The Mountaineer. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1859-1861, 1859-10-29


~. ,sb.bItants 81 Utah are here accused d
..h.ap and treason. Against WHAT II 4 mol
...n,sssed. out the meaning evidently \, aeainsI
~ institutions, laws and government o. TIE
Iibited states7 This sweeping charge, which
- ouIv b. sustained BY posiive and indlaputhhls
80 $3.50 ~ Utterly deny When, ! ask, has Utah
s.sr ,oaeh, 10 overthrow any o. the institutions
" 49, conntgyf Never, and we challenge proof
y. y. NV. eantfnfv. Have the Mormons ever tried
y ayerthrow the laws or government Of the
,fa;,sd statesf We answer--never. The ding
/. .Impty absurd, and the marvel . that any man
n sense could ever see tin any other light The
i5sa that few pioneers 81 The desert, inhabiting
here and there an lsolatsd spot Of arable land IN
~ ,nldst q the surrounding WASTES, struggling
1900 Indians, orickets und arasshoppefs for
y, sflstence, and mostly dependent upon out
sldera for manufactured goods, should think TO
..srthSow The laws and government Of The
yiaI,sd sistes. n ridiculous in The extreme. But
!, r,sv ~ urged that IL the Mofmons have not
sctuallv tried to do this, they have sought 10
srsde he laws Of the land, and paralyze the hand
81 Justice. This W also deny, and chalaBge
proof. Instead q endeayortng % hinder and
repose he u. s Judges, the grand difficulty has
hssn most Or the time, that there have been none
here 10 oppose. Officials appointed 70 service
n Utah, Ia times past, after delaying their APP
neatai,ce among us for months, would come, stay
: abort time and depart, saying they could do
4 nothing. thus leaving 10 without q full bench
,nost 81 The time Why could thew do nothing
Because there was nothing 10 do The business
81 Judge 10 not to make disputes and official
Ties, but to prevent and settle them. The Nor
mons as people have always sought 20 live
without litigation, and We believe and positively
affirm that no one DESTROYS Of performing the
duties or good citizen, has any occasion 10
brenk any law Of the land, and that those only
have any reason to dread the laws who wish 10
break them. AZ 5 stF; ai5 5585 I.
We quote further. sEsut The inaI preparations
for fttlng out the expedition, and the actual
movement Of troops uPpn that remote and diff
cult Territory, have NOT until now been made the
subject Of official communication, nor have the
highly beneficial consequences resulting from
the policy OF thnt movement been as yet brought
10 your notice, OF 10 that Of the publc,n s
In regard 10 the beneficial consequences here
spoken Of BY the Honorable Secretary, We will
say that We fully agree with him, for we consi2
der Il indispntable that the beneficial eonse.
qnences resulting from the expenditure Of from
eight 70 ten million dollars, the withdrawing
troops from frontier settlements continually
exposed 10 the hostiliifes of the. Indians, and
directing them upona Terri ory which was In
profound pence al the time, have NOT as ret been
brought 10 the public notice The Question has
been asked from one end Of the Union 10 the
other since the "movementv began---'. what coed
do you expect 10 accomplisii2', but according to
the Secfetaty's Report those ssbenefieIal conse.
quences" have not as yet been made apparent.
IL Is one Of the weaknesses OF our fallen human,
nature, that when the taxpayer sees immense
sums Of money aboft 10 DO expended by govern
meat, he feels as;ious TO know what viii be-
done with u. He understands, OF course, that u
large portion Of u IL destined to gil The rockets
OF tho officials who have the good fortune 20
handle it--ihat Il fxel fact; but the question
is--how m1ch7 and what win be done with The
balance. In order to set AZ rest the mind OF The
anxious inquirer, we will show forth sonIe of the
"beneficial Consequences" that have resulted
from the policy Of the Administration, SO far as
we are able to comprehend them
The advantages are that Of the eight OF len
million dollars expended in 'scrl,h NO The tfen-
SON." several millions found their way into the
hands Of some Of the army contractors, for tran,
sportaiion, supplies, Sc; several million dollars
have been expended in Utah, fer forage, prov
sions, lumber, labor, &C.. thus making money
plentiful and trade brisk; thousands oil wagons
have been imported, making vehicles and iroa---
those essential articles--pienlifnl in our midst,
and great many Thousand cattle and mules, sold
to our citizens, have placed a team within The
reach OF almost every one in the Territory. In
addition to this, several new routes leading to
Utah have been surveyed and opened, thereby
shortening the way and giving increased facilities
for our numerous iInmgrationto join their friends
IN the mountains.
Surely these are great practical benefits, and
justice to the Administration requires that they
should be generally known. &. s5
In the following paragraph, same page, the
Secretary accuses us OF destroying the provision
trains, driving off cattle ard horses OF proclaim
ing martial law without pretext or Justice; of
embodyng and drilling the militia, and Of seeking
10 cut off the whole command; and that every
preparation Indicated spirit Of determined hos.
nlity, rebellion, treason and war against the
United States g.; ~ ..#z
Tbs Is surely formidable list OF offences, but
ore the proofs sufficient to justify the charge1
Tho constitution Of The United States declares,
article 3, sec. that 'ttreason against the UHited
States shall consist only IN leyying war against
them, or in adtiering to their enemies, giving
them aid aad comfori:n We deny that Utah ever
declared war against the United States, or that
the Mormons ever gave aid and comfort 10 their
enemies When the army OF Utah entered The
mountains. advancing to Utah, who sstappsd
thsmf Were they attacked by the Mo.In ms,
while ihitheir helpless condition. No. Not a
single shot was ever fired at them BY Mormon
although the troops repeatedly fred at the Nor
mons boh with artillery and small urms. Ii has
eeeh repeatedly declared by officers Of the army,
That the army remained in the mountains, solely
W tup lhcletnoncy OF tue season. ana
the report Of the Secretary Of Wa, page 9i, part
:, acknowledges The offer from the Mormons, OF
sufficient pTopisions to last the army until the
arrival OF its provision trains in tho spring. Il
this war7 Is II customary for one party while
ievytHg war against another, 10 proffer them
proVisians, especially when their adyeFsafies are
10 a suffering cenditiobf Let every man OF
sense answer the question. Such was The con-
duel Of The Mormons at a time when they We're
charged with rebellion against the United States
The Secretary continnes:--tAnd nothing but
menace and defiance towards the United 81 aiss
authorities ever fell from the bps Of their chief
impostor or any Of his eonfederates.n i :.
Sach language from one person claiming TO be
gentleman, towards another. on account Of a
d;tarenee in religious faiih,--and the use o. the
words "chief imposloTo sufficiently Indicates il
- Is utterly unworthy man AZ honor. Neither
brigham Young nor any OF his confederates
Send they are numerous, have ever used such
language towards the authorities Of the United
states; but they hape expressed their decided dis
appreciation OF certain unlawful ard ancons,itu-
tionsl acts Of some Of, those officials. We reyer-
ence Just end wholesome laws, as necessary 10 the
Property OF any state, and an we AL. 4 ist 3,