The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1858-12-16
seg pohs gaaure geal ebs asrnl Temperance G0ua
OTTUMWA IOWA, THURSDAY DECEMBER 16, 1855. G11

population Of q few thousand, they should
prematurely enter the Union, they are oppres-
sed by the burden of State taxation, and the
means necessary for the improvement of the
territory and the advancement of their own
interests, are thus diverted to very different
purposes.
The federal government has ever been
liberal parent to the territories, and a gener-
Gus contributor. to the useful enterprises of
the early settlers. 1t has paid the expenses
of their governments and Legislative assem-
blies out of the common threasury, and thus
relieved them from a heavy charge. Under
these circumstances nothing can he better
calculated to retard their material progress
than to divert them from their useful en-.
ployments by prematurely exciting angry
political contests among themselve9, for the
benefit Of aspiring leaders. IL is surely no
hardship for embroyo governors, Senntors
and members of Congress, to wait until the
number of inhabitants shall equal those of a
single Congressional District. They surely
ought not to be permitted to- rush ints the
Union with population less than one half of
several of the large counties in the interior
of some of the States This was the con-
diton of Kansas when it made application to
be admitted under the Topeka constitution.
Besides, it requires sometime to render the
tory at all homogeneous, and to unite them on
any thing like a fixed policy. Establish the
rule, and all will lock forward to it and gov
ern themselves accordingly.
But justice to the people of the several
States require that this rule should be estab-
lished by Congress. Each State is entitled
to two Senator's and at least one representa-
tive in Congress. Should the people of the
States fail to elect Vice President, the pow
err devolves upon the States to select this of
fcer from the two highest candidates on the
list. In case Of the death Of the President
the Vice President thus elected by the States
becomes President of the United States. On
all questions of legislation, the Senators from
the small States of the Union have an equal
vote with those from the largest. The same
may be said in regard to the ratification of
treaties, and executive appointments. All
this has worked admirably in practice, whilst
it conforms in principle with the character of
a government instituted by sovereign States
+ presume no American citizen would desire
the slightest change in the arrangement
Still, is it not uni ust and unequal to the exis-
ting States to invest some forty or fifty thou
sand people collected in territory with the
attributes of sovereignty, and place them on
an equal footing with Virginia and New York
in the Senate of the u. s.
For these reasons | earnestly recommend
the passage of a general act which shall pro-
vide that, upon the application of territorial
legislature, declaring their belief that the
ter tory contains nun ler inhabitants which
if in State, would entitle them to elect a mem
Der of Congress, it shall be the duty of the
President to cause a census Of the inhabitants
to be taken, and if found sufficient, then by
the terms of this act TO authorize them to pro-
ceed sin their own way to frame State con :
stitution preparatory to admission into the
Union. 1 also recommend than an appropria-
ton aay be made to enable the President to
take a census of the people of Kansas
The present condition Of the territory OF
Utah, when contrasted with what it was one
year ago, is subject for congratulation. L,
was thea in state OF open rebellion, and,
cost what il might. the character OF the gov
ernment required that this rebellion should
be compressed and the Mormous be compelled
to yield obedience 10 the constitution aud the
laws. In order TO accomplish this object as
L Informed you in my last annual message,
appointed a new governor instead or Brig CHAM
Young, and other federal officers to take the
place o those who, consulting their personal
safety, had found it necessary to withdraw "
from the territory. TO protect these civil
officers, and TO aid them, as posse comitatas
in the execution of the laws in case of need,
ordered . detachment OF the army TO accom-
pany them to Utah. The necessity for adop-
ting these measures is now demonstrated.
On the 10Th of September, 1857, Governor
Young issued his Proclamation, in the style
OF an independent sovereign, Announcing
his purpose TO resist by force of arms the en-
try Of the United States troops into our own
territory of Utah. BY this he required all
the forces in the territory to "hold themselves
in readiness to march at a moments notice to
repel any and all such invasions," and estab-
lishel martial law from its date throughout
the territory. These proved to be no idle
threats. Fort Bridger and Supply were va
Gated and burnt down by the Mormons, to de-
prive our troops of y shelter after their long
and fatiguing march. Orders were issued by
Daniel H. Wells, styling himself "Lieutenant
General, Nauvoo Legion, to stampede the an
imais of the United States troops on their
march, 20 set fire to their trains, to burn the
grass and the whole country before them and
on their TANKS, to keep them from sleeping by
night surprises, and to blockade the road by
telling trees and destroying the fords OF riv-
ers, &c, sc.
These orders were promptly and effectually
obeyed On the 4th of October, 1857, the
Mormons captured and burned on Green
seventy ty-fve wagons loaded with provisions
and tents for the army, aud drove away sew
eral hundred animals. This diminished the
supply of provisions SO materially that Gen.
Johnston was obliged to reduce the ration,
and even with this precaution there was only
sufficient left to subsist tho troops until the
1st of June.
Our little army behaved admirably in their
encampment at Fort Bridger, under these
trying priyations. In the midst of the noun
tain, in dreary, unsettled and inhospitable
region, more than n thousand miles from home.
they passed the severe and inc,ement winter
without murmur. They looked forward
with confidence for relief from their country
in due season, aud in this they were not dis
appointed.
The Secretary Of War employed all his en-
ergies to forward them the necessary sup
plies and to muster and send such military
force to Utah as would render resistance ON
the part of the lormons hopeless, and thus
terminate the war without the effusion of
blood In his effort he was efficiently sus-
tanned by Congress-. They granted appro-
priations suffi lent to cover the deficiency
thus necessarily created, aud also provided
for raising two regiments of volunteers "for
the pupose of quelling disturbances in the
nf I'fah far ha nra 49,