Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1879-08-14
WAR AGAINST THE MORMONS.
Foreign Governments Requested to
Keep Norm onS at IIOmc.-NOr.
mon lmmi grants to be Re.
fused Entra nee into
Ports of the Uni.
ted States.

New York, August 9.-Thc H,uM'
Washington special says that the Mormon
question. like great many other of OIL
political and social questions has risen t,
| international importance. A letter pre-
pared by the Secretary of State protestin.
against the conduct of the government!
of Great Britain, Germany. Norway
Sweden and Denmark, in continuing to
allow their subjects to leave for the United
States as Mormon emisrants. was read al
the Cabinet meeting to-day. and copies
will he sent by to-night's mail 10 our dip.
lomatic representatives in those countries.
The letter, it is understood. is energetic in
the presentation OF the views Of the Al
ministratiOn on the Mormon question, and
the determination on its part to make in
situations OF pOlygamy us Odious rs posi-
BILE under existing laws. 1t begins by set
ting forth that under our statutes bigamy
is crime in any of the Territories of the
United States and that men or women des-
tined tor Utah 60 there with the inten-
tcntiOn and for the avOwed purpose OF
violating this law. The letter then recites
that by an act OF July, 1862, every person
having husband or wife, who marries an
other, whether married or single, in any
Territory or other place over which the
United States have exclusive jurisdiction.
is guilty of biSamy and shall he punished
by fine of not more than $500 and by
Imprisonment for 4 term Of not more than
five years and that under this law, which
has been declared constitutional by the
United States Supreme Court upon test
case, George Reynolds, citizens of Utah
Territory and a member of the Mormon
Church, was convicted Of bigamy, and is
now serving sentence OF two years in the
And further, that it is the
purpose Of this government to prosecute
every person in that Territory against
whom evidence can be obtained OF the
of this law.
Our ministers are instructed to Law a
copy of the letter before the governments
10 which they are accredited without de-
ny, and to represent in the most friendly |
manner to those governments that it would
therefore be an act of justice to their sub
ects if the latter could be dissuaded from
accepting inducements held out by mercc-
,ary agents of the Mormon Church, to
settle in Utah. Reference is next made to
existing obligation on the part of the gov
Of those countries not to allow
'ersons to depart from their jurisdiction
or the United States wh) are known to
ave criminal intentions, and further ex-
blaming that all who come to this country
or the purpose of affiiating with the
;hurch do SO with the avOwed intention
f becoming criminals and subjecting
themselves to penalties OF the crimina!
Avs. Therefore the United. States will
onsider it a friendly act on the govern
nents OF those nations if they will also re-
ard the matter in this light. Attention
called to the large humber of women
Tho are induced to become emigrants,
nd who, therefore, aid and abet the
rhine OF bigamy, and to the principles
t the Mormon Church, which requires a
lnrality of wives. Our Ministers are in
tructed to call upon our Consrls in those !,
ountries without delay, to assist them in
aiming information as to the manner in
'hicl the ranks of the Mormon Church
re recruited, and forward information as .
peedily as possible to Washington.