AFFAIRS IN UTAH.
The Annual Report of Secretary Floyd—The Army—Withdrawal of Judge Eckels-The Danites Again.
Correspondence of the New-York Times.
CAMP FLOYD, UTAH Territory,
Wednesday, Feb. 1, 1860,
The report of the Secretary of War, which reach-ed us by the last mail, created quite a stir in camp, as it plainly says that the troops will be withdrawn from Utah during the coming season. This is wel-come news to every one here, for, although life is not so monotonous here as at the smaller posts on the frontier, where most of them will probably be sent, every officer must feel and does feel that his Govern-ment is supporting him without his rendering any quid pro quo ; and he is not only living off his Government, and seeing others make his profession a ''good thing" for speculators, but he is literally chained down and compelled to see that Government insulted in the very face of its army, whose duty it is to maintain its hon-or, without being permitted to retaliate, and scarcely to remonstrate. Every Federal officer, both civil and military, sent to Utah in the last three years, with four exceptions, concurs in the belief that the Mor-mons are no more loyal to the Government of the United States now than when they levied a military chest and fortified Echo Cañon, and it is a gratifying fact to know that the Secretary of War thoroughly understands the actual condition of Utah affairs. It is true the Mormons have made a show of acquiescence in Federal authority, and they who but two years ago were in open rebellion, now have the impudence to boast of their patriotism and loyalty—thus demonstrating the truth of Dr. JOHNSON'S remark, that patriotism is the last resort of a villain. When truth and justice are disregarded, private rights can easily be sacrificed under the forms of law. And the Hon. Secretary well says, "I am satisfied that the preservation of right and justice through the means of any jurisprudence known or recognized by the people of the United States, is impossible in that Territory." That sentiment meets with a response from every Gentile in Utah, for the rebellious disposi-tion of the Mormons and their hatred of our Govern-ment are so apparent, that no one can fail to perceive them. These crimes, mala in se, are so numerous and so monstrous, and are directed by such high authority, that every one who ever experienced a sentiment of justice must anxiously hope for a day of retribution to speedily come. BRIGHAM sits in his palace surround-ed by his band of destroying angels, who stand ready to execute his orders, whatever they may be, with as great alacrity and as much obsequiousness as the pages of any monarch in Europe obey the mandates of their masters, and to render his crimes doubly hid-eous, he steals the livery of heaven and with it seals his bloody edicts.
And yet the army must be withdrawn, when it is known to the Government that this state of things ex-ists, and we must thus acknowledge our inability to enforce respect and obedience to our laws, or to sub-due a rebellious people—and that too when our army is already in the midst of the rebels. Republican Governments are founded upon natural principles of right and justice, and the Administration has ac-knowledged that justice cannot be secured to the peo-ple of this Territory by any known jurisprudence. Then why not use the strong arm of the Government to enforce obedience to its laws? There are many American citizens here who possess certain inalien-able rights, and the Government cannot with honor to herself pass by in silence their demands of security both for their persons and their property. And as things now are they have no such security, for the Federal Courts, with their present powers, and under Mormon legislation, must either remain utterly inop-erative, or consent to act as mere whitewashes of Mormon crimes. A Government is either worthless in itself, or is badly administered, when it fails to maintain the natural rights of its citizens; but let us place the responsibility of Mormon misrule where it rightfully belongs. The Sec-retary of War certainly cannot be held accountable for it, for he has done all in his power to remedy existing evils, but Congress would not support him. In the Winter of 1857-8 they even went so far as to refuse to vote supplies for the troops that, were then worn down with their long march and starving at Fort Bridger, preferring rather to make windy speeches as for B[….] than to feed th [….] to fight the battles of the country and they [….] make these appropriations until late in March, when the slender stores of the troops were entirely exhausted. President BUCHANAN let the golden opportunity for wiping out the stain slip when he gave them a free pardon for their treason and rebellion. Had he in-stead prosecuted the war with vigor, the whole thing would have been speedily settled, and the honor of the Government maintained, whereas a temporizing policy has brought it into disgrace. Great dissatis-faction is felt at his silence in regard to Utah in his last Message, but it is to be hoped that he at length sees his Utah policy was a mistake, and that time will lead him courage to avow it.
Chief-Justice ECKELS has informed Attorney-Gen-eral BLACK that he will quit Utah as soon as travel commences in the Spring, giving as his rea-son therefor that he can be of no service to the country by remaining here longer, and that it is better to have no Government at all in Utah than to have one that only challenges contempt. Such a representation, coming as it does from the highest Judicial officer in the Territory, and a man noted for conservatism and love of justice, must have some weight with the American people, and ought to induce their representatives in Congress to adopt some active measures in the premises. Judge ECKELS' associates entire bench have already quit the country, and when he goes the Territory will be without a single Federal Judicial officer ; and it is right that it should be so, for the Mormons will either have to be subdued by force, or left alone to work out their own salvation or destruction, in either of which events there will be no necessity for United States Judges.
Since writing the above, Mr. STEPHEN DE WOLFE, the editor of the Valley Tan newspaper, has visited me. He informed me that in consequence of an edi-torial in regard to the report of the Secretary of War in the last Valley Tan, several leading Mormons, among them the Chief of Police, the principal Justice of the Peace in the city, and even Mayor SMOOT, by representation, had called upon him, and told him that if he did not retract those remarks he could have no security for his life in the city. And a noted des-perado, of the destroying angel school, had peremp-torily ordered him to retract, or suffer the conse-quences that would follow a refusal, and thinking discretion the better part of valor, he came to Camp; but he will continue to edit his paper—nor will he retract a single sentiment. This is a specimen of the "order" prevalent in Utah.
Since my last letter several murders have been committed in the Territory, but they are of such fre-quent occurrence that they no longer create sur-prise, or even comment. RICHARD.
