The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1857-07-14
WESTERN DEMOCRAT.
~QQCHARLOTTE.O5N
THE SALT LAKE COUNTRY.

PecuIiarities of the Lakc-Brigham Youne
-Ho1c NenC Vices are "Seated" TO Men
already Married--An Interesting De-
Scription.
NJ. Gaillardet is publishing in the Paris
Presse remarkable series of ''Studies OF
the United States" and a late number is
devoted to a consideration of Mormonism
as it exists at Great Salt Lake. Some of
the descriptions of scenery and of Mormon
customs have not before been given. NJ.
! Gailardet starts out with a sketch of the
! history of the MOrmons, and then passes TO
an account of the Salt Lake country. We
| translate:
Salt Lake is situated between the 10th
and 42d degrees of North latitude, and is
not less than so miles in length from North
to South, varying in width from 5 to 80
miles. Its elevation above the Gulf of
Mexico is 2, 400 feet, and it forms the bottom
of a vast basin, surrounded by mountains,
5000 or 5000 feet high. Part of the banks
and bottom of the Lake are composed of
rocks and salt springs, and the waters are
entirely impregnant with saline substance,
so that evaporation shows }3 parts in 100
of salt, while the water of the sea shows
only 4 parts in 100. The waters of Salt
Lake, therefore, are of an extraordinary den
sitv No fish can live there, and the bor-
ders of the Lake are sterile. Happily, in
this accurscd Lake there is a narrow pas
sage leading 70 another Lake, called Utah,
(the name of an Indian tribe,) the level of
which is 100 feet above the surface of the
first. The water in Utah Lake is drinka
bic, fresh and limpid. The richness of the
country in the neighborhood of these Lakes
caused Brigham Young TO resolve upon
settling the Mormons at this spot. He
thought, with wisdom, i pat it was better for
him to become exclusive master of this great
basin, where the distance and nature offer
ed an impregnable fortress, than to go to
California, and encounter the hostility of
crowd of gold-seekers. The resemblance
of Salt Lake to the Dead Sea could be pre-
sented as a Providential design, and an in
dication of the place where the New Jerusa-
lem should be founded. The colony chose
a position extremely advantageous, upon
the strait between the two Lakes, and found
ed there the city of Desert name which
signifies ''bee hive" in the pretended Re
formed Egyptian language. The aspect
presented by this young city is very pic
turesque. 1t is divided into twenty quar-
ters, each forming a separate inciosure.-
The houses are built of dd0beS, or bricks
dried in the sun, are only story high, and
are surrounded by gardens. The springs
which descend the mountains flow in little
rivulets into the gardens and streets. The
stores are numerous and elegant. The
State house is so by 40 feet. The town
is protected by fortified inclosure. and
the number of inhabitants is about 10000.
The neighboring country is highly cultivat-
ed, and rethrns with u>ury the products
which are confded to it. The waterfall be-
tween the Lakes is utilized for turning num-
erous mills. In fact, this colony is new
and striking example of the creative and
directing genius which seems to be the priv
ilege Of the Anglo Saxon race.
The Prophet, Brigham Young, is man
of about forty five years of age, of ordinary
stature, andof a fine corpuence, as becomes
the husband of sixty wives. He enjoys in
huence without limit and the MormOns be-
lieve in his infallibility, as they did in that
of his predecessor, Joe Smith. He is
man of much intelligence. In the inter-
course of ordinary life, he is sociable, con-
versatile, jovial even, and loves fun; but
when he assumes his Pontifcal functions,
he takes another character. becomes intol-
Grant and frantic, and sows in the hearts of
those who are his instruments the germs of
hatred against the "Gentiies." These
germs fructify only too much, for nothing
seems too bad to be permitted to believers
against those who do not partake of their
faith. In imitation of the Mussulmen, the
Latter Day Saints have no right to more
than seven wives. The Prophet can have
more Of them.
We quote the following description of the
multiplication of nuptals from the Seer,
published by Apostle Orson Pratt.
The man having already one wife, and
desirous of taking another, has no right to
ask any one in marriage until ne has receiv-
ed a .sreyelation" from God on the subject.
If this revelation interd;cts the marriage, it
cannot take place. If it approves it, the
man then addresses himself to the parents
of the young girl, but never to the girl her
self. Before all these events take place, it
is the duty of the husband to consult his
first wife, to obtain her consent to his Sc
cond nuptials, in conformity with the oath
paragraph of the .'Revelation.'' When the
day chosen for the ceremony of the mar
riage has arrived, the husband and his wife,
and also the new bride, with all their res
pective relations, assemble together in some
place agreed upon. The President. who Is
prophet pastor, and revealer over all tie
Church, and who alone holds the keys of
authority in this solemn ordinance, (so it is
-....,, a., -+haa sooond and fifth uaraDro ,bS