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The Mormon Question
Lowell (MA) Daily Citizen and News
8 June 1857
THE MORMON QUESTION. Utah and the Mormons are the objects which are to attract the attention of "Uncle Sam" and the occupants of his "farm" for a short (or a long) time to come. The difficulty experienced in hunting up a Governor for that Territory shows that the position is to be no sinecure, but one of right-down hard labor and knocks. Brigham Young is said to have twenty thousand fighting men within his limits, fully armed and equipped, and who are bound to fight for the Mormon church till the last man has bit the dust. In addition to these, the recent fugitive government officers from Salt Lake report that Brigham and 350 of his followers are now on a visit to the Indians in the north part of the Territory—the Bannaks, Flatheads, and Nezperces—it is supposed for the purpose of uniting them with his own forces against the general government. Id the matter comes to blows, Brigham will stop the emigration across the plains, and take possession of the country. Surveyor General Burr says that they are thoroughly acquainted with the country, all of the mountain passes, and, in case of a rupture with the U.S. troops, he thinks they would be a very efficient force, and one that would require a large army to conquer.
There are reports for the fiftieth time from Washington that a Governor for Utah has been found in the person of Ex-Gov. Thomas of Maryland. It is further said that the policy to be pursued by the government is the old one of crafty statesmen—"divide and rule." The new Governor, on his reaching Utah, is to issue a proclamation that such persons residing in the Territory, male or female, as desire to return to the States, shall receive protection and necessary assistance from the government. This, it is anticipated, will cause a stampede among the women, and at once blow the Mormon church to atoms, or bring the Saints to terms. This is a very nice plan on paper, but, somehow or other, we can't get rid of the idea that there are to be some hard knocks before the Saints are brought to terms. And, really, we should not deplore such an event. Our people are becoming restless, and anxious to get into a muss with somebody. Witness their filibustering propensities, and dispositions to riots and fightings at home. There is a class of restless devils in human shape in all our large cities—a curse to themselves and to everybody else—that must be got rid of. Instead of allowing them to turn pirates on the gulf and in Central America, or Empire Club men and "Plug-Uglies," send them out to Utah to have a bout with Brigham Young and his nest of polygamists. They will be well met, fit combatants; and, if each destroys the other, Kilkenny cat-fashion, the rest of mankind, composing the great domain of Uncle Sam, will live the more securely for it.
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