Weekly American. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1858-1858, 1858-02-13
WASHINGTON,

enective Than these proclamati0ns upon that peO-
pie Their imperial priest, despot, and dictator,
and vicegerent Of the Almighty, laughs them to
scorn. Entrenched behind the material bulwarks
Of distance and the wall OF rock which nature
has provided; girded by sterile plains and YER
dureless hills, and guarded by blind fanaticism
that knows no law beyond his will and will shed
its last drop of blood at his behest he has become
foolhardy by impiety and the unquestioning de-
votion that encircles him. The wiley craft Of the
conspirator and the low cunning Of the knave
have given place to the grasping ambition of the
chefain and the hopeful enthusiasm of the traitor
and the prince
In his plotting brain the time has arrived to cast
of the allegiance he swore to this Government,
which he once needed to subdue or wheedle the
savage, around whom he now believes he has
thrown stronger tolls. A sway of more than six
years, as head Of the State and of the Church
wielder at once of the sword Of territorial SOW
ereignty and the cIozier of spiritual might--has
compacted and cemented in his grasp dominion
he is impatient to extend, and will not surrender
Ten thousand swords will leap from their scab-
bards at his beck; thirty thousand hands of male
and female alike will toll necessarily to sustain
his power, lirked, as they believe it to be, with
their best interests in time and their salvation for
ever
What is this moral and political phenomenon
defying the forces of the Republic and attracting
the attention Of the civilized world
The President says in his message:
territorial government was established for
Utah by act OF Congress, approved the 9th Sep
tember, 1850, and the Constitution and laws of
the United States were thereby extended over
1T 80 far as the same, or any provisions thereof,
may be applicable This act provided for the
appointment by the President, by and with the
Z SoAu uio and o.f fboC ocu
who was to be er Q6icio superintendent of Indian
affairs, secretary three judges of the supreme
court a marshal and district attorney. Subse-
'quently acts provided for the appointment of the
officers necessary to extend our land and our In
: dian system over the Territory. Brigham Young
was appointed the first Governor, on the goth
September, 1850, and has held the office ever
since. Whilst Governor Young has been both
Governor and Superintendent of Indian Affairs
throughout this period, he has been, at the same
time, at the head Of the Church called Lat er Day
Saints, and professed to govern its members and
dispose OF their property by direct inspiration and
authority from the Almighty. His power has
been, therefore, absolute over both Church and
tStatc.
"The people of Utah, almost exclusively, belong
to this church, and believing with fanatica spirit
that he is Governor of the Territory by Divine
appointment, they obey his commands as if they
u,
FORE he chooses that his government shall come
into collision with the Government of the United
States, the members Of the Mormon church will
yield implicit obedience to his will. Unfortunately
existing facts leave but ttls doubt that such is
his determination. Without entering upon a
minute history of occurrences, it is sufficient to
say that all the officers Of the United States judi
cial and executive, with the single exception of
two Indian agents, have found it necessary, for
tha ii ~
Territory, and there no longer remains any GO
vernRent in Utah but the despotism of Brigham
Young. This being the condition of affairs in the
Territory, 1 could not mistake the path of duty.
As Chief Executive Magistrate, was bound to
restore the supremacy of the Constitution and
laws within its limits. Iu order to effect this pur-
pose i appointed new Governor and other
Federal officers for Utah, and sent with them
military force for their protection and to aid
posse conitdtus in case of need, in the execution
of the laws.
With the religious opinions of the Mormons,
as long as they remained mere opinions, however
deplorable in themselves and revolving to the
moral and religious sentiments OF all Christendom,
had no right to interfere. Actions alone, when
in violation of the Constitution and laws of the
United States, become the legitimate subject for
the Jurisdiction of the civil magistrate My in
structions to Governor Cumming have therefore
ciples. After their date hope was INDUCED that
no necessity might exist for employing the mill
tary in restoring and maintaining the authority
of the law; but this hope has now vanished.
Governor Young has, by proclamation, declared
his determination to maintain his power by force
and has already committed acts Of hostility against
the United States. Unless he should retrace his
steps the Territory of Utah will be in state Of
open rebellion. He has committed these acts Of
4 L. 49,. IL.
officer ofthc Army, sent TO Utah by the command
ing General to purchase provisions for the troops,
had given him the strongest assurances of the
peaceful intentions Of the Government, and that
the troops would only be employed as po,se
comitdfns when called on by the civil authority to
aid in the execution Of the laws"
"There is reason to believe that Governor
Young has long contemplated this result. He
knows that the continuance of his despotc power
depends upon the exclusion Of all settlers from
the Territory except those who will acknowledge |
bis Divine mission, and implicitly obey his will ; |
and that an enlightened public opinion there
would soon PROSTATE institutions at war with the
laws both Of God and man. He has, therefore, |
for several years, in order to maintain his inde |
pendence, been industrously employed in collect
: ing and fabrcating arms and munitions Of war; |
and in disciplining the Mormons for military ser
vice. As superintendent of Indian affairs he has
nau All opportunity Oh talnpering with the Indian
tribes, and exciting their hostile feelings against |
the United States. This, according to our infor- |
nation, he has accomplished in regard to some |
Of these tribes, while others have remained true |
TO their allegiance and have communicated his
'intrigues to our Indian agents He has laid in |
store of provisions for three years, which, in case
Of necessity, as he informed Major Van Vliet, he |
will conceal, and then take to tho mountains, !
and bid defiance to all the powers of the Govern.
ment'
"A great part Of this may be idle boasting but
yet no wise Government will lightly estimate the
efforts which may be inspired by such frenzed
hnaticism as exists among the Mormons in Utah. |
This is the first rebellion which has existed IN our
Territories; and humanity itself requires that we
should put IL down in such manner that it shall
be the last Totrine with il would be TO encourage
II and to render IL formidable. We ought to 20
there with such an imposing force as TO convince
these deludcd people that resistance would be in
vain and thus spare the cffusion of blood We
can in this manner best convince them that we
are their friends, not their enemies. In order TO
accomplish this object it will be necessary, ac-
corjing to the estimate Of the War Department, 4
to raise four additional regiments and this ear.
nesty recommend to Congress. At the present
moment of depression in the revenues of the
country am sorry to be obliged TO recommend
such a measure but feel confident of the sup I
port Of Congress, cost what il may, in suppress.
ing the insurrection and in restoring and main. u