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Show RUMOURED HOSTILITY OF THE MOfUJON AUTHORITIES. 85 . the governor of the oomm6nwealth, stated to lam what I had heard, explained to. him the views of the, Government in directing an exploration and survey of the. lake* < a? suring; him that these were the" sole objects of the expedition* He replied, . that he did not hesitate to. pay that, both he and tht people over whom he presided had. beep very much disturbed tod surprised that the Government should, send out a party into their country so soon after they had made their settlement; that he had heard of the expedition from time to time, since its outlet frpm. Fort Leavenworth; and that. the whole community wer © extremely anxious-. atf * to what could be the design of the Government in such a? movement. It appeared, too, that their alarm Jiad been increased by the indiscreet and totally unauthorised boasting of. an dttacM of General Wilson, the newly- appointed Indian Agent for California, whose train on its way thither had, reached; the city a few daya. before I myself arrived. This person, as I understood, haddeclared openly that General Wilson had come clothed with authority from the President of the United States to expel the Mormons from the lands. which they occupied, and that he would do so if he thought proper. n The Mormons very naturally supposed from such a declaration that there must be some understanding or, connection . between General Wilson and myself; and that the arrival of the two parties so nearly together was the result of a concerted and combined movement for the ulterior purpose of breaking up and destroying their colony. The impression wps that a survey was to be made of their cotmtry in the . same manner that other public lands are surveyed, fot the purpose of dividing it into townships and auctions, and of thus establishing and recording the claims of the Government to it, and thereby anticipating any claim \ he Mormons might set up from their previous occupation. However unreasonable s& eh a suspicion maybe considered, yet it must be remembered that these people are exasperated and rendered almost desperate by the wrongs • and persecutions they had previously suffered in Illinois and Missouri; that they had left the confines of civilization arid fled to these far distant wilds, that they might enjoy undisturbed the religious liberty which had been practically denied them; and that now they supposed themselves to be followed up by the General Government, with the view of driving them put from even this solitary spot, where they had hoped they should at length be permitted to set up tljeir habitation in peace. |