THE MORMONS IN THE TERRITORY OF UTAH. The report of Chief Justice Bandebergh, Judge Bron-hus, and Secretary Harris, of the Utah Territory, in their report to the President of the United States, after a brief introduction, proceeds as follows to describe the state of affairs in that territory:-
We found, upon our arrival, that almost the entire population consisted of a people called Mormons; and the Mormon Church overshadowing and controlling the opinions, the actions, the property, and even the lives of its members; usurping and exercising the functions of legislation, and the judicial business of the territory; organizing and commanding the military, disposing of the public lands upon its own terms; coining money, and forcing its circulation at a stand-ard above its real value; openly sanctioning and de-fending the practice of polygamy, or plurality of wives; exacting tithes from its members, and enor-mous taxes from citizens not members; penetrating and supervising the social and business circles, and inculcating and requiring, as an article of religious faith, implicit obedience to the councils of the church, as paramount to all the obligations of morality, soci-ety, allegiance, and of law. At the head of this for-midable organization, styled "The Church of Jesus Christ, of Latter Day and Latter End Saints," stood Brigham Young, the Governor, claiming and repre-sented to be the Prophet of God, and his sayings as direct revelations from heaven, commanding thereby unlimited sway over the ignorant and credulous. His opinions were their opinions, and his wishes their wishes. He had but to indicate his sympathies or dislikes, and they were made their sympathies or dislikes. In a word, he ruled without a rival or opposition, for no man dared question his authority.
Congress having established a territorial government for this people, and extended the constitution and laws of the United States over them, it was apprehended by us, that in this state of affairs there would be great danger of a conflict of authority, and, in that event, either the United States must yield to the claims of the church, or the latter must give up some of its extraordinary pretensions. We were, therefore, not only anxious for a cordial co-operation of all the officers in the organization of the territory and faithful administration of the laws, but equally anxious to avoid everything in the execution of our duties that would be likely to exhibit that conflict. We hoped and expected that as Brigham Young had sought and been honored with the office of Executive of the Territory, he was well disposed towards the government, and would wield his unbounded influence in subduing the pretensions of the church within proper bounds, and securing a due regard for and obedience to the law. But in this we were disappointed. He soon made us feel that all his sympathies were with the church and against the government; that he was jealous of his power as head of the church, and hostile to a division of it, even with the United States. He forbade an interview to one of the officers first arriving, and refused to permit, the civility of paving his respects to him, as executive of the Territory, alleging, as we were afterwards informed, that he wished no introduction, for none but Mormons should have been appointed to the offices of the Territory, and "none others but d-d rascals would have come there!" With another of us, an interview was solicited and made the occasion of a violent exhibition of his temper, and a gross personal insult. This feeling of jealousy and hostility could neither be subdued nor concealed; its murmurs and mutterings were rife in the community, and it soon broke out into open denunciations of the government, people and officers of the United Stales. The Sabbath and the pulpit were alike prostituted to this purpose, especially if any of the officers happened to be present.
He announced to the immense masses who assembled for worship, "that he was not opposed to the government of the United States; but it was the d-d infernal corrupt scoundrels at the head of it." Im speaking of the organization of the territory, and the officers, he declared upon the stand, and to individuals, with great feeling, "that he had governed that people for years himself, and he could still rule them; that the United Slates judges might remain in the territory and draw their salaries, but they should never try a cause if he could prevent it." Another speaker, high and influential in the church, encouraged by this determination of the executive of the territory, announced from the pulpit to a large audience, "that the United States officers might remain in the territory so long as they behaved themselves and paid their boarding; but if they did not, they (the Mormons) would kick them to hell, where they belonged."
