Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-08-22
The LOGIC Of PoIyramy.


Hon. Thos. j. Drake, Associate Justice
of the Territory of Utah, in a recent ad-
dress at Pontiac, Michigan, upon the
neral and social condition of the Nor
mons, gives the following version of their
theology in relation to polygamy:
The logic of the doctrine of polygamy
is that no unmarried person can be sealed
in full glory. He who has but one wife
has entered upon the road to happiness,
he VINO has two is further adyanced, End
may attain to a high degree of terrestrial
happiness; but fields of bliss can never be
enjoyed by him who has not at feast three
wives, and the higher the number the
greater VIII be his exaftation. The Nor
mon women can get to heaven by
their W viii OF action 1fB woman en-
tiers the celestial regions, she must be led
there by some man. She may be married
to q man and partake largely of the gross
Joys of earth, but to be a partner of eeles-
tial bliss, to walk with Brigham in circles
of Unoeasing delight, she must be sealed
by some man who has at least two other
wives. This sealing process is a sort of
heavenly wedding; the. engagement is for
/ GE-A AAbNs anu " = LII absaNA-Io. tAo A2A
GENTLY numerous, they are dragged into
happiness by the dominant will of man.
Thus n woman may live with a man as
his wife, which Is Il contract only for life,
and at the same time for the glory of
God and the salvation OF her owns ful,
she may be sealed to ONE other man for
eternity. If she chooses she may leave
her earthly husband aRdn live with the
heavenly one having chosen q man to
| conduct her TO heaven, she has a right to
enjoy hissociety and teachings On earth,
hat she may be the better prepared to
enter the celestial kingdom. The doc
trine of plurality Of wives was not readily
acceded to by the women; and twas only
by the coercion of Brigham Young, WELD
ing the unlimited powers of the church,
that they were brought to submission.
In 1860 or 81, lie delivered a discourse
at the tabernacle, urging upon thefemales
TO adopt this part Of the creed, and plain
" told them he would have no more eem-
! planning or snarling about It he would
give them a fortnight to consider the sub
ject, and if at the end of that time they
failed to submit to IT, they must leave the
Territory. 1t was utterly impossible Tor
them 10 leave, and consequently they
were coerced to submission rl3 ss5ls
Many have attempted 10 justify the doc
trine of plurality of wives upon the ground
that without it many women must go I'M
married, andbv Mormon theology could
never reach celestial regions. The utter
folly of such an excuse for this sbOmina-
ton is easily established by a reference
to the census tables. Upon examining
the returns for 1860, 1t viii be found that
Utah had q population of 4O,l25, of whom
20,l7S were females. This fact is a refl-
tation Of the doctrine of necessity, which
has been put forth by the Mormons and
accredited by the thoughtless. And the
fact that some men have many wives, IT.
resistibly force upon Us the conclusion
that many have none at all, or that q por-
ton ofthese plurals serve as wife to more
than one man. Whichever way the ques-
ton may be solved, it reflects no, lustre
upon the moral and social condition of
Utah,