The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1872-11-07
Mrs. Stenhouse Lectures on the Pecu-
. har Insti tuition Of the Utah Saints:


brief. sketch of tho origin of the doctrine
WHICH. gave rise tn the polygamic evil and
its effect upon the wpmen Of Utah and else
where. She was in Switzerland at tho time
and it was her mission to break 1T to the
sisters there She felt as if she was; bring
ing a blight upon. every home and pointing
at the heart Of every. woman in the laud.-
She. theIldescribed the practical. working OF
the system in Utah, quoting from Brigham
Young himself,o prove the, deep unnttcr
able pdipniyersal unhappiness caused by It,
The ufGmurs. and tears of the women were
unhecded. They were commanded to round
up. their, shoulders, and bear the burden: or
expect y: complete and lasting divorce, Those
who complied were promised to rule as kings
and queens in heaven; those " ho. did not
were to be damned. ,.,. ..,,,.....;.
The terrible maledietions of Young meant
somethnig They knew. that he would ruth
lessIy apply his doctrines Of bloody atonement
If necessary, and many 4 man and woman
had, fors their opp sition, been buried in
quiet g,Aves, wherc. they would rest until
the day when they should meet their mur-
derer,, not as 'acjudse, but as trembling
oulprif so little wore women respected in
Utah that elders had said; ave think no
more of marrying wife than buying COW"
Bat there are no wives in Utah; thcya moth
ing but slaycs. Mrs. Stcnhousc then gave
a new and startling statement of the attitude
and expectation Of the Morrions during the
great rebellion. They gloricd in the earn
age: and predicted that the males would be
killed, except a very small remnant, and
that theywouh take the Gentle women and
their spoils.rnThcy applied a passage of
Scripture to that antici pated result, ana be-
lived that seven women would lay hold OF
S6ac man and say we will eat our own bread,
etc, only let us be called by thy name and
take away our repuaeh.' ''rf '.. .' -.
Her picture Of the plaral wives, their
lonely, eomfqftlcss, and sometimes detitute
condition, was touching, and constituted
strong argument against the infamous peac'
tice,. Brigham Young was denounced us
stern. implieable tyrant: apd, his conduct
toward Ills wife, Harriet Cook, cited az proof.
.ThisFyeang,1 high spirited woman had as
pircd 70 the, position of, iSultana, as having
borne the prophet the first son under the
riew system, but Brigham had steadily ig:
nSred her pretcnsious. One day the child
was punished by her and stismatised as a
bastard. >Ths-stiAg was not intendcd-1or
the boy 5but his father who vas in hearing
He crn.e forward, ga d, Harriet, that is the
last. bastard you shall, ever have" And for
quarter ola century she has been 4 hus-
bandless wife. Other instance: Of similar
character were narrated. The fearful prac-
tice had its female supporters, of whom
Eliza Snow !; was chief She had recently
published letter purporting to come frolA
a country woman, in which the degrading
vice is praised as beneficial to the temper
and character of woman. 7.,.ic,4 n,i} f.
Mrs. S. knew of one wife wt-o went in
sane when her husband took another to his
home. and when, he died, soon after, she ran
out of her hoyel and with curses and ma
niaeal rawlings threw stones at his coffin
The Onion, Pacific railroad came, and their
Young gave women the suffrage, nos that
they might cmaneipatc themselves but because
the ciphersi should magnify him. the only fig
ure recognized Of value. The horrors of the
Endowment House>Tere ithah' exposed, and
story told of 0rson--Pratt. which, for its
perfect telling and the world Of woe it re-
vcals, ought to be published verbatim as
tract and s6wn broadcast over the world
wherever the disciples Of polygamy seek to
make eenysEts-4ReHNs:, cry. 4sNe Hi4'eee. .