Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-06-05
THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER.
gprInrvIlle. Utah, June 8, 1900.

EdltOT Deaeret Evening news
In this mornings Tribune l noticed
an article In the editorial columns en-
titled THAT Battalion Episode, where-
In they say that President Brigham
Young petltlOned the President 70 enlist
800 C'Mormon } men In the united
States army, and that the government
did not need the soldiers az that time.
The inference would naturally be that
the President did Il just TO oblige Brig
ham Young. all Of which ! do not De.
leve from the fact that one Of the
Presidents lust prior 10 that event had
told Joseph Smith, "Your cause Is Just
but can do nothing for you" The
question with me Is why should the
President be so good TO Brigham Young
and spend thousands OF dollars 20 oblige
him and nothing more2 And why should
Brigham Young be so anxious TO get
rid Of 800 OF his best men. knowing that
he was going into a wild, unsettled
country. filed with wild. savage In
dlans7 Now what / want TO know IL,
are the above assertions made by the
editor OF the Tribune facts or nOt2 Or
are they Of the same class as the Nun.
sey yarn? other parts OF the article
look upon as nonsense, especially about
being paid to 20 where they wanted TO
20 and that the call was hailed with
10y, etc. etc. That President Young
ala prophesy that they would not have
90 fire a gun I have heard from the
mouths OF some Of the men who were
IN that battalion.
Kindly answer through the Evening
and Semi. Weekly News whether there
Is any truth (Which doubt very much)
or not and oblige, yours very re-
Csignedj ENQUIRER.
This subject has been dwelt upon and
the facts fully explained so many times
that Il Is with some reluctance we
comply with "EnQulrers' request The
Mormon Battalion was mustered into
the service OF the United states In the
pure spirit Of patriotism. Considering
the circumstances that surrounded the
exlles from Nauvoo. when the call was
made upon them for five hundred able
bodied men 10 serve In the war with
Mexico. the response was one Of the
greatest manifestations Of loyalty 10 the
United States ever exhibited. It Is this
fact that arouses intense wrath In the
bosoms Of a few soured individuals,
whose chief delight Is In mlsrepresent-
ing the Mormon" people, slanderlng
the living and defamlng the dead. II
Is sufficient reply TO the charges Of
"dlsloyalty" and rebellion that have
so often been repeated.
When the Latter-day Saints were
driven from their homes in the State Of
Illinois, a request was made for aid or
shelter, 60 the governors Of the various
States Of the Union. The appeal was
made IN vain Previous 10 this com
mittee was sent 10 Washington from
Nauvoo, asking for governmental aid
that the driven Saints might make their
way towards Upper California. At this
juncture. tldings Of the conflict between
the United States soldiers aud the Mex
leans reached Washington. and the
project was entertained Of using the
"Mormons' for the occupation OF Cal
itornia and its seizure as United States
territory. But Senator Benton OF Mis-
souri, who was an enemy OF the Nor
mon" people exercised his influence
with President Polk 20 adopt the plan
OF call for FIVE hundred men from the
Mormon camps, to Join General
Kearney IN the invasion Of New Mexico
II Is a matter Of undlsputed history
that when the recruiting officers APP
peared among the exiled Saints. who
had Just been deprived Of their homes
and all their earthly properly by armed
mobs bent on their destruction, an ID.
tense feeling OF alarm pervaded their
camps and they felt that the intention
was 10 deprive them Of the strength Of
their ranks and leave them a prey 10
The Indians IN their neighborhood. This
feeling was strengthened by the reports
TIA, came Of boasts 10 that effect. that
had been made By their enemies at the
seat OK government II was also UNI
derst3od that if the demand for the
Battalion was not complied with. the
refusal would be construed as hostility
to the government and the conse-
Quences would be serious in the exs
IRENE.
President Brigham Young rose above
an rumor and resentment, and declared
that the Battalion should be raised. The
particulars Of that memorable enlist.
ment have been given 20 the world by
the limented COL Thomas L. Kane. who
witnessed the whole proceedings and
appreciated not only the grand attitude
Of President Young. but the spirit Of
sacrifice IN which the people on the bor-
ders Of the wilderness parted with
their husbands and brothers and faith
ers TO march over deserts and noun
tains to ala their beloved country IN IT'S
struggle With Mexico. IL was sublime
IN It's patriotic fervor and should stand
TO the credit Of a people robbed ~ their
al ana exIled from the inhabited por-
zion Of their country.
Il Is not true that those men were
enlisted when The government ala not
Iced soldiers" tits not true that there
was no Zoe before them" It is not true
that they simply hal TO march armed
TO The country which they wanted TO 30
to- u Be not true that heir enlistment
'~as hailed With Soy by an the Saints"
The assertions made. which We here
deny, iun IN the face Of the record and
ore contrary 10 the history Of the ma
ton az wen as Of the Mormon" peo-
plC
Il has never been claimed that the
Mormon were compelled 70 furnish