The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1865-09-19
THE MORMONS.
Editorial Correspondence of the Springfield Mass.
Republican.

s.
| Republican.
Polygamy introduces many curious cross re-
lationships, and entertwines the branches of the
genealogical tree in a manner greatly to puzzle
a mathematician wellas to disgust the decent
minded. The marrying of two more sisters
Is very common. One young Mormon merchant
in Salt Lake has three sisters for his three wives
There are several cases Of men marrying bot h
mother widow and her daughter or daughters;
taking the ''old woman" for the sake of getting
the young ones, but having children by all
! brigham Young wives arc numberless; at
least no one seems to know how many he has;
and he has himself confessed to forgetfulness in
the matter The probability is he has from six
teen to twenty genuine or complete wives, and
about as many more women 'sealed" to him for
heavenly association and glory The latter are
mostly pious old ladies, eager for high seats 10
the Mormon heaven, and knowing no surer way
to get there than to be tackled on to Brigham's
angelic procession. Some Of these sealed wives
of his ARE the earthly wives of other men but
lacking faith in their husbands heavenly glory,
! seek to make sure thing Of it for th8 future
by the grace Of gracious Brigham. Down east
| you know, many bushel calculates on stealing
into heaven under the pious pct.icoats of his
better wife; here the thing is reversed, anu
women go to heaven because their husbands take
them along.
In many cases the Mormon wives not only
support themselves aid their children, but help
support their husbands Thus a clerk, or man
with similar limited income, who has yielded to
the destinations and desires Of three or four
women, and married them all, makes his home
with No. l, perhaps. and the rest live apart,
each by herself, taking in sewing or washing, or
engaging in other employment, to keep up her
| establishment and be no charge to her husband.
When President Young goes on journey
through the territory, on private or public busi-
ness, he takes considerable retinue with him,
and always wife and barber. The former is
more his servant than his companion in such
cases, however
His household is said TO- be admirably man.
aged a son-in-aw acts as cemmissary, the
wives have nothing to do with the table or its
supply, and whenever they want new clothes or
pocket money they must so to this chief Of staff
or head OF the family bureau. Considering the
| opportunities, the head of the Church Of Latter
Day Saints has made rather a sorry selection of
women the scere of beauty. The oldest or
| first is matrouly looking old lady, serene and
sober, the youngest and present pet, who wes
| obtained, they say after much seeking, is comely
but common looking, despite the extra millinery
in which she alone Of the entire family indulges.
! The second president and favorite prophet oil
the church, Hebeor Kimball, who in church
and the theatre keeps the cold from his bare
head, and the divine afiatus in by throwing a
red bandanna handkerchief over it, is even less
fortunate in the beauty of his wives; it is rather
an imposition upon the word beauty, indeed, to
suggest it in their presence. handsome wo-
men and girls, in fact, are scarce among the
Mormons Of Salt Lake-the fewer gentiles can
show many more of them.
There is no more love lost between the soldiers
and the Mormons than between the soldiers and
:he Indians. The ''boys il blue" regard both
as their natural enemies, and the enemies of
order and the Government, and the feeling is
cordially recbrocated. There is a provost guard
Of soldiers at Salt Lake City, but the rent of the
building which it o:cupies is about expiring,
and according to Mormon way of getting rid
Of an uncomfortable presence, none other is now
to be had in its place. Every building sngu-
larly happens to be occupied or engaged just
now; and the Mormons have evidently hoped to
thus drive al these standing menaces and sedu-
GERS Of their women, as they add the soldiers all
are, out Of the town, and into the camp, two
miles distant.
Brish Young's. youngest ehildren, as seen
in his school, to which were admitted, look
sprightly and bright and handsome, and some of
his grown up daughters comely and clever,
but his elder give marked sign Of their
fathers smartDcss The oldest Brigham, Jr.,
is mainly distinguished for his size and strength
be wcig BIS two pr three hundred pounds, aud
is muscular in proportion. lie has nov taken
emo Ct his wives and gone to England with her
on business for the church, The next son,
John, is poor and puny looking fellow, with
several wives and an inorGinae love for whiskey.
Brigham's dynasty will die with himself.
There is little or DO emigration to the Nor
mons this season, at least not yet. They have
been sending out fresh relays and missionaries
and recruiting agents to England and the con-
tinent of Europe, add expect great returns next
year. On the Sandwich Islands they seem to
have established permanent colony, and to
which has just been contributed new company
of about fifty men and women and children from
| Utah. Some of the gentiles believe this Sand
wch Island movement is toward new and con-
tingent base; and that, If hard pressed by the
progress of civilization and the hand Of author
ity, the Mormon leaders will gather up all their
available forces and wealth and retreat thither.
1t is certain that they must make change of
base Of one sort or another before long, either
in the matter of polygamy or else in the loca-
tion of their earthly tabernacle5 and kingdom.
Even without interference of Government, they
must soon give way here, in their peculiar sway, ),
and their revolving institutions, before the pro-
gress of pOpelation and the diversi6catioDs Of
civilized industry that come along with it.
GyGen. Marmaduke; known az a prominent
officer in the late Confederacy, is the first one to