New-York tribune., 1871-12-16
THE MORMON TRIALS
A REVIEW OF THE ACTION OF THE COURT

REVIEW VI LIE NIlON Of j hf COUhf.
JUDGE A'KEAN's INTERPRETATION or THE UTAH
STATUTES - ARGUMENTS AGAINST 1T - THE
MORMONs AND THEIR VIEWS OF THE PROS.
ECUTION THE JURY-AN EXPOSITION OF
THE VIEWS OF MANY CITIZENS OF UTAH.
fIn accordance with the uniform practice Of THE
lish the following, because seems conci,e and
thoughtful summary Of the arguments Of those who are
prosecutions. II almost unnecessary to add that we
dscaim all responsibility for opinions
arguments from those OF opposite views who have sought
temperate expression through our columns.
70 the Edftor Of The Tribune.
STR: ripple upon the stagnant surface of
affairs was caused. on the 27th ult by the mandate OF
the Court that Brigham Young must present himself for
trial under the indictment for ascivious cohabtation
with his sixteen wives Monday Of the next week.
This order gives the Mormons opportunity to
complain, with reasonable grace Of Ill treatment by
the Court. They declare that this action is
unfair inasmuch as Judge Mexican promised
Brigham's counsel that ample time should be
given the defense for preparation They say that at this
season Of the year. with roads almost impassable 1t
physically impossible for Brigham to be here at the time
appointed. great snowstorm, which has been raging
here for several days. has demolished the wires SOUTH
and teegrapbic communication with Brighams tempo
rary honest George. the Arizona lne-is accord
ingly suspended. BY the travelled road the distance Ia
$50 miles fair weeks journey in the best OF times As
tnt cannot, tneTcIOre, DC IN udy
fxed the bail will Of be declared forfeited The
bondsmen, Messrs. John Sharp and william Jennings,
are worth o million two, and the 5000 will not
affect them seriously, while the money VIII be gratefully
received and speedily appropriated by the court and Its
ataches-uness indeed. the Territorial statute should
for once be followed and the money pass into the
County Treasury provided for by law. To some Of
the officials the circulating medium will be infinitely
acceptable than could be the presence Of ten thou
aan Rri0haml DOssibe for the
Judge to make the Mormons happy. do not know that
he be said to make any very frantic efforts to this
end but 1t 10 apparent that all his labOrs for their
welbeing fail to extort from them word
Of cdmmendation. Worse than this, too, intelli-
gent and honest anti-Mormons here and else
where express dissatisfaction at his course. Candid
and thoughtful declare that the end-the dcstruc-
ton Of poygamy-does not Justify the adopted.
This view although by universal is evidently
the ascendant wherever the questions at issue are
most clearly understood POlygamy must be destroyed
but not by trick, evasion or fraud. The truly jealous
Mormon denies that 1t dying out and refuses to admit
that IT can be extngushed at the hand Of man. The
practice having been authorized and commanded by
God the institution will be preserved by miracle when
all other means fail. The court and its officers say, In
effect, that inasmuch as the crime Ia anomalous anu
shameful in scharacter equally offensive In
the matter OF TASTE and nearly questionable in moral
and legal sense wholly ustable for Its overthrow
readers distance una Ware OI tne
attitude OF the Court in this regard Ia evident
y witnessed with regret That should have defenders
outside of its immediate circle Is remarkable But
even the Court ITSELF we'll as its constituted mouth
pieces are compelled to admit that 1t s forced to dis
regard the forms Of law and justice" In the accomplish
ment Of Its important work
To the American mind there ia something humiatlng
IN this admission To the Mormon mind 1t is triumph
ITSELF because it says, literally, poygany. though
deemed crime, cannot be punished such under the
law To reach it, 1t must be called by some other name
To punish IT. 1t must he defined as awmaker rst ana
excographcr have defined it, and the thing which
IT is casd must punished, rather than the real ofenso
committed.
The facts In the case are few and simple When under
stood the number OF extremiss-conprisng tho ihost
inc xibc Mormons the hand and those who seek
their extinction, savages, on the other-w dlinni'
leaving the great body OF humanity to meet and van
auish this foe b progress with and Justice those
weapons OF celestial temper with which such battles are
ever to be won Let state the position aud suggest
.>--a.
crave oense against the moral sense OF the nation.
the teachings Of Christianity and the laws OF the anh is
daily and undcniably committed in the TERRITORY
of I.tah A,ainst this Otfense-rvolting TO tho
mara, sense of all those who have regarded IL
IA a diyinely authorized religious duty, 10 Dc as
sacrcdly discharged as any other obligation III
osed upon them by Amighty-a judicial warfare is
,n ucd The Iaxity Of the Government In relation
to this evil and Its supncness upon the duesoh OF inc
cessation or continuance of the Illegal ana
practcc have called forth varied CRITICISMS III al hhus
where thought is interpreted upon tho printed page.
The roads OF iron linking the desert to the great "or
without have laid bare thousand secrets which isoa'
I,tion concealed Tho delision which makes polygamy
satisfactory desirable alike to the male and female
nartes TO the anomalous contract has been looked upon
nv multitude Of wondering eyes, and discussed III 'e
very house of its victims by friendly tongues Public
sentiment "a aroused and the parent government can no
longer rest in utter hcedessncss OF the grave ofese
It is safe TO say that without this puDllc sentiment III
duced by observation rendered possible by new facilities
NJ travel and stimulated by mineral discoveries, tho
Normons might have remained in peaceful possession OF
their yiable tcnets for to come Poiygamy
does not appear to be conducive 10 lmorai'y cAccP0
80 far as IT is immortality Its chief ~oheh
Arc its most earnest advocates here with rar' excep
tiops they hug their sefmposed chains with the ardor
90 devotees. The few males who have abandoned Nor
onis,n are still generally poygamiss, and are less
nostates 10 the Mormon faith than to the stern, all
n,wcrfu md aconquering rule OF the Mormon " Pres
idont To foes from without then, rather tha 10 enc
mics from Within may the Mormons look ior tie Iouha
t,on of that public sentiment which declares that the
great sin of MormOnsm is pOygany, aud that TINS evil
shall he met and vanquished.
THE influences that have created this pnbc sehtmeh'
Witch pronounces against the continuance OF polygamy
w.. ,at ,,hout their due effect upon the MormOns them.
calves The less ardent believers Ose something OF ther
th in modern revelations and discover cause for DOUBT
&c q, the superiorty Of their peculiar system The half
dozen wives of one man compare their lives and sur
roupdnrs with those Of the one happy and contented
wife Of some Gente resident Especially Is TINS tfhe III
the matter of dress-hat darling topic OF tne ielao
heart To he one Of many wives Is to wear
unore, and. generally, to walk humbly at all times;
a 20 he the one wife Of respectable Gentle tourist
or resident here is to dress in purple and fine fabrics
ond fare sumptuousy every day The young men travel
ou, that the long and toilsome journey OF months