New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-12-23

| MORMON AND ENGLISH POLYGAAfISTS
Apropos to tho so-called persecution of the
| Mormon polygamists by the Government (of
| which some further accounts are given in
| TIE TR1BUNE's correspondence today, the
English press indulge in some curious logic
and vehement adjuratiOn for us to have respect
| to liberty Of conscience. "The whole attack"
we are surprised to learn, sis owing to the
unthinking brutal ferocity Of the New-York
"prcss headed by THE TRIBUNE" who orc
bounding these innocent people on to their
destruction. "The taste Of blood has an az
"petzing effect upon some animals" we are
reminded, though how the NewYOrk papers
are to be advantaged by the slaughter OF the
saints, or even catch mOuthful OF Brigham
when he is catawampOnsly chawed up" they
fail to inform Us.
| Polycamy, The London Examiner is fair
enough to remember, is lesalizcd and nour-
ished by the British Government in India on
a far larger scale than it ever existed in Utah.
If it were interfered with, not only the trade
in opium but the Eastern Empire would De
lost. But if polygamy be crime, it IL the
duty of England as of America to put it down
| at the cost of disintcgratiOn. The ErdmRcT
| admitting this, proceeds to prove the harm
lessness and snowy Innocence OF Brghams
| harem and similar domestic arrangements in
| the East, first by reference to the household
affairs of Solomon and David, and 1.-THE CO.
existence in those patriarcbs OF plcty and
" all the virtues" We have changed all that,
| and if those venerable patriarchs lived now,
even if their polygamOus proprnsitlcs dId not,
| as before, lead one Of them into murder anu
| tho other into paganism, wc fancy their re-
morse and devotion wOnld find az appropriate
back ground in State prison as in u throne,
and serve ms well the purpose for which GOD
| gave them nO;Oricty, l. C., to be an example,
not a model. to other men. The other remark
| able argument which the London press bring
| against Us. is that COncubinagc exists IN New
| York and London, though half covered, to az
large "A degree as in Salt Lake City. The
| British Parliament lately refused to say that
a wife was entitled to !, divorce even when Il
| mistress was brought into the house to live
with her; also. cit would bear hardly on New
York society if every man who violates bis
marriage vows WAS compelled to Share Big
HAMS twenty yenrs' penal servitndc y ergo,
| it il impossible To contend that p0ygainy IL
| so terrible q social evil that it must bo tram
pied ont mt all hazards. We are also reminded
that we tolerated Slavery, until forced to re-
move It, and hence our effort to destroy pol yg-
| amy is a cruel persecution. "TlIat we fail to
"ernbrace such an uncxamped opportunity Of
| setting an example of high social liberation
"s laInonted most by those who admire our
freedom and energy
This eloquent pleading on bigli religious
| grounds for Mormon nastincs,, in the same
journal which page further on vchcrncntly
urges tho legnl condemnation of the half
dozen persons who annually marry their
wives sisters, is only to he explained by their
assertion that over ten thousand of the
lowest population in England have en-
| "bracrl the Mormon faith and emf
grated, tempted by it, PROMISE of
earthly plc,sl,rcs." Ii tho opium trade
EXCUSES polygsniy in India. this facS pos
! sllly CLOSES it over in Utah. FOr oar
part, we fancy high social liberation" for
sncl moral cccrntr,Git.cS us Brjgham's is IN
experiment tried long enough in America.
They DO by no means l." run themselves ont
| ms ou1 English friends snnGuncly pro-
, phrsy will be- the fate of poygmly
| We have, indeed, rather made speciality of
| S'ltu tAppIIiutHhSi Hi'0 P'uh'o" "h'' III" ~"
| Slavery, Tanlmany Rings. and dozen other
corrupt grOwths in morals or politics. dug about
them and watcred them. But they never died
| out of themselves. If our British mOralists
can show US any social evils of their own
which have gwen up the ghost under the in
fnrnce of smiles and patting. we can better
understand their championship Of MIR. Yocng's
very unpleasant marriage relations.