THE UTAH DIFFICULTIES.
WASHINGTON, APRIL 26, 1852.
MESSRS. EDITORS: Under the above heading I notice in your paper of this morning "a part of a private letter on the subject of the Utah difficulties, from Judge SNOW to a friend in this city." I quote a portion of that letter, in which my name is made use of by the Judge, as also that of Major HOLMAN; Indian Agent:
"There have been errors committed here and indiscreet things said, though not more than might have been ex-pected. I will mention some few things. When Major HOLMAN, Indian agent, arrived here, he and Stephen B. Rose, without consulting his excellency Gov. Young, went to Fort Laramie to attend the treaty with the In-dians there. Mr. H. R. DAY, sub-Indian agent, also agreed to go, but owing to his own negligence failed, and going to Fort Laramie was beyond their jurisdiction."
In reply to the assertion of the writer that Major HOL- MAN attended the treaty at Fort Laramie without consult-ing Gov. YOUNG, who is ex-officio Superintendent of Indian Affairs, and that I, owing to my own negligence, failed to attend, I deem it proper to state that Major HOLMAN and myself did consult Gov. YOUNG in person; and, further, that we received a joint letter of instructions from the Governor to procure carriages, mules, provisions, &c. to take the Indians under our charge to that treaty. Major HOLMAN did at-tend the treaty with a delegation of the Shoshonees; the Utah chiefs would not attend, because they were afraid it was a trick of the Mormons to kill them, as stated to me by my interpreter, (a Mormon.) The Governor ordered me not to attend the treaty, but to make the chiefs some presents, which I did.
Judge SNOW has either been misinformed or has stated what he knew to be a falsehood. Major HOLMAN and my-self, I apprehend, knew quite as well how far our juris-diction extended, and what our official duties were, and, in my opinion, a little better, than the learned judge did when he charged the jury in the case of Egan, who was tried for murder, that, "If the crime was committed with- "in the Territory of Utah they must find the prisoner not "guilty; but if out of Utah, guilty." If the honorable gentleman who received the private letter, who, I am credibly informed, is the Delegate from the Territory of Utah, has a desire to attack me in the public papers as to my official conduct, I am prepared to meet him. I have abstained from allowing my name to appear in the public prints with regard to the difficulties in Utah; but I wish the honorable Delegate to understand that crimination and recrimination is a game two can play at. Respectfully, your obedient servant,
HENRY R. DAY,
Late Sub- Indian Agent for Utah.
