History of Utah, 1540-1886 - Brigham Young University

606
PROGRESS OF EVENTS.
the provisional government. He was at once despatched
to Washington, with a memorial and constitution
of the inchoate state of Deseret, and Cannon,
who was then in England, was instructed to join
him without delay. The two elders labored diligently
in their cause, but failed of success. 5
It was claimed,
however, on the part of the Mormons, that they won
the respect of congress by accepting their defeat and
adhering to the union at a time when it was believed
throughout Europe that the war would result in favor
of the south, and when the sympathies of England
and France were strongly in favor of the southern
states. Moreover, the attitude of the saints
throughout this struggle, and especially the tone
of their church organ, the Deseret News, were not
adverse to the union cause. On the Sunday preceding
the surrender at Appomattox their prophet foretold
in the tabernacle that there would be yet four
years of civil war.
Though the saints may have had some few friends
in congress at this time, it is certain that they had
numerous and bitter enemies, who were constantly
working against their interests. In April 1862 a
bill was introduced by Justin S. Morrill of Vermont
"to punish and prevent the practice of polygamy in
the territories of the United States, and for other
purposes, and to disapprove and annul certain acts of
the territorial legislature of Utah." The objectionable
acts referred to included all those which tended
to establish or support polygamy, and especially an
5 It would appear that the Mormons hoped to succeed on this occasion.
In a letter to Cannon, dated Dec. 16, 1860, Hooper writes: 'I think threequarters
of the republicans of the house would vote for our admission. ' For
copies of the memorial and constitution, see House Misc. Doc, 78, 37th
Cong. 2d Sess.; Deseret News, Jan. 29, 1862. They were referred to the committee
on territories. In the Millennial Star, xxiv. 241-5, 257-61, is a synopsis
of the proceedings relating to the constitution and state government.
See also Deseret News, Jan. 22, 1862; Sac. Union, Feb. 14, 17, 1862. Meetings
in favor of this measure were held at Provo, Santaquin (a small settlement
in Utah co. ), Spanish Fork, Grantsville, and Tooele, for an account of
which, see Id. , Jan. 15, 1862. Prominent among those who opposed the admission
of Utah was Judge Cradlebaugh, afterward representative from Nevada,
whose speech in the house, on Feb. 7, 1S63, has already been mentioned.