The Worthington advance., 1877-09-06

and the appointment of Col. steptoe, Of
the United, States army, as governor.
Col. Steptoe arrived in Utah in August,
1854, with a battalion Of soldiers; but
such was the state Of affairs in the terri
tory that he did not deemit prudent to
assume the office Of governor, and after
wintcring in Salt Lake he formally re-
signed his post and removed with his
troops to California. In sermon
preached in the Tabernacle at Salt Lake
City on the Sunday after Col. Steptoe's
departure, Brigham Young said: Il am
and will be governor, and no power can
binder it, until the Lord Almig ghty says:
" brigham, you need not be governor any
longer."' Most Of the civil officers who
were commissioned about the same time
with Col. Steptoe arrived in Utah few
months after he had departed. They
were harassed and terrified like their pre-
decessors. In February, 1856, moo of
armed Mormons, instigated by sermons
from the heads of the church, broke into
the courtroom of the United States dis
trict judge, and at the point Of the bowie
knife compelled Judge Drummond to ad-
journ his court siae die. Soon afterward
all the United States officers, with the ex-
ception of the Indian agent, were forced
to flee from the territory.
These and similar outrages at length
determined President Buchanan to super
sede Brigham Young in the office of gov
ernor, and to send to Utah military force
to protect the federal officers and to COM
pei obedience to the laws. The Mormons
attempted to justify their treatment OF
the United States officials, by alleging
that some of them were prodigate and
disreputable persons; an accusation which
they attempted to sustain by scandalous
statements which were not probably en-
tirely destitute::of truth. In; 1857 the Office
Of governor of Utah was conferred upon
Alfred Cumming, a superintendent Of
Indian affairs on the upper Missouri, and
that of chief justice on Judge Eckels, of
Indiana; and force of twenty -fve1 hund-
red men under experienced officers was
sent to protect them IN the discharge of
their functions. The Mormons were
greatly excited at the approach Of these
troops. Young in his capacity of govern
or issued proclamation denouncing the
army as mob, and forbidding it to enter
the tn territory, and calling the people Of
Utah to repcl its advance. The army
reached Utah in September, and on
October 5 and party of mounted
Mormons destroyed several of the supply
trains, and few days later cut off eight
hundred oxen from the rear of the army
ard drove them to Salt Lake City, The
army,o of which Col. A. S. Johnston had by
this time assumed the command, was over
taken by the SHOWS of winter before it could
reach SAT- Lake valley, and about the mid
die of November went into winter quarters
on Blacks fork, near Fort Bridgcr. On
Nov. ~ Gov. Cumming issued a procla
matio the territory to be in a state of
rebellion. In the spring of 1868, by the
Intervention of Mr.. Thomas L. Kane, of
Pennsylvania, who had gone to Utah by
way Of California, bearing letters from
President Euchanan,a "a good understanding
was brought about between Gov. Cum
ming and the Mormon leaders; and
toward the end of May two commissioners,
Gov. Powell of ofKentucky and Maj. McCul-
Loeb, Of TIE xas, arrived at the camp with
a proclamation from the President, Offer
ing pardon to all Mormons who would
submit themselves to federal authority.
This offer was accepted by the heads Of
the church, and shortly afterward the
troops entered Salt Lake valley, and
were stationed at Camp Floyd on the west
ern side of Lake Utah. about forty miles
from Salt Lake City, where they remained
till May, 1860, when they were withdrawn
from the territory.
With Brigham Young's recent history
the public is perfectly familiar. Of his
troubles with Ann Eliza, his nineteenth
polygamous wife, and of the efforts lately
made to connect him with the horrible
massacre at Mountain Meadows, the news
papers from time to time have given full
particulars.
BY the death of Brigham Young, ,proph-
ct seer, and "president of the church
of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints" the Mormon church has lost a
leader whose place there IS none to ill
completely, and the world has lost a char
acter who will be notorious as long as
history endures. He possessed those pecu-
liar traits of character that tit men to be
rulers. He was despot, absolute as the
car of Russia, but more endeared to his
people, because he was one Of the people,
revered as a prophet-a direct agent of
the Almighty, through whom His will
was revealed to the people. He was
cruel, remorselcss in the execution of his
plans, visiting heresy with the most ter.
ribie penalties. The tribe Of Dan, to
which was given the execution Of the
death penalty, when decreed by The
church or its prophet, was composed Of
men who knew no compassion, and WAC
executed the judgments of the despotie
hierarchy with appalling cruelty.
The practice of polygamy owes it,
origin among the Mormons to Brigham
Young. Himself of gross, sensual ma
ture, he sought qualification for his lus
which would appear sacred, at least tt
his followers. When the ''revelation" per
mi;ting the faithful to have plurality o
wives was given, there was partial revolt
but as polygamy was a privilege, not
requirement, and was recommended as
means frapidly increasing their number
the saints finally accepted it: and gradu
, ally the practice became almost universe
among the Mormons in Utah, although
, few of the followers of the prophet, Josep
= Smith, still reject it as heresy. All effort
. of the federal government to suppress th
= practice have thus far failed. With tn
death of the prophet who ordained i
polygamy will doubtless begin to die.
It is related of Dunning, an Englis
8 Judge, that frequently, in the examin;
l ton of witnesses, he 'displayed gre,
D coarseness, and drew upon himself til
t animadversion Of his brethren" On or
' occasion, wishing to establish the idel
e tity of person through the instrume'