The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1861-09-18
A Surplus of Women.

Bishop Calenso, of South Africa, has re-
Gently excited no little surprise and aston.
ishment among the religious world in Eng.
land by coming out in defence of polygamy
and entering plea Cor its recognition among
the barbarous Kaffirs and Zehus whom he
is seeking to convert to the Christian faith
Among these people it seems there is a
large surplus of women whom it has been
the custom to divide up among the richer
portion of the tribe after the poorer classes
had been duly endowed with single wifi
ca h. Heretofore the missionaries have en-
deavorcd to inculcate the superior morality
of the one wife system. and have made it 4
condition of church fellowship after conver,
sion; but great difficulty arose as to what
should be done with the discarded women
and their families, and also what rule sho'd
govern the selection Of the favored wife,
The first married was not always the best
beloved, and moreover it was equally diff,
cult to separate children from their mother
or make her responsible for their maintain
ance Thus the question assumed more
complicated and perplexing forms until the
brethren become greatly disturbed and were
quite unable to determine what was best
to do.
In one case the difficulty was happily
solved by hopeful convert who ate the fat
test of his two wives, but this disposition
of them it would not do to establish as a
precedent or as general rule, and so the
problem remained unsolved as before
Some of the missionaries, to test the self
denial and sincerity of their converts, in.
sisted on their retaining the oldest and ug.
lest Of their wives, while others recommend.
ed the retention of the first only as the
most obvious act Of prorriety. But here
another demur was occasoncd by the fact
that the first wife is often fathers or eld-
est brothers widow who kas been received
as a sort of legacy to be taken care Of in
the absence Of her natural protector, and
acts as no lsckeeper and duenna to the rest
of the family. Finally, however, Bishop
Calcnso has cut the Gordian knot by the
bold declaration: that polyga is incvita-
BILE and to be respected, at least among the
Kaffirs, especially as he can find nothing in
the bible which condemns it. With only
one wife apiece to the males, there would be
large surplus female population in that
section who would belong nowhere in par
ticular and manage to create an immense
amount Of mischief, as women with moth
ing to do always havo done.
OF course these novel and startling views
on the part Of reverend bishop attract a
great deal Of attention and astound the old
fogies at home who ''won't see it" in the
light he does. But the matter does not
rest here. The English press notice the
fact that there is 500, 900 more women than
men in Great Britain, and ask, with some
alarm, if the "social evil" the Mormon en-
igration, and the ''pretty houst bre ikers,"
arc not due to this preponderance? The
cry of the fair and minated daughters Of
Belgravia is found to be common to all
classes of English maidens who are COM
PEELED to transgress the highest social laws,
or live solitary single life and die forlorn.
Strange to say, the Mormon emigration
from England is now composed mainly, at
least, two, thirds Of the gentler sex; a fact
which shows that the poorer and uncduca-
ted classes uf women are less afraid Of rivals
than of an enforced old maidhood.
-~0->--
THE True MAN-The true man is brave.
He dares do all that may become man.
No fear Of censurc, or presumption, or
worldly loss, can hinder him from marching
straight forward in the path Of duty. He
is moral hero and neither the ridicule
nor the injuries Of the world can make him
swerve from the right lie is brave enough
to disregard cnm,y and has also the high
er and more difficult courage to persevere
against the allure,nents Of friendship and
the Establishments of love. Ldcon.
r4sf~IIow little is known of what is in
the bosom Of those around us! We might
explain many coldness, could we look in
to the heart concealed from MS. We should
often pity when we hate, love when we
think we can forgive, admire when We curl
the lip with scorn and Indignation. TO
Judge without reserve, of any human ac-