New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-02-11
MORMON MARRIAGES..

an attempt, like that now pending III Congress,
is made 10 repress this beated abOmnation,
this moral anachronism, this rejected system OF
all Christendom, its Mormon champions inyan-
ably adopt tone of injured integrity and
irritate us by dogmaticaly assuming that they
are the angels, and that we are the beasts.
Claiming for their social anomaly religious
sanction. there is no limit to the latitude of
their nonsense. They are the modern patri-
archs. They are the restorers of primeval
purity. They are about to bring back 10 the
world the golden age of human innocence. In
the mystery of many marriages they have dls-
covered truth which, though now protested
in a corner. is destined to change the character
of the continent. Having read everything
which has been published by these sell
canonzcd saints in vindication OF their
repusive domestic arrangements, we are
prepared seriously to assert that we
have never seen any defense of them worthy OF
the least consideration, and hardly any which
touched the points at issue at all. The usual
resource of the Mormon writer who writes
upon this subject is to point out that there are
brothels in the Eastern cities, and that there
are no brothels in Utah. The readiest answer
to this is that here it is the women, while IN
the Mormon commonwealth, it Is the men who
are debauched. In a state in which every clti-
zen who can maintain a haTem Is ut liberty to
establish one it is not wonderful that prostitu-
ton in its usual form should be unknown The
extraordinary mischief of the Mormon system IS
that it renders home, in the simple Saxon sense
of the word, impossible. and that it utterly
changes these relations of husband and wife,
Il. e hon aud ctute
which modern civilization is partially based.
and which are peculiar characteristics of West
ern nations To argue because Solomon had 700
wiyea and 500 cOnoubines, that Brigham
Toung. citizen OF the United States. is
entitled to the same number Of he can
get them), is just as ridiculous as it would be
for Congress to appropriate millions of money
for the rebuilding of the Temple upon Penn
sylvania-ave. We might as well go back to
burnt offerings, and we might as reasonably re-
establish the rite Of circumcision by law. We
have no national religion, and abstractly we
tolerate every form of religious belief but it
does not by any means follow that we must
submit to concrete fanaticism, and that we are
helpless against bigamsts simply because they
blaspheme volubly. Ii plurality of wives is
to be suffered in one State, there is no reason
why il should not DO permitted in all. Ii the
plan is good one for Utah, it is an equally
good one for Colorado. Moreover, while the
venerable Brigham is reaping the reward OF his
discovery how are we to escape shame and ig-
nominy before the nationl This is a view OF
the case which may not occasion the apostle
much anxiety, but it is one which every
thoughtful and sensitive American is obliged
to take.
We are glad that another attempt is to be
made to put this public modification under the
ban of the law; and should Mr.. Cragin's bill,
now pending, be passed, we trust that some
way may be found to Iigidly enforce its pro-
visions At the same time, TO prevent disap-
pointment it may be well for us TO Inform the
world that the Mormon leaders are defying, in
advance, tue interference of Congress with
their peculiar institution, which, as CORE
spondent Of The Salt Lake HerS tells us, con
"tains within itself the indcstructible elements
"of success and permanency." This gentleman
is, indeed, so angry that we are led to sus-
pect that he is himself a highly successful po
lygamst, and that he regards his women in the
light of personal property, with which Congress
has no constitutional right to meddle. He n-
forms us, also, that Mormonism sis the rising
"power of this continent, and is destined to
"become the ark of its liberties, if any are pre-
Served" This, of course, is merely defiance
of the authority of the Union, and a denial of
its right in any way to interfere with the peO
pie Of Utah, whatever they may please to do,
or whatever they may please to leave undone.
1t is new affirmation substantially of the
South Carolinian doctrine of secession. The
promoters of the bill will not, we
trust, be frightened by this gasconade
into an abandonment of measure which is to
be commended even if practically it should
prove to be no more than an official protest
against the legal establishment of concubinage.
Salt Lake City is long distance from the
Capitol, but that distance has already been
considerably diminished and the arms of the
Government are growing longer and longer
every day. If polygamy cannot be put down
in one year or in two, il may in five or in ten.
If we place these promiscuOus and left handed
marriages under the ban of national law, aud
then treat every Mormon who violates it, and
who comes to Washington. as q criminal inca
pable of holding any Office Of honor or Of
profit, we shall then at least have made
beginning. The Republican party once thought
this matter of sufficient Importance to be
noticed in their National Convention and in
their Declaration of Principles there has thus
far been no change in its universal opinion,
which we trust is about to find an authoritative
and sufficient expression.
Tho h.fu.ao,, NJ Auoust paI