"Horrible Massacre of Emigrants!!" The Mountain Meadows Massacre in Public Discourse

 

AFFAIRS IN UTAH. 

The New Judges—The Mountain Meadows Massacre—Merine Sheep—The Crops— Brigham Young.

From Our Own Correspondent. 

Great Salt Lake City, Friday, July 13, 1860.

The last express brought news of the appointment of Judge KINNEY as Chief Justice of Utah, and of ALEXANDER WILSON as Associate Justice. Of course, the majority of the community here would vastly prefer to have their Judges, and indeed all their public officers, chosen from the inhabitants of the Territory, and a little rather from the Mormon portion thereof. As there seems, however, no chance of such an arrangement, the next wish is that persons may be appointed who have no Anti-Mormon- prejudices, but who evince a disposition to pursue a conciliatory course, and do not manifest any particular desire to get BRIGHAM, or other high Mormon dignitaries into trouble. Consequently, the appointment of KINNEY and WILSON is looked on with satisfaction, and as an evidence that the Administration, having tried force with the Mormons and virtually failed, is now fully determined to try what can be done by purely civil means. The antecedents of both these men are of such a nature that the Mormons think there will be some chance of fair trials and an impartial administration of the law, which none of the Mormons imagine was possible under the regime of ECKLES, CRADLEBAUGH and SINCLAIR. People in the States, perhaps, cannot fully realize the utter detestation and contempt in which the two Judges first named are held by the majority of the Salt Lake population.

I believe that both Judge KINNEY and WILSON are firm in their conviction that they can hold United States Courts in this Territory without calling bayonets to their aid ; that a tolerable degree of justice can be meted out to Jew and Gentile by United States Judges of the proper stamp ; and that the Mormons, like a California horse which is utterly intractable in certain hands, can actually be made something of by men who know how to handle them to advantage. Whether or not these convictions are well founded, time must prove. It has been currently reported in this city that the Mormon President and other high dignitaries have frequently expressed their wishes for, and offered to exert their influence to effect, a thorough and impartial judicial investigation of the Mountain Meadows massacre, when an unbiased Court can be held. If this is the case the appointments referred to may produce good. Certain it is, that that fearful tragedy should be inquired into, and the responsibility thereof placed upon the right shoulders.

The last Eastern mail arrived on Wednesday night, about ten and a half days from St. Joseph's, nearly four days within its usual time. The California mail, which is a week over due, has not yet come to hand. Nothing is known here of the condition of affairs near Canon Valley, as the express from the West starts from Ruby Valley. The last express that came through from California accompanied the mail from Carson Valley to Ruby Valley. As the sixty troops from Camp Floyd, or a portion of them, went West some time ago with the mail, it is supposed that the mail is either coming this way slowly, escorted by the soldiers, or that the troubles with the Indians between Ruby and Carson still maintain a serious aspect. The Indians immediately around Ruby are still very hostile and exhibit no disposition to make peace.

The Mormon newspapers have been very sarcastic regarding the sending of Col. HOWE with two hundred dragoons to Fort Hall, where there is no war, no mail and little emigration, and at the same time sending but sixty infantry on the central route, where there is a mail, an express, and where serious difficulties with the Indians call for settlement.

Emigrants for California are continually passing through our city. Some go by the northern route, and some by the central. Among the emigrants who lately passed here was Mr. McCOMMONS, of Wisconsin, with, about three acore Merino sheep, which he was conveying in Wagons to California. As some of his horses were worn down, he found himself compelled to exchange a few of his sheep in this city for fresh horses. About a dozen, mostly bucks, were bought at from $125 to $150 each ; lambs dropped on the plains brought $50 each. When one of the bucks was shorn his fleece weighed fourteen pounds. Fleeces of ordinary sheep in this Territory weigh three or four pounds each. The Merino bucks were bought to cross with the common breed.

SAN PITCH, an lndian chief, with about a hundred followers, made his appearance at Brigham City on the 29th ult., and said that Dr. FORNEY had sent to him to come there aim receive presents. When told that no presents had been deposited there, SAN PITCH became sulky, and went off. This is not the first time FORNEY has been charged with forgetting his promises, either to the red or the white man.

It is stated that Dr. FORNEY and Sub-Agent ROGERS recently found themselves passengers us the same mail-coach for the States, and that the Doctor got out at Bridger, and preferred staying another week to going to the States in the same vehicle with ROGERS The reasons for their conduct are not given, out may be inferred.

Late papers tell us of a great drouth in the Western States. It is remarkable that in this valley the present season we have had more frequent rains than usual. Just at present we are in the midst of the hay harvest. Rye and barley are being cut, and early wheat is about ready. In Utah County I am told teat the crops are excellent.

Speculators are busy calculating the chances of supplying Carson with bread from Salt Lake. Cash, it is expected, will soon buy wheat for about a dollar pet bushel, flour tor $3 50 per hundred. The cost of freight to Carson is reckoned at nine or ten cents per pound, which, it is thought, will enable Salt Lake merchants to sell at Carson as cheaply as California merchants can afford to.

On Sunday BRIGHAM preached twice in the Bowery. A fair sprinkling of emigrants attended. In the morning the drift of his discourse was that Jesus Christ was but a man, though he was, perhaps, a trifle better than most of us. In the afternoon he told the people they could not make any sacrifices. He said that the word was anomalous, and but another mode of expressing the act of "rendering to God the things that are God's."