The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-14

bound as emigrants; the land which the United
States had determined to wrest from Mexico
Brigham Young's object was to have his cake
and eat it, too. AS emigrants. these men would
be expense; volunteers, they would be
source of revenue. Eventually the government
recruited 800 Mormons. marched them across
the country, dsbanded them in California, allow
ing them to retain their arms, and paid them
$40, 900 for their needless services. This money
was collected by Brigham Young's agent, John
ID. Lee, ostensibly for the families OF the volun-
teers, but good authority AYERS that much or III
chung to Brigham's fingers. In the Millenial
Star (4iverpool Of Nov. 10, 1876 John Iaylor
addresses the Saints in Great Britain thus. "1he
President of the United States is favorably dis
posed TO US. He has sent out orders to have
900 OF our brethren employed IN an
expedition that was fitting out against Califor-
MIA, with orders for them to be employed for one
year. and then be discharged in California, and
to have their arms and implements of war gwen
10 them at the expiration Of the term, ana as
there is no prospect of any opposition it amounts
| to the same as paying them for going to the
place where they were destined to go without
tlce They also had the privilege of choosing
their own leaders. ~
For this benevolence the United States
eminent receives constant and lying abuse from
| those who alone were benefited.
Upon the accession of James Buchanan to the
Presidency, in 1856 the Territory of Utah was
organized into separate military department in
the same manner as had been Florida. Texas
Kansas, and other portions of the United States
| MAYOR van Welt was commissioned by the gov
| eminent to notify Brigham Young of the fact
Young was then Governor of Utah. but was
| about to be succeeded by Alfred Cumming of
| Georgia The appointment of gentle
| as head of the executive, had been rendered
| absolutely necessary by the treatment which
| federal officials had received from the Mormons
| Perhaps it should here be stated that Congress
has absolute control over the Territories, but
| from the settlement of Utah, in lS47, it had al
| lowed Brigham Young to exercise despotic
| A fem convinced ,)C
seph Smiths successor of his divine right to rule
over Utah.
| Major Van Welt told Brigham Young that the
| troops would enter Utah simply to establish
| post; that they neither would nor could be used
| to modest or interfere with the people, as their
sole province was to act as a posse comitatus on
requisition of the Governor of the Territory
| in case the authority of the government was de-
| fed. The troops held the same orders as We're
| given to those of the Department of Kansas
| Major Van Welt likewise informed Brigham
| Young that the governments intentions toward
the people of Utah were absolutely pacific. Il
was soon convinced" wrote Major Van Welt
| in his report to the Secretary of War,
that Governor Young had decided upon the
| course he intended to pursue, and could
l have laid before him the most pacific
| In -entions of the government over the signature
| of the President himself it would not have
| turned him from it. At present Gov Young ex-
ercises absolute power, both temporal and spir-
| itual. over the people of Utah, both of which
nate directly from the Almighty Hence the OPP
| position of the people to new Governor, and
! the remark of Gov. Young that should Gov
! Cumming enter the Territory. he would place
| him IN his carriage ana send him back
II heard John TAYLOR, in a discourse to con-
| gregaton of over LOCO Mormons say that none
OF the rulers of the earth were entitled to their
| positions unless appointed to them by the Lord
and that the Almighty had appointed man to
rule over and govern his Saints, and that man
was Brigham Young, and that they would have
| no one else to rule over them
If Ireland or Canada refused to receive the
the Governor general appointed by the British
| government, what would such refusal be called,
and how would it be treatedl
No sooner was Major Van Vleit's back turned
than Brigham Young issued the following proc
| lamation:
| Citizens of Utah: We are invaded by a hos
tile force who evidently assailing us to
| complish our overthrow and destruction
Our opponents have availed themselves of pre-
| JUDGE existing against US, because of relig
| iouS faith, to send out formidable host to
| accomplish our destruction. We have no privi-
| lege, no opportunity of defending ourselves from
| the false, foul and unjust aspersions against
| before the Nation.
1.-THE government has not condescended to
cause an investigation committee or other per-
son. to be sent to inquire into and ascertain the
truth as is customary in such cases.
Our duty requires that
we should not quietly stand still and see those
letters forging around which are calculated to
enslave and bring us in subsection to unlaw-
full military despotism, such as can only ema-
nate lin a country of constitutional law from
usurpation, tyranny and oppression.
Therefore l. Brigham Young, Governor and
Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the Terri
tory of Utah. in the name of the people of the
United States in the Territory of Utah:
Il. Forbid all armed forces of every descrip-
ton from coming into this Territory, under any
pretense whatever.
~. That all the forces in said Territory hold
themselves in readiness to march at moments
notice to repel any and all such invasions:
''3 Martial law is hereby declared to be exist
in this Territory from and after the publication
of this proclamation, and no person shall be al
lowed to pass or repass into or through or from
the Territory without a permit from the proper
officers
"Giyen under my hand and seal, at Great Salt
Lake City, Territory os Utah. this 18th day of
September, A d., 1857 and of the independence
of the United States OF America the eighty sec
ond. BRIGHAM YOU'VE"
ION the following day Sunday" writes the
historian Stenhouse, "the tabernacle discourses
were overlooking with inspiration. For years
the Saints had been listening to predictions
which promised them national independence.
They had been looking forward to the time when
the government by some act of folly, should rise
up against the Lords anointed, and force an is
sue that would justify the Saints in throwing off
their allegiance and verify the inspiration of the
Apostle Taylor, now president of the church"
In that Sundays sermon Brigham Young re-
ferred to the gentiles "heish rabbes," and
then paid his compliments to brave Gen. Albert
Sidney Johnston's army in this choice language:
They say that their army is legal. and l say
such statement is false hell and that they
are as rotten as an old pumpkin that has been
frozen seven times and then melted in harvest
sun. Come on with your thousand illegally or
dered troops, and will promise you in the name
of Israers God that you shall melt away as the
snow before July sun. You might
as well tell me that you can make hell into a
powder house to tell me that you could let an
army in here and have peace and | intend to
tell them and show them this if they do not stay
away. And / say our enemies shall
not slip the bow on old Brights neck again.
God bless you Amen"
One year ago President John Taylor denied
in the North American Review that there ever
hroho III; L Il