THE MORMON OUTRAGES AT SALT LAKE.
[From the Washington Union, Nov. 16.]
Extract of a letter from a judicial officer of the Government, at Great Salt Lake City, dated Sep-tember 20, 1851:
I shall leave for the States on the 1st October ; and most gladly will I go, for I am sick and tired of this place—of the fanaticism of the people, fol-lowed by their violence of feeling towards the "Gentiles," as they style all persons not belong ing to their church. I have had a feeling and personal proof of their fanatical intolerance with in the last few days. I will give you a cursory view of the circumstances and the scene.
As soon after my arrival here as my illness would permit, I heard from Judge B. and Mr. Secretary H., accounts of the intolerant senti-ments of the community towards the Government officers and the Government itself, which filled me with surprise. I learned that not only were the officers sent here treated with coldness and disre-spect, but that the Government of the United States, on all public occasions, whether festive or religions, was denounced in the most disrespect-ful terms, and often with invectives of great bit-terness. I will mention a few instances. The 24th of July is the anniversary of the arrival of the Mormons in this valley. It was on that day of this year that they assembled to commemorate that interesting event. The orator of the day on that occasion, spoke bitterly of the course of the United States towards the Church of the "Latter Day Saints," in taking a battalion of their men from them for the war with Mexico, while on the banks of the Missouri river, in their flight from the mob at Nauvoo. He said the Government of the United States had devised the most wanton, cruel and dastardly means for the accomplishment of their ruin, overthrow and extermination.
His Excellency, Gov. Young, on the same occa-sion, denounced in the most sacrilegous terms, the memory of the illustrious and lamented General and President of the United States, who has late-ly gone to the grave, and over whose tomb a na-tion's tears have scarcely ceased to flow. He ex-claimed, "Zachary Taylor is dead and gone to hell, and I am glad of it!" And his sentiments were echoed by a loud amen from all parts of the assembly. Then rising, in the excess of his pas-sion, to his tip-toes, he vociferated, "I prophecy, in the name of Jesus Christ, by the power of the priesthood that is upon me, that any other Presi-dent of the United States who shall lift his finger against this people will die an untimely death and go to hell!" This kind of feeling I found perva-ding the whole community—in some individuals more marked than in others.
You may remember that I was authorized by the managers of the Washington National Monu-ment Society to say to the people of the Territo-ry of Utah that they would be pleased to receive from them a block of marble or other stone, to be deposited in the monument "as an offering at the shrine of patriotism." I accordingly called upon Governor Young, and apprised him of the trust committed to my hands, and expressed a desire to address the people upon the subject, when as-sembled in their greatest number. He replied that on the following Monday the very best oppor-tunity would be presented. Monday came, and I found myself at their Bowery, in the midst of at least three thousand people I was respectably and honorably introduced by "his excellency” to the vast assemblage. I made a speech, though so feeble that I could scarcely stand, and stag-gered in my debility several times on the plat-form.
I spoke for two hours, during which time I was favored with the unwavering attention of my au-dience. Having made some remarks in reference to the Judiciary, I presented the subject of the National Monument, and, incidentally thereto, (as the Mormons supposed) I expressed my opin-ions in a full, free, unreserved, yet respectful and dignified manner, in regard to the defection of the people here from the government of the United States. I endeavored to show the injustice of their feelings towards the government, and allu-ded boldly and feelingly to the sacrilegious re-marks of Governor Young towards the memory of the lamented Taylor. I defended as well as my feeble powers would allow, the name and char-acter of the departed hero, from the unjust asper-sions cast upon them, and remarked, that in the latter part of the assailant's bitter exclamation that he "was glad that Gen. Taylor's spirit was in hell," he did not exhibit a Christian spirit, and that if the author did not early repent of the cruel declaration, he would perform the task with keen remorse upon his dying pillow. I then alluded to my nativity—to my citizenship—to my love of country—to my duty to defend my country from unjust aspersions wherever I met them, and trust-ed that, when I failed to defend her, my tongue—then employed in her advocacy and praise—might cling to the roof of my mouth, and that my arm, ever ready to be raised in her defence, might fall palsied at my side. I then told the audience, if they could not offer a block of marble in full fel-lowship with the people of the United States, as brethren and fellow citizens, they had better not offer it at all, but leave it unquarried in the bosom of its native mountain.
At the close of my speech, the Governor arose, and denounced me and the government in the most brutal and unmeasured terms.
The ferment created by his remarks was truly fearful. It seemed as if the people (I mean a large portion of them) were ready to spring upon me like hyenas, and destroy me. The Governor, while speaking, said that some persons might get their hair pulled or their throats cut on that occa-sion. His manner was boisterous, passionate, in-furiated in the extreme; and if he had not been afraid of final vengeance, he would have pointed his finger at me, and I should, in an instant, have been a dead man. Ever since then the commu-nity has been in a state of intense excitement, and murmurs of personal violence and assassina-tion towards me have been freely uttered by the lower orders of the populace. How it will end I don't know. I have just learned that I have been denounced, together with the government and officers, in the Bowery, again to-day, by Gover-nor Young. I hope I shall get off safely. God only knows. I am in the power of a desperate and murderous set. I however feel no great fear. So much for defending my country.
I expect all the officers of the territory—at least Chief Justice B., Secretary Harris, and Captain Day, Indian agent—will return with me, to return here no more.
