Show grave charge against the mormons cormons Mor mons washington CITY january 6 54 TO THE EDITOR OF THE GLOBE sm sir the globe of this morning contains an article which you have copied from the missouri democrat by which the guilt of the murder of captain gunnison and his party part is attempted to be fixed on the mormons cormons of utah tah territory the charge is one of revolting cruelty from which every mormon would shrink with horror but the mere accusation by a species of reasoning only may serve to incense tile the public against a community in whose entire history no circumstance can be found to give even the color to a charge of bloodthirstiness and hence an all investigation by the war Dep department artmen t is 1 imperiously called for not only to satisfy t the he iopu public alic mind but in justice to the mormons cormons themselves sir pained as I 1 was on reading the published article I 1 nevertheless felt deeply grateful for your remar remark k that you had no knowledge of the mormon character to warrant the inference that they and not the indians massacred captain gunnison and his party the mormons cormons are not so isolated from the world as the writer of tile the article in question represents they have among them many person who are engaged in commercial and other pursuits who adhere to the religion taught them in their native states in the eastern part of this confederacy the mormons cormons tolerate all creeds and desire to proscribe none and being thus a mixed community what escape could they expect from ery if disposed to stain themselves with blood the whole accusation is unsupported by a particle of testimony against the mormons cormons Mor mons whereas the tha accusing writer manifests strong prejudice against them and the communications from the survivors clearly fix the guilt on the indians another fact permit me to mention captain gunnison did not visit utah territory now for the first time he spent about a year with captain stansbury of the topographical corps in great salt lake valley about fourbears four years ago while prosecuting their survey in that region of country much of the time was spent e t in salt lake city when the season was too lo 10 ement for field operations and captain gunal gunnison ou I 1 know intended to spend part of the present in that city his relations with the mormons cormons wre were very pleasant and with him in the service of C captain a etain stansbury several mormons cormons were employed one of whom accompanied them to this city to assist in the completion of their report besides one of the murdered party was himself a mormon I 1 have thus hastily addressed you lest the published statement should obtain credence because it was the mormons cormons have no motive to commit such deeds their lives afford no evidence that they are disposed to commit them and I 1 confidently rely on their entire exculpation as soon as a proper examination can be made into all the circumstances of the lamentable catastrophe I 1 am very respectfully your obedient servant JOHN M BERNHISEL delegate from utah |