The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1858-03-25
BY DAVIS e. CREWS.
REMARKS OF HON. w. w. BOYCE,
On .Normom La";rS, IN the Uo"$. "f Rcprcs,n.
fllIi IMll.yL1.,


tntires, Ihnrmt.,v, lIn,rh II, 1875.
Mr.. li"ycc MIR. Chairman, consider
the question of cccrcing the Mormons o
Utah, involved in the bill to increase the
army, as one of the gravcst nature This
singular people, the wonder and the oppro.
,ium Of the age, have established them
lives in the heart of this continent nt a
;;St distance from the civilized world, and
separated from it hv vast deserts and noun.
Gains. Their voluntary exodus from the
Christian world, their selection Of the great
central basin for The seat OF their power,
their peculiar system If religion, their do.
;he>l'c institutions, SO opposed to.,he spirit
oi the age their singular unanmitv of ;.c-
tl"n-al excite our astoui>mcnt. What
ever else we may think, there is one thinr
we must all perceive, that they are actua,ed
by the icrcest fanaticism. They are, what
we have not recently seen in the civilized
world, an entire community of t;,natics.-
1t has been apprchended, from their first
development in Utah, that we would have
trouble with them, and the apprehension is
now being realized. Mr.. Fillmore has been
good deal censurcd for permitting their
great leader, brigham Young, to act as
Governor Of the Territory This was no,
the wish of Mr.. Fillmore; but the rc>ul, Of
asupposed political necessity. Perhaps i,
would have been wiser to have met the
question then, for it Las only been post
poned, and comes up for Il solution now.
when they are far stronger than Hey were
them The same considerations of potical
necessity acting on Mr.. Fillmore acted also
on Mr.. Pierce, and brigham Young wa,
permitted to remain in office ms Governor.
The public mind of the United States, du-
ring the administration Of Mr.. Pierce
seemed to become fixed in opposition to The
rc'entlon of brigham Young in power lv
the Federal Government. One Of the M,
Is'r''! parties Of the country, III the recent
Presidential election, made opposition to
tie Mornons ono Of the pIanks in their po-
l't'cal platform. Influenced, perhaps, in
some degree, By the laudablc desire .! meet.
ing the wishes Of the country, and, also,
have no doubt, upon general views of pub
lie policy, the presen. Administration de-
termnei to supcrsedc Brigham Young as
Governor, and appointed Mr.. Cumming to
the position, as Il gcn!lcnlan well fitted for
tho place.
During the period that brigham Young
'ad cen allowed To act rs Governor. ,hourh
e had some cause Of complaint, vet there
was no general revolt against the au,llo,i,,
IF the United States. IIavin" things pretty
'uch their own way. the Mnrmols seemed
rnIa'ly to submit to our authority. Inli.
'ual Grnti"s complained of bad treat
1t; some Of the Government officials in
Territory also complained but Il for
obedience was kept up. The cni"ran,
to California PASSED through Utah,
general rule, nndiStur.m,l. l;ul re-.
Y matters have changed The clr,r,
upon the part Of our Government to mt
governor Cumn'n. in authority has been
resisted l'y force, and we appear to be on
hc eve of a war viii, the Mormons. A
portion of the army, with Governor Cum
ming, are in the. mountains Of Utah. wait
ing for rcintorccments with which to begin
their march, and pat the question to the
arbitrament Of the sword. This is u sad
spectacle in Il Republic, and demands our
serious consideration.
The question is before lis now what shall
we do will, the Mormons2 We nn,t de-
eide upon it; we cannot postpone it if we
would. Fortunately. it is IL question with
which nothing of scctional~m minylcs.-
The laws Of Utah, it is true, recognize and
provide for slavery, but there are no slaves
there. Utah, while it is technically Slave
COMMUNITY, is actually n free community.
'Fhe President Of the United States has
simply undertaken to perform his duty in
seeing that the laws are executed in Utah.
l1e has no power to institute policy,
though he may suggest one; he can only
enforce the laws as they exist. 1t is for
congress to determine the policy to be pur-
sned in reference to these people. What
ever that policy may be, have 10 doubt
tthe President will carry it out, as far rs it
depends upon him, and is possible.
War, even with foreign. nation, is Il
grave matter; not to be gone into iucon-
siderately. But domestic war, upon a por-
ytion of our own people, even it they be fam
atics, madmen, fools, rebels, traitors, is a
matter Of far graver Importance. The &C.
MUS Of our Government in lis internal re.
lations, isspeace. 1t is presumed that the
laws will enforce themselves THAT the peo.