The Brigham Young Center

Great Salt Lake City, Dec 17, 1861

Hon. John F. Kinney,

Sir:-Your note of 14th inst. containing a portion of the correspondence of Mr. Stenhouse to the Sacramento Union, has been received, and in reply I wish to state distinctly that I knew nothing about the contents of said publication until I received your communication. I understand Mr. Stenhouse to be a public newspaper correspondent, and as such he alone should be held responsible for what he publishes, at the same time I regret that any person should have given publication to anything calculated to interrupt the good feeling which has heretofore existed between yourself and the community, nor can I think that Mr Stenhouse has intentionally done so, but perhaps in a moment of haste <may have> made statements relative to the courts of Utah altogether too general in their application, not making, as upon more mature reflection he probably a proper distinction between the courts held by yourself and other honorable judges, and those held by such men as Eckels and Cradlebaugh, whose proceedings I think you will admit were a "public scandal."
I presume that your endeavors to discharge your duty and the privations which you have submitted to in accepting office, and coming to Utah are fully understood and appreciated by our Citizens, and by none more so than I

Yours Respectfully

Brigham Young



FORM
of Electing delegates

We the undersigned hereby certify that a Mass Meeting of the Citizens of [gap in typescript] County held this day January sixth 1862 [gap in typescript] were duly elected delegates from this County to the convention, to meet in Great Salt Lake City the third monday (20th) January Eighteen hundred and sixty two, and are fully authorized on our part to adopt a constitution and form a State government and to memorialize Congress for the admission of the Territory of Utah into the Union, and do all other business necessary for the full and complete organization of a State government

Chairman
Secretary