The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1858-03-25

a''ty IN the bosom of the Rocky Mountains
The condition Of Utah, then, is one which
while it has no ,r.cedent in our history
Will, trust, for the sake of humanity, hav,
no imitation.
Before we undertake to determine what
we should do in reference TO the Mormons
1t Is necessary that we should understand
precisely what we wish to accomplish, the
benefit to be attained, or the evil to be aver.
ted. Utah is settled almost exclusively by
Mormons; there is scarcely handful OF
| Gentllos-,s those arc called who do not
adopt their fath-there. So fur as GOOD
t government, order and obedience to law is
concerned i'll Utah among the Mormons, it
Is matter of very small importance to us,
except from the general desire we have that
even ;hc Mormons should prosper. Bu. as
that region of country is not now wanted
tor settlement by our citizens generally
other than Mornons, and is not likely to
be wan'cd for an indefinite period, VIC
would have no special motive to exert our
power 10 restore order, SO far as ile inter
est, OF the inhabitants of that region may
be concerned. If, therefore. Utah, instead
OF being in the centre of the continent, on
the highway oi our emf grafton 10 the PA,
ellie, were i'll some other portion of our do
rnir'"n not tr;lvcrscd bv cmiyran,S, VIC nigh,
t,..s! t,,
about their proceedings, no more than we
do about remote tribes of Indians. But
the local position Of Utah, the fact that
oar great emigration trains TO the Pacific
coast must necessarily pass through Utah,
"r make u considerable dctour To :hc north
or TO the south, invests the condition ofaf
fairs i'll Utah with great practical impor-
'a"ce to us. So far as the people of Utah
arc concerned, We might, without loss to
ourselves, abandon them to their own an.
atcl'y or miuiness. The only practical ;.s-
pcct Of the case of immediate interest is
The Necessity We are under of preserving
un'l>iurbc,l our communications 1hrourl
The middle route to our ptciIic possessions.
II scrins TO the that this is the extent of
our present practical interest in the Iucs-
ton. If all Utah were to transform itself
int" p,nlemonium, it would not materially
affect us, provided our communications were
left un,li,turlcd. While we should. Of
course, desire to see or'ler in Utah, yet no
d'.srcc OF disorder would at all disturb us,
except III the single matter of having our
communications disturbed. This is, think.
ta''Iy stating the extent Of the present prac-
tlcal Interest We have in the Utah question
it is 10 continue the central route, open and
umdisturbcd to the Pacific
There are two modes Of solving the Nor
mon Incstion-ir>l, 10y peaceful means
second, by force. There can Lc no doub,
that the first mode is infinitely the best, if
1t can be- made cllicacious. The peac cfu
mode is more congenial to the spirit of our
institutions. Our Government is, and should
be, reluctant to draw the sword against any
portion OF The people. 1t is dangerous to
inauguratc the reign Of the sword in our
Erpublic. The great leading idea upon
which our Government proceeds, is that all
government rests OH the consent of the
governed. Whilst on tile one hand we
have not been able entirely to ignore the
sword III enforcing the laws, yet we should
be very careful not to proceed to this fatal
extremity except under the most impera-
tive necessity. The Spanish Republics on
Tins continent could never settle any dis
pntc without the sword. The result is they
are all dying out from the fatal effects of
their own violence. For my part, shall
DC sorry to see question involving the
''le OF so large portion Of our population
us this Utah question, incapable of any
other solution than civil war. We have
had two rebeIions in our history the first,
Shay's rebellion in Massachusetts during
the Confederation, and the Whiskcy Iusur.
rcction in Pennsylvania, since the fo,ma
ton Of the existing Constitution. In both
OF these instances order was finally restored
without the etiusion Of blood. Massachu-
sets, by course Of singular prudence and
iirmncss, succeeded in subjugating their reb.
els without battle, though hostile armics
were actually in the field.
1t became the duty of Gen. Washington,
The then PRESIDENT TO 1rol with tIn D,nn
sylvan'a insurgents. In reading the history
OF that period, we are struck with the for
bcarance with which Washington treated
the insurgents. lie sent commissioners TO
demonstrate with them, and cxertcd every
possible means to solve. the difficulty by a
peaceful solution. When all peaceful means
seemed TO have failed, he displayed a strong
military force, and advanced against the in