Runaway Officials of 1851 facts for kids

The "Runaway Officials of 1851" were three important government officers. President Millard Fillmore sent them to Utah Territory in 1851. These men were Judge Perry Brocchus, Judge Lemuel Brandenbury, and Territorial Secretary Broughton Harris.

They arrived in Utah in the summer and were welcomed. But soon, they had disagreements with members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), also known as Latter-day Saints. The main problem was that the officials criticized some of the Latter-day Saints' unique customs.

Soon, arguments about how to run the territory grew. The non-Latter-day Saint officials disagreed with Brigham Young. He was the new territorial Governor and the President of the LDS Church. By the end of September 1851, all three officers left Utah. Their jobs stayed empty for two years. This was the first big disagreement between the Latter-day Saints in Utah and the United States government. These problems eventually led to the Utah War in 1857–1858.

Why Did They Come to Utah?

Members of the LDS Church, often called Mormon pioneers, moved to what is now Utah in July 1847. They had left the United States on purpose. They moved to what was then part of Mexico. This was because they had faced harsh treatment in several eastern states. Their religion started in 1830.

They hoped to worship freely in the empty deserts of the Great Basin. They wanted to build a special community called Zion. They hoped to do this without anyone bothering them.

Utah Becomes U.S. Territory

However, much of the American Southwest became part of the United States. This happened after the U.S. won the Mexican–American War. Also, Latter-day Saint soldiers helped find gold in California in 1848. This led to the California Gold Rush. Thousands of people traveled across the country. This ended the Latter-day Saints' short time of being alone.

In 1849, the Latter-day Saints asked Congress to make their settled land a state. They called it the State of Deseret. This proposed state was very large. It stretched from central Colorado to southern California. It also went from middle Idaho to southern Arizona.

The Latter-day Saints wanted statehood. This would let them choose their own leaders. They hoped to avoid the problems they had faced before. They believed that governing themselves was the only way to protect their religious freedom. They worried about "unsympathetic" officials being sent if Utah became a territory.

Utah Territory is Created

But Congress did not make Deseret a state. Instead, it became the smaller, but still large, Utah Territory. This was part of the Compromise of 1850.

John Milton Bernhisel, a Latter-day Saint in Washington, D.C., asked President Fillmore for all Latter-day Saint officials. He said that Utah's people should be governed by people they trusted. President Fillmore then appointed Brigham Young as governor. Young was the President of the LDS Church. Fillmore also gave important jobs to other Latter-day Saints. But he also appointed several non-Latter-day Saints, called "Gentiles" by the Latter-day Saints.

New Officials Arrive

President Fillmore's new officials started arriving in Utah in the summer of 1851. The Latter-day Saints welcomed them warmly, no matter their religion.

For example, Judge Brandenbury arrived first. He was not a Latter-day Saint. He was honored with a big dinner and dances. Secretary Harris and his wife also traveled to Utah. When they arrived on July 19, a group of Latter-day Saints greeted them. They brought fruit and champagne.

Historian Norman Furniss said that this warm welcome was real. Brigham Young and his friends were ready to like their first non-Latter-day Saint officials. But this good feeling did not last long.

Relations Turn Sour

The good relationship between the non-Latter-day Saint officials and the Latter-day Saints quickly broke down.

For instance, Secretary Harris was supposed to deliver $24,000 in gold and the territorial seal to Governor Young. But he refused. He found out that the 1850 territorial census was taken without his approval. This was even though he had not arrived in the territory yet.

Judge Brocchus's Speech

Things got worse in September. Judge Brocchus, who was not a Latter-day Saint, gave a public speech. July 24 is Pioneer Day in Utah. It celebrates the Latter-day Saints' arrival in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. At the 1851 Pioneer Day party, the Latter-day Saints often gave speeches. These speeches talked about their past troubles in Missouri and Illinois. They also criticized the U.S. government and President Zachary Taylor.

A few months later, Judge Brocchus had a chance to speak at the General Conference of the LDS Church. Brocchus was known for being charming sometimes, but also very sarcastic. He had heard about the criticisms against the government on Pioneer Day. So, he strongly criticized the Latter-day Saints. He said they lacked patriotism and morality. He clearly hinted at their unique customs. Brocchus then lectured the women about being virtuous.

The Latter-day Saint crowd became upset. Brigham Young calmed them down. But he then gave a very strong speech against Brocchus. Young said he could have let the crowd attack Brocchus with a small gesture. But he only used harsh words. Brocchus and the other non-Latter-day Saint officials disliked the Latter-day Saints' customs. Historian Furniss said that Secretary Harris and his wife treated the Latter-day Saints like "Arapahoe Indians." They did not see them as civilized people. This disrespectful attitude caused more tension.

The Officials Leave

Brigham Young tried to fix the problems between the community and the non-Latter-day Saint officials. He sent several letters in late September. But the damage was already done.

Harris, Brandenbury, and Brocchus decided they could not do their jobs in Utah. They also feared for their safety. So, the three men left Utah for the east on September 28, 1851. This was less than three months after they arrived. These "Runaways" kept the $24,000 meant for the Territory. They also kept the territorial seal. Young tried to sue them to get these back before they left, but he failed.

After the Departure

The day after the officials left Salt Lake City, Young wrote a strong letter to President Fillmore. He defended the Latter-day Saints' patriotism. He also criticized Brocchus and the others. He suggested that people living in the territory should be appointed to federal jobs.

When the officials arrived in Washington, they wrote a report about Utah. This report made the Latter-day Saints look very bad. Norman Furniss wrote that it is not useful to argue who was right. The Church was not ready to simply accept being a territory. Brocchus and the others had ignored the feelings of the people they were supposed to serve. They had left their jobs without good reason. And their explanations were only partly true.

However, the accusations from the "Runaways" caused a big problem for President Fillmore and Congress. John Milton Bernhisel and Thomas L. Kane worked hard to support the Latter-day Saints in Washington. Rumors spread that Brigham Young would be replaced. Some even thought federal troops would be sent to Utah. But by June 1852, the issue calmed down. Congress passed a law. It said that territorial officials would not get paid if they left their jobs without good reason. Daniel Webster told Brocchus to either quit or go back to Utah.

What Happened Next?

The "Runaways" never returned to Utah Territory. Their jobs remained empty until 1853. In 1852, the Utah Legislature gave local Latter-day Saint courts power over criminal and civil cases. This meant these local courts had the same power as the federal district courts. This might have helped with justice since there were not enough federal judges. But federal officials saw it as the Latter-day Saints trying to take more power.

Brocchus and Brandebury were eventually replaced. The new non-Latter-day Saint officials were generally friendly to the Latter-day Saints. This brought some peace between the Latter-day Saints in Utah and the government. This peace lasted until both new officials died in 1855.

However, the next replacements, Judge John F. Kinney and Judge W. W. Drummond, were openly hostile to the Latter-day Saints. The arguments between these officials and the Latter-day Saint leaders greatly contributed to the start of the Utah War two years later.