Year: 1859

OOh " L hh OOIIlk1CI DGANOLs


UTAH, May 18th, 1859.


To the Editor IF The Vermont PhGnir: The
consequences of public acts and measures are
often of very slow development. As one looks
back from this present time to the presidency
of General Jackson, he will perceive that many
of the political features and traits of character
which the American people now exhibit, may
be traced to their origin in General Jackson's
administration. And as these traits and fea-
lures are in their development, so were they in
their origin ;-as they now receive their whole
tone and color from the predominance of the
slave interest, so it was from that interest un-
der General Jackson's administration that they
received their bent and their direction. 1t was
the whole policy, aim and direction of effort on
the part of Jacksons cabinets to reconcile slav-
cry with the Federal Union and free institu-
tions. Our old friend and ally, France, was
bullied and threatened, not because we wanted
her money, but because the attention of the
country must be turned away from too close a
scrutiny into the growing interests of slavery.
The National Bank was assailcd, not so much
because it was or might be corrupt, but because
the popular mind must be amused with some
thing to divert it from slavery. And so it
might be said of all the more prominent meas
ures of Jackson's administration, they were
mere cxpcdients in favor of slavcry-to divert
attention from the sleeping infant, from the
cradle of the growing monster.


1t was in vain that the partisans of that ad-
ministration were warned of the danger of plac-
ing both the sword and the purse in the hands
of the government. The s,cord must of neces-
sity be lodged there but to put the purse there
too. was but to enslave us with the worst of
corruptive and despotic influences. And the
present times have furnished us with striking
illustrations of the truth of this position. Let
it be desired, for instance, by the existing ad-
minstration to have a thousand or two of vo-
ters in the city Of Brooklyn all that is neces-
sary to gain them is to get up some new naval
expedition, as pretence for hiring large num-
bers of workmen for the navy yard, knowing,
that when the matter is understood, there will
always be a majority in Congress to pass n de-
ficiency bill to cover the expense. In this way
a single deficiency bill may be made to cover
more fraud and corruption than would have
been practced by the United States Bank in
ten years. And such must inevitably be the
case where the purse as well as the srOrd is in
the hands of the government. But such gov
ernment cannot be free government tit is q
despotism, such as the instincts and the aims OF
the slave interest since the days of Jackson
have endeavored to establish over us.


Let us take for another example this affair oil
Utah. Had the expedition been delayed anoth-
nv thara 10 buf Ettla Inul,t tbat
ism would have broken up and gone to pieces
from its own inherent viciousness but bccom-
ing sustained by outward pressure, cherished by
political favor, protected by pardon, and en-
dued with consideration that it had never
dared to entertain for ITSELF it has been enabled
to assume a position of seeming respectubility
much to the disparagement both of our religion
and our democratic form of government Had
Mormonism been allowed to 20 to ruin of it.
self, it would thus have amply vindicated oui
religion and our government; it would have
shown to the world that the exercise of free
dom of sentiment in America could stop short
of extravaganza and license, and that man.
therefore, was justly entitled to that freedom
and liberty which he claims. But sustained as
Mormonism is, by the present administration
what does it show except that the administra-
ton is interested that it should show, to wit
that men are not fit for free government
and that they ought to be controlled by a select
few. For when a small minority holds disput,
ed government over an immense country OF
widely diversified interests of which interests
its own is by no means the greatest, that mi
nority must show some right or title to that
government; and what better title could be
given according to the political logic of the
times than that the only fit government for 3O,-
O0000 of freemen is that which is exercised
by small number of the owners of slaves p
What other object can be obtained by bolster,
ing up Mormonism and preserving it from ruin


The expedition to Utah, which was worse
than useless, which has resulted only to the