The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1857-05-01

Affairs In Utah Territery.
The Official character Of the following let
ter, referring to the condition Of the Terri
tory Of Utah, entities IL 10 place in our col
umns:
| RESIGNATION or JuDox DRunxoNp,
To the Hoa jeremiah $. BLACK, Attorney GsHsrai Of
/ fhr United Sfaits, Warrington, ID. c.:
/ DEAR SIR: As have concluded to resign the
| office of Justice Of the Supreme Court OF
the Territory Of Utah, which position &C.
ecpted in A. ID. 1854, under the Administrs.
ton OF President Pierce, i deem il due to
the public to give some Of the reasons why |
do so.
In the first place, Brigham Young, the
Governor OF Utah Territory, 10 the acknowl-
edged head Of the 'sChurch Of Jesus Christ
Of Latter Day Saints" commonly called
Enormous" and as such head the Mormons
look to him, and to him aisne, for the iar
by which they are to be governed; therefore,
no law OF Congress il by them considered
binding in any manner.
Secondly. | know that there is n secret
oath. bound organization among oil the male
members Of the church, and to acknowledge
no law save the law of the sHoly Priesthood"
which!comes to the people by Brigham Young,
direct from God, be (Young) being the vice
gerent OF God and prophetic successor OF
Joseph Smith, who Was the founder of this
blind and reasonable organization.
Thirdly. l am fally aware that there is
a set of men set apart BY special order of
the church to take both the lives and proper
.y Of persons who may question the aulhori-
ty OF the church, (thc names of whom will
promptly make known at = future time.)
L 49, H. NJ
the supreme court have been destroyed by or
der Of the church, with di. sct knowledge and
appreciation Of Governor B. Young, and the
Federal officers grossly insulted for pre-
Stunning to raise single question about the
reasonable act.
Filthy. That the federal officers of the
Territory are constantly insulted, harrassed,
and annoyed by the Mormons, and for those
insults there is no redress.
i Sixthly. That the Federal officers are dali
ly compelled to hear the form Of the Ameri-
can Government traduced, the Chief Execu-
tives of the nation, both living and dead
slandered and abused from tho masses, us
we'll as from oil the leading members Of the
church, in the most vulgar, loathsome and
wicked manner that the evil passions Of man
can possibly conceive.
Again: That after Moroni Green had been
convicted in the District Court before my
colleague Judge Kinney OF az assault with
an intent to commit murder; and afterwards
|, appeal of the supreme court, the judg-
ment being affirmed, and the said Green sen
fenced to the pcnitentiary, Brigham Young
J gave full pardon to the said Green before
he reached the penitentiary; also, that the
said Governor Young pardoned man by the
, name Of Baker, who had been tried and sen.
fenced to ten years Imprisonment in thu
peniten,iary for the murder Of dumb boy
by the name of White House, the proof
/ showing one of the most aggravated cases
Of murder that ever knew being tried; and
to insult the court and Government officers
this man Young took this pardoned crimina
with him, in proper person to church on the
next Sabbath after his conviction, Baker il
the mean time having received full pardon
from Brigham Young. These two men wcr,
Mormons. On the other hand, charge tn,
Mormons and Governor Young in particular
t with imprisoning FIVE or six young men from
Missouri and Iowa, who are now in tn,
pententiary Of Utah, without those meI
r having violated any criminal law in Amer
ca, but they were anti Mormons, poor, un
e educated young men, on their way for Cali
. fornia; but, because they emigratcd from Hi
D nois, Iowa, or Missouri and passed by Grea
Salt Lake city they were indictedby Probate
: Court, and were most brutally aud inhuman
0 ly dealt with, in addition to being summari
ly incarceratcd in the sanity prison Of tn,
, territory of Utah. also charge Gov. Youns
0 with constantly interfering with the Fedora
courts, directing the Grand July whom te
y indict, and whom not; and after the Judge.
charge the Grand Juries as to their duties
n that this man Young invariably has som,
| member Of the Grand Jury advised in ad
g vance as to his will in relation TO their Ia
] bors, and that his charge thus given is the
= only charge known, obeyed or received by
all the Grand Jurors Of the Federal court,
Of Utah Territory.
Again, sir, after n careful anu mature in
lvestgation,I have been compelled to com,
' to the conclusion, heart rending and sicken
: ing as it may be, that Captain John w. Gun
nison and his party Of eight others wer
murdered by the Indians in 1853 under th
order, advice and directions Of tho MormoRs
that my illustrious and distinguished pre-
decesser, Hon. Leonidas Shaver, came to hi
death BY drinking poisonous liquors given t,
him under the order OF the leading men of tn,
Mormon church in Great Salt Lake City; tina
the late Secretary of the Territory A. w. Bah
bit, was murdered on the plains by q band o.
Mormon marauders, under the particular ant
' special order Of Brigham Young, Heber c
! kimball and j. M. Grant, and not by tn
J Indians ms reported by the Morrnons them
. selves; and that they were sent from Sal
. Lake City for that purpose, and that only
Al and as members of the DANTE band, the
we're bound to do the will Of b. Young, a
: the head of the church or forfeit their Owl
ives.
These reasons with many others that
might give, which would be too heart rend
8 ing to insert in this communication, have in
: duced me to resign the ONCE Of Justice o
( the Territory Of Utah, and again return 4
: my adopted State Of Illinois. My reason
J sir, for making this communication thus pub
q lie is that the Democratic party, with whic
e have always strictly acted, il the party no,
r in power, and therefore is the party tina
II should nop be held responsible for the trea
II sonable and diograceful state Of affairs tina
a now exist in Uv4h Territory. could sir,
|. necessary, refer to cloud witnesses to at
. test the reasons have given, and the charg
cs, bold as they are, against those despot
who rule With an iron hand their hundre
y thousand souls in Utah and their two hun
;, dred thousand souls out of that notable Ter
! ritory; but shall not do so for the reason tina
: the lives Of such gentlemen ms should de
&c signate in Utah and in California would NO
!. be safe for single day.
- In conclusion, cir, / have to Say tina
- throughout my career as Justice of the Su
!. preme Court Of Utah Territory have tn
- consolation Of knowing that did my duty
I that neither threats nor intimidations drov
i. me from the path. Upon the other hand
j. | am panied to sayt that accomplished bu
: little good while there; that the Judiciary
l aptv trao taH Tba ratx al