The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1855-04-18
PoLYGAMY IN UTAH.

The Mormons are so rapidly increa
ing in numbers, and the question {
their admission into the Union is bein
so widely and earnestly discussed: tbs
everything relating to them is necessar
ly of interest to the intelligent observe
of passing events It is somewhat cur
Gus that one of the most pestilent, re
pulsive, and dangerous retrogressive far
aticisms that have afflicted humanit
should have originated among us VIII
claim to be the most advanced and indi
vidually independent people on the fac
of the globe. We extract the following
passages from the d" Seer" paper ed
tied by Orson Pratt, who styles himsel
one of the "Twelve Apostles" w
hope Mr.. Pratt, if his extensive matri
monial arrangements leave him a leisure
hour once a month, will devote it tC
making himself somewhat more conver
SAINT with the meanings of words, anc
the construction of language. We have
been at some pains to make theSfollow
ing extracts from the =" Seer " some
what readable, as far as the grammar Of
them is concerned
{" If the Gentle nations consider Pat
riachol Matrinony "a mote" which
has got into the Saints eyes, let them,
before they undertake to pluck it out,
extricate the great beams from their
own eyes, and then they will learn that
what they suppose to be " a mote" is in
reality, divine institution, which was
practised by the most holy men that
ever lived in ancient times, under the
sanction and appreciation of the Almigh-
ty. Tradition causes individuals to
strain at a gnat, and swallow camel. :"
They can swallow down quite easily.
without uttering groan, the polluted,
wretched, and most filthy sinks of in
iquity, that prevail to an alarming ex-
tent, in all the large towns, cities, and
seaports, among the Gentle nations and
they cry out, as though they were fright
ened out of their senses, because Ter
ritory practises legal and lawful matri-
mony, after the pattern set before them
in the Scriptures.
The Latter Day Saints have stricter
notions of virtue than any other people
under heaven. But do they practice
virtue as we'll as deliver the precspts
thereof? We answer, let the practice
of $4,000 Saints in Utah speak Let
strangers who have travelled through
our fourishing territory, declare ? Let
the records of the Courts ofjustice bear
witness Let the injured females, if
there be any, whose character and repu-
tation have been destroyed by the vile
seducer, publish their wrongs Let
children, if Utah affords
them, come forth as public monument
of our disgrace Ifa house ofill-fame,
an adulter, or seducer of female virtue
be found, throughout the length and
breadth of our Territory, then, let the
Elders be clad in sackcloth, and let the
Saints put on garments of mourning,
and weep before the Lord, day and
night, until the evil be taken from their
midst
But, is it not sinful for man to have
more than one wife at the same time p
If it is. the Bible has not mention ed it.
It is not revealed as an evil. Is it con-
trarT to the will of God, for man in
these days, to take a plurality of wives +?
Yes, unless God shall give them to him
by revelation through holy prophet.
But, is it not contrary to the Constitu
tion and laws of the United States for
the citizens of Utah to practice plurali-
y of wives? No; they have not said
anything on the subject of marriage, OF
domestic relations. Neither does the
Of that Territory feel dispos-
ID to debar her citizens of any blessings,
'r privileges enjoyed under the sanction
If the Almighty, by holy prophets and
of old.
We should be pleased to have some
If tho wise theologians of our day bring
Onward even one passage, from either
he Old or New Testament, to prove
hat plurality of wives is an evil. If
hey can show that such a practice was
inful, either under the Patriarchal,1 /
Mosaic, or Christian dispensations, let
hem do SO. When and where did our
5aviur ever condemn it? When and
Fhere did his Apostles ever condemn it
Here, then, ye ministers of Christen-
lom, are some grave questions for you
O settle. The whole English voeabu
ary is exhausted to find epithets and
eproaches sufficiently expressive of your
Ioly horror. But, in this holy war,
7here is the minister, or any one else,
hat can brandish the sword of Truth
gainst that which he condemns De-
unciations are not arguments; curses
nd vile reproaches will not enlighten
he mind. Such empty trash is becom-
ng stale; it is not received as evidence
y at linking public. Let theologians
ack up their cry of delusions by good
ound reasoning, by evidences from the {
ord of God -
Would you convert the Mormons of {
Jtah-the fair sons and daughters of {
be New England Statess citizenso of this