THE LATE GOV. SHAFFER AND THE MORMONS.
The late Governor of Utah, J. W. Shaffer, executed the laws of Congress for the government of that Territory with great vigor, and in consequence drew down upon himself the bitter hatred of the Mormons. It is stated that while his body lay in his house at Salt Lake City, awaiting burial, the Mormons in large crowds marched to the house of his successor, Gov. Vaughan, next door to where the body lay, and serenaded the new official, indulging in triumphant shouts reflecting on the dead, and conducting themselves generally with disre-spect and indecency toward his family and friends.
Gov. Shaffer had greatly offended the Brigham Young party by refusing to recognize their authority as rulers of the Territory. A man, Daniel E. Wells, drew out a letter from the Governor, which intensified the hatred of the Mormons. Wells styled himself "Lieut.-General commanding the Militia of Utah Territory," a title which Gov. Shaffer would not allow, as the laws of the United States provides for but one Lieutenant-General, and the office was filled by another. Wells's purpose in writing was to induce the Governor to withdraw an order pre-viously issued forbidding the militia of the Territory to assemble at the command of any other than the United States authority. To this Gov. Shaffer replied: "By the provisions of the Organic Act, the Governor is made the Commander-in-Chief of the Militia of the Territory, and, as long I continue to hold that office, a force so important as that of the militia shall not be wielded or controlled in disregard of my authority, which, by law and by my obligation, it is my plain duty not only to assert, but, if possible to maintain. I hope the above is sufficiently explicit to be fully understood, and supersede the necessity of any further communica-tion on this subject. J. W. SHAFFER,
Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Militia of Utah Territory.
