The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1858-04-03

MA I MAXI n IAlNAI. M
NCIL BLUFFS, SAIIJ
- = . = = :
THE AGoRn6oN, war
SPEECH OF HON. .. \. CURTIS, OF IOWA,
Delivered II Ne Hssse Il Representative !,
.ss,s March iosA, isss- AZ, ssae.
Mr.. Speaker, owe it to myself and TO
the House, before going into the advocacy
Of this bill, 10 show, g lshope to do. that
there is occasion for an increase Of the Army
Of the United States. So far from desiring,
however, to increase the permanent force Of
the country, / ann ready TO meet that ques-
tom whenever it comes up. As one Of the
Committee on Military Affairs, believe that
there is no occasion Tor an increase Of the
regular Army Of the United States, unless
there be, as | think there 10, actual rebellion
and war il the country, calling for some
adequate force TO meet and repel it. sftg
In considering the bill before ~, I shall,
in the first place, undertake to show that the
Mormon ellion is serious, imposing and
terrible offense against the law, and that it
and on that alone, l advocate the passage
Of the bill now before the House. In the
second place, shall undertake to show what
kind and what amount Of force is necessary
for the occasion. aSaIasaf' ''sss3S k.'s
What is the condition Of this Mormon re-
bellion? think that the House should, in
justice to itself, in justice to the country, in
justice to the Mormons, present the evidence
against the Mormons for the purpose of
showiag that they are now in hostility against
this Government, and that, therefore, there
is a necessity of sending troops against them.
| If gentlemen will look over the history Of
the last six months they will see that about
the lst Of August last, one Of our agents,
Captain Van Vliet, of the United States
Army, was sent to Utah for the purpose of
buying stores for the Army going in that
direction. What was the reply that he re-
ceived from the Mormonsp He was told in
substance, by Brigham Young, the acting
Governor, that they should not come into
the valley; that no officer should take up his
position that his power was supreme, and
that he put this Government at Defiance
Captain Van Vliet, in the most courteous and
kind terms, told him that it was not the de-
sign Of the Army Of the United States to
make war against Utah or his people; but
that they came, on the contrary, to establish
the law and the constitutional rights Of the
Government. On that ground he placed the
advance Of the Army towards Utah. But
he was replied to in terms, not to be mis-
understood, that this Army should not come
to Salt Lake valley; that they would be re-
sisted to the last extremity. This acting
Governor of Utah placed himself on the
ground that his power was supreme, and
that the Government of the United States
could not displace it. In few weeks after
that he commenced to rally force-a mil
itary force, not civil one. This was the
condition of things in August. In Septem-
Der we find that he has raised an Army and
placed it under the command of q lieutenant
general, and sent his proclamation by that
commander-wearing the insignia of his
rank-intimating distinctly that he was pre-
pared for war, not for civil measures. This
was in September last. r, 49,, ..g@A
Mr.. Curtis here read the report of Captain
VAN VL1Er, and the proclamation Of BRIGHAM
YoUNo-documents with which our readers
are familiar evidence of an actual and
serious rebellion in Utah, and further re-
marked: .e7rr' iss .-.fsr a..a r
Both these documents 20 to show the de-
termined spirit of the Mormon leader; that
he was determined to resist this Government
in every form. That proclamation is, to all
intents and purposes, declaration OF war
"a war not against the Indian hordes, but
against this Goyernment-the Government
unucr wliiUi. i.s- l...s fv. ~--- L~aa -G-- "~d
received pay, and the Government which
maintains and supports his national exist
ence. do not stand upon the mere declar-
alton of Brigham Young. Go on to the 5th
of October, and what do you see? You see
the actual commencement of hostilities by
the Mormon Army against the Army of the
United States. Colonel Alexander, then at
the head of our forces, after speaking of the
communications from Lieutenant General
Wells and Brigham Young, says: ,. z'2f
sUpon receiving these letters prepared for defense,
and guard the supplies until the nearest troops
came up replied to Governor Young's letter. copy
which incose and have not had further cores
pondence with him. On morning Of the 9Th Of Octo-
the Mormons burned two trains Of stores
on Green River, and one on the Big Sandy and few
belonging Mr. Perry sutter Of the tenth In
fanry which few miles behind the latter train
Colonel Waite Of the th though not anticipating any
act Of this kind preparing 10 send back dcach-
ment to these trains from his camp on Blacks Fork,
when he received from some tesmsters who came in,
the intelligence Of their being burned No doubt now
existed that the most determined hostility might be
pecs the part Of the Mornons and it became nee
essary from the extreme ateness Of the season. to adopt
some immediate course for wnterng the troops aud
preserving the supply trains." f-a.E &}i E.t}
You see property of the United States to
the amount of seventy or one hundred thou
sand dollars destroyed by the Utah forces.
If that be not an act of war, what is an act
of war? In every view of the subject it is
!. - fF,n,, koH
mons had charged upon our Army, or COM
mitted any amount OF absolute host'lit'ss.
Here is the argument of Brigham Young:
sf you do your duty you need not be afraid of mobs
nor Of forces in violation Of the genius Of
our free institutions holding you till mobs kill you
Mobs? Yes; where there the least particle Of au-
thory either in our constitution or aor sena,ns
here without any help from enemies, and intend
staying here ss long rs We please III " -,S@i
read further from his sermon:j u 90
Suppose that our enemies send fifty thousand troops
here they all that will be reQui-
site to sustain them winter, for promise them
before they that there shall not pc one particle OF
forage mouthfut OF food for them should they
come They will have to bring their provisions and
forage though they start their teams with az heavy
loads they draw not one can bring enough 70
sustain ITSELF TO say nothing Of the men, there were
no more men here than in the Seminole nation our en-
emes could but they could use up them
selves which they will do The Seminoles lite tribe
of few hunred in Florida, have cost Government
nearer being conquered than when the war was conn
menced." &&& Htf}E Ks s1S~3f 80 stgEA
This is defiance. You perceive that ac-
cording to this uncquivocal assumption, our
army should not come to Salt Lake valley /;
and that this Government had no right to
appoint officers for that Territory. Owing
to their remote position, and occupying a
strong military position in the mountain
passes, relying upon the strength Of his To-
cality, and our unfortunate delay in subdu-
ing the Seminoles, he boldly defes US. He
says that from the position Of the Seminole
Indians, they have been able to resist the
United States for years; and that he will
resist you. He declares war, and commences
the work Of hostility by overt acts against
the Government; and avows his prospect of
protracting his hostilities after the manner
of the Seminole Indians. sit6 '#
This you recollect, was in the month Of
October. In November following, Governor
Cumming, who had been appointed to sue.
coed Governor Young, issued his proclama-
nation, thus warning his predecessor that
L. l., q ov ovvnov (snvnruOr Guyn.