The Brigham Young Center

418 - 420

President's Office,
G. S. L. City, Jan. 2/65.

Hon J. F. Kinney,
House of Representatives,
Washington City, D. C.

My Dear Sir:

Your several favors of Dec 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 7th have come to hand--the first two on last Sunday and the last this morning-- and have been perused with the interest which your communications usually inspire. My last to you was written on the 23rd ult., and will, I trust, reach you in due course. In that communication I endeavored to give my views on the subjects which you mentioned in your favor of the 24th of November. I hope what I have written in that letter will prove satisfactory to you and will convey to you my ideas.

The diligence with which you have followed up the business connected the Post Master of Great Salt Lake City will doubtless be attended with Good effect. If the promises of President Lincoln, the Post Master General and Gov. Randall, to you shall be kept, you will have an opportunity of letting them know the feelings of your constituents respecting the Post Master, should the removal of Mr Stenhouse be decided upon. The Legislature is drawing up a list of the Mail routes and the system of mail service in the Territory to send to you, which the members think will be of service to you in your operations with the Post Office Department. If you can, it is desirable that you get the Mail service put on the various new routes throughout the Territory as soon as possible.

Respecting our admission as a State, it will be as I have always said; when the Lord wishes us to become a State, we will be admitted, and man's efforts for us and against us will be overruled for the accomplishment of that end. They say we cannot be admitted for the want of numbers; but Nevada can be admitt with a population of 35,000, or, at the outside, 40,000; this, however, is all right. We do not care about being admitted as a State, and I think it advisable for you not to ask for our admission as a State, nor for the establishment of a Land Office, Nor for the Indians to be removed. Utah will be admitted after awhile and by the right Congress, too. The year upon which we have enter will bring the government and nation enough to do. It will be a bloody one, and fraught with difficulty and confusion; yet I do not expect it will be equal in this respect to the following year - 1866. If the Lord does not return the compliment upon the whites, for their abuse of the Indians, it will be very strange indeed.

I expect you will be here in time yourself to receive Mr Colfax when he makes us his promised visit in the Spring. I scarcely think it wise for the Legislature or the City Fathers to extend an invitation to him to visit our City. When he comes here, that will be time enough to extend the hospitalities to him.

The weather still continues mild, though, since my last to you, a considerable amount of snow has fallen.

The weather still continues mild, though, since my last to you a considerable amount of snow has fallen.

President Kimball desires a kind remembrance to you. With love to yourself and kind regards to your family,

I remain Yours Truly,

Brigham Young