The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-06-24
The Presidenrs utah PrOcInmn-
linn

subordination to the constitution and laws Of
the United States. The great mass of these
settlers acting under the influence of lead.
ers to whom they seem to have surrendered
their judgment, refuse TO be controlled BY
any other authority. They have been often
advised to obedience, and these friendly
councils have been answered with defiance.
Officers OF the Federal Government have
been driven from the territory for no offence
but an effort TO do theirsworn duty. Others
have been prevented from going there BY
threats of assassination. Judges have been
violently interrupted in the performance OF
their functions, and the records Of the courts
have been seized and either destroyed or
concealed. Many other acts Of unlawful
violence have been perpetratcd, and the right
to repeat them has been openly claimed by
the leading inhabitants, with at least the si-
lent ocquescence Of nearly all the others.
Their hostility TO the lawful government OF
the country has at length become so violent
that no officer bearing commission from
the chief magistrate of the Union can enter
the territory or remain there with saietyT
and ull the officers recently appointed have
been unable to GO to Salt Lake or anywhere
else in Utah beyond the immediate power OF
the army. Indeed, such is believed to be-
the condition to which strange system OF
terrorism has brought the inhabitants ofthlt
region, that no one among them could ex.
press an opinion favorable to this ge"etn.
ment, or even propose to obey its laws with
out exposing his life and property to peH!s'
Alter carefully considering this state of
affairs, and maturely weighing the obligctiolr
| was under to see tie laws faithfully execu.
ted, it seemed to me right and proper that ]
should make such use of the military force
at my disposal as might be necessary to pro-
tect the federal officers in going into the ter.
ritory of Utah, and in performing their duties
after arriving there. | accordingly ordered
detachment of the army to march for the
city of Salt Lake, or within reach OF that
place, and to act in case of need as rosse
for the enforcement Of the laws. But, in
the meantime, the hatred of that misguided
people for the just and legal authority Of the
government had become SO intense that
they resolved to measure their military
strength with that of the Union. They have
organized an armed force fsr from contempt.
ibe in point Of numbers, and trained it, if
not with skill, at least with great assiduity
and perseverance. While the troops of the
United States were on their march, a train
of baggage wagons, which happened to be
unprotected, was attacked and destroyed by
a portion of the Molmon forces, and the
provisions and stores with which the train
was laden were wantonly burnt. In short,
their present attitude is one Of decided and
unreserved enmity TO the United States and
! to all their loyal citizens. Their determiL.
ution TO oppose the authority of the govern
ment By military force has not only been
expressed III ordS, but manifested in overt
acts OF the most uneqpivocal character.
| Fellow citizens OF Utah, this Is rebellion
/ against the government 10 which you owe
allegiance. 1t is evying war against the
! United States, and involves you in the guilt
of treason. Persistence in it will bring you
to condign punishment, TO ruin and to shame;
for j; is mere madness to suppose that, with
your limited resources, you can successfully.
resist the force Of this great and powerful
nation. H'
If you have calculated upon the forbear.
ance Of the United States-it you hgve per.
miited yourselves to suppose that this gov
ernment' will fail to put forth its strength
and bring you to submission you have fal
len Tito grave mistake. You have settled
upon territory which lies aphicaliy in
the heart of the Union. The land you live
upon YVES purchased BY the United States
and paid for out Of their treasury. The prJ.
pfietary right aud title to ii is in them, and
not in You. Utah is bounded on every side
by states and territories whose people are
true to the Union. 1t is absurd to believ,
that they will or can permit you to erect il
mil n >f ~,
not only independent Of the authority which
they all acknowledge, but hostile to taem
and their interests. ,t..a
DO not deceive yourselves nor try to mis-.
lead others by propagatng the idea that this
Is crusade against your religion. Ths
constitution and laws OF this country can
take no notice of your creed, whether it be
true or flse. That is a question between
your God and yourselves, in which dis.
claim all right to Interfere. Fl you obey
The laws, keep the peace and respect the
|ust rights of others, you will be p.rfeety
secure and may live on in your present faith
or change it for another at your plelsure.--
Every intelligent man among you knows
very well that this government has neve-,
directly or indirectly, sought to molest You
in your worship, to control you in your &c.
cesiastical affairs, or even to influence YOU
in your religious opinions.
This rebellion is not merely viol ,tion of
your legal duty; it is without just c1use,
without reason, without excuse. You nsv.
er made a complaint that was not listened
to with patience. You never exhibited a
real grievance that was not redressed as
promptly as it could be. The laws and
regulations enacted for your government by
Congress have been equal and just, and
their enforcement was manifestly neces aary
for your own welfare and happiness. You
have never asked for their repeal. Tnev
are similar in every material respect TO the
laws which have been passed for other ter.
ritories of the Union, and which everywhere
else with one partial exception) have been
cheerIully obeyed. No people ever lived
who were freer from unnecessary LEGAL re-.
stroints than you. Human wisdom never
devised political system which bestowed
more blessings or imposed lighter burdens
than tile government of the United States
in its operation upon the territories.
But being anxious to save the ei1usion of
blood, and to avoid the ndiscriminate pun.
lshment of whole people for crimes of
which it is not probable that all are equally
guilty, offer now full and free pardon to
all who will submit themselves to the au-
thorii::ys Of the federal government. fyou
refuse to uro.rrSi, urSti;t let the consequences fall
upon your own heads. But conlurey3i td
pause deliberately and reflect we'll before
you reject this tender of peace and gold
will. @ aa
al.