The New York herald., 1870-04-01
THE MoRMoNs.
Remoustrance Of Suit Lake Mass Meet
ing Against CuilOm's Blll-NIemOriai To Cons
Crcss-MOvcments Of Brigham Young.


ing Against Cuilom's BIll-NIemoriaI to Com
Cress-Movements Of Brigham Young.
SALT LAKE CITY, March 81, 1870
At mass meeting held here to-day the following
remonstrance was adopted-
To THE HONORABLE SENATE AND House OF REPRE-
ssNTArIvEs OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS
GENTLEMEN-It Is with no ordinary concern that
we nave learned OF the passage by the House OF Rep.
resenatves OF House bill No. LOST entitled "a bin
purp0sss,n commonly known as the Culom bill,
against which we desire to enter our earnest and
sage by the Senate Of the United States, or its
reconsideration by the House Of Representatives..
", We are sure y3g S bear with US while we present ,Hs
dentlsmen q the senate and Hesse of Re.
ritory Of Utah y Is well known that all, ex.
csPt from rnn. avS t9 ten % %t9Qns9Hd, are members
called MQrm0Rs These are essentially the people Of
this Territory. They have settled 1t, reclaimed Its
desert waste, cultivated IL, subdued the Indians,
d%ns means so 81 maze roads built
new State f6 ada isire to .he national galaxy
who have done this are the scve % & Re09s sas
simply Us an eieyaiinr social felatonsp' and pre-
v6llve Of many terrible evils which aict our race
but as principle revealed By God, underlying our
every hope Of ultimate salvation and happiness in
we believe In the pre.sxistsnce OF the spirits OF
men; that God Is the author OF our being: that mar.
rage Is ordained rs the legitimate source by which
MANKIND can obtain experience HI his probation on
the oartn; that the marriage relation exists and
tends throughout eternity and tnat without II man
can attain 10 an exatatiOn In the celestial Kingdom OF
Goo. Inc revelation commanding the principle OF
plural marriage was given by COD through Joseph
smith to tne Church OF Jesu sChrist Latter Day
SAINTS In It's frat paragraph Is the following Ian
guage:-rehold. l reveal unto you new and eieyat.
Ing covenant, and II ye abide not rhat cove.
nant tnen are ye damned, for no one can
reject this covenant and be permitted tx, to
enter by glory. WITH this language before us we
cannot view plural marriage In any other light than
Our religion, let IL appear IN the eyes OF others as
II may, to Us Is Divine demand OF equal torce with
children In the flesh. Tho Bible confesscdly stands
In our nation as the foundation on which our laws
are based. ~ Is tne foundation on Which our ideas
OF riSh- and wrong are drawn, and 1t gives shape
and force 10 our morality; yet 1t susalns plural
marriage, and m no instance does IL condemn that
institution. Not only having, therefore. reyela.
on from God and the belief that the practice OF this
principle Is obligatory upon US, we have the war.
rant OF Holy Scriptures ana the example
be borne in mind ihat ~ when '-Iidds this
Territory entered upon its practice 1t was not
crime. God revealed 20 us HIS divine word as
contained IN the Bible. which we had been taught 10
yenerate and regard as holy and TO uphold
IL. ana there was no law applicable TO
making Dclc[ practice OF
u criminal. It Is this Territory to-day only
a. tue law OF 1852 passed long years alter adop-
ton OF this principle part Oi religious falth
makes II such. The Law or 1862 Is now past. ono
prescription gives strength TO another. What yes-
teruay was an opinion IL liable to-day to Ire
law. IL IL for this reason that earnestly and re-
spectfully demonstrate and protest against the pass
age OF the bill now before the honorable Senate,
feeling assured that while 1t cannot accomplish any
possible good it may result in q great amount OF
misery. IL gives no alternative but the cruel
one Of rejecting Gods command and ab.
jurlng our reiiplOn or disobeying the authority
OF the government we desire to honor and respect.
IL ID In direct violation OF the ist amendment of the
constitution, which declares that Congress shall
make no law respecting an establishment Of religion
or prohibiting the Tree exercise thereof lt RODS our
p iestho0d oil their functions ana heayon-bestOwed
power. and 9ives them to the justices Of the
supreme Court. Justices OF the peace and priests,
whose authority we calnot recognize by
empowering such as the only one TO celebrate mar
riage. AS we'll might the law prescribe who shall
baptze for tho remission OF SINS or lay on hands for
the reception OF the Holy Ghost. Ii encourages
foTnication and adultery, for all such marriages
would be deemed invalid and without any sacred
or binding force by our community, and those
thus united together would, according 10 their
beief, and religious convictions, believing IN con.
dition OF habitual aduliery.
telegram from Toker, few miles this side Of
Sc. George. In Utah, Says
brigham Young and company Will start to-day
via Virgin City for the Kauabok; ns wei; accl
dents. Meetings. are peing neid IN tho southern por
ton OF the Territory TO protest against Culloms b'