FROM UTAH.
Mormon Sentiment—Speech of Heber C. Kimball—Prospects—The Territorial Leg-islature.
Correspondence of the New-York Times.
CAMP FLOYD, U. T., Wednesday, Jan. 18, 1800.
Every one who has ever thought upon the sub-ject regards Mormonism as a political, social and moral evil, and almost every one looks forward to its speedy elimination, but the great distance from Utah to the States lessens the interest felt in the subject so much, that the public does not deem it sufficiently important to use active measures, and therefore in-dulge in the vain belief that the Mormons will, of their own accord, pull up stakes and quit the coun-try; and even many of the Mormons themselves, fully conscious of their deserts, anxiously inquire of their leaders whether they will not be forced to leave, but the question was finally put to rest a few Sundays ago by HEBER C. KIMBALL, in a sermon in the Taber-nacle. He said, "Many think the Mormons will have to leave Utah, but I say unto you, go on and sow your wheat, barley and oats as you have done heretofore." Whether these orders were given by authority of di-vine revelation, or a sagacious penetration into human affairs, is not pretended, but at all events it is regarded as a settler by the brethren. And other facts go to show the same thing, for instance, the emission of a large amount of Mormon gold coin, which, although they are dated 1850-51, were put into circulation but recently. Each of these coins purports to be five dollars, and pass as such among the brethren, but they are worth, in reality, only about four and a half, and of course cannot be circulated outside of Mormondom.
Complete ostracism from the rest of the world is the great aim of the Mormons. And if their money will not circulate out of their own community, they can have no commerce with the rest of mankind, nor can they emigrate to another country, because they have no means that they put into general circu lation without an immense sacrifice, for all the money they receive for Government supplies is cast into Mormon coin. No, the Mormons do not intend to leave Utah; both their words and actions prove it conclusively. They fondly look forward to a disso-lution of the American Union, and they hope in that event the North and South will become embroiled in a war, and in the general confusion Utah will not be worth looking after, and they will thus have time and opportunity to strengthen themselves, and finally to establish an independent theocratical Government. And if they should be disappointed in their hopes of a dissolution, they rely upon the parsimony of the American people, and their averseness to shedding fratricidal blood. They ridicule the effeminacy and credulity of President BUCHANAN, and boast that BRIGHAM YOUNG has overreached him. They say he sent the army out here to enrich the Mormons by fur-nishing supplies to it. And certain it is, they neither respect nor obey the authority of the Federal Govern-ment. They have accomplished by strategy what they could not effect by force of arms, and they made fortunes while they did it.
The session of the Legislature will close in a few days; of course they have passed no laws beneficial to public interest. Perhaps the statutes of Utah are more defective than any others in existence, because churchmen made them for church purposes. Chief-Justice ECKELS, willing to believe that these defects arose from ignorance, took the trouble to draw, up with his own hands almost a complete code of laws, founded upon principles of justice and humanity, and submitted them to the Legislature, but they have re-fused to pass a single one of them. One, an act re-lating to interest, &c., I have heard was particularly obnoxious to them, because the Church has a system of usury by which it realizes enormous sums, and they do this too under the cloak of benevolence. They collect a number of penniless persons in England and other foreign countries and pay their expenses to Utah, but keep a strict account of these, and when the immigrant arrives they put him to work to pay back this Church debt. If he pays it the first year an interest of only about forty per cent, is charged, but if not paid the interest for the second year is about one hundred per cent., but is varied to the size of the purse of the delinquent; and had they passed the statute the Judge presented it would have entirely destroyed this iniquitous source of revenue. RICHARD.
THE Army at Camp Floyd—Mormon News—Losses of Cattle—Statement of the Military Force in Utah. Correspondence of the New-York Times.
CAMP FLOYD, U. T., Tuesday, Jan. 17, 1860.
This is now the largest military station in our country, and a brief description of it may not be un-interesting. The Territory of Utah is divided into different valleys, as Timpanagos, Rush, Salt Lake, Cedar, &c., in which the population of the Territory is found—some possessing one superiority and some another. The principal inducement in locating the Camp in Cedar Valley, was the comparative ease of communication to and from it in all seasons of the year. This Valley is entirely destitude of vegetation, except the everlasting sage and the few grazing spots at the foot of the mountains by which it is bounded. On the mountain sides grows the stunted cedar, fur-nishing an abundance of wood. The only running water in the Valley is found in two little creeks, some five miles apart, on one of which is situated the Mor-mon town of Cedar Post, and on the other, and near the middle of the Valley, Camp Floyd. The Camp is on the left bank, the left resting near the spring from which the water-course has its rise, the right, some half-mile distant. The Camp is laid out nearly on the usual military plan, but all the quarters being built of the adobes, or sun-dried brick, the Camp resembles at first glance, a thriving town, and is indeed the second town in population, in the Territory. The quarters of the men are very low buildings, divided into the usual number of squad rooms. The officer's quarters are all of one story, two or three officers being quar-tered in the same building, each with an allowance of one room from 12 to 15 feet square. Many of the offi-cers have made such additions in the way of stables, fences, &c., at their own expense, as taste or necessi-ty seemed to dictate.
It is not in appearance alone that we are city-like. All the sources of amusement or dissipation found in large towns abound here. To the enterprise of the Fifth Infantry are we indebted for the only open library in camp, for cheap and wholesome beer of their own brewing, and the building of the first theatre in camp. A fair orchestra from one of the Regimental bands is one attraction of this theatre, and some of the comedies are well performed ; but the tragic pieces are generally painfully funny. The actors are of course nearly all soldiers. A few Mor-mon women fraternizing so far with the Gentiles as to appear on the boards.
