, 1870-04-07

nd tcAoluuoEs, Duty IeSt you Inay uot u1lu !
oom for them, VIII give their position in hrief. G
They look upon the principle Of plural mr- i,
age, they eky, not simply as An elevAting !
oc,A relationship and 1 preventive Of many J
ernb1e svils which ef1iict our raee but as =
rineiPle revealed by God, undg1lEing theis
4 Heaven They hare been commanded OF
;ol, through Joseph Smith, to practice it upon {
min Of being damned; and they have for it
rattant Of the Holy Scriptures and tho c1Aua-
owed, honored, and blessed, Of old. This bill,
hsrefote, gives them but tho cruel alternative
II rejecting Gods command aud abjuring their |
eiginn, or disobeying the authority
II the government they desire to honor
md respect. It IL unconstitutional, be-
'ause Il Is Inv 1espscting the establishment
hereof because it is ca post fdcto, there hav-
ng tsoeu no statute against it in Utah for tha
6rst ten yeAsa OF itH establishment because
It destroys tho right Of trial BY an impartial
jury; because it imposes excessive dnes, and
Inhicts cruel and unusual punNhments; be-
cause it provides special rule OF natnralizA-
ton for Utah; aud because il disfranchises
and proscIlbes American citizens Tor their tel@cf
simply. It robs their priesthood Of its func-
tons and heaven-bGstowod powers IN the 1nhtr
ter Of eolemnizing marriages, and renders t
impossible for The sexes 70 cohabit At all, ex-
cept in fornicAtiun and adultery, for marriages.
solemnized by civil officers are to them void.
1t strips them Of their possessozy rights to
their laujs, and OF their Improvements on the |
same. 1t is in bad faith, because certAin
rights have vested in them under tho organic !
act Of Tho Territory passed by Congress- in ,
1870. 1t closes - fo4owa;
ttlf your honorable bodies art NOT satisfied with
what we now present, and what We have previous |
ly published u the world we besecch you, In the
name OF our common country Ant those sacred |
principles brQucathed unto US hy our revolutionary
fnthe,B; in the naHc Of humanity, and tn the name
9f tn3,t hot mai irr a
send to this Territory Commission, clothed with
The Necessary authority, to take evidence and
The subject aud obtain evidence conccruns the he
lief and workings Of our religious sIstem from Its
friends instcad Of its enemicA"
This Is reasonable request, surely, but the
American people and government caro- nothing
faith, the Eblo history Of polygsmous men Or
tho supposed revelations Of Joseph Smith
The o1ense OF The Mormons is their building
up a kingdom within the too hospitable bounds
OF the republic, which refnsesto acknowledge
tcrs OH the ground that what is Illegal and
criminal to Us ii religion to it. How shall this
radical difference Of opinion DO reconcileds
Ours is founded on our religious convictions.
that portion Of mankind which has made any
history, and which, strangely enough, II the
Mos1uona arc right, has been nnonoGamic, on
our ideas Of morality and Of cIpcdiency,
and finally, as We believe on tho epir1t aud
teaching of the bole and o1 Cnf1sannty. ~
tho instinct, 1t Is IN tho olood OF onf race.
Can the Mormons reasonably expect US
to Weld our Judgment to theirs, four hundred
| to ono7 The dilemma ia rs bsd foz us y for
them, ana tnnmtely mo1e Ho1n'Halos, = nos
lisgTacefu1. ITne, tney ehlnk II !onspous -
| without violating our own constitution. Bat
We think II soeiai anu Pon1.cA q9esoo1l, An9
I our state Aeeletatiou 1EgM tAae ltaIeaio!rH T.
| eneodles t1At oI'lMon. hets - 1NoIcu w
Terence, ana 10 II not pam Lhat que nus. FASo
MnS, snu 1eeeohao@ 'as@ 1oa' one ano0ia oe
thS "eakc1s A.
We may give the mass OF the Mo5mons
credit foT benS siueefe "a Their 1nsh, and
even, 1ct the sake OF Tue argument o1 belnS
= moral aa anybody: Il II be true, 20 much
The more reason fos sesthng nov tlo question
OF supremacy; Ii IT were huge Joke on Their
part, il would not be worth miqding: But
sEcE seM more Are 9eceiseo+ Es9!5 ~ 5Sar
ie"o1 OF tnoee olo hcads arc leit Asye VINO
knoM tnat tpisGamy nl1siuateo ~ vos9Fn
snisns . tnofoinate amauseness, ano thas Hn3t
1hE t9 creHhie Witnesses now nstne, VINO
mEht oe M!aid 70 tesol!, nG~ess1, ~ N
vented bE Mm because ne eoulo not oshotSaso
accomplish ms purpose on tne leleon ol
q g1fl nameo Loatsa SeAmah. r.. Essfs year
tnere are tSMea o. tnose S., ,ets g, @neH f., ~no
=
prior to the d1to Of tho pretended revelation:
In dealing with this question, notc. the mass OF
tho Mo1mons need not necessarily 20 taken
into tho account; few men, perhaps ono,
fourth Of a century, might cause this tnass &c
chapgc front if they wonld. Perhaps they
would prefer death ard the utter ruin Of thcil
delndsd follower; there woald BE- nothins e
lEcadfully heroic in that: history i full Of ncI
WHO have preferred death to defeat; but o'
I thing they bN WBu 1S$ufGtl. WQ&tEFGl
suffering comes on theil people through hei
rervcrsencrs will rebound N'th scren-tolt
force upon Gtf1r heads, y thcse Is aGs hefc
after where mcn arc re"afdeo TOT oeet's aon'
IN The body. a. ,,.,.
Ihey complain bitterly o. ahe hAsdships o., Q
thus BILL Let them put away thelr conennhe
and acknowledse tue supremacy 81 @ tho Eeruo
lie, md it won't touch them Is tnat SUCH
dreadful haEdslnp7 They say the !aw Iscd Is h31sh
. We gaze them mid law IN ls62. Inc
| openly otsobeyed It, and TOLD " 70 nolp oui
selvee. They ray VIC arc responsible f9r tho evil
because we haven't suppressed IT. They a7o'
their onence, glory IN u, MAKE sacrament o
It, stun II doWn the thtoats OF 1ghotant ior
cigne1s whom they bE1nG hero and mafshal N
@ nnnsh 70 ona
do but frame law that should be felt Tha
should apply the surgeons knife to the dissas
directly and closely NOBODY, NOT one pefso
IN the United states, utwouid be better pleas
: sa than .ny way, INFINITELY, wefe tno Nofmons
!, Ike sensible men and good citizens. 70 proven
! the enforcement oi the Law BY removing % 2
" IucscxI lhey sAE nse uneonsutot'onh. "eL
: II not anSonss!uuonal ~ 70 aeH e
:. government 10 en1ofcc 1ts ia"s estt'
d After year: But il the hill is unconssitutiona
c | il ehould be amended, One wrong doas nj
. justify another I think myself the bi
i ~, n.-,o.+ ~ "a, + ,,.so+o, 1.T,a II !,
! ! Msuis capees 20 see II eecene -" rs II y