Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1856-12-20
FROM UTAH.

Judicial Charge 4goi"st Poiygamy-7ho Uni
F! ted States L0lcs to be Enforced against it,
! AT the July term of the First Judicial District
Court for Utah Territory, held Mt Genoa, in Car.
son county, Judge Drummond charged the
Grand Jury very forc,bly and earnestly upon
the following among other sections of the Cri-
mihnl Code:
s'And now, gentlemeo of the Grand Jury, it
becomes my duty to call your special attention
with strict care. to the following section, viz:
Sec. SO, found on page 49, of the Revised Sta
tutes of the United States, for a d.. 1855 which
reads as follows:
"tf any man orwoman not being married to
each other, lcwdly and lasciviouslv associate and
| cohabit together; or, il any man or woman,
married or unmarried, is guilty of open and
gross lewdness, and deSignedy make any open
and indecent exposure of his or her person
every such person so offending shall be punished
by imprisonment, not exceeding ten years and
not less than six months and fine of not more
than thousand dollars, or both, at the discre-
ton of the Court" You will now remember
that you have each takena solemn oath before
God and those witnesses, that you would ''true
preSentment make ofall such matters and things
as should be given you in charge, or otherwise
come to your knowledge touching the present
service"
'Srhis section, therefore, give you in charge,
with an ardent desire that you will cast off all
pricstly yokes of oppression, and studiouslya and
honestly do your duty, without fear, favor or
affection, wholly unbiased. AS there is no stat
ute law in the Territory regulating marriage, or
touching the subject directly or indirectly, it
only remains for me to say that all these ccre-
monies by the people of this Territory called
Sealing" are anything other in the eyes of the
| law than q legal marriage ceremony In the
foregoing section the Legislature has thought
proper to pass stringent law of a criminal cha
racter for the punishment of open leSHdnesS;
/ this. indeed, was wise and humane on the part of
| those legislators, and to us it seems that the
| Legislature thereby intended to provide rcmc-
dy for the correction Of that crying and most
loathsome, barbarous, cruel, black and degra-
ding evil, which seems to be one of the cardinal
doctrine OF the church prominent in power in
this Territory, Polygamy; or at least, ifthey did
not intend Ii, they have virtually done, what
should have been done many years since. The
law is found in the book, and you rs well rs
are solelnnly bound to give it force and utility.
st is wholly useless and MONDAY madness
for the. Legislature to pass laws and for the Fe-
deral Government to send judges and attorneys
here to execute those laws, if the mandate of one
man, clothed with priestly power, and wholly
unlearned in the science of the law, is to be per-
United to thwart not only the action of the Lc-
gislature of the Territory, but boldly and openly
| bid open defiance and sportivc rebellion against
| the federal authority of the United States and
IuStdle W 0Tdnu DUTIES When 10 ll!lu OllS OF IN
dictmcnt and when not. These things cannot
be endured in Republican government. All
these men, therefore, who have multiplicity of
women residing with them, at the same house,
or at the same harenl, are subject for your nves-
tigation. have already instructed you. that
there is nolaw in this Territory authorizing the
issuing of marriage license, or authorizing any
one to perform marriage ceremonies, either in
or out of the Church; and much as you may re-
greet to do so, it is nevertheless your duty to
respect the law of the land, and prefer bills Of
indictment against all such as have not been le-
Egally married in some other country and par
ticularly when two or more women are cohabit-
ing with the same man. These instances are
too often seen and too much encouraged by the
Church here, to insure respect from the civilized
world, either at home or abroad, and even bar
barous minds in your own country revolt at the
sickcning and truly heart, rending spectacle of
the masses of the Territory. Duty follows You,
gentlemen, in all the walks of life, at home and
abroad in the family circle, at the ballot box, at
your daily Christian devotions, and prominently
here, where the interest of the crushed and
down trodden appeal, in thunder tones for re-
lief at the hands of the law.