Show I L I n t h e Beg B e g i n n n g By J. J Cecil cr Aller Slavery in Utah Utah Utah- Utah was was as a slave-holding slave state with a free soil leadership but that leadership was vested ested In Brigham Young Youns- and the slave question in Utah was va settled summarily summarily sum sum- marily manly without a single The slaves in Utah were free in spite of the fact tact their owners Mormon converts from the south had brought their negroes to Utah as chattels According to the United States census of or 1850 there were 12 men and 14 women negroes held as slaves in Utah and in 1860 18 male and 11 female negro slaves The 26 slaves in 1850 were vere reported to be on their way to California In 1860 there were 30 free negroes in Utah and these together with the slaves later freed formed the I original negro ro of ot the state The slave situation could not be described in better or fewer words that those used by Orson Hyde publisher of the Frontier Guardian Guardian Guardian Guar Guar- dian early In 1851 We Ve feel it to tobe tobe tobe be our duty to define our position position position tion in relation to the subject of or slavery There are arc several men Inthe in inthe inthe the valley of or the Salt Lake from the southern states who have hav their slaves with them There is la lano no law In Utah to authorize this slavery neither any to prohibit it l If the slave is hs disposed to leave hl his master no power exists there either legal or moral that will prevent him But If it the slave I chooses to remain with his master master mas mas- ter none are arc allowed to interfere between the master and nd the slave All the slaves that are nrc there appear appear ap ap- ap pear to be perfectly contented and satisfied When a a. man in the southern states tates embraces our faith and is the owner of slaves the tho church says sas to him 1 If your our slaves wish to remain with you put them not away but If it they choose to leave you or ar are not not satisfied to remain with you it IllS is for tor you to sell fell them or to let them go free a as your OUr own conscience ma may direct you jou The church on of this point assumes not the responsibility to direct The laws of ot the land lahd recognize slavery slav slav- cry ery we do not wish to oppose the laws of ot the countr country 1 If it there Is sin In selling a slave let the tho individual ual who sells him bear tear that sin In and not the church Wisdom and prudence dictate to us Uti this position position tion and we trust that our position position post post- tion will wilt henceforth be under under- stood Those were Brigham Youngs Young's views and he hc was equally broadminded broadminded broadminded broad- broad minded in regard to Indian slavery slav slav- cry ery as indicated by his message to the legislature in January 1852 The practice of purchasing Indian In In- In dian dlan children for slaves Is Js a trade carried on by the Mexican population population tion of oC New Mexico and Califor Califor- nia These traders of late years years' ears have extended their traffic into the limits of this territory This trade I have endeavored to prevent prevent pre pre- vent and this fall happening to encounter a few of them In my travels as superintendent of In Indian Indian Indian In- In dian affairs strictly prohibited their further traffic The majority major major- it ity of them appeared satisfied and after making malting a few exchanges of or prop property in the settlements returned returned returned re re- re- re turned to their own country Unfortunately Unfortunately Un Un- fortunately however a few tew of ot them still determined to carry carryon on their nefarious traffic they have been arrested and are now on their trial in this city Human Flesh Not Property It hIt is unnecessary perhaps for forme forme forrae me rae to indicate the true policy for tor Utah in regard to slavery Restrictions Restrictions Re Re- of law and nd government make all nil servants but human n flesh to be dealt in as property is not consistent or compatible with the true principles of ot government My own feelings are arc that no property property property prop prop- erty can or should be recognized as existing in slaves laves either cither Indian or African No person can purchase purchase purchase pur pur- chase them without their becoming becoming becom becom- ing as free so far as natural rights arc are concerned as persons of any other color under the present pros pres ent low and degraded situation of oC the Indian race so long Jong as the practice of gambling awa away selling selling sell sell- ing and otherwise disposing of ot their children as also sacrificing sacrificing sacrificing ing prisoners obtains among them it seems seem indeed that any transfer would be to them a R relief and a n benefit Man Mali Many a life liCe by this means menns is saved man many a child re redeemed redeemed redeemed re- re deemed from the of or savage barbarity and placed upon an equal footing tooting with the themore themore themore more favored portions of or the human human human hu hu- hu- hu man race If It in return for or favors avor and expense which may have been Incurred on their account service should be considered due it would become nece necessary sary that some law should provide the suitable regulations under which all such indebtedness in should be bedet det defrayed ed This Thi m ma may bg be said ald to present a new feature In the traffic trat- trat tic fic of ot human beings It Is essentially essentially essen essen- purchasing them Into freedom freedom free free- dom instead of slavery slaver but it is not the low servile drudgery of ot Mexican slavery to which I would doom them not to be raised among beings scarce scarcely superior to themselves but where they could find that consideration pertaining not only to civilized but humane and benevolent so 50 10 clety Warned Varnell In Editorial t Licenses were issued to Mex Mexican Me lean ican traders b by an Indian agent at Santa Fe Fc which ostensibly granted authority for this commerce commerce com corn merce in Utah giving givin rise to this paragraph from a News editorial November 15 1851 which was probably inspired We Ve have no objections to Spaniards MexIcans Mexicans Mex Mex- or any other nation coming into our midst buying tea sugar ugar coffee coHee or molasses buying selling selling sell sell- ing swapping horses mules or any other animals or property which will wili tend to the public good but from what we have heard of the affair before us we feel to raise raie our warning voice to all aU men within our limits and amI especially to the citizens of ot Utah territory to beware how they furnish arms or ammunition to any tribe of ot Indians whatsoever er and especially to any tribe at war with the United States or to any flY man or set of men of ot who hom in itcan itcan it itcan can be reasonably supposed they have any disposition to furnish munitions of ot war to hostile tribes And we further counsel that no person whatsoever be guilty of or trafficking in human blood or of ot selling Indians or Indian children to be transported out of ot the ter ten territory territory of ot the or from one part territory to another Our limits will not permit us to say more at feelings would not present our permit us ua to say less The bronze tablet on the pio plo pioneer pioneer neer monument at the head of ot Main street Salt Lake City lists in a supplemental section Green Flake Hark Lay and Oscar Crosby colored servants In the Mormon pioneer party to this valle valley Thus do we find that the colored people have a history of ot importance in Utah Ulah dating from the vcr very beginning of or things to the present day as the descendants descendants descendants descend descend- ants of or those pioneer negroes who still reside and prosper In this comm community uni t. t |