History of Utah, 1540-1886 - Brigham Young University

444
UTAH AS A TERRITORY.
lytes would gather by myriads under the banner of the
prophet. Nor was their assurance unfounded; for, as
we have seen, not less than fifteen thousand arrived
in the valley before the close of 1852, and were content
to remain there, believing that they had found
better prospects than were to be had even in the goldfields
of California, which lay but a few weeks' journey
beyond.
The Mormons did not, however, hope to remain an
independent republic, nor did they probably wish to
do so. Well they knew that the tide of westwardbound
migration, soon to be increased by the establishing
of" a stage line and possibly by the building
of a railroad, which, as we shall see later, was already
projected, would sorely disturb the peace of their mountain
home unless their claims were recognized by the
"United States. On the 30th of April a memorial had
already been signed by more than two thousand persons,
asking for a " territorial government of the most
liberal construction authorized by our excellent federal
constitution, with the least possible delay." 12 On
the 5th of July Almon W. Babbitt was elected delegate
to congress in a joint session of the senate and
representatives, and on the 6th a memorial was adopted
by the representatives, in which the senate concurred
three days later, asking for admission as a state.
The latter memorial is a somewhat remarkable document,
and serves to show the slight esteem in which
the Mormons held the legislature of the United States,
and the unbounded confidence which they placed in
themselves. Congress is reminded that it has failed
12 In the preamble we read: 'Whereas we are so far removed from all civilized
society and organized government, and also by natural barriers of trackless
deserts, everlasting mountains of snow, and savages more bloody than
cither, so that we can never be united with any other portion of the country,
in territorial or state legislature, with advantage to ourselves or others; . . and
.
whereas we have done more by our arms and influence than any other equal
number of citizens to obtain and secure this country to the government of the
United States;. . .and whereas a large portion of this territory has recently
been ceded to the United States'—then follows the body of the petition,
which was signed by Brigham on the 30th, 2,270^signatures having been appended
at that date. Utah Early Records* MS., 75-7.