The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1856-12-25

Extraordinary News from Utah
Judicial Charge against POIlga-
my-The U. s. Laws TO be cnfOr-
eed against IL
At the July term Of the First Judicia
District Court for Utah Territory, held o
Genoa, in Carson county, Judge Drummond
charged the Grand Jury very iorcibly and
earnestly upon the following among o:her
sections Of the Criminal Code:-
And now, gentlemen of the Grand Jury,
it becomes my daiy to call your special az
tention with strict care to The following Sec
ton, viz: Sec. SO, found on page 1877 Of the
Revised Statutes of the United States, for
A. d. 1855, which reads as follows: "If any
man or woman, not being married to each
other, lewdly and lasciviOusly associate aud
cohabit together; or, il any mnn or woman,
married or unmarried, is guilty of open and
gross lewdness, and designedly mike any
open and indecent exposure of his or her
personal---very. 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 one thousand dollars,
or both, at the discretion of the Court
You will now remember that you have each
ia ken a solemn oath before God and these
witnesses, that you would "true presentment
make Of all such matters and things as
should be given you in cA'rge or otherwise
come to your knowledge, touching the pres.
emf service"
This section, therefore, give you in
charge, wilh ma ardent desire that you will
cast off all priestly yOkes Of oppression, and
studiouSly and honestly d. your duty, with
out fear, favor or affection, wholly unbiased .
AS there is no statute law in this Territory
regulating mari lgc, or touching the subject
directly or indirectly, it only remains for me
to say that all ceremonies by the people Of
the Territory, called Sealing" are anything
ether in the eyes of the law than a legal
marriage ceremony. In the foregoing sec.
ton the Legislature has thought proper to
pass stringent law of criminal character
| for the punishment ofOpen lcwdncss. This,
indeed, was wise and humane on the part of
those legislators, and to US it seems that the
Legislature thereby intended to provide a
remedy for the correction of that crying and
most loothsome, barblrous, cruel, black and
degrading evil, which seems to be one OF
the cardinal doctrines Of the church, promi-
nent in this Territory-Polygamy; or, at
least, if they did not intend it, they have
virtually done what should have been done
many years since. The law is found in the
book, and you as we'll as | are solcmnly
bound TO give 1t force and utility.
It is wholly useless and MONDAY madness
for the Legislature to pass laws, and for the
Federal Government to send judges and at
torneys here to execute those laws, il the
mandate of one man, clothed with priestly
power and wholly unlearned in the science
OF the law, is to be permitted to thwart not
only the acton Of the Legislature OF the Terri.
tory, but boldly and openly bid d"fance and
sportiye rebellion against the Federal au
thoritv of the United States, and dictate to
grand juries when to find bills of indictment
aud when not. These things cannot be en-
durcd in a Republican government. All
these men, therefore, who have a multpiici
tv ofwomen residing with them, at the same
house or at the same harem, are scbjects Of
your investigation. have already instruct.
ed you, that there is no law in this Terrific
ry authorizing the issuing of marriage H.
cense, or authorizing any one TO perform
marriage ceremonies, either in or out OF thc
church; and mu h as you may regret to dc
SO, it is nevertheless your duty TO rcSpcc
the law of the land and prefer bills Of in
dctmcnt against all such as have not beer
legally married in some other country, ant
particularly when two or more women arc
cohabting with the came man. These in
stances are too often seen and too much en-
couraycd by the church here to insure re
spect from the civilized world, either a
, home or abroad; and even ba-barous mind
in your own country revolt at the sickenn.
aud truly heart-rendering spectacle of th
, masses Of this Territory. Duty follows you
gentlemen, in all the walks OF life, at hom
and abroad, in the family circle, at the bal
lot box, at your daily Christian devotions
and prominently SO here, where the interes
of the crushed and down trodden appeal il
thunder tones for relief at the hands Of tn
law.