The History of Salt Lake City and its Founders, Volume 1 by Edward William Tullidge

Author:Edward William Tullidge [Tullidge, Edward William]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Geschichte
Publisher: Jazzybee Verlag
Published: 2019-05-23T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XXVI.

JUDGE CRADLEBAUGH DISCHARGES THE GRAND JURY AND TURNS SOCIETY OVER TO LAWLESS RULE. THE INDIANS ENCOURAGED TO DEPREDATIONS ON THE SETTLEMENTS. A DARK PICTURE OF SALT LAKE SOCIETY. WHY GOVERNOR CUMMING DID NOT INVESTIGATE THE MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE.

Having failed to obtain the indictment of the leaders of the Mormon Church, the judges resolved that they would close their courts and give society into the hands of the numerous desperadoes with which the Territory now abounded. In discharging the grand jury. Judge Cradlebaugh uttered one of the most remarkable passages to be found in the whole history of criminal jurisprudence: "If it is expected," he said, "that this court is to be used by this community as a means of protecting it against the peccadilloes of Gentiles and Indians, unless this community will punish its own murderers, such expectations will not be realized. It will be used for no such purpose. When the people shall come to their reason and manifest a disposition to punish their own high offenders, it will then be time to enforce the law also for their protection. If this court cannot bring you to a proper sense of your duty, it can at least (urn the savages held in custody loose upon you.'' Accordingly Judge Cradlebaugh dismissed the prisoners and adjourned his court "without day."

On his part D. Hurt, the Indian agent, had, both before and after the entrance of Johnston's troops, spent his official service in inciting hostile Indians to commit depredations upon the Mormon settlements. This, indeed, was the specific charge which Governor Cumming reported to Secretary Cass against Indian Agent Hurt, both as inimical to the peace of the Territory and interruptive of his own executive duties representing the Federal Government. Upon this Indian line of the history, George A. Smith, just prior to the entrance of Johnston's troops, writing to T. B. H. Stenhouse, said: "It has been the policy of Governor Young and our people to keep the Indians neutral, should a contest ensue. I read in the last papers received from the States loud boasts of having secured the Utah and other Indians as allies against the Mormons. Strange as it may seem to civilized persons, all the reckless and unprincipled Indians of the mountains have been hired, with new guns, blankets, clothing, ammunition, paint, etc., to steal, rob, murder, and do anything else that can be done to destroy the Mormons. Indian agents have sent messengers to all the peaceable Indians to incite them to deeds of rapine and bloodshed. A number of scattering settlements have been attacked, and innocent blood stains the skirts of the present administration, whose agents have procured the murders.

"I am an American, as you well know. I love my country and hate to see her rulers trample under foot her glorious institutions and re-enact barbarism more cruel than that inflicted by the King of Great Britain, through the hands of the red men upon the scattered settlements of the colonies, in the war of independence.

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