Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1859-09-17


nltfs, il these words "Hcre is another
MIRA Tp This lady is q recent emigrant
from our State, Of more than average pow
ersoi mind aud graces Of person. who came
here with her brother, as a convert, little
over year ago, and has been the sixth
wife Of Mr. u since @ few weeks after her
arrivhl (The intermediate four wives Of
Elder 7. live on a farm or farms some miles
dlsiant). Themanner Of the husband was
perfectly unconstrained 4 off-haDd through
out but could not we'll be mistaken in
MY conviction that both ladies failed to
conceal dissatisfaction with their position
iIklhe eyes Of their visitor, Of the world
They seemed to feel that it needed vindica-
ton. The manner toward each other was
most cordial and sisterly--sincerely so,
doubt not--but this is by no means the
rule. A Gentle friend, whose duties re-
quire him to travel widely over the Terri
tory, informs me that he has repeatedly
stopped with Bishop some hundred miles
south Of this, whose two wives he has nev-
CT known TO address each other, or evince
the slightest cordiality during the hours he
spent IN their society. The Bishops house
consists Of two rooms and when my in
formaut staid with a GENTLE friend, the
Bishop being absent, one wife slept in the
same apartment with them rather than in
that occupied by her double. presume
that an extreme case, but the spirit which
impels il is not unusual. met this even
ing large party of young people, consist
ing in nearly equal numbers of husband
and wives but no husband was attended
by more than one wife, and no gentleman
admitted or implied, in our repeated and
animated discussions of Polygamy, that he
bad more than one wife. And | was a.
gain struck by the circumstance that here,
as heretofore, no woman indicated, by word
OF look, her approval Of any argument in
favor Of Polygamy That many women
acquiesce in it as an ordinance Of God. and
have been drilled into a mechanical assent
to the logic by which it is upheld, believe
but that there is not a woman in Utah who
does not in her heart wish that God had
not ordained it, am confident. And.quite a
number Of the young men treat it in CON
yersation as temporary or experimental
arrangement, which is to be sustained or
put aside as experience shall demonstrate
its utility or mischief One old Mormon
farmer, with whom | discussed the matter
privately, admitted that it was impossible
for Q poor working maR to have a well or
dered, well governed household, where his
children had two or more living mothers oc-
cupying the same ordinary dwelling. Ga
the whole, I conclude that Pologamy, as it
was graft on the original stock Of Nor
monism, will be outliyed by the root-that
there will be a new revelation, ere many
years, whereby the Saints will be admon.
ished to love and cherish the wives they al
ready have, but not to marry any more be-
yond the natural assignment of one wife to
each husband.
regret that / have found time and op-
portunity to visit but one of the nineteen
Common Schools Of this city This was
thinly attended by children nearly all quite
young, and of the most rudimentary attain
ment. Their chronological developments
were, in the average, bad say this with
freedom, since have stated that those of
the adults, as | noted them in the Taber-
nacle, were good. But am told that idi-
oticor malformed children are very rare, if
not unknown here. The male Saints empha-
size the fact that majority of the children
born here are girls, holding it proof that
Providence smiles on their peculiar insti-
tuition !" ], on the contrary, maintain that
such is thecas in all polygamous countries,
and proves simply preponderance of vigor
on the part of the mothers over that of the
fathers whenever this result is noted. pre-
sumo that majority of the children of old
husbands by young wives in any communi-
ty are girls.
But again the wheels revolve, and my
face must once more be turned westward.
With the most hearty and grateful acknowl-
edgements of the exceeding kindness and
hospitality with which l have been treated
here alike by Mormon and Gentle, and
with barely word ofpraise for the magnif-
cent gardens have been invited to visit
Of which Brigham Young's is probably the
most extensive and eye-pleasing, bat l like
Heber KimbalPs the best-I bid adieu to
Salt Lake City, the great mass of whose
people, am sure, have an unfeigned zeal
for God," though must deem It " not ac-
cording to knowledge" Long may they
live to unlearn their errors, end enjoy the
rich fruits of their industry, frugality and
sincere though misguided piety nc.
srr,- Tho foIiou;ns, rao;a.o G. =: