The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1857-05-07

reasons Tor feAgning.
I. BHghsm Young, the Governor Of
Utah Territory, ss che acknowledge head
of the Church Of gesus Christ Of Latter Day
Saints, commonly called Mesmons, and as
such head the Mormoas look 70 him, aad 70
him clone, for the laws By which they are
to be governed; consequently. no as~ Of
Congress is, By them, considered binding.
2. There is secret oath. bound organi-
1atiOn among all the male members Of the
church, one Of the regulations Of which is
to acknowledge ne law, save the claw Of
the holy Priesthood" which comes to the
people through Brigham Young, he being
the vicegerent Of God and successor Of 10.
seph Smith. .',-w. i5svsis sigl
;. There are set Of men set apart, BY
special order. to take the lives and property
of pcrsons who msy question the authority
of the einrch. So. e ~. s.o6-
Z. The records, papers. ETC., Of the Su-
preme Court have been destroyed by order
OF the church, with the direct knowledge and
appreciation Of Gov. B. Young, and the fed.
eral officers grossly insulted for presuming
to raise single question about the treason
able act. r7 Ees
S. The officers Of the Government are
daily compelled to hear the form Of the
American government traduced, the chief
executives Of the nation, both living and
dead, slandered and abused from the mas.
ses, az well % from the leading @ensers Of
the church, in the most vuagar. Icatdso@e
and wicked manner that the evil passiOns OF
man can possibly conceive. ,Hass
The problem Of Mormonisn is, after Kan.
sas, the most embarrassing question Of in-
ternai affairs. for our Govera@eaI The N.
z. Tribane 6nds, in the rigdt Of the citizens
of Slave States to be protected by the
General Government in the holding Of their
property In the territories and 10 the liberty ol
religious worship as secured by the Consti.
tuition Of the United States, an srgumen,
for the abOminution of Mormon polygamyi
under the plea Of religious liberty. Rt
Rev. John Hopkins, Episcopal Bishop o'
Vermont has recently written a. book which
touches upon the subject of Mormonism.-- -
He. says that "the religious rights Of the
citizen Of the United States consists in the
enjoyment Of his own conscientious choice
amongst all the forms Of our common Chris
tiGnity, ,Ohich ocre ia eristsnce at the TIM
,ohen he Constellation ,cGs established. Blu
under this aspect of constitutional construc'
ton there is no allo,oance for any ne,o i1uen
tion Of relisioa, wnknO,On to lie sovereign pso
pile and ,ohich they could not possibly have an
ticiputed." .a,. .t
The Bishop mentions what forms Of Chris
tianity were in existence at that time, viz
the Coagregationalists, Datch Reformede
i Presbyterians, I.atAerans, Qunkers. Bap
lists, Methodists, Catholics and EPiscopa
; lians. The Jews he excludes from eligibilit!
to office, but rmits them to live here a
subjects. Thus the self complaccnt Bishop
! ty taking away the rights Of citizenship
from all except the adherents Of eight or tel
religious denominations, can make cat, t
, his own satisfaction, very convenlen
method Of disposing Of Mormonism. Meth
|. er the Tribune's nor the Bishops statement
, do we think correct.
Our laws ere not directly bused on an.
religioas creed; but are based on the civil
cation that Christ;aaity has given to th'
world. No one will deny tlsat for preservin:
} tLis civilization the presence aud ceOstan
|. influence of the Christian church Is necessa
ry. This is not work that any State o
i Government can do, bat our Government
, whether State or Natioaal-mast maintaiI
} the existing civilization which we have re
. ceived ttrougt the influence Of Christianity
No departures from this standard that hav
occurred, can sanction forgetfulness o
the principles on which our society is found
ed. Both by the law of the land and tn
, civilization of the country, Mormonism
condemned. Americans who have homes
: and virtuous mothers and sisters, wives an
} daughters, will aever consent that the con
! cubinss of the Mormons saoald attain 20
) sitiou free from legal as well as social infa
, my in this country.
7 The facts sdduced by Judge Drummon
: prove that the Mormon organization in Uta1
, is q combination of outlaws and narauderi
armed for resisting tie lascfM astsority 9
D The United States. It 10 but mere questio'
of expediency whether it Is better to endur'
: the pest OF On organized Government in cu
Q midst, and IT denying the authority Of th
General Government, for while longer, !
0 the hope that-like the Socialists and -Four
s ierites-M Mormonism will drop to pieces b
+ internal dissensions. Against this W
: would say. that the years that have alread
e elapsed, have given no token Of its early di'
d solution. Its history proves that II Is a col
i rupt and rebellious political compact, hidin
9 itself under the name Of religion. 1t is
}. burning shame on the system Of religion
:. liberty It has abused, and from oil account
1t it has been guilty Of outrsges against PEI
: sons and property. which cannot, ebould n
" be longer left unavengsd.
'e When the moment Of prudent forbearant
q has passed, we hope our Government VI
10 understand the extent end. seriousness Of Il
ID av;i to ha nured Wa IA noa y,iah an incl