New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-08-30

In Utah that Brigham NentuTeo 10 PiVOfdi"i
to the world what had been for nine
years the most characteristic although csoterc doc
trine of the Church. The disclosure was made at
meeting of the Saints in September 1852.
"You heard Brother Pratt state this morn
ing. said Brigham that revelation would
he read this afternoon which was Civ
en- previous TO Josephs ooath. 1t contains
doctrine a small part of the world Is opposed TO
bus can deliver prophecy upon it. Though that
doctrine has not been preached by the Elders this
people have believed in it for years. The revelation
will be read to you. The principle spoken upon by
Brother Pratt this morning we believe in.
Many others are of the same mind. They
are ignorant of what we doing in our social
capacity They have cried out, Proclaim il y but
it woald not do a few years ago. everything must
come in it's tlme as there is time for all things.
am now ready to proclaim It. This revelation has
been in my possession for many years, and who has
known it'll None but those who should know
it," Then the revelation read. 1t is long.
verbose and ridiculous The important section is the
following:
II any man cspouse virgin and desires TO espousea an
other, and iAe nrs give her consent Note ING heN sC
ton LAYS heavy punishment upon any wife who refuses
her cOnsentl and he cspouse the seconu anu Icy Wy
virgins aud vowed 10 other man, then IS ne )ust
Ned; cannot commit adultery for they are SlNeh uo
lOagaR hun ard eise; and # he nave Ten
vrglnseyen INTO him by TINS law ne SlnI, toI hIn
theTefor6 Is he iusliaod They given unto hiD1o
multiply and replynish earth according 10 my com
mandmenL
The revelation made tremendous stir among tie
Geutiles and for a while broke up numbers OF the
missions in England and the States, but the
Mormons IN Utah were well prepared for it, Brig
ham himself had long been poygamst. His first
wife was Mary Ann Angel, His second, Lucy
Decker Seely, he married in Nauvoo, and BIS
third while in Winter-quarters IN Nebraska. and as
Il . in Nnn
be urged all Mornons, and especially the
bishops. apostles and elders, to follow his
example. Polygamy became general, and supply
OF women was obtained from the converts in Eng
land Wales, Denmark and other countries, who
were usually OF the ignorant peasant class, and were
told nothing of the peculiar institution OF Utah uunl
they arrived there. From being permitted TO the
Saints po ygamy came to he oujoined, and Brigham
promulgated revelation to the effect that the men
who had great numbers of wives and children would
have the highest glory and authority in heaven.
BRlGHAM's WIVES.
IL was never easy to ascertain IN Salt Lake City
how many wives Brigham had. The Gentles had
different reports and the Mormons when questioned,
usually replied that they did not NEEDLE with " the
PresidenrsD family affairs. The most authentic ac-
counts I'm late years placed the number at twenty
three and the number Of women " sealed " TO him
twenty-nine regular wives who were ali named and
described in a work by Mrs. G. V. Waite, called The
Mormon Prophet and his Harem" Published by
Hurd & HsughtOn Most Of them lived i'll a large
building called the ''Iion House, and had rooms
like boariers in a hotel The first wife had house to
herself however and for the favorite Ame Ina Fol
SON. who usually accompanied Brigham to the thea
tire and in his drives handsome dwelling was built,
with a private pasaa,e leading to the Presidents
d s,1.f aN...H ltfarHa
in a number of the smaller towns of the Territory,
which he had occasion now and then 10 visit. one
of his wives-about the twentieth in Order-Eiiza
Snow. was a woman Of intellectual abil-
ity and a writer of poetry. Brigham pIac-
tced entire mpaItaity in the allotment OF
affection and worldly comforts among plural
wives bat in practice, like Eastern Sultans be
wa usually ruled by fayoTite. As 10 the prophets
children. their name is legion. RE provided care
fuIy for their education. Some of his sons exhibit
good business talent, being the President of the
Salt Lake Railroad. Many of the daughters grew
up beautiful and accomplished women. The father
i.stincd his religious fanaticism into their minds,
ana gave them, as they came of age in poll gamous
marriage 90 his prominent supporters. Two OF them
married the same man and al the same time, 1t Is
said The fifteenth, or according TO reckon
ms, the nineteenth wife, was Ann Eliza whom he
I'm Fcd i'm 1868, and VINO has recently earned Gel
ejiitY by lecturlng on the holI0is Oi muihoiilSI
aud suing the Prophet for divorce. The United
States Court at Salt Lake City denied the petition
on the ground that the marriage pOygamOus,
ami therefore nun.
There is not space here to go into a history of
polygainy as 1t rose and houIisied in the Mormon
Church 1t reached its climax IN Utah in 1886,
whsn a general decentralization seized upon tie
community and the most abOminaJle practices
prevailed, whole families Of girls being in some
eases married with their mother 20 the
Divorces bocaue exceedingly frequent, aud there
were instances Of women being divorced and re-
married nine OF ten times. Vu.garty of language
in public discourses and private speech became
common that many Mormons were themselves dis
gusteo, and reaction set in. A powerful influence
working against polygany in late years has been
the increase of he cost OF living in Utan which has
restrained tGe young mon from following The pre-
cepts and example of their elders Ii is a. much as
they want to DO to support one wife, thai the
women are no longer satisfied with sun-bonnet and
q calico dress but must have the latest fashions in
apparel and must live like the Gentes, instead of
on corn aud potatoes as in the early times OF the
Territory.
THL COURTS AGAINST POLYGAMY.
Only one serious effort was ever made to break
down the institution OF pOlygamy by the aid Of the
Courts During the year 1871 the Federal officials
in Utah headed by Chief-Justice Mexican OF the
Supreme Court of the Territory, began organized
attack upon The pOly gamiss, which necessarily il
volved a personal attack upon Brigham Young. At
the September term of that Court, objections were
made 10 the acceptance Of several MOrmOns OF
prominence as grand jurors the ground that they
were living IN open violation of che law of the land