The Portland daily press., 1869-10-19

We notice that Anna Dickinson begins this
season with the subject of Polygamy for her
lecture. We confess an indisposition to hear
her. If a daughter of ours should be ire
pressibly bent upon public oratory, and should
choose such theme, we should with what
paterna authority we have, invite her to Sc
lect different subject. Not that Miss Dick
inson may not have womanly tact enough to
discuss the question delcately, not that one
Word Will be said to offend really cuti-
vated and pure taste. 1t would be her very
embarrassment, that, the truthful and COM
plete handling of the topic requiring some
qualifications besides delicacy, she would not
be the best lecturer for the occasion. One
would not be likely very much to defer to the
results of her speculations. While there are
such multitudes of competent persons of botb
sexes instructed experimentally in the laws OF
life, we see no propriety in calling upon Young
ladies, to whom the whole relation of the
sexes Is speculation or dream to teach and
decialm upon subject so foreign to all their
legitimate studies. The question whether or
not man was too much married." as the
Turkish ambassador in Paris expressed it,
might be referred to some better arbter than
to a girl who had not been married at all
We have decided preference that the sub
ject of fpolygamy shall not become tonic of
national interest and discussion. True. the Re
publican platform of 1860 introduced it AMONG
the great subjects of political agitation. eleyat-
ing it as a" taoin relic ofbarbarism" to equal
dignity with slavery. But every body saw
that this was a mere rhetorical expedient to
excite new adherence of slavery. sanction
ed by church and state, law and custom, by
CHASING it with an odous, kindred unclean-
ness The Mormon abomination never had a
national Importance, never entered into our
public or social life as people, nor in any way
tainted our national character or habits. Con-
fined to an iliterate sect, made up-two-
thirds of foreigners, skulking upon our re-
mote and almost inaccessible borders, we were
no more responsible for it, than any other
civilized government.
PolySamy is an abuse of Mormonism. Ey-
cry new religious cultus has in it a germ of
truth and good. If Brahmanism, kind of
speculative perfectionism could degenerate in
to filthy idolatry, the crude fanaticism of
Joe Smith could easily and speedily corrupt
and become the animalism of Brigham Young.
A secular success that put the leaders at their
ease luxury that followed abundant and
easilv-earned food, stimulated the passions
that only waited for immunity aid sanction
to give themselves indulgence. The immu-
nifty came by the complete isolation and seq
regation of the sect from civilized law, and
civilized opinion. The sanction was found in
that obsolete Orientalism that came from two
excessive familiarity with perverted old
testament, in the absence of any other liter
airy and humanizing culture
In Illinois, where the Nauvoo temple was
built, the excessive marriage would have been
impossible. If man upon whatever consci-
entious pretext had there undertaken to mar
ry. who was already married, the grand jury
would have indicted him, and the courts would
have sent him to the penitentiary. But the
disciples OF Brigham Young went out of Illi-
nois, went into what was reckoned land un- |
mhabitable for any other people, and that |
would never be colonized by Americans. We
have no United States laws regulating the |
relations of the sexes. 1t would entirely |
change the character of our system for Con- |
gress to legislate upon such subjects, The
matter Of marriage and divorce must be left
to the territorial and the State legislatures
And these, while the territory is controlled by
the Latter Day Saints, will never enact laws
hostile to the established usages of the sect.
Ii the practice of polygamy existed in anv
Christian community, or received the sanction
OF any public opinion, or broke out sporadic
ally among decent people, it might become
matter of public concern and call for repres
siye legislation. But it is remote. substantial.
ly foreign, as disconnected with our form or
civilization as widow-burning in India or
Cannibalism in the Pacific Islands. The law
OF monogomy is written by nature in the very
sentiment of love, which is always exclusive |
OF all but the chosen one, and in the nearly |
equally numbers of males and females that arc |
born. This law has controlled the usages of
mankind. We cannot return to the barba-
risms of Asia and Africa.
Utah has become highway of the worlds
travel and trade. 1t will more and more feel
tn" influence of the 10Th century. Ifso wide
spread and powertuI au i.sauo...a of tho r.s+
ages as sayery, that lately covered the hea..
of the oou1try could melt away under the
warmth of modern civilization, how can this
petty fanaticism, sanctioned by few hundred
illiterate and lecherous old men, maintain it.
sefon one ofthe great pathways of the worlds
onward movement. Trade and commerce.
the universal Yankee, the school-master. the
newspaper will break over all the barriers
which cunning and barbaric jealousy NAV
hedge about any section of the United States.
The population necessary to make Utah
State will he Christian men, content to live
cleanly with one wife, and they will compel
an opinion that shall punish polygamy as
crime. If it should happen otherwise, and the
propagandism maintained among the igno-
rant Of all lands should recruit the nascent
State with dupes and victims of its own su.
sperstition, Congress may refuse fellowship
with such people, and if necessary. compel
them to vacate territory that belongs to the
Whole people.