National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-07

| IL was ct that time pracIlceQ Dy some OF tnem
but in violation of their ecclesiastical laws cor
tanned in their Book Of Doctrine and Cove
nants," which is, or was, what they elaine
to be the special revelations of God to Josep
Smith, and was, at that time, adopted by tn
Mormon church as their rules Of faith ant
practice. By this book polygamy was b!
J name vehemently denounced as high Grim
against God and man, and prohibited by fear
| full penalties in this and the future world
(See Book of Doctrine and Covenants, page llS.
1t was not until 1858, about six years are
they entered Utah, and more than nVe year
after the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo wa
made and ratified, and nearly ten years ate
the death of Joe Smith, that the PretenoeC
revelations to Joseph Smith, through ana 3!
Commanding the establishment of polygamy Il
! the Mormon church as q religious duty o.
DOGMA. was made known and enjoineC
mon that people. Before this time 1t wal
by the laws of the church and the precept
and teachings of her elders and bishops ant
apostles, an objectionable sin against Cod
| a crime agsinst the church and punishable
by accommodation from the church.
more glaring error never was asserted wher
1t is said, that, "under the treaty with Med
COZ Of 1s4S, they (the Mormons) were to b,
admitted into the Union with all convenient
speed, on footing Of equality with the othel
States, and until so admitted, the treaty, sec
their rights, privileges, customs, and religion,
and that "polygamy was then part of theil
religious creed;" and, therefore, thereby con
GLIDING that "polygamy was secured to then
by said Mexican treaty of peace"
As to polygamy being, at the time the Nor.
mons entered Utah, ga part of their religious
creed we have already shown that, by theil
tains all the pretended revelations Of Joseph
Smith, then published as rules of faith
and practice, polygamy was denounced as q
crime punishable by reorganization from
! the church, and held to be an unpardonable
sin against God and man; and It Is Unnecessary
to say more upon this point. But by reference
to the ninth section Of the treaty of Guadalupe
Hidalgo, the whole statement is seen to be
utterly without foundation. Neither the ninth
or other sections of this treaty have any refer
ence to Brigham Young or the Mormons, or the
Mormons' religion, or their settlement in the
! great Valley Of Salt Lake. We would refer 10
this treaty and prove by its text that it had
| not.
Article eight provides, that MericanS included
| in the coded territory to the United States o.
| America, are free to remain or to remove -
Mexico with their property, or Of disposiDg OF
the same at their pleasure, that they may re-
tain the title and rights of Mexican citizens, or
become citizens of the United States; and that
their election shall be made within one year.
| Article nine is as follows: "IHezicanS who, in
the Territories aforesaid, shall not preserve
the character of citizens of the Mexican Re.
public conformably with what is stipulated in
the preceding article, shall be incorporated into
the Union of the United States, and be admitted
at the proper time Ito be adjudged by the Con-
gress OF the United States) TO the enjoyment Of
all rights of citizens of the United States,
according to the principles of the Constitution,
and in the meantime shall be maintained and
protected in the free enjoyment of their liberty
and property, and secured in the free exercise
of their religion without restriction"
By this article it appears that it was Aezi-
cans, and their free enjoyment Of their liberty,
property and religion" that was secured by the
treaty, and not Mormons and their liberty,
property and religion. These were already Sc
cured to the Mormons, so far as they conformed
to or obeyed the Constitution and Laws of the
United States, by the Government of the United
States; and they were then being defended
in the exercise of these by the Army of
the United States. The protection which the
treaty gave to Mexicans and their religion is
confined to Mexican citizens and Mexican re-
ligion; which religion was that of the Roman
Catholic Apostolic Church, and which was
then incorporated into the civil policy of that
republic; and it had no reference to any other
people or religion. The Mormons, as a people
and as q religious sect, were not even alluded
to in the treaty, and were probably unknown
to the Mexican Republic; and besides, the
Mormons as community, as we have said,
were at that time, as they claimed to be,
citizens of the United States. This is manifest
from their conduct when they arrived In the
Territory, for they not only proclaimed them
selves such, but, as we have said, they unfurled
the flag of the United States, and at once prac-
tically adopted in their courts the common law
of the United States which is based upon and
forms part of that Of England. Had they in
tended to settle in Mexican territory,
under the Mexican colonization law
above quoted, with view to be-
come Mexican citizens, they would have so
declared at the time, and would have raised
the Mexican flag and adopted the civil law Of
Spain and Mexico, if not the religion of the Cath
Ollie Church, instead of adhering to the stars
and stripes, and adopting the common law of
the United States in their courts. But they
gain nothing for their system of polygamy by
either the common law or the civil law of Spain
and Mexico: for by both, polygamy or bigamy
monstrous crime, punishable with heavy penal
ties as q felony.
The Mexican, or Catholic religion, in like
manner, denounced 1t as a crime against God,
man, and the Church. A grosser misconstruc-
ton and perversion of the treaty could not be
made than that so impudently asserted. 1t has
not single clement of truth In 1t. Its only
the public, and thereby create sympathy in
favor of the polygamous practices of the Nor
mons, under the broad shield of national pro-
lection, by the sacfed law of treaty obli-
cations; and thereby effect something in
favor of their said polygamous practices
with members of Congress, and there
by secure the immediate admission of
Utah Territory into the Union as State; and,
if possible, defeat needed legislation on the
part of Congress in behalf or in aid of wise ad-
ministration of the local affairs in that Terri
tory; and thereby bring the civil policy of that
Territory into harmonious relations with the
institutions and Government Of the United
States.
Legislation has been deferred too long through
Mormon influence and money. It is apparent
that the questions involved, by reason Of Nor
some day, and tie I6netf TIE remedy therefor
is delayed the more difficult 1t will be to apply
It. Like slavery, It is yearly increasing its
binding wythes around the loathsope and de-
moralizing practices Of polygamy and despot-
ism on the part of the priesthood of that peo-
pie, who are sending thousands of heart-broken
men and women to dishonored graves and fill
ing the streets of their towns with an unedu-
Gated mass of children; for "the twin relic of
barbarism" hates the lights of science and
truth, and, like Satan in the olden time and
Brigham Young in the present time, cries out
against free schools for the education OF the
masses.
For FIVE sessions of Congress, needed indis-
pensable legislation by Congress for Utah has
been asked, and deferred by or through some
influence unknown to the people of the United
States, who have appreciated its necessity. If
1t is deferred again, the pertinent inquiry will
force itself upon the nation, Why is it Deferred
For it is well understood that the safety of the
rights of the loyal people there, and the devel-
opment Of the mineral resources, as we'll as
the safety Of life and protection of property,
require legislation. The failure Of whole
some and wise administration is not wholly
chargeable to the competency of the officers of
justice, for it cannot be denied that much of
the blame rests with Congress.
LEX.
-. . - .
4 MEXICAN SABBATH.
There are several churcheI in Tonic saws The