Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1893-01-12


Sr.efsd 70 usretefors Pofyx.msos Msr-
mons On the Express Condition that
rhsy Hereafter Refrain from vloisssss
81 the Law In Respect Co rofy xnmous
Marriages OF Unlawful csh.bitssioa.
WASHINGTON. Jan. a-President liar,
rison yesterday issued the following
proclamation:
WAsurssruy. n. C.. Jan. 4 isea
"rxsxss. Congress, by = statute approved
March =. fsss. aud by statutes n, furthersu<s
sni amendment thereof defined the erfme- Of
nigsmy. poiygsmy and unlawful cohahftstior
N 'ns territories and In other rise.. Within
the exclusive Jurisdiction % the Cnfsed States
and prescribed . penalty for such crimes. and
WHEREAS. On or about the sth day % ocso-
Der. ireo. the Church Of tho Latter Day saint.
COMMONLY known ss tho Mormon church
through its president. issued q manifesto pro-
eisirnins the purpose of s.id church no iong.s
70 sanction the practice Of polyxsmou. mar.
'fsrs and calling upon ali mem brrs as,i Al.
nsreuts Of ssfi church &c obsy tbs laws pf ths
Cnitsi States In rsfsrsaes to sssd ssbi es nat
tsw. ana.
wHxsxss. II n represented that sincs the
date OF said declaration tho memhsrs amt I'd :
hsrcnss Of said church have w~uaraliy obey-a
ss,a laws sni have ahstsined from poly yEamous
cohshitstton; and.
wHsnss-. BY p.tision d.sed D~csnb.r 10.
fssi. the cficisls Of said church. pi~axfnx IN.
mefnb' rshtp thereof TO q fsithfui ois.sii~ne~ %
the laws agsin., plural marriages and unIaw-
IA eohsbstssion. have applied 20 me - grant
amnesty for rsst ofssnses sxsin.s said isw.
which rrqnsst q very isrg- numb-r Of inffusu-
tai non- srmon. re-idfax in the Territories
h.vs also strongly urged. sud.
WHEREAS. The Utah commission IN their re-
pvt bearing date September Is. ifns. r--om-
nlsnd that said petition be grzns AMI <sif
smns-ty proclsiraesi. under proper conditions
a. 70 the fnture observance Of tha law with .
view 70 ths encouragement Of thoss now dis
posed 70 h~corn- Law abiding citizens: and.
WHEREAS During ths psss two yssrs suea
amnesty has hsrn granted to individual srpli-
csnts Ia very large number of esses. eonsii-
TONED uron the fsithfaI ob-crwsne. Of the laws
OF the CRited States sgainst uniAwsul cohahf-
stlon' AMI thers are now pending many mors
such applications;
Now. therefore. T. Benjamin Harrison. pr.-f-
dent OF the United states. ty virtue 81 the
pcwers IN me vested. DO hereby declare and
grant fun amnesty aud pardon To all parsons
liable To sfs p-nalti~s of s.if act by reason OF
unlawful eohsbltstion under thu color of po-
lvgsmous or plural marrisrs. IN have since
November !. lstsl shstained frosz, Srirh unl.w-
fnl eohshitation. bat upon tho -xfr~s- eun.lf-
ton that they shall IN the future faithfully
ohsy the laws 20 the Caifed STATE. h~rsinb--
{
shsh fsii 10 avail themselves Of the riernsncy
hereby oasrel vii 30 vigorously prosecuted.
In witassz whereof have hsrvunto set my
hand and caused the seal % ths United States
To hs aeaxed
Done at the city Of Washington. this fourth
day as Js1Hsry. IN the year % cur Lord ens
thou~and eight huaairssi and ninety. three aud
OF the intependenr- % tho Cnitssf States shs
ons hundred and seventeenth.
BxSsAsrS HAaxr-osL
Done bT the president
JoHy W. Fosrza. Serrssary of stats.
The presidents proclamation issued
Yesterday granting amnesty TO offend.
! ing MOrmons. is based upon the con-
siderations briefly set forth In the
document itself The question has
been long and carefully considered,
and fasliy decided in favor Of the nc,
| ticu recommended by the members oi
| the Utah commission. the governors
Of the territory. and by n large mum.
Der of prominent and influential citi-
/ xens. many Of them non-Mormons, not
only OF Utah, but of other
states and territories. IL ha.
been customary when whole commnni.
ties have been involved in an orense
against the law. to grant amnesty upon
the application of those under penalty,
and upon the assurance that they will
in the future observe the laws tha,
have been infringed. In this case am.
nesty is conditioned upon these prem.
ises: That the offense has not been
committed since November, 1890. ant.
that the law against polygamous mar.
riage and eohabitation shall be here
after faithfully observed. The Nor
mon church, officially. has declared
that such marriages will not hereafter
be entered into, while individually q
pledge of observance Of the law Is givcr
by the recipients of amnesty. II this
law shall be disobeyed in any giver
case vigorous prosecution will follow
The amnesty is granted upon thess
conditions, because il Is represented
and believed that the localities affect
ed will be largely benefited in n mate
rial way. and that q great stimuli,
will be given to the faithful and gen
eral observance of the laws OF ths
United States. IL should also be sais
that large number OF individual am
nesties have already been granted. and
that more applications are pending.