The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1858-05-13
gAGKS0N STANDARD.

retard the approach of any army. This
kind of country extends for a hundred
miles around their settlements, with nu'
merous little secluded valleys, known only
to the Mormons themselves, where they
can hide and whence they can sally to
harass and destroy the invading forces
With regard 10 the number of men the
Mormons can bring into the field, extrav
agant and absurd representations have
been current. Some represent them as
numerous and wel-discplined, and 9TH
ers as only disorderly and inconsidera-
bic rabbe. Both these statements are in
correct. At the very outside. they can
not collect larger force than eight thou
sand men, with perhaps four thousand
youths. These are tolerably well armed,
Injured to the saddle, acquainted with the
mountains, accustomed to hardship; and
will fight Gercely They will make good
guerrilla soldiers, but nothing more
Besides, they have no able or experienced
leaders. Gen. Wells, prophet, priest
and king" is their commander, but he
has neither genius nor experience. The
Indian allies, on whom they so much de-
pend, will also only be useful for guerril-
la purposes. They will harass and dis
tress, retard and obstruct the troops and
but very little more. Neither they nor
the Mormons can be able to make any
thing like successful stand
1t is evident that even Brigham Young
does not imagine that he can destroy the
army now marching against him. He
knows very well that, should he even sue
ceed in destroying this force, next year
he would have twenty thousand or if nee
essary fifty thousand, men laundering at
him from east and west. Although he
greatly relies on the temporary success Of
bis defence of the canons, he does not ex-
pect it to be more than temporary, for he
is hiding grain in all the small valleys
among the mountains. and has warned
the people that they will probably have to
burn their city and destroy their temple.
He thus plainly anticipates nothing but a
series Of defeats, more disastrous to the
invaders, however, than 10 the invaded,
after which he must retire to the noun
tains. 1t is true that everything tends to
show that the people are determined, and
ready to hazard the whole existence oI
Mormanism on a blow, the more anaticaI
expecting, no doubt, some miraculous in.
terposition in their behalf. But this can
hardly be the case with Brigham Young
He is too selfish to entertain such enthu.
siastic notions. He can, at the utmost
only cherish hope that the sight of bis
broken and scattered people, with starving
women and children, may finally incline
the nation to pity, ard make them leave
the Mountains to live in their own way,
governed by laws of their own making
ana officers of their own choice. He may
count too. on the unwillngness of the
country to meet the enormous expense o
prolonged war, and on the distractions
that may be afforded by other importan
affairs. Thus he may possibly anticipate
that after year or two the army will b.
recalled, the Mormons be allowed to re
gather around their old homes, and tC
re-estabish their old institutions; wher
he will easily be able again to re-enforCC
his numbers and consolidate his system
anew. Thus he can afford to count the
lives of the faithful whom his madness o
his guilt shall immediate, as of less valu
in the great sum of the success and fail
ure of Mormonism than the future believ
ers whom the blood of these martyrs ma,
rally to bis cause,