Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1871-11-16
What Will the Mormons
D0P

OOg
That polygamy is doomed TO
perish from the soil Of the United
States, there can be now no rea-
sonable doubt. The government
has seriously commenced the work,
and 80 far committed itself to
eeni coereivc policy that a retreat,
or even compromise, would in
volve a certain amount of natioual
dishonor, which the party in pow
er will hardly be likely to assume
The conviction OF Hawkins is.the
entering wedge, and the judicial
blows which must inevitably fol
low will drive the wedge TO the
centre Of the patriarchaI institu-
ton, and tear it asunder from tur-
ret to foundation stone. This
much seems TO be settled beyond
ell peradventure, and the CUES.
ton then arises, What will the
Aiormons doS "a .a
Noone imagines, We presume,
that Young and his colleagues IN
tend to offer armed resistance to
the federal authorities; such a
coursewould not only be the height
of folly and madness, but destroy
utterly the moral eject Of what
these men choose to regard as per
secution. They understand thor
oughly the persecution as cohe-
eive element in such a structure
as has been reared on the shores of
Salt Lake, and their previous career
affords reason to believe that they
will avail themselves of it. There
are, apparently, but two alterna-
sives, either one of which will in
volve great sacrifices, and demand
the exhibition of qualities not far
removed from the heroic. If they
believe that the mission of the
church of Latter Day Saints re-
quires the location of this church
TO be permanently fixed where it
now is, they may yield absolute
submission to the law, accept mon
ogamy, and turn their superfuous
wives and children out of doors,
rs castoff concubines and bast-
ards. From our standpoint, we
arc inclined to think that this plan
would consummate the complete
destruction of Mormonism as Q re-
ligious organization; for 10 creed
which exists now, or ever has ex-
listed, could endure such an up
roofing of family ties and ruin Of
domestic happiness as a concession
10 what the disciples OF that creed
considered arbitrary and unright.
e,us power. Til, twenty FIVE
hu ldred women who signed the
petition in favor Of polygamy, re-
Gently presented TO the president,
must and will have potential
voice in deciding the issue made
10 Utah--and their voice viii FL
vor the acceptance of the second
alternative. That alternative is
nothing less than voluntary exile.
II the Mormons remain where
they are, abandon polygamy and
those connected Herewith, the
corner stone Of their system, thee,
logical as well as social, is gone
and the system itself will fail to
pieces. II they go away, the tri.
ais and suferings incident to
wholesale expstriation, and the
consciousness of carrying with
them the institution which has
cost them so dearly, will be q pow.
erfuI bond Of sympathy, and kin.
die q zeal capable of surmounting
any obstacle. That this strange
people have sufficient courage aud
strength of will TO turn their
backs on the city they have built
and, leaving oil behind, go forth
20 seek another home, is abundant
" proven by the memorable exc
dos of 1846. Is that chapter ii
their history about to repeat it
self on grander scale :!
H At the late New Yorl
city election, Eve Republican,
we're elected to the State Legisla
ture. Running as Republicans
they wouldn't have ghost of {
chance; bat their opponents were
Tsmmanyites, and the Odium thai
attached to that organization OF
account of the stealing of its lead
ers, some Of whom have fed the