Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1858-10-16
Letter from Utah.

UTAH, Sept. Sd, 1855.
Mr. EDITOR One of the Mormons asked
us the other day why we violated the Constitu-
ton as we did by coming here to interfere with
their religion.
He was an Enghshman and had probably
never read our Constitution and the religion
OF which he spoke, consists, as far as reports
and appearances CO. of theft, robbery, mendac-
ity, fornication or adultery, and murder. 1t is
true, the book of woman doctrine and Cove
nants," published in Liverpool, in 1852, pro-
hibts polygamy; but nevertheless polygamy is
gloried in here in Salt Lake Valley.
The idea Of this Englishman-of this foreign
er was, that community, by establishing crime
as a religion, could claim the protection of the
Constitution of the United States, in the unlim-
tied indulgence of that crime. 1t was his opin-
ion that our Constitution secured such liberty of
action to the people as to countenance and pro-
tect them in the lowest and most degrading ex-
ercise of the passions.
Such is the way that one foreigner under
stands the character of free institutions and the
republican form of government; and he is not
alone, by any means, in such an estimate of
American liberty.
We are assured, however, by the democracy
that TINS class of persons among us is compar-
atiyely small, and that hence they cannot do
much mischief They are admitted to consti-
tute about onc-twelfth of our population, and
their influence and weight in society and politics
is allowed to be only in arithmetical proportion
to their numbers.
As pertinent to this view of the case we NAV
quote passage from speech of Mr.. Hayne of
South Carolina, on the tariff question, made in
the Senate of the United States in 1925
Speaking of manufacturing capitalists, he said
-"Do we not perceive, at tbs reyy moment, the
extraordinary and melancholy Spectqcle Of less
than one hu,dred thousand capitalists, by means
Of this mhdiiowed combination, erercising an
absolute and Despite control orer the opinions
Of eight millions Of free citizens, and the for
tunes and destinies of ten millions ?"
Ten millions of what, might be asked at the
present day.
But we see that Mr. Hayne here attributes
political influence to numbers much greater than
that which would be due to there numbers BY
the mere rule Of arithmctical proportion and
not without reason, for We knor that human in
fiuence either for good or bad is sometimes in
fntely disproportionate to numbers. One batls
man-one Judas, can do very much more harm
than thousands of good men could do 20 od
and simply because it is law of Nature that it
is easier 10 destroy than it is to create-to tear
down than to build up. The fact holds good of
shareholders and foreigners as well as of capt.
talists-their dominating influence in the state
is very much greater than that which is due to
their numbers on the mere grounds of arithme-
tcal proportion. Who does not know that
about 100000 shareholders have the dest-
MES of some thirty millions of people under
their CONTROL and that in making use of the for
eign vote they promise fair to turn over their
political influence and power when they can no
longer WELD it themselves, to our foreign pop
ulation? This population is increasing rapidly
year by year, for the capacities of Europe for
the support of population are almost filled, and
hence the increase on two hundred and fifty
millions of people must look elsewhere for sub
siStence; and to what other shores will they
throng in such numbers as to those of the Unit
ed States3 Every year therefore, that the
slave-expanding mania continues, increases the
danger of our falling prey to the ignorance,
passion and incapacity of foreign votes
The troops are busy in erecting quarters for
their winter cantonment. These troops are to
consist of the I'd Dragons, two batteries of
Artillery, and the 9TH, 7th and 10th Infantry
in all about 250O men; pretty good standing
army for so small territory but the people
of Utah are generally so much accustomed to
large standing armies that they would be at loss
without one!
Three companies are to 60 soon to Humboldt
River, between here and California. to look af-
ter some persons, either Indian or robbers. who
are said to have rifed the mail and committed
several murders on travellers.
With the pleasantest recollectons of old
Windham, am, truly yours,