The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-05-28
THE DEBATE.
Confirmation of the Cam n
Campbell Contest in GIe
House.
CanuOO's Argument
Continued from Saturdays Daily

Continued from Saturdays Daily
Mr.. Cannon said:
Mr., Speaker-As I have not prepared
| any written remarks. l will feel greatly
obliged to mem bers if they will allow M
| TO proceed with what / have TO say, with
out interruption.
l did not expect when this debate com.
menced, to have aDythicE to say upon
this question, unless the necessity should
arise such as | think has arisen. would
feel ashamed, Mr.. Speaker, if I could
get the opportunity that has been az.
forded me now, to go back, should the
| House vote that this seat is vacant, To my
constituents without saying something in
reply TO the many charges which have
been made against them by various
speakers during this debate.
I am comforted, Mr.. Speaker, by one
reflection. That Christianity which has
been so much Wanted upon this floor,
and which has been held up in contra
distinction to that system which many OF
my constituents believe in, was itself q
prosecuted sect, and its founder was cru
CITED between two thieves. And from
that day until the present every man who
has ever stood among his fellowmen to
declare principles which came in conflict
with popular ideas, has In almost every
instance, had to lay down his life as q
proof Of the sincerity of his convictions
concerning that which he has taught.
There has been no end Of false statements
made on this floor concerning the people
with which / Rm connected, But while
this food Of false statements has been
pouring oyer the country, concerning the
people Of Utah, scarcely q voice has
been heard in their defense.
Those who attempted to say something
favorable concerning them in the first
discussion which took place upon the
Utah case were sneered at and were de-
rided and laughed almost out of the
arena, 10 prevent them from saying q
word respecting the morality, industry,
the good order, or other good qualities
the people Of Utah possess.
Sir, that people have suffered persecu-
ton, but did not expect the day would
come when. on the floor of the American
Congress, the fact that they had been
driven Eve times from their homes would
be cited as q reason why they should still
be ill-treated, and why further inhuman
resolutions should be adopted against
them. But this has been the case in this
discussion. The fact that, they lived in
Ohio, the fact that they lived in Mis-
souri,. the fact that thsy lived in illinois.
and that, mobbed, plundered and driven
out they took their fight into the wilder.
ness, has been urged as reason why they
should be treated new as is proposed, as
has been enacted in the law that has
passed this body and passed the other
house, and that is now on the statute
book, ard also as q reason why the peo-
pie should be deprived Of their represen-
tation on this floor.
In 1S47, Mr.. Speaker, in company with
a large number Of others, reached Utah
Terri DRY, which was then q portion OF
the Mexican Republic. While We we're
at Council Bluffs, 10 the summer Of l846,
3 demand was made by the Federal gov
ernment upon the travelling camps of the
Mormon people for 500 young men to en-
list in battalion to go to California and
fight in the Mexican war. Those 500
young men enlisted, and they helped
with others Of their countrymen in con-
quering and securing California, which
then comprised what il now Utah Terri
tory and adjacent territories, including
the now state Of Nevada.
Before the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo,
we had reached Salt Lake CITY, and one
OF our first acts after reaching that place
was to hoist the United States flag and to
take possession Of the country as citizens
| OF the United States. Though we had
Ted from religious prosecutions there was
deeply implanted In our hearts love for
the Institutions of this country, We
knew that there was no form of govern
ment upon the face of the earth that
could be compared with this under which
we DWELL that the largest possible liberty
that man could desire could be enioyed
under this constitution, which had been
secured by so many sacrifices. And
though we might have formed alliances
with others, with neighborirg powers,
there was no disposition of that kind.
The people were fon5ly attached to their
country, to its institutions, and to its Con-
stitution. At that time there were COM
psratively few of foreign birth among
the people. A provisional government
was formed as quickly as possible, under
which the people dwelt until they could
bring their condition before Congress.
As soon as practicable delegates were
sent down to Washington asking for the
admission of the country as the state of
Deseret, this being the title that was
given TO the provisional government.
Almon W. Babbitt came down here in
lS49; John NJ. Bernhisel came down
afterwards; both of them acting as dele
gate representing the people, who, as [
have said, had formed provisional gov
eminent, and enacted laws for the gov
eminent of the country and the mainten-
ance of good order.
In September, 1850, Utah Territory
was organized, at the same time that
New Mexico was organized, and at the
same time that California was admitted
into the Union.
Our petition to be admitted as state
was denied US, but we we're granted ter
ritoris! form of government. The frat
governor of the territory who was sp-
pointed was Brigham Young, concerning
whose family and the size Of it the gen.
tleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Hazelton)
told you yesterday. He was appointed
by Willard Fillmore and acted as such
governor for four years. At the expira-
lion of that term Franklin Pierce, who
was then President of the United States,
him governor and he con-
tiGued to act in that capacity until the
expiration of the second term Of four
years.
John M. Bernhisel came here as the
delegate from that territory; gentleman
whom some few Of the older members
here will recollect; a man who in every
way adorned the position, and whose
conduct in life and everything pertaining
10 him was unezeeptionable. DE was