The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1870-03-25
UTAH.
Some Interesting Facts and Figures.

-
pect. Let us look at her as part of
the United States in practical rebellion
against the laws of the United States
for such she is, as much as province
can be without resorting to arms. And
let us inquire, if this Territory has to
be subdued by force of arms, what
powers of resistance she can bring to
bear, how many men and how much
money it will cost to subdue her.
Utah is part of the territory acqulr-
ed by us from Mexico, in 1S4S, by the
Gaudaloupe Hidalgo treaty. 1t was &C.
cupied in 1S47 By the Mormons, who
had been driven out of Nauvoo, Him
OILS, by mob violence. At the close of
the Mexican war, being left without a
government. the Mormons, TO remedy
their anomalous condition, organized
government of their own, under the til
tie of the estate of Deseret," and Brig
ham Young was chosen their Governor.
In 1850, Congress passed a law remand
ing the State of Deseret back to Ter
ritory, and called it Utah, after the In
dams who originally inhabited it. For
several years the officers of the Terri
tory were appointed entirely from
among the Mormons, and all went well
but, subsequently, when the govern
ment sent out officers from the East, the
MOrmons refused TO receive or obey
them. This led to war, and i'll 1918
military expedition Yves sent out under
General Albert Sidney Johnson. The
expedition conquered a peace, but did
not conquer the Mormons. Brigham
Young, in 1858, had 5000 men on his
rolls subject to military duty, and of
these 1900 were armed and equipped,
and 4.SOO in the field. Johnston had
not half as many effective men as
Young, and there is little doubt that
had a battle been fought the Federal
troops would have been defeated. This
is the opinion of n number of military
men who, after the war, learned the
Mormons' plans, and Gen. Johnston adj
mitted the chances would have been
largely against him. But Young did
not intend to sacrifice his men in
pitched battle. 1t was expected that
the Federal troops would advance
through Echo Conyon, Il narrow pas
sage thirty miles long, and with high
rocky walls. A stream runs through
the CANYON, and dams were constructed
so that the water in the canyon could
be raised to thirteen feet. 1t was
Young's intention to close the dams
when the Federal troops had advanced
ten miles up the passage, and dam back
the water. An officer who was with
the expedition has since said to me- but
for our detention at Bridger, General
Johnson would have marched into Echo
Canyon, and had he done SO, we would
all have bee drowned like rats" While
General johnson lay at Bridger, he
learned of the Mormon plans, and de-
termined to flank Echo Canyon, which,
Brigham ascertaining, he caused all the
houses in Salt Lake City to be filled
with straw and retired into the hills
with his forces, at the same time send
ing word to the Federal commander
that if he attempted to occupy the city
| withs his troops it should be burned to
the ground. A company of Mormons
| was left in the city with strict orders to
fire it whenever the city mas in danger
of falling into the hands of the Cen
| tiles. Had the city been burned it was
Young's intention to retire into the
| mountains, where game was plenty, and
wage a guerrilla warfare on the govern
ment troops, until the Washington au-
| thorities would give UP the attempt to
| subdue Utah, and treat with him on the
basis of the recognition of Polypamy
and his perpetual right to govern the
| Territory. Young believed he could
hold out against the government for
five years, and he did not think it would
continue the struggle with him over
three years.
| In 1850 the Mormons were l1.3SO
strong, and in 1860 they numbered 49,
| 273, or nearly four times as many as in
| 1850. In 1850 the MOrmons had 6,046
males. and in 1860 as many as 20,255.
What the ratio of increase has been
since 1860 is not definitely known, but
| they have at least doubled 1t would
| be fair to estimate the Mormon popula-
| ton of Utah ut the present moment at
| 100000 souls, of whom 10000 are men
and fully 10000 capable of bearing arms.
In 1860 there were twenty counties or
ganized in Utah, and these counties had
| IA, 15S acres of land, valued at 81 ,637,
S54, divided into farms $4,000 acres be-
| ing under cultivation and well improv-
ed. In 1860 there were raised in Utah
1872, 697 bushels of wheat, 93,S6l bushels
of corn, 1SS,036 bushels of oats, $4,000
bushels of barley, besides considerable
quantity of rye and buckwheat. In
1860 the Mormons had 5, IT'S horses, ,0SO
mules, 10000 working oxen, 1902
I'milch cows, Al, 900 head of sheep, lO,780
hogs, and vast herds of beefcattle, num-
bering over 10000 head. There were
14O.370 bushels of Irish potatoes raised
in 1860, and $500 gallons of molasses
made, besides peas, beans, flax seed and
grass seed. In 1850 Utah had 1927, zoo
worth of -four, 100000 worth of leath-
er, and $4,000 worth of shoes, and
made steam engines, guns, pistols, and
could cast small cannon. Their artisans
embraced every occupation followed in
/ the United States and Great Britain.
The Territory is larger in extent than
New York and Pennsylvania combined,
and contains more square miles than all
| the New England States, or Maryland,
| Kentucky and Tennessee. This will
give some idea of the mountains and
| valleys to be marched over in order to
occupy all of Utah.
I have thrown out these facts and fig
ures because believe it is we'll enough
| to consider facts and figures q little
when we talk about subduing people.
| l believe there are some popular errors
| about the Mormons which ought to be
corrected. There was persistent effort
| by many writers to make sport and be-
| little the polygamists. 'IThey can easily
be wiped out" s'they won't fight y
'sBrigham's authority is played out y
these and kindred expressions / see
every day in the papers but do not you
people of the East believe a word of
them. Really, Brigham Young never
was more firmly seated than at this mo-
ment. Napoleon has no more power
over France, or the Pope over Rome,
than Young has over the Mormons. He
1 is both the temporal and spiritual ruler,
and can at a word unite his people in a
compact body to execute his will. He
| is Iarge-minded man and does not
worry with the few dsaffected subjects
/ in his kingdom, but let war come, and
he will, in the twinkling of an eye, put
| them in his ranks or hang them 10 the
lamp posts of Salt Lake City. He is
confident in his strength with the mass
es, and cares nothing for the few seced-
ers from the Church, knowing well his
/ temporal power can at any moment
reach them even to life or death. This
man, his power, purposes and designs,
are not to be underestimate or be made
light of. When the first gun of the
Mormon war is fired the Mormon peo-
pie Will become a unit, and the banner
i of religious fanaticism will be hoisted /;
banner that never yet went down ex-
] cept in blood. Rather than give up
] polygamy the Mormons viii fight, and
i it will take forty thousand men, two
/ years of war, and one hundred millions
| of money to conquer Brigham Young
and his Church. Brethren, let us adj
vance, but let us go forward under
standingIy.-Cor. Chicago Tribune.
/
PAPERISG RooMs.-Many lives have
been lost from the faZiuess or Ignorance