, 1859-02-22
Another View Of the Mormon Jurispru.
denCes

Correspondence OF lie Philadelphia Pres6l
WASHINGTON. Feb. Il. 1t5s.
It il ssid thst the Mormon war has already
cost the Government E1ore than sc, 900. 900;
and if an army of two or three thousand men il
to be kept there for an indefinite period Of time.
q similar drain upon the national resources will
be continued. The American people are emi.
peutlY practical in their views. and some Of these
DAYS will begin to inquire whether It is desira-
BILE to incur go much trouble and expense 10 at.
tain results of comparatively small Importance.
The great difficulty in Utah appears to be be.
tween the judges nnd the people- So far rs re-
cent sdriees inform us, peace reigns there. Gov
ernor Cumming possesses the confidence OF the
people, end to great e1tcnt commands their
obedience md respect. In the courts, District
Attorney Wilson seems to move olong as SUCCESS.
fully as the generality Of district attorneys.
From the Fery nature Of the legal System OF
Utah, Rs OF all other American communities, the
iurics are made up Of men chosen from the body
OF the people, and represent, inevitably, to some
extent, the pnssonb, feelings, aud preju1ices Of
those among whom their lot il life is cat. When
Judge 6inolair, in the discharge Of hia oilicial
dutIes. chose TO place upon the pardon of Mr. Bu.
chspan an Interpretation differing from the sense
in which il was ordinarily accspted, sud from
he meaning which the peace com 2aabsioners and
Governor Cumming plhced upon it, ana .f1cn
be evnced . disposition 10 press prosecutions
against larRe number Of the prominent citizans
of the Territory, eTen against the better iude-
ment Of the district attorney, it is not very sin
gulnr that people, banded together as the Nor
mons are. should not only feel disposed to resist
his dicsa, but, in their resistance, to 90 beyond
the bounds Of legal propriety. That they are
not wholly disposed to ignore the action Of the
courts il sheHn By the fact, that when Ferguson
was indicted for alleged indignities upon Judge
Stiles, the grand inry. composed Of a majority
Of MormonH. found true bill, but after trial OF
a. dr hnA
ed considerable ingenuity in his defence, which
he tbeipg q lawye conducted in person, be man
aged to secure an ncquitts1. In the subsequent
csse Of q man indicted for the murder of q deaf
mute, the Mormons allege that there we're ex-
tenuatiug circumstances; and thsir version ia
that the deceased.was killed while in custodT for
criminal offence, at time when the officer in
charge ol him T8s compelled, in se1fdefenre. to
destroy him. II il, no doubt, vain to pretend
that, according to the strict rules Of Law, under
the circumstances. As We understand them, that
Mormon grand jury Was justihsble in ignoring
ablli Of Indictment in shls cass; but the point
which wish to present to yonr readers is this;
TINT Juties, every where throughout the country,
nre notoriously influenced in their deliberations
hy the sentiments and peculiar ideas Of the com.
mun!taes in which they live; and seriouB Is that
ev1l 1s--sao!ersive as it is Of the true ends of
justice--does 1t impose upon the National Gov
eminent the duty Of fcoErscting it by having mar.
tisl law declared in utah-by hs-inc men tried
BY dram.head courts-by giving Judges absolute
power Of lifa or death, and unlimited control Of
nrope1tv, or by tguanderiug away flo, ,00o. 900
in vain attempts 10 establish Mormon jurispru.
dence On basis which e1actly squares With the
ideas Of clear headed lanyera. 1t the Nasionsl
Government il 10 undertake to compel juries and
grand jures 10 act in all important cases "a the
judges think they should act, it will have lis
hands full, and it can tQuauder .swaY hundreds
Of mltllons annually, and after it has done 60,
discover that infinitely more harm lhsn good