Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-03-25

source but acquiescence in defeat.
Mankind are usually controlled by their
interests The Mormons are scarcely ex-
empt from the operation of this universal
principle. 1t is clearly their interest to ad-
lust their difficulties with this Government
peacefully. They cannot but realize the
fact, that if we exert our power against them
we must drive them before US, destroy their
cities, and infict multitude of evils upon
them. Besides even the injuries we may
inAict upon them by actual war in their
country, we can subject them to great incon-
venience, by cutting off all trade with them,
thus sinterrupting the supply of many articles
of prime necessity. Furthermore, the cor
nerstone of their policy is addition to their
power by foreign immigration, which we can
entirely cut off from them. Besides, our
annual appropriations for their territorial
government is a very convenient addition to
their income. From these considerations,
and others which will naturally suggest
themselves, it is clearly the interest of the
Mormons to listen to reason, especially when
that reason is backed by the great power of
our Government. I think, therefore, the
prospects of success is sufficiently great to
induce US to resort to negotiations with this
people. The wisdom of resorting to pacific
measures first is sustained by another view
of the case. Brigham Younghas impressed
the Mormons with the idea that this Gov
ernment wishes to interfere with their re-
ligion, to punish them for their polygamy,
and generally to crush and destroy them
I have no idea that Brigham Young believes
any such thing; but it is his policy to have
it believed by his people. tits our policy to
disabuse the people of this false impression.
This false idea is tower of strength for
Brigham Young. Let us so act as to over
throw this tower If we can remove this
impression from the popular mind in Utah,
Brigham Young will be shorp Of large
portion of his strength. The people Of
Utah may proceed to the most desperate e1-
tremitiesif they believe that our purpose is
to destroy them, that we are naturally hos
tile to them, and are seizing upon pretexts
to subjugate them. Let US pursue such a
line of policy as will circumvent the policy
of Brigham Young. Brigham Young wish
es US to manifest nothing but the most set
tied hostility to the Mormons, in order to
consolidate his power over them. Let US do
exactly the thing he does not wish US to do.
Let us 60 to the utmost verge of moderation;
let us manifest our intentions of peace, of
kindness, and generosity, in the most un-
mistakable manner to these people; let US,
before gun is fired, gain moral victory
over Brigham Young. That moral victory
may supersede the necessity Of resorting to
force. Ifit does not accomplish that much,
it will weaken the grasp of the Mormon
hand upon the sword, and cannot but ope-
rate favorably to US in the progress of the
struggle. The Mormons can only be stim-
ulated to the resistance of desperation by
having their minds poisoned as to the pur-
poses of this Government A resort to a
peaceful policy will be the most effectual
way of counteracting the diseased condition
of the public mind in Utah. 1t has been
forciby said, that "the pen is mightier than
the sword" There is infinite truth in this,
as expressive of the greater power of ideas
over materialism. I would try the force of
ideas on the Mormons before resorting to the
scourge Of humanity, the sword. Let our
Government prevent itself to them in the
image of a generous, kind, paternal and af-
fectionate Government, anxious, if possible,
to forgive even them; and if this fails, then
let destiny take its course.
Bullet us now suppose that all efforts to
settle matters peaceably in Utah shall have
failed, and that the sword must be drawn
that terrible instrument of the avenging
Nemesis, which even Christianity has not
been able to supersede; let US suppose that
the sword must be restored to its old Office
of sprinkling the bosom of mother earth
with the blood of the children of men ;
what then? There are two modes of pro.
scouting this war:
1st, By what 1 shall call offensive war,
invasion, destruction, devastation.
I'd. By cutting off all communication
with Utah, plecing the Mormons in quaran.
tine, letting none come out and none go in,
and guarding our trains of emigrants over
the northern and southern routes.
As regards the first mode, I shall say
nothing of the distance of Utah from US,
practically further than Europe, nor of the
difficulty of carrying subsistence so far, mol
of the difficult approaches through wild
gorges in the mountains, nor of the army Of
fierce fanatics to be encountered. I shall
say nothing of all these, because such is my
!, confidence in our indomitable army, that ]
believe we shall carry everything before US,
and plant our victorious standards in the
heart of their sacred city. I grant you that
we shall beat down the Mormon chivalry
upon the plains of Utah. But what I feal
is, that our greatest success will be oul
greatest disaster The defeat of the Nor
mons will, I fear: be the dispersion of the
| Mormons through the boundless plains and
vast mountain ranges of the middle of the
continent. Once they are thus dispersed
they become fierce banditti; every noun
tain gorge will resound with the crack Of
their unerring rifles. Their very women viii
give forth from their envenomed wombs g