New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-04-30
DESFRET.

| DESERET
| When tho Mormon cOlonists settled in the
Valley of Great Salt Lake, in 1889, they Or
ganized State called Deseret, "The Land of
the Honey Bee" They thought they had
| gone so far out of the organized communities
of tho United States that they would be
permitted to exercise their independent
and sovereign powers undisturbed In
time, however, their growing prosperity
attracted the attention of restless ad-
venturers, and, added to the extraordinary
augmentation of the colony proper, a cOnsid-
erable element of " GENTLE" or outside, popu-
lation adhered to the new settlement, and it
became necessary for Congress to organize
the community into q Territory, though the
MOrmons asked for State government.
| This was done in 1Si9 and Brigham Young
was appointed the first Governor by Mr.. Fill
more, who was then President OF the United
States. The so-called State Of Deseret, how
ever, was not dsOrganiZcd; but, so long
| as it did not conflict with the new Territory,
nor with the laws of the United States, it was
| quite as innocent an institution as phalan-
stery or communal settlement. The original
| State Of Deseret was governed in patriarchal
fashion, the President, Brigham Young, being
head of Church and State, and his Council or
| Cabinet being made up Of the highest digni-
taries Of the Church. So all of the political
machinery of the amateur State was con-
| trolled by ecclesiastical authority, and the
attempt was honestly made to revive in the
Great Valley of Salt Lake system of gov
eminent which should resemble that of Israel
I before the days of the Kings more nearly than
| hat hos cd Tha
natured appointment of Brigham Young to
the Governorship of the Territory Of Utah IA
| cilitated sort Of consolidation of interests,
| local and national. The community was known
in law as Utah; in private history and record it
was still Deserct. The settlement of California
| and the subsequent emigration across the con-
tinent disturbed this pastoral dream, and the
Latter Day Saints were rudely awakened by
contact with the outer world to q comprehen
sion of the disagreeable fact that they were
still citizens of the United States and subject
to the laws of Congress. Conflicts of various
kinds, peaceful and bloody, were preciptated
into the once happy valley; Mormon
practices, and especially Mormon polygamy,
were everywhere cited as monstrous and
wicked Brigham Young was displaced from
tho GOvernOrshp by Cummings, and the Nor
mons, giving up their Territory to Gentle
hands, retired again within their shell of
Deserct. 1t must not be forgotten that, during
all this time, Deseret, so far as name and as
sociations were concerned remained the Israel
of the Mormons; it had never been given up;
it has not been to this day.
More recent cvcnts-the Mormon rebellion
and the struggle which came down to later
IN, e
ers. And now, in 1872, come the Mormon citi-
zens of the Territory of Utah, asking admis-
sion to the Federal Union as free and sove-
reign State, under the name and style of
the State of Deseret, with a Constitution
adopted March 18, 1872, by vote Of 25,324.
The arguments adduced by the memOrialists
are the same as those which are adopted by
the citizens of any Territory under similar
circumstances. They do not plead any pecu-
liar hardships that are not endured by the
people of other Territories. TO be sure, they
urge that their population Is large enough
to enttle them TO fair representation
in Congress, and that they have shown
themselves sef-sustaining. There is no doubt
that the condition of Territory is abnormal,
anomalous, irksOme, and hardly contemplated
by the fundamental law of the Republic. The
Constitution was framed without reference to
the present state of things, in which we have
nearly dozen Territories represented in Con-
gress by as many vOteless Delegates. The
people of Utah do not like being governed by
stranger sent out to them from Washing
ton, ignorant of their ways, and possibly re-
warded by delicate Office for political SER
vices rendered to President or Senator'S. No
more do the people Of Dakotah, Washington,
or Idaho, who may have Kansas Legate
placed over them, as though they were o sub
jugated province. The trials of Utah are not
peculiar in this respect though the fact that
they would choose a ruler of their own re-
ligious faith may seem to make their burdens
more oppressive.
The voting population of Utah is not stated,
but the Mormon element is largely in the as
cendant. The vote given for the State Con-
stitutiOn-25,3A against 368-dOes not represent
the total vote of the MOrmOns-as men reckon
votes-because both men and women exercised
the right of suffrage in that election. The
whole population is over $4,000; 20, if Ne
vada should be taken as an example, Utah
has right to ask for the privileges Of State
hood. But the example of Nevada is not en-
cOuraging, and the prevailing sentiment ap-
pears to be against any further increase of the
United States Senate by representatives from
meager constituencies. The Mormons are
very much in earnest, and though nothing il
said about IL in their memorial, il il under
stood that they will even give up polygamy