San Andreas independent., 1857-09-05
Bound for Salt Lake.


Bound for Salt Lake.
On Wednesday last train of seventeen wag-
ons and one hundred persons (Mormons) passed
through this camp, vending their way to Salt
Lake, the great centre of the Latter Day Saints.
They came from the agricultural counties where
they had been engaged in ranching, and al
though to this place is but small fraction of
the journey before them, yet they appeared
''travel worn and care oppressed" and to our
eye bore the general appearance of persons who
were going to incarcerate themselves, when the
last ray of hope was forever shut out, rather
than seeking comfort and happiness in "land
of promise 1t may be feeling of prejudice,
or creature of the Imagination, but we do
think that in all communities of Mormons, the
people do not possess that bold, indepe nden
look and action which is characteristic of the
Americans and all who mix and associate with
them and this is more particularly noticeable
in the women. And it cannot be otherwise
when the women are made objects of lust rather
than companions of equality and socablity.-
That women can be happy under a system such
as that practiced by the Mormon church is con-
trary to every principle of common sense and
conflicting with all the teachings of human ma
ture. There is a latent principle in the human
heart-and exists in all persons as part of
nature itself-which requires but spark to
kindle into blaze of love, and consistent with
and as part of that principle, a desire to be
loved in return. And no feeling produces the
same degree of lasting pleasure as mutual love
between the sexes yet this greatest of earthly
happiness is crushed out the feelings, inclina-
ton and happiness of the fairer portion ofman-
kind are sacrificed to crafty the beastly lust of
fanatical, corrupt, or designing men. Under
this demoralizing system of plurality of wives,
whatever forced qualification men may find, the
fairer sex are forever barred from every hope
of earthly content and happiness. Should
woman even be so fortunate as to be welded
to the object of her love, her mind is racked,
her peace and quiet destroyed, her heart sinks
within her with constant expectation that her
home will be turned into harem, and Others
of her sex will be brought in to share that affec
ton to which she alone is entitled In such
state of society women may endeavor to bearup
under their lot and accommodate themselves to
the circumstances which surround them: but the
mind becomes morose, the disposition soured
the heart oppressed, gloom and sorrow brood
upon the soul, the eye looses its fire, the step
its elasticity, the general disposition that cheer
fulness, vivacity and sweetness which assist in
producing happines within themselves and
make them the consolation and the pride of
man. Annually are these fanatcal and deluded
people assembling from all portions of the hab-
table globe and concentrating in the heart of
the American continent, to obey the behests,
submit to the rule and hear the theological
teachings of that Apostle of profanity, black
guardism, lewdness and Observation-Disclosures
Young. Those who few years ago were dis
posed to ridicule the pretensions of Joe Smith
and his followers, in attempting to establish
religious creed upon pretensions so weak, are
now struck with astonishment at their steady
and constant increase and know not which most
the ignorant and credulous, or their wonderful
and astonishing success. Ten years ago almost
every one was willing to prophesy for it short
life, that in very few years it would die of its
own accord, that a creed so ridiculous could
not possess vitality to grow and prosper amid
civilization and in the heart of one of the most
enlightened nations on earth But now the crv
is, still they come" and yearly they roll on by
hundreds and thousands to swell the host IN
strengthen the army and add to the list of C the
destroying angels" While there are many things
TO wonder at in their rise and progress. the
most astonishing is that their numbers have
been obtained, mainly in the two most civilized
nations of the earth-Great Britain and the
United States In every country, in every Ian
guage and amid every people, their ministers
are now scattered, disseminating their doctrines
and gaining proselytes to their cause, and in
which they display an energy and persever-
ance well worthy of better cause.
We believe in the free moral agency of man,
are in favor of religious toleration-but to har
Dor within the heart of our country, sect
whose principles. teachings and actions are con-
trary to common decency and morality, is some
thing which the whole American people should
cry out against, and our government should en-
deavor to put down by the strong arm of force,
If no other means are open. 1t is well known
the Mormons, as a commnritv, have no sympa-