Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-10-25
United States vs.. the MOrmOns.

United States VS.. the MOrmOns.
The prosecutions against the {" Saints -
in Utah have a serious look for the Mormons
who believe in multiplicity of wives. A
telegram from Salt Lake, the 2lst inst, gives
the following information
The jury in the Hawkins case has re-
turned a verdict of :" guilty The an
nouncement created much excitement. The
counsel for the people moved that the de-
PENDANT be taken into custody, and the mo-
ton was stOutly resisted by the defendants
attorneys. The prosecution, however, were
firm in their demand that the case should
take the ordinary course, and the United
States Marshal was accordingly directed TO
hold Hawkins a prisoner. Time was al
lowed TO prepare motion for a new trial
and arrest Of Judgment. The penalty pre-
scribed by the Utah statute for the crime of
adultery is imprisonment for not over 90
years nor less than three years, Or fine of
not over 81 600, or both fine and imprison-
ment, at the discretion of the Court This
is a test Gaze, and virtually places all pOlyg-
amists at the mercy of the first wife, who,
under the act, is the only person who can
institute proceedings against the husband.
The result of this case only foreshadows
the verdicts in all the other cases. although
some of the indictments are under different
statute. Brigham Young is not indicted for
bigamy, but for Iewd and IasciviOus cohabi-
tation with sixteen women, not being mar
ried to them. The indictment is under the
following statute passed by the legislature
of Utah
50 If any man or woman, not being mar
ried to each other, lewdly and lascivIOusly
associate and cOhabit together,
every such person so offending shall be pun
ished by imprisonment not exceeding ten
years, and not less than six months, and
fined not more than 81 goo, and not less
than 800, or both, at the discretion of the
Court
Ii the apostle should plead marriage to
these sixteen women as a defense TO this in
dietment, he would then be indicted for
bigamy, and his case would be no better.
There seems now to be no good ground to
apprehend that the polygamous Saints =
will attempt to resist by force the judicial
proceedings against them. By pleading in
court, and submitting to its Jurisdiction,
they have left themselves without any iusti-
fcation for resort to violent resistance to
portion of the Mormons themselves have al
ready abandoned the polygamous doctrines
OF their religion, and insist that it is no
necessary part of their creed. The Mormon
house is thus divided against itself on that
point, and could not present united front
in any forcible opposition to the execution Of
the law and the sentence of the court
Young himself has never been accused Of
lacking worldly wisdom, and is not likely
in his old age to make war on the United
States. He would rather trust the we'll
known clemency Of President Grant to con
victed criminals, than to a trial of arms with
United States troops. The tender mercy
that was shown to Bowen, who after being
convicted Of bigamy and forgery was let out
of jail by the Executive pardon, could hardly
fail to stretch its mantle of charity over the
" Saints whose guilt is scarcely greater
than Bowen's and who have mt yet used
forgery as a defense to a prosecution for
bigamy.
The polygamous part of the Mormon re-
igion is about as bad it can be. 1t IL
especially degrading to women, particu-
larry emphasizing and carrying into prac-
tice the doctrine thar woman's sphere is to
be married and raise children: that this is
her great work and glory in this world, and
her only road to heaven. Even in Utah.
however, it is only the weaker sort of wo-
men who submit to the degradation Of ac-
cepting this faith, and they do it unques-
tiOnably because they believe the doctrine
they have always heard preached. To them
it is really part of their religion. Whether
as much can be said for the sincerity of the
belief of the men, may, perhaps, reasonably
be questioned. The destruction of polyg-
amy willIbe great advantage to Utah in
every respect; certainly it will be if the
g Gentiles > who 60 there while denouncing
polygamy do not commit the offence de
scribed in the statute we have already quo
ted. And the destruction of polygamy will
be especially beneficial to the women of the
territory, as it will sooner or later persuade
them out of the belief that matrimony j.
the only sure road to heaven, and may lead
them after a while to conclude that the J
have an independent and individual exist
ence and responsibility physically, morally,
and spiritually; that marriage is to then
just what it is to the other sex, a relation in
which one party enters into no higher obi
cations than the other, and takes up n,
heavier, more distasteful or less voluntary
burdens.