, 1858-02-19

tire within reach Of supplies at the East,
or to go to Fort Hall Were you and
your fellow officers as well acquainted with
your men as l am with mine, and did they
understand the work they are now engaged
in as well as you may understand it, you
must know and / know that many Of them
would Immediately revolt from all cOnncc-
tion with so ungodly, so Illegal, unconstitu'
tienal and hellish a crusade against an in
nocent people and if their blood is shed,
it shall rest upon the heads Of their com.
manders With us it is the Kingdom Of
God, or nothing"
In another letter to Col. Alexander,
Brigham Young says:
when the President Of the United
States SO far degrades his high position,
and prostitutes the highest gift of the peo-
pie 50 as to make use Of the military pow
er, intended only for their protection, to
compel them to receive officials so lost to
self-respeet as to accept appointments
against the known and expressed wish Of
the people, and so craven and degraded as
to need an army to protect them in their
position, we feel that we would be recreant
to every principle Of selfrespect, honor, in-
tegrity, and patriotism, to bow tamely to
such high-handed tyranny, a parallel to
which is only found in the attempts made
by the British government, in its most cor
rupt stages, against the rights, liberties and
lives of our fOrefathers II our real en-
emies, the mobocrats, priests, editors, and
politicians, at whose instigatiens the pres
eat storm has been gathered, had come
against US, instead Of you and your COM
mand. l would not have addressed them
thus. They never would have been allowed
to reach the South Pass"
John Taylor, in writing letter to Capt.
Marcy, says:
II know, from your personal intercourse
with members of the Senate and House Of
Representatives Of the United States that
there have been various plans concocted at
head quarters for some time past, for the
overthrow of the Mormons. Mr.. Fuller,
of New York, who sent you an introducto-
ry letter to me, informs me that you are a
politician. If so, you must know that in
the last Presidential campaign, the Repub-
lican party had opposition to slavery and
polygamy as two of the principal planks in
their platform. You may know that Utah
was picked out, and the only territory ex
cIuded from participation in the pre-emp
tion rights to land. / might enumerato in
juries by scores, and if things ars5nOt SO,
why is it that Utah is so knotty question?
Why could Drummond, and host Of other
mean scribblerS, palm their barefaced lies
with such impunity, and have their infamous
ISLANDERS swallowed with such guslo? Was
it not that the administration, as their sat
elites had planned our destruction, were
eager to catch at any thing to render spe'
cious their contemplations Of bloodP or, in
plain terms, the Democrats advocated
strongly popular sovereignty. The Repub
licans tell them If they join in maintaining
inviOlately the Democratic institution Of the
South, they must also swallow polygamy
The Democrats thought this would not do
as it would interfere with the religious
scruplss of many of their supporters; and
they looked about for some means to dis
pose Of the knotty question.
Mr.. Buchanan, with Messrs. Douglas
Cass, Thompson and others, after failing tc
devise measures. hit upon the expedient o.
an armed force against Utah, and thu
thought, by q sacrifice Of the Mormons tC
unite the knetty question. Yes, by de
stroying or killing hundred thousand in
noceut American citizens, TO satisfy thu
pous, humane, patriotic feelings of thei
constituents, they would take the wind ou
of the sails Of the Republicans, and gaiI
10 themselves immortal honors."
After defending the Mormons, in couclu
sion. he says "0n my departure from
the States the Auctuating tide Of popular
feeling against US seemed to be on th'
wane, and by this time there may be quit,
reaction in the public mind. If so, !
may probably affect, materially, the posi-
ton of the Administration, and tend Il
more constitutional, pacific and human
measures. In such an event our relativ
frontiers would be materially changed, AM
instead Of meeting enemies we could NEE
I as American citizens should, friends to on
another, and united against our legitimat
enemies Such an issue is devoutly to b
desired"
On the person of Major Joseph Taylor
who was captured, was found letter t
him from Daniel Wells, Lieut.. General c
the Mormons, in which the latter direct
him, under date of Oct 4, to proceed wit
all possible dispatch to the Oregon road
= near Bear river, taking close and correC
observations Of the country on his rout'
When you approach the road, send scout
ahead to ascertain if the invading troop
have passed that way. Ifthey have passed
take the concealed route and get ahead {
} them. Express to Col. Benton, who
now on that route and in the vicinity {
the troops, and effect junction with bin
so ns to operate in concert On ascertain
: ing the locality or route Of the troops, prt
( ceed at once to annoy them in every poss
BILE way Use every exertion to stamped
their animals and set fire to their train
Burn the whole country before them oh
f on their flank. Keep them from sleepin
} by night surprises. Blockade the road 1