The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1854-08-05

MORMON Foty8amys
The book of Mr.. Secretary Ferris on "Utah
and the Mormons," contains much that is
strange and startling. A few extracts in
connection with Polygamy. in its theory and
practice, will prove readable.
The main article in their faith is:
And again, as Pertaining to the law OF the
priesthood, if any man espouse virgin ana
desire TO esp0use another, and the hrst give
her consent; and il he espouses the second,
and they are virgins, and have vowed to see
no other man, then he is justified; he cannot
commit adultry. for they are given unto him;
for he cannot commit ad1ltry with that be-
longing unto him, and if he have ten virgins
given unto him; therefore he is justified.
Lest the first wife should not give her con-
sent. provision is made for dispensing with it:
And again, verify, | say unto you, if any
man have a wife who holds the keys Of this
power, and he teaches unto her the law of
my priesthood as pertaining to these things,
then shall she bel eve and administer unto
him, or she sha II be destroyed, saith the Lord
your God; fjr | will destroy her; for will
magnify my name upon all those who receive
and abide in my law. Therefore it shalt be
lawful in me, if she receive not this law for
him to receive not this law, for him to receive
all things whatsoever J., the Lord his God,
will give unto him, because she did not be-
lieve and administer unto him according to
my word and she then becomes the trans
gressor, and he is exempt from the law of
Sarah, who administered unto Abraham,
according to the law, when l commanded
Abraham to take Hagar unto wife. And,
now pertaining to this law, verify, verify
say unto you, will reveal more unto you
hereafter, therefore let this suffice for the
present. Behold! am Alpha and Omega.
Amen. ~t
o. the practiced workings of the system,
T the following details are given:
DOMESTIC EcoSoMY.-"Polygamy," says
Mr.. Ferris, sis introducing new style of
building at Salt Lake City. A man with hal:
dozen wives, builds, il he can, lorg. low
dwelling, having six entrances from the out
side; and when he takes in new wife, il
able to do so, adds another apartment. The
object is TO keep the women and babies, as
much possible apart, and prevent those
terrible cat-h ghts which sometimes occur,
with all the Accomplishments of Bilingsgate,
torn caps and broken broOm-stichs. As the
divine institution extends, these buildings
increase, and in few years the city will
look like collection of barricks for the &C.
commodation of soldiers. Some have sepa-
rate buildings in parts remote from each
other, and others have farm houses, and the
wives are thus kept separate. the husband d.
viding his time between them ALL"
FFFEcTs OF PoLYGAMY UPON POPULATION.
!. -" The effect upon population Is decidedly
deletorous. The prophet Joseph had over
forty wives at Nauvoo, aud the rest of the
' priestho, had various numbers, correspond
q ing 10 their standing and inc linatons; aud
nearly all the children of the children of these
g po!ygamous marriages died at that place; iu-
n deed, it is alleged by Mormons, that not one
q was taken to Utah. Brigham Young has
I thirty children, of whom eight are by his first
q and second lawful wives; the remaining %
are by his spirituais He has about fifty
wives, some of whom were widows OF Joseph
. Smith, aud probably past the time of having
e children; but supposing him to have thirty
. who are capable or having issue-which j.
), below the true number-the twenty-five
!, children would be less than one child to a
= concubine. IT each of these degraded fe-
/. males could have been the honored wife o
one husband. the aggregate number of chill
q dren, according to the usual av,rage OF foul
!. in family, would be one hundred andtwen
;. ty. showing loss in population of ninety
). eight.
"rhe children are subject to frightful de-
n gree of sickness and mortality. This is the
;. combined results of the gross sensuality O.
}. the parents, and want of care toward thei'
A offspring As general rule, the saint,
n pretendrs take as little care OF tier wive:
N as of their children, and of both, less than /,
faith MI farm in 40 nfn IA
O cattle; and nowhere out OF the "Five Points
in New Y rk city, can more filthy, mser
!. able, neglected looking and disorderly rabbIs
d Of children be found. than IN the streets OF
!. Great Salt Lake City. The Governor again
v whose attention to his mutifarious family we
are bound to suppose greater shan the aver.
age, aft 1rds fair illustration. He has been
d. twice lawfully married ..and has eight legit
: mate children. who are all liviny. He has
" had large number Of children by his concu
" blnes-no one knows how many--it is only
known that there are only twenty-five survi-
wing. These females do mott reside in the
l"Governor's house," so called, but in differen,
establishments, from one up 10 dozen in q
place." RI
,s "Their system Of plurality has oblterated
nearly all sense of decency, and would seem
= to be fast leading to n intercourse open and
l. promscuous as the cattle in the fields A
'' man living in common with dozen dirty
Arabs, whether he calls them wives con.
q cubines, cannot have very nice sense OF
Of propriety. 1t is difficult TO give true &C.
count of tie effects which have resulted from
this cause, and, at the same time, preserve
decency Of language. The Saints are pro-
gressive. Last year (lS53) they seriously
TX discussed the subject OF introducing new
yss order into the Church, BY which the wives OF
e absent missionaries might be sealed TO Saints
i'd left at home. There are number vi cases in
nd which a man has taken widow aud her
3 daughter for wives at the same time. One
10 has widow and her two daughters. There