, 1870-04-01
UTAH.,
The Mermons and tho CulIom Anti
Polysamy Bill.
Remonstranco Adopted by a Mass
Meeting at Salt Lake.

o-daJ the following Is tue remonstrance dawn
p and adopted
To Ghs HonoT1o4 Senate and Hotae af Rtprese,.sa-
II e1 tss gnn4d statsa, IN co,.sress as.enes@d:
ye hare heard Of the pass1ge BY Tho House Of
sspIesentauTes of the House bill No. 1857, en-
w. r., by by 2 az In TIC execution Of taeians
= the Cul1om bnl, against which We desre to enter
|ur earnest unqualified protest. and appeal against
or It's reconsideration by tha Hoase @ Of Reprcssn1 q
ivea We are sure you Will bear with us while We
PRESENT for your consideration some OF the reasons
1hy the bill should not become a law.
;tr.tie4nes1 fth@ Seas< and House a Rep4kAsnt1-
Of the $4,000 estimated population Of the
from 5000 to o,o00 are members Of the Church Of
Jesus Christ, latter DaY Saints, usually cal1et |
Aormenk These are essentially the people Of th'
desert WaI.t, cultivated It, tubdued the Indians,
opened the means Of communicate N, maze roads,
education, and brought into being new State to
ldd lust1e 70 the nAuonal RalAxy Of Jour glorious
Union: and We, the people Who have done this, are
pessm, ssf py a :, %
ah1cted our land, but ~ q principle revealed b
don and nappt1lcss IN HeaTen We believe IN the ]
Of the spirits Of men; that God Is i
the author q on being tnst ms1tsgs T. otsne.i
obtain IN existence In his probation on the earth;
that marriage relations exist and e1tend through
out eternity and that without i 40 man can attain
to an cxaltation In the celestial Kingdom OF God.
The revelation commanding the principle Of plural
marriage WIS gtsec By God, through Joseph |
Smith, to the Church OF Jesus Christ,
Latter Day Shlnt8. In the first paragraph Is the
following language: "Bchold, reveal unto you
new aud everlasting covenant, and II &c bide not
I'd
GLORY With this language before Us, ne cannot
vtew the plural marriage 70 any other llght than
rs Of 8 o IS
divine demand of equal force With any ever given
by the Creator Of the world to bis children in the
Is the foundation on which its laws are
out ideas Of neht and wrong ~ drawn,
and 1t gives shape and force to our morality, Tet
1t sustalns the plural marriage and tu no Instance
does 1t condemn that institution. Not only hay-
Ing, therefore, areselation from God, md the be-
lief and practice Of this principle obligatory upon
us, We have the warrant Of Holy scr!ptures, and
the example OF the prophets and rghteou' men,
whom Cod loved, honored, and blessed: and Il
was promulgated, and tho people Of this Territory
entered u7on its practice. 1t was not crime God
tic Bible, which We had been taught 70 emulate.
and regard as holy, upheld It, and there was no
Law applicable to Us making our belief or practice
day, oniy as the law Of 1sd9, passed long
yeas after adoption Of this principle part Of
religious faith makes such. The Law 1862 is
aDotner @ what ycaserday vas opnon do Il HaSie TO-
day to be law. 1t Is for this reason thzt we earn
esty, respectfully rcmonstrate and protest against
the massage OF the bill now before the honorable
scnaic, feeling assu1rd that, while 1t cannot ac
compsh any possible good, II may result In great
amount Of miaety gvss nc alternative hgs s, The
eoyernment w honor and respect Il Is tn trsc.
vlola,ion Of The the first amendment 10 the
stAs 81 estaSlisanen. Of religion. or prohioitins
of ,heir functions and acknowledgement powers,
and gives them to Justices of tho Supreme Court,
Justices Of the Peace, anil PRIESTS whose author
lie only ones to Celebrate marriage. As wal
might tic law prescribe who shall bapttze for re-
mission of sins, or lay on hands for the reception
adultery, tor all such marriages would he deemed
Invalid, and without any sacrc1 or binding force
y onT community, and these thus united together
v1ctons bc living In condition Of hahsual a,iul-
tery. which would bring the holy te!atton Of mar,
as nto ,EePute am destroy the s11esuas o.
enon s!s!ins, s,oa = ,1st 81 TIN n cossfs sss.
