Views of Col. Thomas L. Kane on a Government for Deseret

Nov 26^th 1849 In company with Dr J. M. Bernhisel I called upon
Col Kane to have an interview with him In Relation to petitioning Congress
for the reception of the State of Deseret into the Union

The following is a synopsis of the conversation of Col Kane

You must not commit yourselves to any party but keep a close
mouth with all parties and the utmost discreet and wise course must
be pursued in order to do any thing at all. I will do what I can
with the free soil party. My Father and Mr Dallest with the Democ-
rats. It will be the most critical Congress ever held. "I Applyed
according to the wish of President Young for a Territorial Gove-
rnment I had my last sad and Painful interview with Presi-
dent Polk I found He did not feel disposed to favor your
people and had his men of his own stamp picked out to serve
as Govornor & other officers who would have oppressed You
or injured you in any way to fill their own Pockets He would not
appoint men from among yourselves. And I saw it absolutely
necessary that you should have officers of your own people to govern
you or you were better without any Government I had to use my
own discretion and I withdrew the Petition I am fully decided
upon that point that you must have officers of yourselves &
not military Polititcians who are struting around in your midst
usurping Authority over you. It will not do for you to take the
slavery opquestion or Antislavery or any other side but the nutral.
Atchinson of Missouri with the Mormon opposing party will still be
your enemies Thomas Benton has been an inveterate enemy and
still may be. And all the Parties with the whole of Congress is a mass
of corruption & abomination they are all governed by party manage-
ment without any regard to principle & if we do any thing upon
this subject we shall have to enter into wise Management we
may have to favor the South some though they are your enemies
and I hate to do it. Parties are all breaking up and New ones
forming and no man can tel what a day will bring forth.
Thomas Benton was at the Head of your being driven from
Winter Quarters the Indian country and Polk favored it and
I could not turn them from their purpose I told Mr Polk we
should not present any Petition while He dictated matters.
Benton is still your enemy at heart.

Douglass is going down
with a certain class connected with him. The time was when
He could have done your People much good by merely bearing
his Testimony of your good character while He was as Judge in
Illinoise and He would not do it (Let this be remembered)

Col Kane remarked that from the acquaintance I have had with Mr
B [blank] I Apprehend entertain serious apprehentions that He will by his
course at Washington injure your cause. He was formerly a small
politition but a rough one of the Missouri stamp and this in my view
to some extent would disqualify him for the business Besides He expressed
a want of confidence in his wisdom prudence and discretion to
manage this affair and that He would associate with an inferior
class of men in the lower House which would also exhert a prejudi-
cal effect upon our cause

Views of Col. Thomas L. Kane on a Government for Deseret

Nov 26th 1849 In company with Dr J. M. Bernhisel I called upon Col Kane to have an interview with him In Relation to Petitioning Congress for the reception of the State of Deseret into the Union

The following is a synopsis of the conversation of Col Kane

You must not commit yourselves to any party but keep a close mouth with all parties and the utmost discreet and wise course must be pursued in order to do any thing at all. I will do what I can with the free soil party. My Father and Mr Dallest with the Democrats. It will be the most critical Congress ever held. "I Applyed according to the wish of President Young for a Territorial Government I had my last sad and Painful interview with President Polk I found He did not feel disposed to favor your People and had his men of his own stamp picked out to serve as Govornor & other officers who would have oppressed You or injured you in any way to fill their own Pockets He would not appoint men from among yourselves. And I saw it absolutely necessary that you should have officers of your own people to govern you or you were better without any Government. I had to use my own discretion and I withdrew the Petition I am fully decided upon that point that you must have officers of yourselves, & not military Politicians who are struting around in your midst usurping Authority over you. It will not do for you to take the slavery question or Antislavery or any other side but the nutral. Atchinson of Missouri with the Mormon opposing party will still be your enemies Thomas Benton has been an inveterate enemy and still may be. And all the Parties with the whole of Congress is a mass of corruption & abomination they are all governed by party management without any regard to principle & if we do any thing upon this subject we shall have to Enter into wise Management we may have to favor the south some though they are your Enemies and I hate to do it. Parties are all breaking up And New Ones forming and no man can tel what a day will bring forth. Thomas Benton was at the Head of your being driven from Winter Quarters the Indian Country and Polk favored it and I could not turn them from their purpose I told Mr Polk we should not present any Petition while He dictated matters. Benton is still your Enemy at heart.

Douglass is going down with a certain class connected with him. The time was when He could have done your People much good by merely bearing his Testimony of your good character while he was as Judge in Illinoise and He would not do it (Let this be remembered)

Col Kane remarked that from the acquaintance I have had with Mr Bxxxxx I entertain serious Apprehentions that He will by his course at Washington injure your cause, He was formerly A small politition but a rough one of the Missouri Stamp and this in my view to some extent would disqualify him for the business Besides He expressed a want of confidence in his wisdom prudence and discretion to manage this affair and that He would associate with an inferior class of men in the lower House which would also exhert a prejudical effect upon our cause