The Mountaineer. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1859-1861, 1860-05-05
SPECIAL LEGIsLATIoS.

~ - - $500 te4A =
II y foreign 70 onr present purpose 4
enter tho wide lield 81 speculation on tIlil
subject. or to 20 into M elaborate essa,
on the facts as they Of the present TIM
exist We can bpt merely conline our
selves to The point at issue and ask d fev
plain questions on the policy, constitution
alitg, and expediency Of lcgisinting for
Territory legally provided for by the vii
and approved act Of the sovereign repre-
sentatiyes Of the people Of the States il
Congress assembled, IN the year 1850
AS an apology for the acts Of the pre-
sent Congress, We can do nothing better
than 70 offer our own honest conviction
4 We feel satisfied that its members ar.
hoodwinked BY rrinpline, and that theil
evil genii are neither more nor less thar
snch hypocrites as Nelson Of Tennessee
and the iriclcd soul Of o Vermouter like
4 Morrill, And for the folly of being led
iby such wiseacrhs we predict the time
Twill come when these traetable rulers
shall DO fcrsakcn by cripoline influence,
and forgotten and neglected By priestIy
hypocritical supporters
But to our text. We feel to urge up
on The representatives, in Congress,
Whose acts We think SAVIOR more of sub
lime rilicule ON the common sense Of
men, than We feel Is snppor.ablc) an ar
guWeRt on the constitutional franchise
that rightfnlly belongs TO every American
citizen. There are facts that exist, for
instance. the present anti Polygamy bill,
which has passed the House, that sayors
50 much Of ridicule q, and contempt for,
the constitutional rights Of American
that We cannot but feclas If mem
bers thought Of but one object, and that
was to annoy and perplcx the Mormons.
Even should the result be the destruction
IF every principle Of Justice secured to the
whole nation By the federal compact
Iormed under The Constitution. We are
ed to this conclusion from the fact, that
'hoald Congress once establish the right Of
.peeiai lsgislafioa On any subject whatever
md the people Of either State or Terri
Tory submit to It, then the door Is open
Tor any and Ill Congressional interference
IN religious. domestic or locnl affairs in
any of the States Or Territories whose
peculiar social or religious position may
not be agreeable to the iron bound ste
reotyped views Of some other section 81
the country. which social or religious
IL legislated on or for, must in.
time become cause for 1 political seye,
rance. This problem may probably soon
be solved BY the introduction of q bill to-
prevent slavery IN Utah, 1t being one Of
the twins 50 frequently spoken Of in the
presence Of the united wisdom 81 tile ma
ton; and as special legislation IS deemed
necessary, BIZ some in Congress, to sup
press the influence of one Of the ilciins,
may We not expect the interference Of
Congress to prohibit the other; not alone
IN Utah. but wherever the Arrogance OF
Congressional interference will be toler-
ated? t85
We would simply ask by what act tile
citizens Of Utah lost the inalienable right
of francLisei Was IL by removing across
I'm imaginary line. separating The State Of
California or Missouri from the Territory
of Utahi II so, when was their soye-
reignity merged into forgetfalnessH Was
il through the Organic Act of 1850,
organizing and giving to the citizens Of
the United States in the Tcrritoryo OF Utah
full power to enact laws and govern them
selves. eajoined by the act to only observe
the provisions Of the Constitution of the
United States! z ..s..s ae. ss s9
These provisions have been held sa.
cred and have been faithfully observed by
the citizens of Utah. aud have only been
violated by the body from which the
right aud the caution emanated.. Again,
we would ask il the Iynx,eyed statesman
who found the mares nest in the act in.
the Church OF Jesus Christ Of
Latter-dAy Saints, has since been able to
find the act authorizing Polygamy in the
Territory Of Utah. or authorizing any
one to administer the ordnance of mar
riage! IL Eedlock Is, as jurists hold it TO
be. . civil contract. xewould ask in the
absence Of law, who can offendi But Of
this ne have said enough. The policy,
the eOnstitutionality Of these measures win
I'M IN ha ,ank .,ak L.. 49, -