their part, for such a deed, was wanting, the new Governor appointed in Brigham inasmuch as they had none but friendly Young's place. The army was ordered to relations with Mr. Gunnison, and that so far from being offended at his book, they were grateful to him for having justly portrayed their sufferings and persecutions, and for not having traduced their morals and manners.

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act as a posse comitatus to assist the Governor, if necessary, in establishing his own authority, and in enforcing obedience to the laws. In his annual message to Congress, six months later, the President set forth the considerations which influenced In 1850, Utah was recognized by the the Executive in sending out this expeFederal Government as a Territory of the dition. It was not easy to reconcile this United States, and Brigham Young was message with the steps which had been appointed Governor by Mr. Fillmore. taken from the time of the appointment The appointment was renewed under of Gen. Harney to the opening of ConPierce's Administration, Col. Steptoe, of gress; and still more difficult is it to give the U. S. army, to whom the office was to it any creditable explanation in the tendered, declining it, and uniting, while light of subsequent events. In it the at Salt Lake City, with the leading Mor- President assumes that while Brigham mons in a memorial, praying that the Young was legally the Governor of Utah, head of the Mormon Church, Brigham he also was the head of the Mormon Young, might continue to be the civil church, and professed to govern its head of the Territory also. The colony members and dispose of their property continued to flourish, more and more, by direct inspiration and authority from year by year, and its people, as they grew the Almighty." On the other hand, the prosperous, grew also more confident in people believed "with a fanatical spirit their own strength, and firmer in the that he was governor of the Territory by assertion of their rights. The history we divine appointment, and obeyed his comhave glanced at is enough to account for mands as if these were direct revelations a state of feeling and of opinion between from heaven.' But Mr. Buchanan is carethe Mormons and the rest of the country, ful to say, "with the religious opinions which might, at any moment, by aggres- of the Mormons, as [so] long as they resion on one side, or resentment on the mained opinions, however deplorable in other, give rise to the most vindictive and themselves and revolting to the moral bitter hostility. Petty causes of jealousy and religious sentiments of all Christenhad, in the course of years, been con- dom, I had no right to interfere." stantly arising, till at length, the serious tions, not opinions, he declares, are the crimination of the Mormons by Judge "legitimate subjects for the jurisdiction of Drummond and other U. S. officials, who the civil magistrate," and he accordingly asserted that they were driven from the so instructed Gov. Cumming, hoping that Territory by Mormon outrages, and that no necessity would arise to resort to Brigham Young and his followers were in military force. The sight of troops, he open resistance and defiance of the U. S. felt, would be quite enough to frighten government; brought about a crisis in the the Mormons into good behavior. But affairs of the Territory which had to be that obstinate people would not be so speedily, and ought to have been wisely alarmed as he expected, while, in the met. With the charges of Judge Drum- meantime, their opinions had hardened mond the public is familiar. How many into action, and they had already comof them are true it is difficult to say; but mitted acts of rebellion which, in the in justice to the Mormons, it should be opinion of the President, was a result stated that they contradict and have an- "long contemplated" by Brigham Young. swered them all; and only one of them, This incipient rebellion, this "long conthe burning of the library and records of templated result," existed, as the Presithe U. S. Court, has seemed worthy of dent had already said, because the fanatispecification by Mr. Buchanan in any of cism of the Mormons, and their blind, his messages upon Utah; and this, since unquestioning faith in their leader, had Gov. Cumming entered into possession of betrayed them into a position as foolish as his office, has been ascertained to be en- it was treasonable. In such a rebellion tirely without foundation. But true or he could have no alternative but to interfalse, it was these charges which were made the pretexts for the expedition of 1857 against Utah.

In June, 1857, Gen. Harney was appointed to the command of the troops who were to accompany Mr. Cumming,

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fere with "religious opinions," which were no longer abstract opinions merely, but the basis on which rested "actions" of the most reprehensible character. The very purpose of the expedition, and the instructions to Gov. Cumming were, there

we may consider Mormon religion, and In a letter of Capt. Van Vliet's to the however detestable Mormon morality, Secretary of War, two months later, that they should not be debarred of that privi- officer says "that Governor Young inlege which is accorded to all criminals. formed me that he had no objection to: Utah, they reasoned, is a Territory of the the troops themselves entering the TerriUnited States, and Brigham Young its tory; but if they allowed them to do so, Governor, under an appointment from it would be opening the door for the Washington. He had never, he declared, entrance of the rabble from the fronreceived any official notice of the recall tiers, who would, as in former times, of that appointment, and was bound, persecute and annoy them;"* and to pretherefore, as it was his right, to continue vent this they, the Mormons, had deterto fulfill the duties of his office, and defend mined to oppose all interference of the his people. The charges of incivism government in the affairs of their Terriwhich were made against them, and which tory." That Young was desirous of a they repudiated, they contend, rested peaceful issue of the difficulty between upon general report, originated with cor- his people and the government of the rupt officials, and had never been brought United States can hardly now be doubted, to the test of judicial examination. To and that the government was aware that such an examination, they affirmed, they such was all along his wish seems, at were ready and anxious to submit, and least, not improbable. "On the 21st of that they would be glad to meet their ac- September," writes Col. Alexander, uncusers face to face. But as the Govern-der date of October 9th, at Camp Winment of the United States chose to pursue field, "I met Capt. Van Vliet returning another course with them, to judge them from Salt Lake City, and was informed by first and try them afterward, they were him that although the Mormons, or rather determined, warned by the experience Governor Young, were determined to of former years in Missouri and Illinois, to oppose the entrance into the city, yet he defend their homes so long as any hope was assured that no armed resistance remained of doing so successfully, and would be attempted if he went no further when overcome by superior numbers, to than Fort Bridger or Fort Supply. I was flee to some more hospitable land, and a still further convinced of this by the cirjuster government, and to leave behind cumstance that a train of more than one them a country desolated, and towns and hundred contractor's wagons had been cities spoiled. In the proclamation made parked for nearly three weeks on Ham's in September to the people of Utah, by fork without defence, and had been unGovernor Young, he said: "We are in- molested, although they contained provivaded by a hostile force, who are evi- sions and supplies which would have been dently assailing us to accomplish our of great use to the Mormons." And as if overthrow and destruction. For the last in confirmation of this statemant, Governor twenty-five years we have trusted offi- Young, on the 29th of September, in his cials of the government, from consta- first letter to the officer commanding bles and justices, to judges, governors, the forces now invading Utah Territory,' and presidents, only to be scorned, held warning him not to proceed with that inin derision, insulted, and betrayed. Our vasion, says: "Should you deem this houses have been plundered, and then impracticable" (to retire immediately) burned, our fields laid waste, our princi-" and prefer to remain until spring in the pal men butchered while under the vicinity of your present encampment, pledged faith of the government for their Black fork, or Green River, you can do so safety, and our families driven from their in peace and unmolested, on condition homes to find that shelter in the barren that you deposit your arms and ammuniwilderness, and that protection among tion with Lewis Robinson, quartermasterhostile savages, which were denied them general of the Territory, and leave in the in the boasted abodes of Christianity and spring, as soon as the condition of the civilization.". The statement is forcible, roads will permit you to march." and, unfortunately, as relates the past, proposition was, of course, an absurd too true. He announces, therefore, in one, not to be thought of for a moment by consideration of all these things, and a soldier, nor is it at all likely that Goverthe issue thus forced upon them, that nor Young supposed it would be acceded they are compelled to resort to the "great first law of self-preservation," and as That this apprehension was not unfounded, is eviGovernor of the Territory, forbids the en-dent from a letter from Salt Lake City in The Tri

trance upon it of any armed force, and proclaims martial law.

The

bune of Dec. 16, 1858, describing the conduct and character of several hundred teamsters which the army had brought into Utah.

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to. But it at least shows that he was desirous to avoid a collision if he could do so with honor, and consistently with what he deemed to be his duty to the people under his charge. He evinced the same spirit in inviting the officers of the army to visit Salt Lake City.

world only knows, and is only concerned to know, that what an army of the United States, at an expense of millions of dollars, failed to do, was done at his private charges by a single energetic man of straightforward intentions and sound judgment. By a few days of friendly Such were the attitudes of the respec- converse, he subdued the Mormons. The tive belligerents at the commencement of "Lion of the Lord" was tamed; the the famous war with which Mr. Buchanan gates of the city of the Great Salt Lake has illustrated his administration. The were in due time thrown wide open; Govarmy of the United States, when it could ernor Cumming and his train of governbe spared from Kansas, took up its line ment officials were invited to enter; the of march for the West, and in due season proclamation of the President, sent out in reached Fort Bridger, more than a hun- April last, by two special commissioners, dred miles short of Salt Lake City, where was made public, and by was offered "a it went into winter quarters. In the mean- full and free pardon" to all "for the seditime, the Mormons, about the middle of tions and treasons heretofore by them September, as an earnest of the reception committed," with the assurance that he they meant to give the invasion, destroyed made "no crusade against their religion," two provision trains of the army. In De- as "the Constitution and laws of the councember, their leading men were indicted try could take no notice of their creed, for treason by the grand jury of the Dis- whether it be true or false;" and so the trict Court of the United States, sitting at army, whether rejoicing or not rejoicing Camp Scott, the damages for the destruc- in a bloodless victory, took possession of tion of the trains being laid at a million of the Territory of Utah, and at the latest dollars. These were the most serious acts date, was amusing itself with private of hostility. But the trains have never theatricals. "The present condition of been paid for, and the traitors named in the Territory of Utah," says the President the indictment have never been tried. The in his late annual message to Congress, Mormons deserted their outlying villages" when contrasted with what it was one and farms, and those who were not need- year ago, is a subject for congratulation." ed to watch the enemy and guard the passes of the mountains, betook themselves to Great Salt Lake City, where they were edified by the sermons of the elders among the saints, exhorted to be faithful to "brother Young," to have none but him to rule over them, and to be assured that the poor, miserable devils" who were coming among them "would be certain to go to hell as sure as they lived." The army which, had it left Kansas early enough in the season, might, instead of the Mormons, have occupied Great Salt Lake City-providing always that there had been any Great Salt Lake City to occupy or might, at least, have had the satisfaction of attempting to fight their way thither, rested ingloriously on their arms, cheered only with the hope that their laurels would grow with the other vegetation of the opening spring.

The country, no doubt, agrees with him; but probably the congratulations would be heartier and warmer had Col. Kane and the commissioners first gone to Utah, and Gov. Cumming and his posse comitatus have rather followed than preceded them-had so improbable a necessity in that case have arisen. It would have been much, it is thought, had the country been saved the disgrace, in the eyes of foreign powers, of submitting for six months to the defiance of a handful of religious fanatics, who, if there was any necessity of subduing them at all, should have been instantly and completely brought into subjection by a government of the resources of the United States; it would have been something to have been saved the necessarily large expenditure attending the march of an army, and which, in this case, has become But the war was to have quite another enormous, considering the object aimed issue than that of blood. A gentleman at and the end gained, to the great enof Philadelphia, who knew something of richment of peculating and speculating the Mormons, and who had, in former contractors; but it would have been far times, by sympathy and acts of friend- more could we have been saved the huship, gained their confidence, packed his miliating spectacle of seeing our governsaddle-bags and started for Utah. What ment undertake a war on insufficient credentials, if any, Colonel Kane may grounds, to escape from which it is comhave carried from Washington, is known pelled to be indebted to the good offices only to himself and Mr. Buchanan. The of a private citizen.