History of Utah, 1540-1886 - Brigham Young University

MEMORIAL TO CONGRESS. 445
to provide a civil government for any portion of the
territory ceded by the republic of Mexico; that the
revolver and bowie-knife have so far been the law of
the land; and that, since the gold discovery, many
thousands have emigrated to California, all well supplied
with the implements and munitions of war.
Fears are expressed that, through the failure to provide
civil jurisdiction, political aspirants may subject
the government to great loss of blood and treasure
in extending its authority over this portion of the
national domain. The memorial declares that, for
their own security, and for the preservation of the
rights of the United States, the people of the state
of Deseret have organized a provisional government,
under which the civil policy of the nation is duly maintained;
13 also that there is now a sufficient number of
individuals to support a state government, and that
they have erected at their own expense a hall of legislature
which will bear comparison with those in the
older states. "Your memorialists therefore ask your
honorable body to favorably consider their interests;
and if consistent with the constitution and usages of
the federal government, that the constitution accompanying
this memorial be ratified, and that the state
of Deseret be admitted into the Union on an equal
footing with other states, or to such other form of
civil government as your wisdom and magnanimity
may award to the people of Deseret; and upon the
adoption of any form of government here, that their
delegate be received, and their interests properly and
faithfully represented in the congress of the United
States." 14
13 Then follow two clauses in the preamble in which are mentioned the
natural barriers between the state of Deseret and other portions of the Union,
and the importance of meting out the boundaries of states and territories in
such a manner that the heads of departments may be able to communicate
with all parts of the U. S. territory with as little delay as possible. Next
comes a brief homily on the science of government and its application to the
state of Deseret. A copy of the memorial will be found in Id., 87-90.
14 The assembly at S. L. City resolved that 2,000 copies of the memorial,
together with copies of the constitution, and an abstract of all records, jour-