The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1852-02-17
MISCELLANEOUS.
A New Religious Sect of Polysa,n.st

.- AS4OSGIL IL "a kYLV w.
a New Religious Sect of Polysanists.
We have Ind some startling ac-
counts Of the progress of p,tyganly a.
,mong the Mnrnons of Utah, but their
practices seem to be prorricty Itself,
compared to those Which prevail a.
mong o society, VIII ch calls itself
"PerttctioliSts." and claims to be re-
ligious and christian. The peculia:ity
of the system Of the peritctiDnist$, is
that all the laws, both human anI
divine, that are designed to regulate
the marriage relation, are set aside and
denounced. while the unrcstrancd in
dulgencc of the human passions is
prnctiscd, not merely us the means to
present enjoyment, but us meuay Of
grace or heIps Of holiness. The tollll-
der of the society is graduate of Il
New England College, Il student in
two theological selninarics, and now
tho editor Of paper published in
New York, to sustain and advocate his
doctrines.
The centre of this sect is in the
town of Lcnox, Madison county. New
York, whore about $50 men, women
and children live together in one house,
with no distinction ofpropcrty, family.
or authority. Each one does what
seems good in his own eyes. Tho
Bible is their nominal constitution,
and how curiously they must follow its
teaching; is evident from the fact, that
they disavow all separate and in
dividual right in property. wives or
children" Literally, they have
''all these things common" But the
sect is by no means confined to On
oida and Madison counties. In New
York and Brooklyn, and in Newark,
N. j., and i'll many other places, there
arc groups of practical members.
The New York Observer, in q
notice of the propagandsts, says:
"ln Utah, among the Mormons, the
distinction of husband and wife is
rigidly maintained, and non-intcr-
vsntion insisted upon even at the
peril of life. But in the Orcida AS
socIation, and in the boarding houses
established on similar principles in
this vicinity, these distinctions are
utterly abolished, and the frecst
RIGHTEOUSNESS practised as the high
est Developments of holiness. We
have been furnished with IA large mum
Der Of certificates, signed by tcinales of
this community, stating that at
first they were fearful they were not
doing right, but the longer they have
practised on the system here pursued,
the holicr they are sure they grow.
On the principl: we suppose, that
where there is no law there is no
transgrcssion, they have abrogatcd
all authority but inclination, and they
never sin, because they never do any
thing but what they like. The read
cr may be amused at the practical
operation Of the association at Lcuox
as VIC find it detailed in ono Of their
reports.
The children arc trained in gen.
oral nursery, and lit is found TO be
altogether more comfortable task to
take care OF six in tho new way, than
it had been to wait on one in ordinary
circumstances. 'Ihc only drawback
on the operation was the temporary
distress Of mothers in giving up their
little ones to the care of others. which
made occasion for some mclo-dramat
ic scenes; but the wounds were
soon healed, and the mothers learned
to value Their own freedom and
opportunity Of education, and the i'm
proved condition Of their children
more than the luxury Of sickIy ma
ternal tenderness This is the Ian
guage of the report.
slho way they sloep is curious.
t2ne largo room is set apart for q
dormitory, and each bed is en-
.compasscd by sort OF square tent.
SO that one stove warns the whole
space. and 'as the principles and hab-
It's OF the Association arc more
grc9arlous than usual, the sacrifice of
prlvity IS small affair
The women found that much time
was spent III dressing their hair, SO
they looked into Paul's theory Of
long hair, and says this report, stllc
discovery was made that Paul's Ian.
gtiags expressly points out the OBJ
lect for which women should wear
long hair, and that object is not or.
nalnnent, but d covering. In this
light 1t was Immediately manifest that
Che long hair OF women, rs it wa,
usually worn, coiled and combcd
upward to the top Of the head, instead
OF answering to Paul's object OF
ssAsvefiiig: Actually exposes thu back
pa;t Of tht1tcaa ;aorc .Aa4 .Ae short