Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-01-05
MORMONISM.

nineteenth wife OF Brigham Young, lec,ured in
St. Louis. Mrs. Young said that polyeamy
among savages and Turks does not shock u.s.
It harmonizes with their religion aud condition.
But polygamy 10 the United States has re-
voting effect on the American mind. Con
sdered geographically it is entirely an Intruder;
considered historically it is 40 auachroulsm; III
the light Of Christian ideas it Is an ugly excre-
sceuce Polygamy is no fgment of the fancy;
it is no creation of the story tellers. Ii Is a
prevalent social custom auong lOO,OOO OF our
cltizens |, has been PREACHED among them
for more than 20 years. She proposed to speak
Of the origin, spread, extent aud evils OF tie
OF which she had been victim. PJlygamy Is
q part of the Mormon faith, but did not orlgl-
nate with them. The Book Of Moruioulsm
itself condemns it. 1t ordains that man shall
have but one wife, aud Of c)Ocubloes none.
When the followers to Joseph Smith Collect
cd at Nauvoo he found his influence extending
50 that they were ready to receive any utter
arce from him as Of divine authority. The
idea Of poygamy was repuguant to mauy and
he had TO proceed with great caution in max
ing known his views. His brother hesitated,
aud his wife, az might, be expected, openly re-
belled. The revelation in favor Of polygamy
was dated July l2 lS43, but the practice had
been carried on without that sauc:lon tor
months, if not for years, before. it Was deem
ed iuexpedient to make it known to his follow
ers, aud it was only his immediate friends and
strong believers who were let into the secret.
1t pandcr, to the appetites of men, aud the
women were infatuated by their prophet and
his teachings. They were told that eternal
perditiou Was their duom foI noncompliance.
The laws of Illinois, however, were against 1t.
AID the Geniles surrounding Nauvoo would
not tolerate the practice. 1t was the custom at
that time and as late as 1850 for Mormon
teachers in Europe to deny that they pracllced
po, gamy. In January, 1858, when the uum-
Der Ut Mormons had reach, d 10000, the rcyc.
lation of polygamy was made Known. lu the
meantime they had removed to Salt Lake City,
and IN that place the practice OF poygamy was
open, notorious and unrestraned. Not contcnt
with pointing to the patrlarchs, and the prac-
ticcs of David and Solomon, it was claimed that
the pure Saviour of the world dad an affection
for Martha and Mary; that they were bis wives,
aud that the marriage at Cana, Galllee, was
one of his bridal teass. The speaker gave seve-
raj anecdotes TO show that the Mormon leaders
have been utterly unscrupuous in dealing with
the marriage relation.
These Mormon leaders were too shrewd to
allow lust to stand as the controlling motive OF
polypamy Hence the theory was started that
there we're myriads of spirits hoariDg through
the air in want Of bodies to fit them for higher
Spheres 1t then became the duty of the faith
iul to provide bodies Tor these incorporeal
shapes. The family relation does not termi-
nate here, but is contuued in eternity, and
those who have the largest number Of descen-
dauts will be entitled to the highest honor.
Women are told that they are saved only by
being joined to man, and if she rebels she
will be cut off tor time and eternity.
The first wife had to stand at the altar and
join the hands of her husband and his second
anguish she could not bauish. No stoicism,
no lapse of time could soothe the pain Of her
heart, and she walked the earth sorrow
stricken, broken-hearted woman. She could
not love man uoder such a system. Mormons
caim that man can love halt dozen women
as mother can love the same number ct chill
dreu. That was not 80, as any would say who
had the slightest knowledge Of the female
heart
To speaking of prominent Mormons the lee
turess alluded to George 0. Cannon, the dele
gate elect to Congress. who had four wives. 1t
was the custom to speak in Utah of my wo-
men" and sometimes my heifers;'' ano,h r
elder had spoken in the pulpit of his cows
POIygamous husbands regarded their wives
very much as CATTLE and sometimes depended
90 them for support,
The lec,uress described the heart buruings,
the strife, the unspeakable misery Of the sys-
tenn. From her account it had not single
rcdeening feature, but was horribly cold and
repulsive throughout In conclusion the fair
speaker avowed that whatever might be her
future she would never regret step that had
hroO NJ hor at
lAppause.
TRAGEDY.-The best tragedies which they
give US at the theatre have about them an at
mosphere OF arti6ciality, no matter how san.
guipary their fifth acts may be. They move
Us only as the representation OF somethlng
which might be; ifit were otherwise, if we were
less hackneyed in our play haunting, they
would move us out of the boxes and send us
howug to our beds. The only real tragedies
are in the houses OF humanity; the true blood
is spilled upon hearth-Stones, and extingulshes
the domeslic fires The dramatis person@ are
maniac mothers, abused wives, husbands beside
themselves, and starving children. We print
ehas,lier tragedies every week than are to be
found 10 that multitudluous collection called
The British Drama Here is one:
Of course the drama was enacted in France.
The scene was at Vauves, Department OF the
Seine. The leading woman is widow-her
husband died during the Commune She had
becu the mother often children, aud when they
were all dead save Que, she began to doubt
whether even for this small spared remnant she
could find bread enough to keep the precious
lite 10 the little frame. She was sick, and had
thus lost her employment; her landlord to whom
she owed the rent OF nine months, was press
ing her to leave her lodgiog. 1t is curious to
man would likely to DO under such circumstan-
ces She dressed herself 10 her BEST, She made
like toilet for her boy. Then she lighted
two braziers of charcoal, lay down With the lad
aud waited for the end. The boy soon died,
but she could not die. She arose, lit more
charcoal, and patiently waited for release. The
hours went by. six.aud thirty of them, and she
waited there, with the dead child. Tor the death
which would not come to her. 10 the neigh: