Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-11-19
Important News from Utah.

SubJolned is the letter and proclamation of
Brigham Young
GovERNoR's OFFICE, Utah Territory, I
Great Salt Lake City, September 20, 1857. :
To the Officer Commanding the Forces no,c In
rGdIHg Utah Territory:
SIR: BY reference to the act of Congress passed
September Q, 1850, organizing the Territory of
Utah, you will find the following:
Sec. 2. And be At further enacted, That the
executive power and authority in and over said
Territory of Utah shall be vested in a governor,
who shall hold his Office for four years and until
his successor shall be appointed and qualified,
unless sooner removed by the President of the
United States. The governor shall reside within
said Territory, shall be commander n-chief Of
the militia thereof, &C.
] am still the Governor and Superintendent of
Indian Affairs for the Territory, no successor
having been appointed and qualified, as provided
by law, nor have | been removed by the Presi-
dent of the United States. BY virtue of the au-
thorty thus vested ia me, have issued and for
warded to You copy OF my proclamation for
bidding the entrance of armed forces into the
Territory. This you have disregarded. l now
further direct that you retire forthwith from the
Territory, bv the same route you entered. Should
you deem this impracticable, and prefer TO re-
main until spring In the vicinity of your present
encampment-Black Ford, on Green river-you
can do so in peace and unmolesed, on condition
that yon deposte your arms and ammunition
with Lewis Robinson, quartermaster general of
the Territory and leave in the spring as soon as
the condition of the roads will permit you to
march; and should you fall short of provisions
proper application therefor.
Gen. ID ii. Wells will forward this and receive
any communication you may have to make.
Respectfully, BRIGHAM You've
Governor and Superintendent of Indian Atf,irs
PROCLAMATION OF BRIGHAM YOUNG
Citizens Of Utah We are invaded by a hostile
force, who are evidently assailing us to accom-
plish our overthrow and destruction For the
last twenty five years We have trusted officials of
the Government, from constables and justices, To
judges, Governors and Presidents, only to he
scorneu, held In deTlsIon, iDsulted and BETRAYED
Our houses have been plunderrd and hen bur
our fields laid waste, our principal men butch
cred, while under the pledged faith Of the gov
from their homes to find that shelter in the barren
wilderness and that protection among hostile saw
ages which were denied them in the boosted
abodes Of christianity and civilization.
The constitution of orr common country guar
antees unto us all that we do now or have ever
claimed. fthe constitutional rights which per-
tain unto us as American citizens We're extended
10 Utah according to the spirit and meaning
thereof, and fairly and impartially administered
it is all that we could ask-all that We have ever
asked
judice existing against us, because of our reli-
gious faith, to send out formidable host to &C
complish our destruction. We have had no priv
ilege nor opportunity of defending ourselves from
the false, foul and unjust aspersfOns against ux
before the nation. The Government has not con-
descended to cause an investigating committee or
tain the truth, as Is customary in such cases We
know those aspersions to be false, but that avails
us nothing. We condemned unhea!d and
forced TO ALI Issue with an armed msrcena nv mob
whch has been sGnt against us ut the inStiration
oil anonymous letter writer's, ashamed to father
the base, slanderouS falsehoods which they have
given to the pubiic-Of corrupt ofic als who have
brought false accusations against us TO screen
themselves in their own nfainv, and Of hireling
priests and bowling editors, who prostitute the
truth for filthy lucre's sake.
The Issue which has thus been forced upon us
compels us to resort t. the great rs law OF self
preservation, and stand in our own defence-a
right guaranteed unto us by the genius of the in
stitutlOns OF our country, and upon which the
governed is based. Our duty to ourselves to our
families, requires MS not to tamely submit to be
driven and slain without an attempt to preserve
ourselves. Our duty to ourselves, our holy reIi-
gion, our God, to freedom and liberty, REQUIRES
that we should not quietly stand still, ard see
those letters forging around us, which are cacu-
lated to enslave and bring us in subsection to an
unlawful military despotism, such as can only
emanate, in country OF constitutional law, from
usurpation, tyranny, and oppression.
Therefore I, Brigham Young, Governor and
Superintendent Of Indian Affairs for the Territory
of Utah, in the maine of the people Of the United
States, in the Territory of Utah, forbid,
First. All armed forces of every dissertation
from coming into this Territory under any pre-
tense whatever.
Second. That all forces in said Territory hold
themselves in readiness to march at a moments
notice to repel any and all such invasion.
Third Martial law is hereby declared to exist
in this Territory from and after the publication
OF this proclamation, and no person shall be al
| lowed to pass or repass into or through or from
| this Territory without permit from the proper
officer.
Given under my hand and seal at Great Salt
Lake City, Territory Of Utah, this fifteenth
day of September, A. ID Eighteen hund red
and Nfty-seven, and Of the Independen re If
the United states of America the eight,
second BRIGHAM YoUNG