The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-05-14
The Crisis In Utah-Whers IL the
Attorney Generals

are properly Wuu entIRetichily Suse"AnS~
from Washington, our Salt Lake corre-
spondent writes in letter we print else
where, the conviction of the real authors
and directors of the Mountain Meadows mas
sacre, and of other equally atrocious MUIR
ders is not only possible but probable. But
he adds that a failure Of such necessary
support ''may prevent contamination OF
justice which would probably consign to a
doom identical with that of John d. Lee
the greatest fraud and the supremest feion
! OF the century,"
Our correspondent is a careful investi-
gator, not in the habit Of jumping to con-
illusions, and he has access to the best
sources of information. We have no hesi-
tation in calling the attention Of the ad-
minstration at Washington and of the
country to his words. he recalls what is
perfectly true, that "nearly every able, indie
pendent and fearless federal officer in Utah
has been broken down in his contest
with the Mormon power" Brigham Young
himself boasts of his success. He has
caused in past years the removal OF federal
judges, secretaries, district attorneys and
marshals whom he could not gain over to
his side by brides or coerce by terror. But
whoever of these officers has chosen to play
into his hands has found himself pleasantly
placed. One complaisant Governor had his
board bills paid By the Mormon authorities
during his whole stay in the Territory.
Money and men to carry on intrigues, not
only in Utah, but in Washington, have never
been lacking '.Look ct the fntes Of those
who have fought against us !" exclaimed the
Prophet but a few days ago.
It is not probable that the efforts to de-
feat the attempts OF federal officers to do
justice will cease just now. On the con-
trary, they are sure to be more desperately
pushed than ever before, for never
hitherto did the Mormon leaders find
themselves threatened with real danger;
never before since they began their
rule in Utah have they seen justice
vigilant. undeterred by fears or by brides,
and actually on their tracks "a nearer
approach than ever before is making toward
the apprehension Of the men really respon-
sible for the Mountain Meadows and other
massacres Of the Mormon Church." writes
our correspondent, and, excellent as are his
sources Of information, we may depend on
it Young and the other Mormon leaders are
quite as we'll informed as he. He speaks,
too, of "evidence unusually direct which
ought to condemn to death several atrocious
believers in blood atonement," and in Dis
trict Attorney Howard's despatch to the
Attorney General, which we printed on
Wednesday last, he writes to his official
chief:-"There are facts within my knowl-
edge, not derived from Lee that rebut the
inference that there was written commune
cation between Lee and Brigham Young,
but which will show that communication to
have been between Young and another
party, which I will, if desired by you, recite
in private communication. In short, if
the federal officers in Utah are encouraged
and sustained from Washington as they
ought to be the authors of the Mountain
Meadows massacre and Of other no less afro
cious murders will be brought to justice.
The letter of our correspondent, which
we print elsewhere, is simply an appeal for
such support. He shows that District At
torney Howard has been a remarkably able,
faithful and courageous officer, that he has
pursued without falteriug the trail on which
he found himself in the prosecution of Lee
that the condemnation OF that wretch was
mainly due to the skill with which Mr..
Howard isolated his case from that Of Young
and the other Mormon leaders; that before
the Grand Jury, which meets at Salt Lake
City on the 21sL-one week hence and of
which, fortunately for the cause Of justice,
a majority are not Mormons, Mr.. Howard
will lay a mass Of very important evidence,
which should lead to the indictment Of
mlsrepresent and calumniate, and thus to
defeat Mr.. Howard, have already begun, and
it would seem that SO far as Mr.. Howard and
the other federal officers are concerned
they have done their duty, and success is
within their reach if only they have support
from Washington.
But with all that has been done, we are
told 'rhere is disadvantage in the lack Of
money to secure the attendance of witnesses
who have removed from the Territory and
to carry on necessary proceedings in the
court" We have read frequently Of late,
in Washington dispatches, that the appro-
priations for the Department OF Justice were
exhausted, but we did not suppose that
matters had been so managed there that one
Of the most important criminal investiga-
tions this country has ever known was to be
crippled by lack OF a few thousand dollars.
Can this be true? II it is the Attorney
General ought certainly to let the public
know it.
1t is necessary to speak plainly in this
matter We call on the Attorney General
to show that he is doing his duty in this
matter that he is awake to its Importance
TINT he L. familiar with all IL dD.aiIr that