The Great Falls leader. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1888-1900, 1889-11-16
More About Brigham !
How He Tried to Sail the Shin of
State.
How He Fried Officials Sent to Rulp
the Land.
President JOhnson's Expedition and
How it Came to Grief.

How it Came to Grief.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Correspondence
of the LEADER, Nov. 10, 1ss9.-Pursuing
the theme of my former letter in refer
ence to the treason of Brigham Young
and the completely OF the democratic par
ty Herewith:
1t is undeniable that the Mormon chief
in colonizing Utah, expected to set up an
independent government. In support of
this I cite the fact that among the first
public acts, after the establishment of the
settlement here, was the adoption of
constitution, election of state officers,
Legislative assembly and the passage of a
code Of laws and by virtue of the sover-
eign and independent state of DEsERET.
The right of eminent domain was claimed
and exercised by this self-invested gov
ernment and the public lands within its
assumed boundaries, including Utah, Ne
vada, the greater part of Wyoming and
Arizona, absolutely granted and parceled
out in fee simple to the Mormon Mogul
and his marshals brigadiers, lieutenants
and retainers in the baron and federal
order.
This government, though having civil
exterior, was really military
despotism. The military arm was per-
fectly organized and excused from SER
vice none of the males capable of bearing g
arms of whatever age. OF this host or
"legion," as it was called Brigham was
the commander-in-chief and, being also
the "prophet" of the Most High God his
orders were accredited with all the po-
tent reverence due to representative of
the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, as
will be seen.
In the summer of 1850 it was deemed
advisable. as preliminary and stepping
stone to ultimate supremacy, to demand
admission into the union as state and
DR.. J. NJ. Bernhisel andJ. M. Grant went
to Washinton as delegates for this pur-
pose. They succeeded so far as to have
much smaller area organized into the
territory of Utah on Sept. 9, 1850, with
Brigham Young as governor and ex-otficio
superintendent of Indian affairs. The
first batch of federal officials reached
Salt Lake City in the fall of 1851, consist
ing of Chief Justice Brandeberry, Associ-
ate Justices Brocchus and Day and Sec
retary B. D. Harris.
Not carrying themselves as suited King
Brigham, they were summarily ordered
to leave the territory, which they did,
without stopping on the order of their
going. And batch after batch came and
went under similar conditions until the
fall of 1856, when Judge W. W. Drum
mond of Chicago, among the rest was es-
corted by "Danites" from the territory.
Drummond with his burden of complaints
repaired to Washington with his report,
which was filed in the office of the secre-
tary of state, disclosing that state OF
chronic rebellion against the federal all
thority prevailed in Utah.
James Buchanan was president OF the
United States. Affecting great indigna-
tion at the existing condition of things in
Utah. he clustered about all that winter
and late the coming season, had an expe
dition en- route for Utah to squelch the
rebellion and depose President Brigham
Young.
It was we'll on in the month of August
before the expedition, with its trains OF
supplies, was ready to move from the out
fitting point, at Fort Leavenworth. AS
they approached the sweetwater they
were harrassed by guerilla bands, who
stamped and drove off their beef cattle
On the Sandys two of their heaviest
trains of supplies were burnt and their OK
teams driven off. They were annoyed
and crippled until the commanding Off
cer Cen. A. S. Johnston, became greatly
evasnerated and issued orders that no
quarter should be shown any of the mis-
creants caught interfering with the prop
ertv or interrupting the march OF the
Government troops! But none OF the
"miscreants" were caught.
At length, after much trlbulatlon' the
expedition reached Hams 1ork OF 'he
Rio Sandy-near where the station OF
Granger, on the Union Pacific railroad
NOW is-where Gen. Johnston was IN
formed that the Mormons had SO tortlneo
the pass called Echo canon as to renaer
If !, veritable thermopylae and that his
whole force would be destroyed II ne at
tempted to get to Salt Lake through that
pass. .o;, u.;+,
After due consultation in council with
his officers it was determined to make {
detour uortlward and enter salt A'N