
at the mercy of the elements and that live in the
mountains and all mountaineers. This the
government should know and also give us our rights,
and then let us alone f .-.
As to the style of those measures past present u
tre persons acting in seldeience have Of right wide
scope for choice and that too without being very
full to what their enemies may fit to term that
choice for both we and the kingdom of God viii be free
from all hcsh oppressos, the Lord being helper.
hreatenngs to waste and exterminate this people have
been sounded in for than OF years,
and yet live. The Zion of the Lord is here and wick
cd men and devils cannot destroy it.
If you persist in your attempt to permanently locate
army in this Territory contrary to the wishes and
sttutonal rights of the people therein and with view
to aid the administration in their unhaowed efforts to
palm their corrupt officials upon and to protect them
and black legs black hearted scoundres whore masters,
and murderes the sole intention in sending you
and your troops here you will have to meet mode of
warfare against which your tactics furnish you nfor
nation.
AS to your inference concerning 'pubc and private
letters it contains ungentemanly and false nsinua
ton for so far as have any knowledge the only stop
ping OBTAINING of the character you mention has alone
been done by the Post Office Department in Washington;
they having, you must have known, stopped mail
from Independence, Missouri by which it was but fair to
presume that you, well we were measurably cur
tailed in mail facilities
In regard TO myself and certain others having placed
ourselves sin position of rebellion and hostility to the
government Of the United States perfectly
that understand true and most loyal position far
better than our enemies inform us. We of all the
people endeavong to preserve and perpetuate the
genius the constitution and constitutional laws, while
the administration and the troops they have ordered to
Utah fact themselves the rebels and in hostility to
the general government And If George Washington was
living and at the helm of government, he would
hang the administration high as he did Andre and
that too, with far better grace and to much greater
subscribing the best interests of our country.
You write, sit becomes you to look to the conse-
quences; for you must be that unequal
test be successfully sustained by the people you
govern. We have counted the cost it may be to us
look for the United States TO endeavor to swallow
I