From Washington.
SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE N. Y. TRIBUNE.
From Our Own Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 28, 1857.
The wrath of Achilles was nothing compared to the wrath of the fire-eaters at the news of the ar-rest of Gen. Walker. Messrs. Toombs of Georgia, and Brown of Mississippi are especially furious in denouncing the Administration.
There are conflicting rumors about Toombs and Douglas, One account states that they have had an amicable interview; another that Toombs is bit-terly opposed to the course of Douglas.
The news that the Constitution with Slavery had prevailed in Kansas reached here to-night and treated a profound sensation. It is evident tha such result, which was not expected by the Ad ministration, very greatly complicates the existing embarrassments.
To the Associated Press.
WASHINGTON, Monday, Dec. 28, 1857.
The War Department to-day received official dis-patches from the headquarters of the army of Utah, dated. Black Fork, three miles below the mouth of Hams' Fork, Nov. 5. Col. Johnston states that Col. Smith, with his command and the numerous trains guarded by it, reached there Nov. 3. The march was slow and tedious, averaging eleven miles a day. Al-though the road was excellent and the weather fine, it I was not possible to make more rapid progress on ac-count of the broken-down condition of the draft ani-mals. The trains, including the settlers and mer-chants destined for Salt Lake, which he would not allow to go on, occupied as close an order as they could be made to travel the space of from five to six miles. No molestation whatever was attempted by the Mormons, which may be attributed to the presence of cavalry, and the judicious dispositions and vigilance of Col. Smith. On the 6th of November Col. Johnston was to march on Fort Bridger and dislodge any force he might find there, and await the appearance of Col. Cook, when, as the approach of Winter was too near to attempt the passage of the Wasach range of moun-tains with a probability of success, he would seize upon the district mentioned in his letter from the South Pass, and occupy it until an advance shall be practicable.
The communication from Brigham Young to Col. Alexander, and Elders and Taylor to Capt. Marcy, and the orders of D. Wells, commander of the Mormons, which Col. Johnston incloses, and the acts of the Legislative Assembly at the last session, show, he says, a matured and settled design on the part of the Mormons to hold and occupy the Territory, inde-pendent and irrespective of the authority of the United States, occupying as they do, the attitude o rebellion and open defiance of the Government, con nected with numerous overt acts of treason. Col Johnston has ordered that whenever they may be met with in arms they may be treated as enemies, and he reiterates the necessity for prompt and vigor-ous action, or the United States must submit to the usurpation of their territory. The conduct of the Mormons, he says, results from a settled determina-tion on their part not to acknowledge the authority of the United States, nor any other outside of their Church. He adds, a supply of subsistence must be forwarded early in the Spring. It should reach the army by the 1st of June. Should a long time elapse without hearing from him (Scott), Col. Johnston says it must be attributed only to the difficulty of sending expresses across the moun-tains in the Winter months.
The officers and men are reported to be in fine health and animated with an ardent desire to discharge their duties faithfully.
In a postscript Col. Johnston Bays the army has made one day's march since the 5th, and that on the 7th they were awaiting the arrival of the trains delayed the day before by a storm. "Our trains," he adds, “occupy, in as close an order as they can travel, the “road from thirteen to fourteen miles; therefore the “rear cannot move till late in the day."
Among the documents transmitted is a fetter from Brigham Young, dated October 16, in. which, replying go Col. Alexander, he says:
"If you come here for peaceful purposes, you have to use for weapons of war. We wish, and ever have wished for peace, and have ever sued for it all the day Song, as our bitterest enemies; and though the wicked, with the Administration now at their head, have determined we shall have no peace, except it be to be down in death, in the name of Israels God, we will have peace, even though we be compelled by our enemies to fight for it. If you persist in your attempts to per-manently locate an army in this Territory, contrary to She wishes and Constitutional rights of the people therein, thus aiding the Administration in their unhal-lowed efforts to palm their corrupt officials upon us and protect them—the blacklegs, black-hearted scoun-drels, whoremasters and murderers—as was the sole intention in sending you and your troops here, you will have to meet a mode of warfare against which your tactics furnish you no information. In regard to myself and certain others having placed ourselves in a position of rebellion and hos-tility to the Government of the United States. I am perfectly aware, and we understand our true and most loyal position far better than our enemies can in-form us, we, of all people, are endeavoring to preserve and perpetuate the genius, the constitution and con-stitutional law; while the Administration and the troops they have ordered to Utah are, in fact, them-selves the rebels, and in hostility to the General Gov-ernment; and if George Washington was now living and at the helm of our Government, he would hang the Administration as high as he did Andre, and that, too, with a far better grace and to a much greater subserving of the best interests of the country."
