The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-02-27
The Defeat OF the Army Bul-Singular De-
velOy,ements In the United States Senate.

ment IN quotations. while engagements wete moderate.
The Defeat OF the Army BIl-Singular De-
velopements In the United States Senate.
The proceedings of Thursday last, In the
United States Senate, which resulted in the de-
feat of the Army bill, abounded in the most sim
gular and significant political developments.
First, the bill was IN administration measure
(three or four thousand increase of the regular
army imperatively demanded, in view of the
Mormon rebellion and the numerous hostile In
dian tribes of the vast wilderness of the far
West; yet this practical measure of demo-
cratic President has been Overthrown in every
shape and form in the Senate, which is demo-
cratic by an overwhelming majority. This is
curious fact; but from the peculiar views of
ultra Southern and Western democratic Sena-
tors upon the subject the want of unanimity
among them may be readily explained.
Ultra Southern fire.eaters, of the narrow ca
libre of Mr.. Toombs, were afraid of this pro-
posed increase of the army. 1t might result in
placing too much military power in the hands
of some future Northern President; and we sus-
pect that Mr.. Stewards emphatic support of the
measure may have contributed to strengthen
such ultra Southern suspicious On the other
hand, the ultra Western Senators wanted
volunteers instead of regulars, because,
while the great West would be ready
to furnish any number of volunteers
for Utah for limited term, her people would
have little or nothing to do with the enlisting
business for the regular service. Thus, among
many of the democratic senators conflicting
sectional and local considerations were para
mount, and between them the administration
and its requirements we're disregarded
In the second place, singularly enough,
among the most steady and consistent support
ers of the administration upon this measure
were Mr.. Jefferson Davis and Mr. Hunter the
two most prominent leaders of the Southern ul-
tras, and Mr.. Seward the great leader of the
anti-slavery holy alliance of the North, second
ed by Mr.. Cameron, the especial anti Buchanan
champion Of the Pennsylvania republicans But
these men, upon this subject, were governed by
broad statesmanlike views, and properly appre-
ciated the general public sentiment of the whole
country in reference to that great moral ulcer
of Mormonism, for the extrpation of which this
proposed increase Of the army was requested.
In this light the moral independence aud con-
sistency of Mr.. Seward. through all the varied
proceedings and amendments Of the bill, ICON
sidering the party appeals and remonstrances
that we're brought TO bear against him. are
particularly entitled to respect
But the most remarkable feature in the d.
visions Of the Senate upon this aforesaid bill is
the inveterate hostility with which it was re-
sisted, in every shape, by the dyed-in-the- wool
black republicans Of the New England school,
from Hale, of New Hampshire. to Doolitlle. of
Wisconsin. They opposed the measure upon
the pretext that this army force was intended
for the reduction of the people of Kansas to
submission to the Lccompton constitution-thst
another object was executive patronage, and on
the general plea that the army was already
large enough for all Legitimate purposes The
real ground OF this ultra Northern opposition,
however. We fear may be traced to a lurking
sympathy for the Mormons and their scanda-
lous system Of patriarchal polygsmy and con
cubinagc.
From the advent Of the missionary labors Of
Fanny Wright and Robert Owen, in behalf Of
" free love" reconstruction Of our social sys-
TEN. their poisonous doctrines have been sprout-
ing up in the North, aud especially in New
England, in all sorts of hideous shapes Fou-
rierite phalanxes, amalgamatng abolition socie-
ties, woman's rights conventions, Bloomers,
spiritual circles and free love conventicles. from
Massachusetts, TO Wisconsin, have been the order
Of the day. Puritsnical Massachusetts,, in these
social reforms, has taken the lead. until. il we
may Judge from the case of the Rev Mr..
Kallocb, some Of her most sanity anti Nebraska
clergymen are little better than Mormon elders
in disguise. Thus, among the rabid anti-slavery
factions of New England and the North. free
love and its attendant denominations appear to
have been extending puri possu with abolition
fanaticism, till at length we may pretty safely
assert that where We meet with an inveteratc
hater of negro slavery we find a sneaking free
lover, or skulking Mormon with another name.
We have no doub, that this hidden sympathy
for the Mormons and their practical Fourierite
and free love institutions has bad much TO do
with the opposition of the ultra black republi-
cans OF the Senate 20 this army bill. Mormon
ism, as IL exists in Utah is sort Of nucleus
upon which may be cngrsfted similar expert
ments In other quarters and under the various
dsguises of our Northern social reformers But
let Mormonism be extirpated and public opinion
will next be directed TO the various modGca.
tons of the same denominations existing nearer
home. IL was therefore bold venture on
the part Of Mr.. Seward TO denounce the
infamous polygamisis Of Utah as moral nui-
sance; but IL was an objectionable offence in
him to advocate the increase of the army re-
quired for their expulsion The result will pro
badly be some curious political classification, at
no distant day, Of the anti-slavery legions Of
the North: but in that event Mr.. Seward may
rejoice in being relieved from the contami-