The Mormons in Congress.
The House of Representatives, yesterday, adopted a resolution declaring the Territory of Utah to be in a state of rebellion against the United States, and directing an inquiry into the propriety of excluding the delegate of that Territory from a seat in the House. This ac-tion strikes us as being much more hasty than wise. It is like most of the anti-Mormon movements,—the result of impulse rather than of good policy or common sense. It would puzzle ordinary men, we suspect, to explain why a hostile army was sent against Utah at the outset. There were undoubted disorders in the affairs of the Territory:—but it has never yet been shown that they were such as could only be remedied by fire and sword.
The only evidence the House professes to have to establish the fact that Utah is in a state of rebellion, is found in the proclama-tion of BRIGHAM YOUNG. But YOUNG is not the Territory—nor, in any legal sense, its representative. He is the agent and deputy of the Government of the United States in Utah. He was appointed Governor by the Executive and Senate ; he receives his in-structions from Washington and, in the eye of the Constitution and the presumption of the law, he is a Federal officer, exercising authority over, but in no sense representing, the Territory of Utah. He has proclaimed of purpose to resist the advance of Federal troops. This is a good reason for removing him from office, for arresting him, for bring-ing him to trial, and for inflicting upon him such punishment as he may deserve.
But why should the delegate of the people of Utah be excluded from Congress for the mis-conduct of a Federal officer? The people may or may not sympathize with YOUNG and sup-port him in his rebellious demonstration. Un-til the contrary is shown it is to be presumed that they will not. And they are entitled by the Constitution to have a delegate upon the floor of Congress to represent their interests, to defend their character and to protect their rights from unjust encroachment. If the mem-ber from Utah has personally connected him-self with the rebellion, then he should not only be expelled, but arrested and put upon his trial. But if not, there is no reason whatever for excluding him from his seat and depriving his constituents of the representation guaran-teed to them by the Constitution.
The whole Utah business has been misman-aged in the most extraordinary manner from the beginning; and if it does not end in open and bloody rebellion, it is not likely to be saved from that issue by any special wisdom on the part of the General Government.