= pa., 5aeto 1aw shall be passed. 1t destroys tho
Jurors composed d indlyidaais the recoSnizei
tr!ct where under II s to be tt!cd, while the
Fifth Amendment to the cons,ituton provides thst
IN all cfmlnA4 Prosecutors Tue AcfuSeu bnAu ENJOY
ufy of thc State q district wherein the crime has
/ been committed. 1t ts contrary 70 the Eighth
thst Exclusive ines shall moi be Imposed, nor cruel
and unusual panishmenta inflicted It violates tho
eSnn sesfo a1els Of 5ne sSt'i
throughout the United States, II that pTovides.
in Section 81, new, uaheard-of, and special RUE,
republican, In that IL Section 10, u places men on
unequal ground, hy gvtng one portion Of the citi.
pzgsa e q S'es y
which we have paid the govcrnmcnt for; also, ali
tlcrs II authorizes, by Section 1e, the sending ot
Ills most unjust, unconstitutional, and proscupt
can citizens for no other set but slmplJ believing il
the plurality VI wives, which the bill style.
po1ysam5. Mgamr OF concnhlnage. escn II tae}
fers premium for prostitution and corruption,
In tha. IT. requires In Sections II and II, hus.
can make, and voluntarily bastarslixe their owf
children. Section q declares marriage TO be !
| civil CONTRACT nAMea the otncers Who alone shal
solcmnizc the rte, when our faith expressly holdi
It as the most sacred ordinance, which can onl,
be administered By those holding authority frod
Heaven. thus compelling us to discriminate In IA
against oncers appointed by ne Almighty God
II takes away the Hight Of conscience, and deprive.
rs Of an ordnance upon the correct administration
| Of which our happiness and eternal salvation lie
pend. It not only subgerts religious liberty, TN
| In Sections 1s and 10 violates every principle
OF civil liberty, aud true republlcantsn In that !
bestows on Governors the authority 10 govern jail.
and prisons, remove their waniens and keepers, K
appoint and remove ProhAso Judges, Justices q
eoanf 6ns @ Ts
and in this republic, unhearu Of powers. 1t thu
asp5sss ths people q ~! ,ose n sns
creAtea a dangerous, Irresponsible and ccntrallze.
aprs Ind 'R eaves rh'en ns4 !heFf ives ! IL
the caprice Of one man, and that man sclecte'
aud sent here from atar. 1t proposes, In Section
T. and ~ to punish Amsse,1 eitzen not
ani rrsct.se,: ht Ills most favored servants, re
qnirng then, to call tht se bad men whom Go
se cast fenees,ons On tic lninis:1y Of ths savIee
Himself 1t strikes at the foundation Of Ill reput
can gose5nment N that 4 d!sntea opinions M IN
be belieycd b5 eitizens, aud assumes to decide Q
tic. validity Of revelations from 4lmsgnt
tes a9n9r aaS ., 4eDeEs osE i aa.s a
Territory Of Ttah, ind substitutes no adcquat
nes9y eves ar On our statute boosa It tfo!sss
the faith Of the United States N that II breaks u
original contract made With the people OF th
Territory In the organic Law, who were At tt
time thai compact was made received as citizen
from Mexican territory, and kno"n to BE- oeasyel
| In the doctrines Of tho Church OF Jesus Chris
bodies to understand that the Legislature Of Ii
| Territory haR never passed any laT Affecting It
Urinary isposal Of the SOIL tut only adopted re-
u1ations for controlling cur claims and possession
| upon With Improvements to the amount I
| millions Of dollars have been made
. This btu, n Section aS, reEesls ne !aE t o. =
leaving Us no legal protection y our hatd,earne
possessions, accumulated by The labor Of tHe
! ! iy yeals, and exposing Us to the mercy OF lar
| srecriatOrK and TXurareA.
tirrt-Thls bill, which would deprive us OF reliEo'
NOT directed asinss tae people ., Utaa as men Il
women, hut Against their holy religion Eighties
years ago and ten years before ne PASSAGE OF L
:, sent to Washington to publish and lecture on Il
principle of p1qsai ms1aSs 1srfnS as ,astn, RTnsS'
Il ,n.s md I'd other Giles, paiasaed papeT to1
L ciaiofa,e and convincing argumeata+ the dsta,
given through the Prophet Joseph Smith, and Il
doc1tne was sanctioned and endorsed b! +
highest Biblical authority: For ten Years oeio
| widely preached throughout the Tnion, and t
4 t world, and WAS universally known aud rceo
= hs pqens q on mo fa y show We
3 patHarchal marrtaee has long been understood
\ Re carulnal principle Of our religion We wo1
ssR xnt g. sns s.1 \ E
e in the Eastern States And Washington, not one
e them has been cited to appsag as
Is gentlemen veil knowing that II that we're est;
llshed The proposed la1. would b n9n @ and r. =
n done to enhance the glory Of orr eouns5, oy
n neezing, opening up, and mating !naAnltanie
Western reen : oS1ese mn KS nSseni natopt
-e edici 10 rob us OF every right worta possess,'
IS and Of the yerJ SOL VIC have reclaimed and Il