Weekly flag of the Union. (Jackson, Miss.) 185?-18??, 1857-12-23

y
i when called on by the civil authority to aid i
Q the execution Of the laws
i There is reason to believe that Gov. Yonn
. has long contemplated this result. He know
, that the continuance of his despotic power dc
, ponds upon the exclusion Of all settlers iron
. the Territory except those who will acknowl
edge his divine mission and implicitly ODE,
his will and that an enlightened public opin
} ion there would soon PROSTATE institutions a
war with the laws both of God and man. ii
has, therefore, for several years, in order |,
; maintain his independence, been industriousl.,
employed in collecting and fabrieating arm
aud munitions of war; and in disciplining tn
, Mormons for military service. As Superin
, tendent of Indian Affairs he has had an op
T portunity of tampering with the Indian tribes
|, and exciting their hostile feelings against tn
United States. This, according to our infor
nation, he has accomplished in regard to some
of the tribes, while others have remained true
to their allegiance, and have communicated hi
intrigues to our Indian Agents. He has laie
in store Of provisions for three years, which
in case of necessity as he informed Major Van
Welt, he will conceal "and then take to the
mountains, am bid defiance to all the powers
of the government"
A great part of all this may be idle boast
ing; but yet no wise government will lightly
estimate the efforts which may be inspired by
such phrenzied fanaticism as exists among the
Mormons in Utah. This is the first rebellion
which has existed in our territories and hui
manity itself requires that we should put it
down in such manner that it shall be the last.
TO trihe with it would be to encourage it aud
to render it formidable. We ought to go there
with such an imposing force as to convince
these deluded people that resistance would be
vain, and thus spare the effusion of blood.
We can in this manner best convince them
that we are their friends, not their enemies.
La order to accomplish this object it will be
necessary, according to the estimate of the
War Department, to raise four additional regi-
ments; and this / earnestly recommend TO
Congress. AT the present moment of deercs-
sion in the revenues of the country, | am sorry
| to be obliged to recommend such a measure ;
but feel confident of the support of Congress,
cost what it may, in suppressng the insur-
reetion and in resisting and maintaing the
sovereignty of the Constitution and laws over
the territory of Utah.
recommend to Congress the establishment
of territorial government over Arizona, in
cooperating with it such portions Of New
Mexico as they may deem expedient. need
scarcely adduce arguments in support of this
recommendation. We are bound to protect
the lives and property of our citizens inhabit-
ing Arizona, and these are now without eff
cient protection. Their present number is
already considerable, and is rapidly increasing,
Notwithstanding the disadvantages under which
they labor. Besides, the proposed territory is
believed to be rich in mineral and agricultural
resources, especially in silverand copper. The
mails from the United States to California are
now carried over it throughout its whole ex-
tent, and this route is known to be the nearest,
and believed to be the best to the Pacific.
Long experience has deeply convinced me
that strict construction of the powers granted
to Congress is the only true, as well as the
only safe, theory of the constitution. Whilst
this principle shall guide my public conduct,
| consider it clear that under the war-maklng
power Congress may appropriate money for
the construction of Il military road through
the territories of the United States when this
is absolutely necessary for the defense of any
of the States against foreign invasion. The
Constitution has conferred upon Congress pow
er " to declare war; " to raise and support
armies" "to provide and maintain a navy"
aud ta-ca1i forth the uilitixI repel inya-,I
sions." These high foreignpowers necessarily
involve important and responsible public
duties, and among them there is none SO
sacred and so imperative as that of preserving
our soil from the invasion of foreign enemy. |
The constitution has, therefore, left nothing |
on this point to construction, but expressly re-
quires that /" the United States shall protect
each of them the States] against INVASION
Now, if military road over our own Ter
ritories be indispensibly necessary to enable us
necessary consequence not only that We pos
sess the power, but it is our imperative duty
to construct such road. 1t would be an
absurdity to invest government with the
unlimited power to make and conduct war,
and at the same time TO deny it the only means
of reaching and defeating the enemy at the
frontier. Without such road, it is quite |
evident We cannot "protect" California and |
our Pacific possessions against invasion"
We cannot by any other means transport men
and munitions of war from the Atlantic States
in sufficient time to successfully defended those
remote and distant portions of the Republic.
Experience has proved that the routes across
the isthmust of Central America are at best
but very uncertain and unreliable mode of I
But even if this were not
the case, they would at once be closed against
us in the event of war with naval power
SO much stronger than our own as to enable it
to blockade the ports at either end Of these
routes. After all, therefore, we can only rely
upon military origin of the government,
Congress has been in the practice of appro-
priating money from the public treasury for
the construction of such roads
The difficulties and the expense Of con-
structing military railroad to connect our
Atlantic and Pacific States, have been greatly
The distance on the Arizona route
near the 32d parallel Of north latitude, between
The western boundary of Texas, on the Rio
Grande, and the eastern boundary of Califor-
MA on the Colorado, from the best explorations
now within our knowledge, does not exceed
iour hundred and seventy miles, and the face
obyious reasons the government ought not to-
agents. This ought to be committed to other ]
agencies. which COM res might assist either
~ grants of land or money, or both, upon
uch terms and conditions as they may deem /
most beneficial for the country. Provision
night thus be made not only for the safe, rapid,
md economical transportation of troops and /
munitions of war, but also of the public mails e
The commercial interest Of the whole country,
10Th east and west, would be greatly promoted d
y such a road and above all, it would be 5
powerful additional bond of the Union. And /
Though advantages Of this kind, whether q
,ostal, commercial, or political, cannot confer 1