National Republican., 1888-01-09
The Mormons and Rebel,,on.


EDITOR NATIONAL REPUBLICAN In
your editorial columns Friday morning ap.
pears lengthy and able review OF the Pa.
ciflc railway commissioners report. Apart
from the reflections cast upon one OF the
commissioners and the party be is sup
posed to represent, its tone and arguments
Will no doubt be Endorsed by a large num-
Der Of readers. 1t is not with the main sub
1ect or the manner OF Its discussion that
now take occasion to find fault.
You speak OF the cost OF transportation OF
troops, supplies, mails, &c, across the con-
tinent before the railroad was built, and In
cidentally OF "the cost of single war, the
suppression Of the Utah rebellion" which
you say was almost equal to the amount
advanced by the United States TO aid 10
building these roads," The amount. ex.
pended by the government In the senseless
Utah expedition was no doubt quite as
large as you state; but that there was any
"rebellion" In Utah to suppress when that
army was marched across the plains mos,
emphatically deny.
This may appear a small matter to you
but | have noticed q disposition on the
part OF the REPUBLICAN to Join IN the as.
saults that are being made upon Utah just
now because her voting and law.abdine
citizens have made new attempt to gain the
rights aud privileges OF freemen. The edi
tofial that appeared in the REPUBLICAN OF
Dec. % on the Utah question contained
several gross inaccuracies, no doubt unin.
tentional on your part, and | think IT is no,
necessary for any Republicans, whether
journalists or congressman, to mistake facts
or echo popular errors when opposing @
measure or a people.
Official reports from government off
cials, sent to Utah while the army was in
winter quarters at Camp Scott, established
beyond question that the nation had been
deceived by false reports, and President
Buchanan found himself in the position of
an unwise Judge who had decided an i'm.
portant cause without stopping to hear the
defense. Gov. Cumming, Col. Thomas l.
Kane, and the peace commissioners found,
as they reported, that there had been no
"rebellion;" that the court records, library,
and official papers, said to have been
burned by the Mormons, were In an eX-
cellent state of preservation; that no army
or any other force was necessary to install
the appointees in their respective offices,
and that the renegade Judge Drummond,
who had stirred up the tumult, was unfit
for the society Of decent people, as well as
unworthy OF any position under this great
republic.
The fiasco which cost the United States
enough money to insure the building OF
the transcontinental railroad was wasted
through the acceptance as truth OF just
such falsehoods as people now are ready to
gulp down; with relish when they are told
about the Mormons.
1t is not generally known that as early az
March 8, 1852, the Mormons, In mass. me ct
iDgs, indorsed memorial to Congress by
Gov. Young and the legislative assembly,
praying for a national central railroad from
the Missouri river to Sl Diego, San Fran
cisco, or some other ' uG on the Pacific
coast, and showing the al vantage 70 the
government Of such highway tol vest.
But the records of Congress pr IsGt',s to be
true. And It is also cor .rat'yely un-
known fact that Mormon L. IL helped ma
terially In the most difficult part of the con
struction Of both the Union Pacific and Cen
trail Pacific railroads, on which Brigham
Young and his sons were large contractors.
The Mormons favor railroads, telegraphs,
and every other modern scientific improve
ment, and are and always have been sup
porters Of the constitution Of the United
States and Of the laws made in pursuance
thereof. The anti-polygamy laws many OF
them have viewed as unconstitutional, and,
therefore, they have not yielded to than a
they have to gil ether law laws Of the land.
And n3G tnat the monoganic voting citi.
Zens..'who have broken no laws, who have
taken an oath to obey the laws In future,
and who represent the vast majority Of the
population, respectfully ask for political
liberty, at the same time providing for the
punishment Of bigamy aud polygamy under
a state constitution, the same old stuff
about rebellion, disloyalty, theocracy, aud
other exploded nonsense is being repeated
to prejudice their cause and blind the eyes
of the just and liberal.
! do not think the Republican party OF
its organ In this city has any need to resort
to such methods Of warfare, and as friend
to the oppressed | only ask for
FAIR PLAY.
WASHINGTON, D. C., Jan. s, 1855.