Upon the occasion of celebrating the anniversary of the arrival of the Mormon pioneers into the valley, (the 24th of July) an immense concourse of their people were assembled from all parts of the territory.- Those of us then in the territory, were invited to be present and participate in the festivities of the occasion. We were seated upon the stand or platform, with a number of the leading men of the church, including the present delegate in Congress, (Hon John M. Bernhiesel). The Governor rose to address the audience, and a profound silence ensued, as is always the case when he rises to speak. After reflecting in terms of condemnation upon the alleged hostility of Gen. Taylor to the Mormons, and to giving them a government, he exclaimed, in a loud and exulting lone, "but Zackary Taylor is dead and in hell, and I am glad of it." Then, drawing himself up to his utmost height, and stretching out his hands towards heaven, he declared, in a still more violent voice, "And I propecy, in the name of Jesus Christ, and by the power of the priesthood that is upon me, that any President of the United States who lifts his finger against this people, shall die an untimely death, and go to hell!" To this sentiment there came up, from those seated around us, and from all parts of the house, loud and mingled responses of "Amen!"- "Good!" "Hear!" &c. With the invitation to be present on this occasion was included an invitation to dine with the Governor. Although we believed the occasion of our presence was seized upon by the Gov-ernor to show us how brave and independently he could be in his declarations, and with what impunity our feelings could be outraged and insulted, we were forced, from an indisposition to produce a rupture, and break off our official relations so soon after our arrival, to smother our indignation, and mingle in the parade of a dinner. Upon a subsequent occasion, in reply lo the remarks made by one of the undersigned upon the subject, before a large audience, the Governor reiterated and declared, "I did say that General Taylor was dead and in hell, and I know it!"- A man in the crowd, seemingly to give the Governor an opportunity of fixing its truth, spoke out and said, “How do you know it?" - to which the Governor promptly answered, "Because God told me so.”- An elder in the church, laying his hand upon the shoulder of one of the undersigned, added: "Yes, Judge, and you'll know it, too, for you'll see him when you get there."
In reproach of our government, it was declared, in our presence, before a large audience, by another speaker, "that the United States had intended the utter destruction of the Mormons, and in a cruel, wanton and dastardly manner had torn away five hundred of them from their wives and children, and forced them into service as soldiers, leaving their wives and children to perish on the frontiers.'
Another speaker, in a tirade against the government, announced to the people, in presence of two of us, invited to lake seats upon the stand, that "the laws and policy of the United States were intended to oppress the poor;" that the government of the United States was a stink in the nostrils of Jehovah, and no wonder the Mormons wished it down," that “they could save it by theocracy; but rather than save it in any other way, they would see it d-d
first. Another one declared "that it was going to hell as fast as it could, and the sooner the better."
In justification of their feelings of hostility to our government, another speaker urged with much feeling that "the Mormons were proscribed by the United States-he had two wives, others of his brethren had more, and brother Brigham Young had still a greater number, and none of them dare return to the United States, with their families; for their dirty, mean, little, contracted laws, would imprison them for polygamy."
The Mayor of the city, (Jedediah M. Grant) in a speech upon the subject, declared with great confidence that "the United States could not conquer them with arms."
These are but a few of the many seditious and hostile declarations, which it would be impossible to enumerate, made by Governor Young and others in his presence, from the pulpit; and scarcely an opportunity was suffered to pass without aspersing the people and government of the United States, in language profane, and at times obscene. Indeed, the officers seemed to be looked upon as the mere toys of the Governor's power, he treating them as he pleased, according to his capricious humor-sometimes encouraging a hope for a better state of affairs, to make the next outbreak of hostility the more marked and humiliating. The many important duties to be performed in the organization of the territory and the administration of the laws, required a cordial and confidential intercourse between the officers. The Governor, however, announced soon after our arrival, in the presence of one of us and others, with great temper, that "he had ruled that people for years, and could rule them again, and he would kick any man out of the territory who attempted to dictate to or advise him in his duty." Under such circumstances, no communication could he had with the executive, with any regard to self-respect, or without apprehensions of personal insult, especially as we were looked upon as offensive intruders rather than co-ordinate branches of the government. He asked for no advice, and none was volunteered by any of us, and he was free to proceed in the performance of his duties as he thought proper. The act of Congress required him to have a census taken, so as to apportion the number of Representatives and Councillors to each county, but he apportioned them without taking the census. We were informed that a census had been taken when the application was made by the "State of Deseret," for admission into the Union, but it was so false and exaggerated that a correct census would have betrayed the fraud. The act further required that he should fix the time and places, and appoint the persons who should superintend the first election for councillors, representatives, and a delegate to Congress, and it prescribed the qualifications of voters, and who should be eligible to these offices. Regardless of these directions and of all forms, and in contempt of the organic act, he issued a proclamation without the seal of the territory or signature of the Secretary, ordering the election to be held under the provisional laws of the State of Deseret. This proclamation and many other papers were requested by the Secretary bnt never furnished, and of course no "executive record" could be made of the same. No notice was given in it as to the qualifications of voters, and those who were eligible to office, nor were any persons named to hold the elec-tion. The consequence was, that unnaturalized foreigners officiated at the elections, voted, and were elected as representatives, and to offices not authorized by the act. The proclamation and election were a burlesque upon the order and decorum required by the organic act, and sprung from the determination of the church to do as she pleased in such matters.