In the Seventh Infantry is a Dramatic Association known as the Germania—having a tasty little theatre, and an excellent orchestra. The plays are all in the German tongue, but the place is a fashionable resort, whether one knows High Dutch from Low Dutch or not.
A new rival for fame and half dollars, known as "The Varieties," sprung up during the holidays, giv-ing us now three theatres in camp. To these places of resort add two billiard-rooms and two bowling-al-leys. There is also a flourishing Masonic Lodge, and a rapidly growing Society of Sons of Temperance.
The presence of nearly a dozen ladies adds much to the gaiety and pleasure. After every little fall of snow all kinds of vehicles on runners are to be seen in our Broadway, and the occupants full as cheerful as though riding in the celebrated St. Nicholas Win-ter turn-out.
Among the out-door amusements, rabbit-hunting, or, to give a more sportsmanlike name, hare-hunting, deserves mention. One of the officers has succeeded in collecting a fair pack of hounds, and there is no lack of game, the sage brush fairly swarming with hares.
No description of Camp Floyd would be complete without a word about Fairfield, a village on the right bank of the creek, immediately opposite camp. This village is habitually called Frogtown, and is inhabited almost wholly by gamblers and grog-sellers, such as follow the movement of every considerable body of troops. There are scores of gambling, places, and grogshops without number. It is, perhaps, safe to say that scarcely twenty men in the village earn an hon-est livelihood. When the soldiers are fleeced of their two months' pay, the keepers of these places pluck each other—one day rich, another poor. A gambler, well known here, was known to have had at one time $30,000, saved from his gains, but in a few months he left here "broke."
There is little news of interest in the Territory to communicate. The mail route is scarcely practica-ble, the last mail being two days making fifteen miles between Salt Lake and Bridger.
The last mail probably brought you news of the rencontre at Salt Lake between the notorious BILL HICKMAN and friends, and the equally notorious LOT HUNTINGTON. They are both Mormons, but the former has incurred the displeasure of the Danites, the High Church Mormons, and but for the large party he leads would soon be disposed of. HUNTINGTON is a Danite leader.
HICKMAN was dangerously wounded in the groin; HUNTINGTON slightly hurt Forty shots were fired, and it is strange no more were injured. The affair occurred Christmas Day, as the people were leaving the Tabernacle.
MILLER & RUSSELL have lost over two thousand head of cattle from exposure in Carson Valley. Cedar Valley is, perhaps, the mildest in the Territory, the snow rarely falling to a greater depth than six or eight inches ; yet we have had the thermometer 17° and 22° below zero.
I subjoin a statement of the strength of the force now here, number of officers, &c.:
The garrison consists of eight companies of the Tenth Infantry, nine of the Seventh, the whole of the Fifth, three companies of the Fourth Artillery, including a light battery, and four companies of the Second Dragoons.
Brevet Brig. Gen. A. T. Johnston, Comdg. Dept.; Brevet Major F. J. Portor Ass't Adj. Gen.; Lieut. L. A. Williams, Tenth Infantry, Aid-de-Camp ; Brevet Col. C. F. Smith. Lieut.-Col. Tenth Infantry, Comdg. Camp Floyd ; Lieut.-Col. G. H. Cronnau, Deputy Q. M. Gen.; Capt. P. T. Tumley, Dépôt Q. M.; Capt. H. F. Clarke, Dépôt Com. Subsistence ; Lieut. F. J. Stunk, Chief of Ordnance ; Surgeon J. B. Porter, Medical Director ; Maj. F. E. Hunt, Paymaster.
Tenth Infantry—Total strength present, in round numbers, 590. Officers present: Brevet-Col. C. F. Smith, Comdg. Regt; Capts. Heth, Tracy, Gove, Cummings and Grover ; Lieuts. Marshall, Clinton, Swaine, Williams, Deshler, Russell, Hill, Bennett, Armistead and Cunningham.
Seventh Infantry-Total strength about 640. Lieut.-Col. Morrison commanding; Capt. and Brevet Maj. Paul; Capts. Little, McLaws, Haymare, Jones, Potter and Stevenson; Lieuts. Chapin, Amory, Evans, Plummer, Hancock, Edelin, Stivers, Marma-duke, Ryan, Carey, Ingraham and Bascom ; Assist.-Surgeons Getty and Clemens.
Fifth Infantry—Total strength about 700.
Capt. and Brevet Lieut.-Col. Wm. Chapman com-manding ; Capts. Stevenson, Russell, (Brevet Major,) Selden, Neill and Seward ; Lieuts. Wingate, Upde-graff, Archer, Bankhead, Stith, Webb, Chambers, Rich, Brotherton, Torbert, Ritter, Bristol, Nicodemus and Thomas ; Assist.-Surgeons Bailey and Brewer.
Fourth Artillery—Total strength about 220.
Lieut. Weed commanding ; Lieuts. Goode and Morgan.
Second Dragoons—Strength 290.
Lieut.-Col. M. S. Howe commanding ; Lieuts. Nor-ris, Hight, Gordon, Livingston, Green and Gay; Assist.-Surgeons Norris and Covey.
Making a total, including a few ordnance soldiers, of about 2,450 men and 81 officers.
There are about fifty officers absent from the De-partment, either on leave or on detached service, and by the time recruits can reach here from the States, about 1,000 men will be required to fill up the regi-ments and corps.
Included in the Department are the troops at Fort Bridger, consisting of one company of Dragoons, two of the Tenth Infantry, and one of the Seventh, say 280 men, under command of Col. CANTE.
OBSERVER.
