Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1858-11-13


the highest of all sovereign authorities, viz
from the unvarying practice of a free people.for
hundreds of years and there can be no higher
or more binding law than this for territorial
population made up chiefly of Britons and
Americans. None but slavish race possessing
the character of the colonists of remote ancient
times, would, when colonizing new country,
look for prescribed law, rescripts, mandates, the
corpus .jurjs cirilis, or statute law to govern
their actions. The fastidious pretence which is
set up that there is no law applicable to the
population and condition of Utah, is pretence
solely in favor of slavery and slaves. Were it
not advanced as an argument in favor of the ex-
tension of slavery it would not be deserving of
a respectful consideration.
There is law here, then-a law which express
ly prohibits polygamy and there are enough
freemen to act as jures but when we look
little farther and search for judiciary, we find
one, it is true but one that has merely nomi-
nal existence. One of the three judges of the
Supreme Court has not yet arrived, and the
Chief Justice himself it is said, is about to re-
turn to the States. We admit that the persons
who should act on juries are sneercd at as team
sters and camp followers but it should be re-
membered that the sneer which is aimed at
them might Just as well be directed against the
very law itself of all free institutions. These
tcamsters and camp followers are at least as re-
spectacle as those Mormons who practice poly
gamy; nor will they dread much the sneers of
those who, while protesting democracy are
seeking to change our laws, manners and GUS
toms into institutions fit only for u servie race.
To render laws complex and may in order to
adapt them to all the sinuosties of human in
tercst and cunning is to inaugurate tyranny at
once, since the consequences to the individual
are very much the same whether he is subject
to the caprices of despot to the intricate
mazes of ambiguous law. There can be no
freedom where the law is not preserved in its
purityand vigor.
Had it been suggested to the people of the
United States ten fears ago that their progress
in decadcnce was so rapid that by this time
there would be large community within its bos-
ON openly protesting and practicng polygamy,
and that there would not be sufficient force in
the government or in society to prevent it, but
that on the contrary the ministers Of the law
would be living peaceably and in the interchange
of mutually respectful cvlities under the same
roof with polygamists-sucha suggestion would
have been received with scorn; but now, the
fact ITSELF seems to be entertained not with
scorn but with stupid respect The keenest,
shrewdest politicians, whose very ewes glow from
excess of cunning like cats in the dark put
on a serious face when polygamv is talked of
be well worth trying at least; as if there might
be something in it of value to christian civiliza-
ton and free institutions. The country which
has so little national character as to give such a
question moments consideration, comes very
near having no character at all. Its political
science is about as rude and brutal as the GUS
toms of the Indians, which impose all the drudg-
cry upon the woman; for nothing, not even the
drudgery of the squaw could so degrade wo-
man as the practice of polygamy. Nor is it un-
natural that course of degeneracy should ex-
hibit itself in the oppression of woman; but it
is full time to look back upon our career and
discover to what party and to what influence, i,
is that we are indebted for these brutalizing ef-
fects which have stolen upon SO imper-
ceptibly but so surely. 1t is well enough too
to examine what class OF our population II /,
which lends its If to this brutalization. And
need we go farther than the party which favor.
the extension of slavery and makes use of the
foreign vote to that end
But let the political view of Utah alone, fol
the present, and, then hasty glance at what i,
really doing for the interests of society and hui
manity Already better roadway into the Val
ley from Fort Bridger and the eastward ha,
been explored by Capt. Simpson of the Topo
graphical Engineers, assisted by Mr.. Englemar
of st. Louis and in a short time the road vii
be constructed. This movement, as a measure
| of humanity to draught animals alone, will prov,
worthy of the civilization of the day and il
other respects, it is a necessary step towards tn,
ultimate completion of telegraphc and rail
road route to the Pacific. 1t is very probable
indeed, that that route may run in some othe
direction, but one route, at least, has thu
been explored, and its Typographical character
will soon become known and fixed. For oul
own part, while we are willing to admit that
favorable route may probably be found alonl
the base of the Wintah range of mountains
emerging upon the prairies from this direction
at Cheyenne pass, we are still inclined to thinl
that the chosen route must be through this pas
and down Bear River to Soda Springs, whenc,
it will branch to Oregon on the North and Cal
ifornia on the South. A great deal of explora
ton, however, Of unknown and uninyited re
gions, will be necessary to determine this point
The days are very hot and the nights cold
and hence fevers and other sicknesses begin t,
prevail. The intensity of the midday sun i
such that it would seem as if he were making
last desperate effort upon the already thorough
ly baked earth and by its brain dried inhabitant
previous to retiring to his winter quarters. lie
one but expose himself to this heat for a fey
hours and he will understand how it is tina
scorpions and tarantulas are nursed here, ant
(perhaps) why Mormonism has fixed itself upol
such spot for a local habitaton and name