President's Office,
Gt. Salt Lake City, July 5th, 1866.
Hon. Wm. H. Hooper, M. C.
House of Representatives,
Washington, D. C.
Dear Brother:
Your favors of the 7th and 12th ult. came safely to hand in due course of Mail, also the accompanying letter of Gen. R. Ingalls to you. We are gratifyd to hear from you, and to get the many times of news which your letters contain. The experience you are now gaining is very valuable, and though you may feel at times that you would be pleased to dispense with it, still you will, in time come, place a high value upon it, and be fully conscious of the benefit that you receive through it.
A longer time than usual has elapsed since my last was written to you, in anticipation of your being home, or starting for home before a letter would reach you; but as a letter may <possibly> reach you before you start, I take the opportunity of writing, thinking that even if you should have started for home, you will, before leaving Washington, make arrangements to have your letters forwarded after you.
By letter from Brother Stenhouse, dated the 19th ult., and received this morning, I learn that he was at Washington at the time of writing. The society of a brother must be very cheering and consoling to you under the circumstances which surround you. The spirits with which you are brought in contact, in the discharge of your duties, must be very repulsive to you, and the bitter hatred, and the persistent efforts to injure and destroy the Work of God which you witness on all hands, are not the kind of things which are calculated to make a man feel comfortable and as though he were in the house of his friends. There is one glorious consolation we have, of which the Wicked cannot deprive us, and that is that God reigns, and He will overrule everything for the good of His people and the salvation and triumph of his Work.
The Indians still continue hostile. The people in San Pete are fortifying and concentrating themselves in large Settlements. Bro. Wells is there with upwards of 300 men from Utah and this county. They have had some skirmishes with the Indians, in which three of our people have been killed and one wounded. How many have been killed and wounded on their side is not known, as in the three fights which have occurred, they have out numbered our people, and have succeeded in carrying all off with them. They have affairs to arranged now in San Pete that they think themselves in a good condition of defence.
These Indian troubles will have the effect, I hope and fully expect, to unite the people together, and cause them to pay more attention to counsel then they have been in the habit of doing of late. A great many have grown careless and indifferent, and their hearts have wandered and lusted after riches to the neglect of things of greater importance. This is but a light chastisement--if we can only profit by it -- to what we might receive.
I wonder if the gentleman who holds the money appropriated by Congress to pay the Government's indebtedness to me, won't advertise after awhile to learn if there is not somebody to whom I should I have owed something, in the absence of any real, bona fide creditors to claim the money. Does it not appear very noble and honorable for a high officer of Government to withhold the money he has in his hands belonging to another, and with a variety of paltry, shallow excuses refuse to pay it over? Is it not enough that I should be kept out of honest dues for long years, that now, that it is appropriated I must from various pretences, still be deprived of it? Such men, who take this course, will find the curse of God resting upon them, and they, with the whole clan who fight against Zion, will perish and go to Hell. You can show him this if you like.
Col. Babcock is still here, and so far as we have had opportunity of know<word cut off> deports himself in an unobtrusive, gentlemanly manner. He had an opportunity of seeing a little of our society and mode of getting up parties on the evening of the 3rd instant. A number of gentlemen, not members of our society got <up> a Ball and Supper at the Social Hall. Many of our leading citizens were invited, and even those who are accustomed to our practice there would have found it difficult to mark much difference between it and the Balls we have in the same place. The pastime was opened and closed in the manner customary with us on such occasions. Every thing passed off very smoothly and agreeably, and the Col. and all who were there seemed to enjoy themselves very much. The Fourth passed off quietly, being only marked by the firing of cannon, the music of the bands and the display of flags. The last I heard from your family they were well.
With love, in which President Kimball and Bro. Geo. Q. join, and praying <the Lord> to uphold, comfort and strengthen you and make you adequate for every duty
I remain Your Brother,
Brigham Young
P. S. You speak, in your favor of the 7th, of the amounts that they intend to keep out of my appropriation, and of a property return being deficient. The inquiry may be made from the then President down, and I have never had one dollars worth of the Government's property to return, only what I furnished myself.