Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1857-04-30
Mormon Law.

MORMON Law.
The creed of the Mormons, like that Of
the Democracy, is progressive, 1t con-
%stantly presents some novelty to attract the
eye and thus hopes to present a too close
scrutiny into the principles who govern
those who move the wires.
The Great Salt Lake City Deseret Meas
of January 2sth, has a three column argu-
ment going to prove that Congress has no
right to appoint officers for a Territory
The foundation of the argument is squat
ter sovereigty,-that, is the right of the
people in all cases to govern themselves
and have the election of their W rulers.
The following passage is significant of the
manner in which the laws of Congress, and
the Judges of the United States Court will
be treated. The News says:
In all governments there must of neces
ity be laws, which involve decisions upon
the endorsements against their infraction,
whether the power be vested in one supreme
head, or whether in three, as in our own
nation. But regardless of the mode ofad-
ministration, no government, independent
of the free or tacit acquiescence of the mas
ses, need look for %permanency, for what is
any man, king or emperor, though he be,
or any set of men, even though digniied
by the title of Congress, when ruling re-
gardless of the just rights of the governed ?
As to appointments in Territories, their
own included, that paper holds this Ian
guage.
The President and Congress override an
eternal and immutable principle of Justice,
by appointing officers and making laws
without the vote and contrary to the ex-
pressed rights and wishes of a portion of
the ''governed" in a professedly republican
government.
On an examination of the Constitution
the editor concludes that the loosest and
vaguest ~expounder of that document can
not, in any manner infer any constitutional
right or power in Congress to appoint of
icers for the inhabitants of the Territories;
in particular does that paper dispute the
right of the President to appoint Judges,
Marshals, and Attornies. In conclusion
the News says:
We have now carefully gone through
the Constitution, and have presented the
best extracts that we can find therein to-
wards authorizing the President and Con-
gress of the United States in appointing
officers and legislating for the free white in
habitants in Territories, more, than for
those in States, and behold there is no
such Constitutional authority nor even the
shadow of it.
As a winding up of the article, the News
holds language which this Administration
must heed, and which shows hat any and
all appointments-other than Mormon ap-
pointments which should not be made
backed up by a sufficient military force to
Command respect, and, if needs be, enforce
obedience at the point of the bayonet.-
The News says:
So far as the free un.fammelled consent
and expressed wishes of the governed are
concerned, should the majority of the citi.
zens in a Territory choose to waive their
Constitutional rights and prefer state of
vassalage, a state of being ruled by officers
thrust upon them and legislated for by
usurped authority, We see no reason why
their choice should not be complied with,
at least upon the principle of the voluntary
consent of the governed. But when sid
majority, even to the extent of an entire
Community, are known to most persistently
prefer officers Of their own election to those
folsted upon them by arbitrary power, and
republican laws of their own enactment to
laws carved, dictated and forced upon them
by a power to which the Constitutions
gives no authority, we are constrained to
aythat most truly are men prone to cypress
their fellows.
How long, think We, can such oppression
be quietly endured? How long, think ye,
will any people submit to the dictates,
ISLANDERS, corruptions and abuse of officers
whom they have no voice in electing, and
whose efforts are constantly put forth, to
their utmost, for the destruction of the peo-
pie among whom they are sent? Suppose
We that the few dollars ~parsimoniously dol
ed out by Congress can buy freemen to
overlook such glaring inconsistencies?