The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-12-02

The existence Of the Mormons as a separate and
apparently independent political community, with
in the limits of the UNITED STATES enjoying our
protection, but practically paying little obedience
to our laws, and treating our officers with con-
tempt has been long felt to be disgrace and
scandal to the Republic, but one which Govern
ment has not seemed to know how to remove
Like most problems therefore, which the poll
ticians cannot settle, and with which parties are
afraid to deal, the Mormon question has been left
pretty much to time and accident to work out its
solution At one time, indeed, it did appear as if
Mr.. BUCHANAN, like another ALEXANDER, was
about to cut the knot, which he conld not unite
with the sword and it was hoped that the expe-
dltion which was fitted out at so much pains and
expense, under command of General JOHNSTON,
would result in reducing the Mormons to submits
sion, and in eiiacng the stain and sin of poly
gamy from the national escutcheon That hope,
however, was disappointed. When within short
distance, and almost within sight Of Salt Lake
City, the further progress of the army was stayed
by the news that an amnesty had been granted to
the Mormons and that its services would not be
required. After undergoing all manner of hard
ships during their long and tedious march across
the plains-cod, hunger, fatigue, and the annoy
ance OF an enemy whom they were not permitted
to chastise the troops were ordered into winter
quarters-a portion of them sent to other destina-
lonesome, perhaps, recalled to the States and
the rest stationed in Utah, where they have since
remained, leading an inactive life, and not allowed
to interfere even for the protection of the Federal
Judges from insult and injury, or for the suppress
sion of the organized brigandage which prevails
in the Territory. All the time consumed and en-
pense incurred in military preparations went for
nothing-the sullerings of the army for nothing
and the formal declarations of the Executive that
the laws should be enforced at every hazard, for
less than nothing. Only that was done which
might have been as well done without any of this
trouble. An amnesty was proclaimed which GER
talnly an army was not needed to enforce and the
whole matter nominally settled, but in reality left
unsettled, by Commissioners, who, or so pacific
and harmless an Grand could hardly have
required the protection of so formidable an escort
While censunng, however, as in all honesty we
mrst do, the conduct of Government in reference
to this Utah business, we are far from either saying
or thinking that the course of the Administration
was an easy one. The blood of the martyrs is pro-
verbally the seed of the church, and all forms of
religious error and fanaticsm thrive best when
force is apparently used for their extrpation.
While we consider that the overt acts of treason
and rebellion committed by the Mormon priest
hood and people, justified and required the inter-
position of the military power of Government, we
fully recognize the fact, that so far as the further
spread and increase of Mormonism was con-
cerned, the consequences of such policy might
have been most disastrous The destruction of
Salt Lake City by the troops of the UNITED STATES,
like that of Nauvoo by the citizens of Missouri and
Illinois, might only have resulted in the founding
of a new colony and the building of new city,
upon another soil and under better auspices; while
the hanging of BRIGHAM YOUNG would certainly
have added his name to that of JOE SMITH upon
the rolls Of the Mormon Martyrology. Even the
voluntary exodus of the Saints to Sonora or to the
dominions of Her Britannia Majesty, as was at
one time suggested, and Ivy many was hoped
would take place, would not have relieved the
subject of its embarrassments. The power of Mex
leo would have been unequal to the task of pre-
venting or furnishing those acts of retaliation and
aggression, to which a sense of recent injury, as
well as the consciousness of being in some mea-
sure emancipated from our control, would have
stimulated and emboldened the Mormon chiefs.
Another expedition against them, ending perhaps
in the necessary but worthless acquisition of the
territory of Sonora, would have been, in time, in
evitable, and we should have had the Mormons once
more upon our hands, and all our old troubles to
go over. The settlement of the Mormons in Brit
ish America, on the other hand, would, perhaps
not have been permitted, or if permitted would
probably have resulted, from precisely similar
es, in embrong the two governments, and have
given rise to complications" compared with
which the pig-shooting difficulty into which we
have got at San Juan, would be- as it really is,
trifing affair. Another obstacle in the way of
satisfactory adjustment of the Utah question has
arisen from the conflicting views of our public
men on the subject of popular or territorial SOW
ereignty. According to the dogma which declares
it unconstitutional for Congress to legisate in re-
gard to slavery in the territories but refers the reg
ulation of that well as all other institutions, TO
the people themselves, it would be out of the pow
er of the Federal Government to make polygamy
criminal offence, or to undertake to repress any
OF the abuses of the Mormon creed or hierarchy by
legislative enactments. So long as the Mormons,
therefore, by fair or foul have control If bo
Territorial Legislature, they can, successfully on
pose any attempt TO bring the enormities of tbeir
faith and practice within the reach of the hand of
justice The only way, apparently TO get at the
root of the evi-and we do not know that tho ad-
vocates of 'fsquatter' sovereignty would admit
even this plan to be feasible-would be to repeal
the Territorial Act, and to leave the people OF
Utah without any government other than that of