Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1867-08-29

Of t9s saat9. ..s T..
81.
He greets the visitor with serene dignity, but
faultess courtesy, and eonverses freely and quite
|intelligently on all agreeable topics. Hewas evi-
dently in no mood for talk about the inside work
|ings Of Mormonism, and an enquiry as to the
number of his wives and children and their health
would doubtless have terminated the interview
most abruptly. Hell awel.preserved man Of six
ty years, Of medium height, rather corpulent, with
an abundant growth Of light auburn hair, and q
heavy crop of sandy whiskers, excepting on bis
upper and lower lips His eyes are very light,
dull blue and wanting in expression his nose sharp
and prominent; his lips thick and firmly set, and
the whole give him the appearance ola man Of
obstinate will, and cold, calculating purpose. Hii
head is of an unusual shape. The face is quite
broad just across the centre, and gradually narrows
to the top of the forehead and point Of the chin,
while his neck is of uncommon thickness, and des
cribes semi-oyal line from Che base Of the head
to the top tapering gradually to the crown giving
it a sugar loaf finish.
He is evidently man of the keenest perception,
Of great sefreliance and Will, of the subtlest Gun.
ming, and possesses an organization capable o1
the highest measure of physical endurance. In 'hit
manners and movements he is quite graceful, indl
eating considerable culture, but really the fruits Of
his varied experience and intercourse with all class
es of men. No man could acquire any needed
quality more readily than Brigham Young. He Is
eminent as mimic, and often resorts to mimic
ing as his most powerful weapon in hurting his
anathemas against the gentiles or apostates in his
sermons. In short, 1 would put him down, after
meeting him in his Office and leaving him in the
pulpit, as most scienced imposter, sngulary able,
versatile, and unscrupulous, and as one who seeks
to hide his revolving, beastly RIGHTEOUSNESS by de-
liberate blasphemy. ....
do not pretend to know the number Of wives
and children Brigham Young can boast. Il believe
that no two writer's have estimated them alike,
and have found no Mormon, in the scores with
whom have conyersed on the subject, who pro
fessed to know. It is conceded, however, that he
has some fifteen or twenty who are members Of his
household, and probablya score Of others who are
simply sealed to him as spiritual wives, SO as te
share his high crown in the future world. Ever
the dead have been welded to him by proxy, te
satisfy the anxiety of deluded parents, who wish
ed their departed daughters to wear starry robes
around the prophets in heaven. Of his living
wives, who are subject to his domestic laws, the
first who was his lawful wife before polygan,y was
thought of as part of the Mormon faith, now lives
in pleasant, spacious cottage by herself, some dis
tance from the harem, peopled with the fairer ano
more tender acquisitions to his family circle. She
is said to be firm believer in the faith, and &C
cepts her position as cross imposed on her to en-
nance her reward hereafter. I saw her in the the
atre, along with five Junior wives, who in turn sue
ceeded each other in the favor Of the prophet, anc
gave way in time to younger and fresher charms
fall the so-caIed Mrs Youngs I have seen, the
lawful wife seems much the most intelligent anc
refined.
The last one, and of course, for the present, th'
favorite, had private box in the theatre sportet
gay ribbons and furbelows, and seemed to lool
down upon her faded predecessors with the con
tempt they deserved. She is niece of the tirs
wife, and defes even Bigham's domestic govern
ment She was tried in the harem, but her rebel
ious spirit threatened the subverson of all law anc
order there, and she is now quartered in hous'
of her own, beyond the range Of the Others d.
not, of course, credit all the revolving scenes de
tailed as occurring in the extensive family OF tn
Prophet, but it is we'll known that the last addi
ton to the wives hectors her annointed fraction
husband in most irrevcrent style, and storm.
the holy inner circle ofinspred power with profant
speech aud violent pugilistic gestures. Although
each one after the first has usurped the place o
another not one has been discarded for success
sor without the keenest sorrow, and often only
after frenzied but fruitless resistance.
T had much anxiety to see polygamy in the
household, but have failed Not only are stran
gers practically denied acquaintance with plura
wives, but the subject is never welcome one IL
conversation. I have talked with many Mormon'
who are polygamists, and in every instance wher
I asked respecting their wives, they responded al
lif had introduced to them some painful and deli
cate scandal about their families. found onewht
claimed, and I learned justly to have, two wives
in one house, and all happy, but only one. lr
most instances each wife must have separate
house to hide herself from mutual humiliation and
shame To all who introduced the subject to me-
I asked the question, "Did your first wife cheer
fully consent to your marriage to another?' and in
not single instance could an affirmative answer
be given.
Mormon or Gentle, with one accord, they re.
volt againstit. They must cease to be women and
descend into the scale of brutes, or even lower still
before the wives of Salt Lake can voluntarily con.
sent to such appalling degradation. One-third
of the entire male population Of Utah is now prac
tsing polygamy, and in Salt Lake City the proper,
ton is larger. 1t hangs like terrible pail upon
the mothers, wives and daughters Of the Saints.
Not only those who have been enfolded in its Shiny
embrace mourn from day to day their hard lot,
but those who have thus far escaped its pollution,
know not how sovu the spoilor may cntcr thor hr-
sides, and narrowing anxiety dim the lustre OF
their ewes and trace its shadows upon thsir faces
GREAT SPEECH.
The speech of Hon. Richard T. Merick, on the
recent trial of Surratt at Washington, is pronoun-
ced to have been very able effort. A correspon-
dent of the Baltimore Sun states that throughout
Mr.. Ms speech there were points Of the deepest
pathos, but none more 80 than in connection with
Mrs. Surratt At times many Of the spectators