Chapter 14: Utah campaign.
- Federal policy toward the Mormons. -- expedition to sustain civil officers. -- General Harney appointed to command it. -- General Johnston succeeds him. -- army orders. -- start. -- celerity. -- journey. -- Mormon hostilities. -- South Pass. -- concentration. -- movements of troops. -- winter. -- efforts to reach winter-quarters. -- in the snow-drifts. -- his defense by Mr. Davis. -- General Johnston's letters detailing the circumstances. -- rescue of the army. -- arrival at Bridger. -- the tests of soldiership. -- in winter-quarters. -- Fort Bridger. -- Major Porter's diary. -- Brigham's Salt embassy. -- Ornithology. -- conflicting Policies. -- Colonel Kane the diplomatist. -- senatorial criticism on General Johnston. -- trouble with Governor Cumming. -- an icy Spring. -- peace commissioners. -- submission of the Mormons. -- General Johnston's reply to peace commissioners. -- his proclamation. -- Governor Cumming's protest. -- army matters and orders. -- Brevet Brigadier-General. -- commendation and criticism. -- General Johnston's review of strictures on himself.
Though the troubles in Utah had been so long brewing, their nature seems to have been imperfectly understood by the people and Government of the United States. The Mormons made occasional public and formal professions of loyalty to the Government and of adhesion to the principles of American liberty; and their complaints were nominally against particular acts and persons. Hence it was not unreasonable to suppose that the remedy of particular grievances and the punishment of particular offenders would insure the peace of the Territory. This inference, though natural, was a mistake; because the grounds of variance were general and radical, and not special, as pretended. The Mormons alleged national persecution, when, in fact, the religious freedom of the country had allowed them to preach a pagan doctrine and a barbarous code of ethics, to proselytize, and to develop their heresy into a system. Where the strong hand of an arbitrary government would have repressed their extravagances, American faith in the power of truth to triumph over error by moral forces permitted them to occupy an almost impregnable stronghold on the established road across the continent for commerce and immigration, where they were encouraged to levy a peaceful tribute as farmers and traders. But the Government went even beyond this; and, in the spirit of conciliation, aided the union of church and state in the hands of the Prophet by making him Governor and Superintendent of Indian Affairs, and by giving him the virtual control of the Territory. This policy had worked badly; Brigham Young and his coadjutors had abused the trust reposed in them; life, liberty, and property, were all made unsafe by his machinations. It was, therefore, found necessary to supersede him; but this was done in no hostile spirit. The general conduct of our Government toward all dependencies had been fostering; and this could not be otherwise with the Administration of Mr. Buchanan, which, moulded by the character of its chief, was essentially bureaucratic, conservative, and pacific. The Secretary of War, Mr. Floyd, expresses this sentiment in his report for 1857-58: “It has always been the policy and desire of the Federal Government to avoid collision with the Mormon community. It has borne with the insubordination they have exhibited under circumstances where respect for its own authority has frequently counseled harsh measures of discipline.” The Secretary adds that this forbearance might have been
