The Brigham Young Center

Presidents Office
Great Salt Lake City
April 5  1858

Hon. John M. Bernhisel

Dear Brother:

However useless it may appear to endeavor to communicate with you we could not let the opportunity of the return of this Cal. mail pass without making another attempt.  Yours of the 18th. Jan. came duly to hand stating that you had not received a line from me since October.  We have written every month.  We now forward enclosed to you the usual Papers for the quarter ending 31st March to the Commissioner of Indian affairs containing a draft in your favor for $2749.11/100 and also draft for salary $625.00 for same quarter.

We are not much edified by this Mail either by letters or papers, although there appears to be a general hacking down in regard to Mormon affairs yet this avails us nothing so long as they keep sending up their reinforcements and supplies.

We truly regret that you have not received our letters, for you were instructed in them to present our Constitution and application to Congress for admission into the union as a State, not that we expect them to grant it but that they may not hereafter have it in their power to say "We never applied for admission"  We are almost discouraged in regard to Congress excluding you from your seat it appears on the contrary that the President having so fully and unadvisedly committed himself would now be glad if Congress would help him to recede and back out of a very bad scrape.

We see by the papers that you have proposed a withdrawal of the army and that a Commission be appointed to investigate and that Mr. Wilson of Mass. has presented it.  This is what should have been done in the first instance, as you do not mention any thing about this in your letter it may prove only report  still it may have occurred since you wrote, as your correspondence can only come by way of Cal. would it not be well to time your letters for sailing of the steamers so that we may get later advices from you each month we generally get   New York papers as late as the 5th & 6th of each month.

Captain Van Vliets report did not come to hand.  we would like very much to see it, and are very glad to learn that he is disposed to do justice.  Your friends in this country are doing all they can to accomplish peace and we trust that the time may not be far distant when the Administration and all other officers shall exhibit symptom's of returning saints evincing a disposition to extend and sustain justice, liberty, and equal rights.

I remain as ever

Your Friend and Brother.

P. S.  Postmaster and others, when you have read this letter please close and forward it to its destination.