The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-06-27
and Tie appropriate remedy for the existing

IN der one OF the acts known as tnc cOnpI
he mise measures of 1850, on the suppositi
y that the inhabitants were American citizer
n owing and acknowledging allegiance to t
IS to the United States, and consequently e
" titled to the benefits of self governme
4 while a territory, and to admission into Il
d Union on an equal footing with the origin
e States so soon as they should number Il
requisite population. II was conceded 0
> all hands, and by all parties, that the pecr
: larities Of their religious faith and cerem'
e nes in;erposed no valid and constitution;
C objection to their reception into the nior
y in conformity with the federal constitution
i so long as they were in all other respect
q entitled to admission. Hence the great pc
D litical parties Of the country endorsed an
t approved the compromise measures Of 1850
, including the act for the organization of tn
: Territory Of Utah, W tn the hope and in tn
confidence that the inhabitants would con
: form to the constitution and laws, and prov
! themselves worthy, respectable and law
abiding citizens. If we are permitted t.
i, place credence in the rumors and report
. from that country, land 1t must be admitted
, that they have increased and strengthened
and assumed consistency and plausiblity by
each succeeding mal,) seven years expert
cnce has disclosed a state of facts entirely
different from that which was supposed tC
exist when Utah was organized.-Ihese ru-
mors and reports would seem to justify the
belief that the following facts are suscepti-
bic of proof:
/ lst. That ninc-tcnths Of the inhabitants
are aliens by birth, who have refused to be-
I come na.uraliZed, or to take the oath OF ale
| glance, or to do any other act recognizing 2
/ the government of the United States as the
paramount authority in that Territory.
ID That all the inhabitants, whether ma
: tive or alien born, known as hormons, land
they constitute the whole people of the Ter
! ritory,) are bound by horrid oaths and ter
rible penalties to recognise and maintain the
i authority of Brigham Young, and the gov.
ernment of which lie is the head, as para
mount to that of the United States, in civil
as well as religious affairs; and that they
will, in due time, and under the direction of
their leaders, use all means in their power
to subvert the government Of the l. 5, and
resist its authority.
8. That the Mormon government, with
Brigham Young at its head, is now forming
alliances with the Indian tribes of Utah and
adjoining territores-stimulating the In
dans TO acts Of hostllity-and organizing
bands Of his own followers under the name
of ..Danites or Destroying Angels" to pro-
secute system Of robbery and murder up
on American citizens, who support the au-
thority Of the United States, and denounce
the infamous and disgusting practices and
institutions of the Mormon government.
If, upon full Investigation, these repre-
sentations shall prove true, they will estab-
llsh the fact that the inhabitants Of Utah,
as a community, are outlaws and alien enc
mics, unfit to exercise the right Of sef-gov-
ernment under the organic act, and unwor
thy TO be admitted into the Union as a state,
when their only object in seeking admission
is 10 uterpose the sovereignty Of the state,
as an invinclblc shield TO protect them in
their treason and crime, debauchery and in
fanny. [Applause.l
Under this view of the subject, I think it
is the duty of the President, as | have no
doubt it is his fixed purpose, to remove
Brigham Young and all his followers from
office, and to fill their places with bold, able
and true men, and to cause 4 thorough and
searching investigation into all the crimes
and enormities which are alleged to he per-
petrated daily in that territory, under the
direction of Brigham Young and his confcd-
crates, and TO use all the military force ne
cessary to protect the officers in the dis
charge of their duties. and to enforce the
the laws of the land. IApplause.l
When the authentic evidence shall arrive :
if il shall establish the facts which are be- /.
lieved to exist, it will become the duty of
congress to apply the knife and cut out this /.
oathsome, disgusting ulcer Applause.l |
No temporizing policy-no halfway mea- /
sure will then answer. 1t has been suppos !
ed by those who have not thought deeply .
upon the subject, that an act OF congress 4
prohibiting murder, robbery, polygamy and .
other crimes, with appropriate penalties for .
those offences, would afford adequate rene .
dies for all the enormties complained Of /.
Suppose such a law to be on the statute
book, and | believe they have a criminal
code, providing the usual punishments for
the entire catalogue of crimes, according to
the usages of all civilized and christian
countries, with the exception Of polygamv,
which is practiced under the sanction of the
Mormon church, but is neither prohibited
nor authorized by the laws of the Territory |
Suppose, repeat, that Congress should /
pass a law prescribing criminal code and /
Furnishing polygamy among other offences, /
what effect would it have-what good would |
it do? Would you call on twenty-three /
grand jurymen with twenty-thtee wives .
each, to find bill of indictment against .
poor miserable wretch for having two wives? |
fCheers and laughtcr.] Would you rely up
on twelve petit jurors with twelve wives .
each to convict the same loathsome wretch .
for having two wives? Continued ap- T.
plause Would you expect grand jury .
composed of twenty-thrce "Danites" to !
find bill of indictment against brother |
DANTE" for having murdered Gentle, /
as they call all American citizens, under |
their direction? Much less would YOU ex- |
pect a jury of twelve "destroying angels "
to find another destroying angel" guilty |
of the crime of murder, and cause him to |
be hanged for no other offence than that of
taking the life of Gentle! No. If there
is any truth in the reports we receive from
Utah, Congress may pass what laws i.
chooses, but you can never rely upon the |
local tribunals and juries to punish crimes |
committed by Mormons in that Territory. |
Some other and more effectual remedy must |
bs devised and applied. In my opinion the
first step should be the absolute and uncon-
ditional repeal Of the organic act-blotting
the territorial government out of existence |
upon the ground that they are alien ene-
mics and outlaws, denying their allegiance
and defying the authority of the L. States
| Immense applause
The Territorial government once abolish
ed, the country would revert 20 its primitive
p,ior to the act of 1850, "under
the sole and exclusive jurisdiction of the U.
States," and should be placed under the
operation of the act Of Congress of the 3Oth
Of April, 1890, and the various acts supple
mental thereto and amendatory ther eof,
:, providing Cor the punishment of crimes
against the United States within any fort,
arsenal, dockyard, magazine or any other
place or district of country, under the sole
and exclusive jurisdietion Of tie United
States" All offences against the provisions
of these acts are required by law to be tried
and punished by the United States courts or
Territories where the Offenders shall be
"tirst apprehended or brought for trial" t
Thus it will be seen that under the plan pro.