He was also authorized and required by the same act to appoint all officers not provided for in the bill, who should continue in office until the end of the first session of the Legislature. Yet there was not a sheriff, justice of the peace, or constable, in the terri-tory, legally qualified to act when we left, (excepting one or two justices of the peace, appointed a few days before,) and criminals went at large, untried and unpunished, so far as the United States Judges could interfere. The church, as usual punished some, as it was reported, and allowed others to go free. A few days before we left, we understood a posse of men were sent by the church in pursuit of some horse thieves; but whether they were arrested and died, or escaped, we never learned. A man was tried in an adjoining county for an alleged offence, by a member of the church, purporting to be a judge, without a jury, and convicted and punished. About the same time, a cool and deliberate mnrder was committed in; the territory, upon the body of Mr. James Munroe, a citizen of the United States, from Utica, New York, on his way to Salt Lake City, by a member of the church, and the remains brought into the city and buried, without an inquest, the murderer walking through the streets afterwards, under the eye of the Governor, and in his society-some of the relatives of the deceased residing there, and members of the church, afraid or disinclined to act. It was reported, and believed by many, that the mnrder was counselled by the church, or some of its leading members, and such an impression would paralyze the hand of any one inclined to interfere. This rumor received much force from the intimacy between the offender and the leading members of the church, before and after the commission of the offence. He was several weeks in the city, and unknown, as well as his loca-tion, to any of us; it was the common talk that he intended to kill Mr. Munroe; he was permitted to go out sixty or eighty miles, to meet his intended victim, and none of these men, who knew the fact, lifted an arm or a voice to prevent the deed. He met Munroe, who was unarmed, invited him out of his camp, took a seat and talked half an hour with him, and then rose up, and blew his brains out with a pistol. We have no doubt however, that if he had been tried, an entire acquittal would have followed; as was the re-sult in February last, in the case of Dr. John R. Vaughan, a citizen of Indiana, then on his way to California, and the murderer suffered to go unpunish-ed. How many other crimes and offences were pun-ished or passed by, we know not. The Governor was thus true to his declaration, that "the United States Judges should never try a cause, if he could prevent it," for we had not an officer to summon a jury, or execute a warrant, subpoena, or any kind of process, except in cases where the United States was a party, when the Marshal would be hound to act.
Congress appropriated twenty thousand dollars, to be applied under the direction of the Governor and Legislature, in the erection of public buildings. The Governor no sooner received this money than he embezzled every dollar of it, or the greater portion of it in payment of debts due by the Mormon church, and in a few days after its arrival in the valley, it was on its way to the United Slates in other hands. We were not present at its actual payment, but it was a matter of public notoriety, and talked of by the gentlemen who received it. Those of us then in the territory, powerless, and compelled to be silent, observers of all these things, on account of the omnipotence of the Church and the Governor, determined to report the facts in writing to the President of the United States. Before an opportunity for a safe transmission of such a report presented itself, one of the undersigned addressed a large meeting of the people on behalf of the Washington Monument Association, having been commissioned by the managers thereof, to ask of the people of that territory a block of marble or other stone, to be placed in that structure "as an offering at the shrine of patriotism.”