After much similar defiant language, Young says:
"By virtue of my office as Governor of the Territory of Utah, I command you to marshal your troops and leave this Territory, for it can be of no possible benefit to you to Waste treasures and blood in prosecuting your course upon the side of a rebellion against the General Gov-ernment by its administrators. You have had, and still have, plenty of time to retire within reach of sup-plies at the East or to go to Fort Hale. Were you and your fellow-officers as well acquainted with your men as I am with mine, and did they understand the Work they are now engaged in as well as you may un-derstand it, you must know that many of them would immediately revolt from all connection with so ungod-ly, illegal, unconstitutional and hellish a crusade against an innocent people; and if their blood is shed it shall rest upon the heads of their commanders. With us it is the Kingdom of God or nothing."
In another letter to Col. Alexander, Brigham Young says:
"When the President of the United States so far degrades his high position and prostitutes the highest gift of the people so as to make use of the military power, intended only for the protection of the people's rights, to crush the people's liberties and compel them to receive officials so lost to self-respect as to accept appointments since the known and expressed wish of the people, and so craven and degraded as to need an army to protect them in their position, we feel that we would be recreant to every principle of self-respect, honor, integrity and patriotism to bow tamely to such high-handed tyranny, a parallel to which is only found in the attempts made by the British Government in its most corrupt stages against the rights, liberties and lives of our forefathers. If our real enemies, the mobocrats, priests, editors and politicians, at whose instigation the present storm has been gathered, had come against us, instead of you and your command, I would not have addressed them thus. They never would have been allowed to reach the South Pass."
John Taylor, in writing a letter to Captain Marcy, says:
"I know from your personal intercourse with mem-bers of the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States, that there have been various plains concocted at headquarters for some time past, for the overthrow of the Mormons. Mr. Fuller of New-York, who sent you an introductory letter to me, informs me that you are a politician. If so you must know that in the last Presidential campaign, the Republican party had opposition to Slavery and Polygamy as two of the principal planks of their platform. You may know that Utah was picked out and the only Territory excluded from a participation in the pre-emption rights to land. I might enumerate injuries by scores. And if these things are not so, why is it that Utah is so knotty a question ? Why could Drummond, and a host of other mean scribblers palm their barefaced lies, with such impunity, and have their infamous slanders swal-lowed with such gusto ? Was it not that the Adminis-tration, as their satelites, having planned our destruc-tion, were eager to catch at anything to render specious their contemplations of blood. Or in plain terms, the Democrats advocated strongly popular sovereignty. The Republicans tell them if they join in maintaining inviolably the domestic institutions of the South they must also swallow polygamy. The Democrats thought this would not do, as it would interfere with the re-ligious scruples of many of their supporters, and they looked about for some means to dispose of the knotty question. Mr. Buchanan, with Messrs. Douglas, Cass, Thompson and others, after failing to devise measures, but upon the expedient of an armed force against Utah, and thus, thought by a sacrifice of the Mormons, to untie the knotty question. Yes, by destroying or killing a hundred thousand innocent; American citi-zens to satisfy the pious, humane and patriotic feeling of their constituents, take the wind out of the sails of the Republicans and gain to themselves immortal honors."
After defending the Mormons, he, in conclusion says:
"On my departure from the States, the fluctuating tide of popular opinion against us seemed to be on the wane, and by this time there may be quite a reaction in the public mind. If so, it may probably affect ma-terially the position of the Administration, and tend to more constitutional, pacific and humane measures. In such an event, our relative frontiers would be ma-terially changed, and instead of meeting enemies, we could meet; as American citizens should, friends to one another, and united against our legitimate enemies. Such an issue is devoutly to be desired."
On the person of Major Joseph Taylor, who was captured, was found a letter to him from Daniel Wells, Lieutenant-General of the Mormons, in which the lat-ter directs him, under date of Oct. 4, to proceed with all possible dispatch to the Oregon Road, near Bear River, taking close and correct" observations of the country on his route. "When you approach the road," he says, "send scouts ahead to ascertain if the invad-ing troops have passed that way. If they have passed, take the concealed route and get ahead of them. Ex-press to Col. Benton, who is now on that route and in the vicinity of the troops, and effect a junction with him, so as to operate in concert. On ascertaining the locality or route of the troops, proceed at once to annoy them in every possible way. Use every exertion to stampede their animals, and set fire to their trains; bum the whole country before them and on their flank; keep them from sleeping by night surprises; blockade the road by felling the trees or destroying the river fords, where you can watch for every oppor-tunity to set fire to the grass on their windward, so as to, if possible, envelope their trains; leave no grass before them that can be burnt; keep your men con-cealed as much as possible, and guard against sur-prise; keep scouts out at all times and communication open with Colonel Benton, Major McAllister and O. R. Rockwell, who are operating in the same way; keep me advised daily of your movements, and every step the troops take, and in what direction. God bless you and give you success. Your brother in Christ."
The instructions to Commodore Paulding were necessarily general in their nature, it being impossible for the Government to anticipate every state of cir-cumstances, and not until his official dispatch shall have been considered, will it be determined whether or not he was justified in arresting General Walker.
