Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1854-12-01
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP,

difference Of opinion in this country 81 to the
duty OF the Federal Government in its rela.
'ons to Mormonism. So long as the professors
OF mat system conform to the Constitution and
Laws Of the land, they are entitled to proteo-
ton, whatever the majority may think of their
heresies 1t is no ground of prescription of
the Mormons that they hold different faith
from that of the great majority of Christians,
because the Constitution, based On enlighten.
ed reason, has guaranteed perfect liberty of
conscience, and tho right of every man to
worship God in his own way.
But institutions growing out of religi Gus sys-
TENS stand on different footing. These must
conform to the Constitution and common law
of the land, and cannot be tolerated if thew
conflict with the rights of individuals or with
public morality, which the Constitution and
Laws were designed to conserve. 1t is on this
principle that the institution of State Church,
which in some form prevails in every part of
Europe, and is held to be almost sacred and
essential wherever it exis is, whether Catholic
or Protestant, is utterly forbidden by our laws
and the members of those establishments,
when they emigrate to the United States, are
constrained to forego the privilege, although
they may esteem it sacred duty, of COM
pelling others to confirm to their churches, or
to pay them tribute.
The Mormons cannot expect to form an ex.
ception to this rule. The institution of polyg.
amy, and the union of church and state, are
utterly Incompatible with the laws and Con-
stitutiOn, and they cannot claim protection
or liberation. Polygamy saps the foundation
of public morality; it is in contravention Of
the common law Of the land, and may be
abated, suppressed, or prohibited as a nuis-
ance. The cloak of religion cannot shield it
from the reprobation of the common sense of
the people. It can claim no protection under
the constitutional guaranty of liberty of con-
science. Brigham Young, himself, could
scarcely muster the brasen hypocrisy to de-
clare that he has been constrained by con,
science to marry his forty wives; and GER
tainly, if he should falsely pretend to such
compunctious visitings, he will not be credited
any more than We would credit the assertions
of topper who should place his addiction to
the bottle on the same ground of religious
obligation. All that the Mormons can urge
on that point is, that their religious system
permits polygamy-that it is a privilege not
denied to the saints by their sacred books. If
it be placed on the ground of duty, instead OF
privilege, then it would behoove the saints to
provide two or more wives for their poor
brethren, which would be physically impossi-
BILE for whole nations, since mankind is about
equally divided between the sexes The
monopoly of the wealthy, in fact, must neces-
sarily deprive many of the poor of go much
as one wife; and there is, doubtless, many
| a David among the saints of Utah, who
| though his focks are grazing on thousand
hills, has been SO unjust as to strip his poor
neighbor of his only hope-his single eve
lamb.
Polygamy is not only inconsistent with the
common law and with public morality, but i,
incompatible with the public welfare. His
tory teaches that wherever it has existed, the
popul alton has been less vigorous, less healthy
and less prolific than where it is discounte.
/ nanced. 1t is relic of barbarian, of heath
enism, and should no more be tolerated thar
the religious custom Of buEning widows on tn
among the Hindoos; or the other cruel super
stition of the same benighted race which
prompts them to fall down before the car OF
Juggernaut, and be crushed beneath it,
wheels.
There can be, then, no doubt about the
right of the Government to interpose for the
suppression of polygamy. The only difficulty
with any rational man would seem to be as to
the proper mode of interfering for this purpose
1t is Justly feared that the appointment Of a
Governor and other Federal officers, entirely
alien in sentiment from the people to be gov
erned, will not work well; and the coercive
measures which would thus become necessary
would revolt the republican sensibilities of the
Americ an people, and be Of evil example and
tendency. Such measures should not be re-
sorted to until every milder expedient has been
tried and found delusive
But is there no middle ground? Is the pub
lie mind of Mormondom unanimous in the
support of polygamy? We cannot believe It,
1t is unnatural to suppose that the poor can
honestly and heartily sustain system which
enures only to the benefit or qualification of
the rich or powerful. This is more particu-
larry true since the monopoly of wives by the
wealthy must in the nature of things deprive
poor men not merely of plurality of wives,
but of one wife, with all the sweets of home
And again, this inequality must be felt in still
greater force in new country, where there
is always large preponderance of the males
in number.
Unfortunately, the power and influence of
the Government have hitherto been arrayed
on the side of the wealty wife-monopolists,
and it is not surprising that, thus supported,
they have been able to frown down all oppo-
position to the selfish system in which they
delight. Now, We respectfully submit if it
ia not nractics hIe IN hu;Id nm m ,,n.,,..