In This Issue

General Regis de Trobriand. USES collections.

The familiar backdrop of the Mormon-gentile conflict assumes a slightly different look as some relatively unknown personalities take center stage in our first two articles. General Regis de Trobriand was an extraordinary man to begin with. Cosmopolitan and artistic, this French-born sophisticate was an unlikely sort to carry Uncle Sam's banner in the often muddled and treacherous cauldron of nineteenth-century Utah politics, particularly given his distaste for such a role But when he found this responsibility thrust upon him, he responded with a natural confidence and style that earned him the respect of most principals of the time and of historians since. His story is followed by an analysis of a newspaper war in the territory as the Valley Tan and the Mountaineer exchanged polemics, hyperbole, and unabashed accusations in a wild two-year journalistic brawl. Yet, to the benefit of the historical record, that melee shed at least a ray of light on the murky question of personal violence in early territorial Utah.

The third article shifts to the twentieth century and conflict of a different type—the clash of cultures in our public school system. Noting that the boarding school experience of Native Americans has been scrutinized over and over again, the author breaks new ground with this bold study of Ute students in Uinta Basin public schools. It is a complex story of federal strategies, local white priorities, and traditional Ute values all seeking accommodation and balance.

The concluding selection continues our year-long emphasis on the centennial as one of Utah's foremost historians examines the interplay of thoughts and events that shaped our state constitution. It will not only command a lasting historiographic niche for its revisionist conclusions but will also serve as the standard reference for anyone seeking to understand territorial development within the context of U.S. constitutional law.

Our colorful front-cover scene of the original Brigham Young Academy in Provo features that wonderful montage of detail and impression that is artist Jacque Baker's hallmark As she bicycles past the historic structure to promote its exciting future, the editors of the Quarterly yell thanks for her thoughtfulness and generosity in letting us share her painting with our readers.