Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-01-04
TIE MoiInons.
WHAT SHALL re DONE WITH 1'HrM'

ed by the government is one of extreme Difficult
ty and danger. They who have imagined that il
is necessary only 10 set military police over
the Mormons to bold them in subsection to the
public law, have locke | far short Of the sources
of future embarrassment and strife. inherent in
the system they have adopted.
1t sounds well enough to talk OF crushing the
egg of the cocatrice, before it is hatched; Of
teaching the incestuous aud impions outlaws
their duty to religion and the laws; of excluding
them from association with honorable nations
and thus dispose of them by the easy annihila
ton of flippani and indignant ihctorie-bnt when
we come to consider the practical means Of
complishng this-to hunt for our warrant in the
constitution, or the laws made under tive may
find ourselves brought 10 pause. that off hand
statesmen and impromptu moralists Ind not reck-
oned on.
If there be any two principles more deeply in
grained in the feelings of our people and tho phi
losophy Of our government than all others, they
are, first. freedom of religious worship and,
cond, the ri ght of each state 10 determine what
shall be the character Of It's domestic instltu-
tons. To this latter proposition the southern
states are especially welded, because il inyolyc-
the security of slavery, and is the best and only
moral barrier against the intervention and agrrcs.
sion of the abolitionists. We as firmly believe
that these two original and sovereign principles
are reserved TO the people Of the separate states,
as we believe in the right Of trial by jury, the
habeas corpus act.
There is another proposition TINT We have
been accustomed to believe admits Of no etceP-
ton. viz that when the people of n territory. So
constituted by Congress, have acquired the uu-
merical strength that entities them tai representa-
tion in Congress-and have properly aud rcgu-
larry adopted republican constitution for their
goyernm ent--and presented it Ia Congress, with
an application to be admitted into the Mon, Com
gress has no power Of refusal
These are all states rgh,s and southern
rights doctrines. They inlspatable lact-
in our economy OF government. They cannot he
relinauishcd without surrender Of all elnim of
sovereignty in The states and the people. But to
what shameful and disastrous copclusions ID they
conduct ns-when applied TO the ormon- 80
Their deifoaiiou Of Joe Smith is form OF re-
ligiou, worship which they have chosen IL adopt
and cannot therefore be denied them. lh .ir
system Of polygamy is domestic institution
which they have chosen Ia adopt. and must not
therefore b. nterfered with Their STATE con
stitu'on, when they shall present one, will. most
prabably, be republican in form for W need (
scarcely say marriage and religion are no, mat.
ters Of constitutional arrangement, or necc--n.
~ elements Of republieansm.) and cannot there
fore be excepted to, nor their demand for admis-
SION into tbs Union be refused.
A. if designed T. show the faultness aud i'm
perfectons Of "a systcm that we had fondly mog.
ined adapted 10 every contingency That could
arise. these miserable and 7ni~bcgotten wretchcs
of the Salt Lake valley about to put the WIS
dom of out great fathers at falkland demonstrate
the inadequacy ri our system 10 meet the most
palpablo political eporrnity Of modern times
WHAT'S 70 be done' Cnn the federal govern
ment send its troops there To compel penccnhlc
citizens 10 put away their wives, aud abneeatc
their religion Gan members of Congress, cs-
peciaIly Southern members, refuse them adms-
sion into the Union because of their peculiar
domestic institution p The first cannot be-
done-without most tyrannous and fearful AS
sumption of power the last without n sur
render Of the whole argument that protects
slavery.
What, we again ask is to be done Can they he
put upon the footing of savagcs or negroes aud /
denied the rights of citizenship, They cannot,
without disregard of all tho adjudicaions Of !
our courts, and all the teachings of common |
sense. Can they be treated as dsturbers Of the |
public peace polloters of the national morals, |
enemies to the general welfare-and, falling |
back upon the natural right of self protection,
the saios popuii, supremd Ter, shall the armed
hand of the Executive chastisc them into decon.
cy aud good demoanorl We should trembc to
see such authority given to, or assumed by, the
President! Shall Il convention be called to re-
model our federal constitution TO meet the cNi.
gency? We do not see how the constitution
could be so adapted. without ignoring principle,
that lie at the very foundation of republican
and federal systom-and. besides, we should re-
gard it as dny pregnant with peril To the I'm
ion, when the constitution should he opened
afresh for discussion and alteration. The fanat-
les of the North would revel with denoniae giee
over such prospect
We have thrown out these suggestions because
this question will soon have to he met i'm some
practical form, and it is full time that the public
attention were directed to it. If Col. Steptoc, |
Of whose sagacty, camncss aud courage we
have high appreciation, accepts the post ten
dered him and can solve the puzzle peaeeablv |
and satisfactorily, he will have saved the couu-
try from contingent evils of most threatening
aspect, and entitled himself to it. gratitude |
we invoke for the subject the thoughtful atteu-
ton of the people and especially of tho press
Mr.. WISE will address the citizens of Peters
burg tomorrow night Buckingham, at the Court
~ H.. ~ VI