As the life, character and services of Washington were intimately blended with everything relating to the government and institutions of the United States, the occasion was supposed to be an appropriate one to disabuse the minds of the Mormon people of the false and prejudicial opinions they entertained towards the people and government of the United States, and thus to arrest, that flow of seditious sentiment which was so freely pouring forth from their bosoms towards the country to which they owed their highest patriotism and their best affections, after their wives. We remained there up to this period, and submitted in silence to almost every species of indignity and mortification, rather than take any step that would produce discord, and involve ther territorial government in difficulties. It was in this spirit that we preserved silence until the favorable opportunity above alluded to was presented, when we unanimously concurred in the opinion that it was not only a matter of right, but also of duty, to have the attention of the people directed to the errors of their opinions, in holding the government of the United States and her citizens as enemies lo them, and the seekers of their ruin and extermination. Such opinions were daily inculcated by the leaders of the church upon the fanatical credulity of the masses of the people. They were taught to believe that the general government sympathised with those whom they regarded as their persecutors in the States of Illinois and Missouri, and desired their overthrow and utter destruction. The natural result of such convictions was a feeling of deep seated hostility towards the government and people of the United States, which was every day becoming more deep and inveterate under the teachings of their spiritual leaders. We believed that to confront and remove those false impressions, thus shamefully instilled into the popular mind, would be to dry up the fountain of seditious sentiment in the territory, and thus revive that, sense of patriotism and loyalty so eminently due to Mr. Fillmore and the administration, the manifest absence of which was then a serious obstacle to the successful operation of the territorial government, and threatened, if not corrected, to become much more serious in future. It was in pursuance of this design that the address above alluded to was made. In the course of that able address, the speaker endeavored, in good faith, only to correct erroneous opinions in regard to the government from which he held his commission, without indulging in terms of invective and rebuke, so loudly called for. His remonstrances against these opinions, and the hostile feelings resulting from them, were calm and dispassionate, and in good faith intended only to effect the salutary purpose of producing peace on earth, and good will and concord between the various branches of the, government, and good will towards the United States. The address was entirely free from any allusion, even the most remote, to the peculiar re-ligon of the community, or to any of their domestic or social customs, which were, liberal and luxurious in the extreme. It contained not a single expression of bravado or unkindness, or harsh rebuke, or any sentiment that could have been tortured into a design on the part of the speaker to inflict wantonly a wound upon the heart of his hearers, many of them being females. At the close of the address, the Governor arose and denounced the speaker with great violence, as "profoundly ignorant or wilfully wick-ed;" strode the stage madly, assumed various theatrical attitudes, declared "he was a greater man than even George Washington;" that "he knew more than even George Washington did;" that "he was the man that could handle the sword;" and "that if there was any more discussion, there would be pulling of hair and cutting of throats." Referring to a remark of the speaker, "that the United States government was humane, and kindly disposed towards them," he said, "I know the United States did not murder our wives and children, burn our houses and rob us of our properly, but they stood by and saw it done, and never opened their mouths, the d-d scoundrels." By this time the passions of the people were lashed into a fury like his own. To every sentence he uttered, there was a prompt and determined response, showing beyond a doubt that all the hostile and seditious sentiments we had previously heard, were the sentiments of this people. Those of us present felt the personal danger that surrounded us. If the Governor had but pointed his finger towards us as an indication of his wish, we have no doubt we would have been massacred before leaving the house. But he did not point his finger. Upon the next and succeeding days, these denunciations of the officers and the government were renewed, as we were informed by a number of citizens, and continued in their meetings, by the Governor and others, with increased vehemence, and in language so vulgar and obscene, that decency would blush to hear it. It was impossible for us not to see and feel that we were permitted to remain there by the mere sufferance of the Governor; and the little he did reluctantly and carelessly towards organizing the territory, was the veriest affectation and show of obedience to the organic act, to secure to the Mormon church und himself the money of the United States, appropriated by Congress for the territory, salaries. &c. &c.
[To be continued.]
