Show EXPRESSIONS FROM THE PEOPLE THE TUK DIVORCE QUESTION Editor Deseret News New In a recent editorial commenting on Mr Kirkpatrick Kirpatrick allusion to the real danger that menaced mono monogamy my the action of Senator Brown of Georgia lD in Baptist presenting a resolution to the Bap Bap- Bap- Bap convention at Augusta was alluded alluded alluded ed to A little explanation Would I doubtless Interest your readers The I S Senator nater during the last session of cf Congress sought to make an amend amend- amendment amendment ment to the Edmunds law Jaw making illicit il- il illicit il illicit licit intercourse between bet weeD the sexes the only ground for divorce in fa fait fact t sought establish h the law as Jesus gave it to the people His amendment was lost but the Senator bowise daunted br brow brought tut ht the fairly irly before the Baptist con con- con convention convention and made a long ar argument in its favor the result of which was the almost unanimous adoption of the re- re resolution re resolution solution And the fact was t tele- tele tele telegraphed le- le graphed y r all over the country But Qt alas for human frailty between ye ie afternoon and evening sessions the tae tae learned divines who made UP the membership of the convention had a season of reflection and fonn found th themselves In quite an awkard predicament ament If U the s tor was w-s w ri right ht some of llis brethren of the Baptist persuasion were living J In HI open adultery and that would never do to confess Even some of the tine m ministerial fraternity would p have been liable to the same ugly impeachment imp so to avoid the dilemma they sneaked bacK into int evening even even- evening ing mg session and rescinded their after after- afternoon afternoon noon action but they telegraph that to to- to any to-any any great extent t The The matter Was quietly hushed up and a number of papers have recently taken Senator Brow BIown to task about his bis monstrous doctrine But Bot the old man does not scare much and simply reads them the law law- Whosoever shall put away his wife except it be for fornication and marrieth another adul adul- adultery adultery tery adultery and I understand proposes to fight it out on this line In this connection there is is a tidal wave of divorce discussion going across tee country in which the press the pulpit and the people are taking unusual interest and the and and pros pro roy and of 4 8 subject Ct l cons this important t are being thoroughly ventilated But Bat like the family whose whose garden was invaded by the pig instead of turning him out they fell into a heated debate over how he got in In the mE meantime his swine swine- ship ship was playing havoc with the garden galden sass sass So divorce cases roll up in the j courts the tho calendar is is ij loaded down endis with them more coming and the end is not yet vet DEFINITION OF CONSTITUTIONALITY It suits the tile Mormon anti crowd just now to point to the tile decisions ns of f the Supreme valid valid- validity validity ity validity of some of the laws by which the Saints are being oppressed The Su- Su Supreme Supreme Su Supreme preme Court has decided th it-th that it-that it that t ends It there is an end to argument So asserted as good a lawyer r as Judah P Benjamin relative to the Dred Scott decision and the declared validity of the fugitive slave laws but where stand those decisions deci ions to day to-day were they a finality Gov Seward in III response to this query in nis Ms great reat Auburn New York s speech ech declared that there was a higher law than even the Constitution r n a n law law that made man amenable to his nig God ahead I of and prior to any allegiance to an earthly power The officers of the lent in Utah oh allgood I are nearly aU all allgood good Republicans I suppose and look upon Mr Ml Seward eward as the the- th father ot of the th Republican party I wonder how they like his higher her law idea so eo gener gener- generally generally ally Latter believed in by the Latter day Saints Mr Lincoln a sound com com- comm common common m mon n sense la lawyer wyer asserted in this con con- connection connection con connection that while he lie would woula not deny that such decisions were far as concerned the parties to the milt snUt yet if the policy of the government upon vital questions affecting the whole people is to be irrevocably fixed by the decIsions of the court the moment they are made the people will have ceased to be their own master having havink to that extent resigned th their ir sovereignty into the hands of that eminent tribunal Mr Lincoln was was a good Republican I imagine and his views should have some weight with his followers but I suppose that Utah Republicans would not agree with him in ill the foregoing proposition It would not suit their The State of Virginia has bas recently had two decisions rendered by the Supreme Su- Su Supreme Su Supreme preme Court on identical propositions the suits being instituted a few months s sap ap apart rt as to time and are now in the enjoyment of two decisions opposed to each other In the one in- in instance instance in instance stance the Court declares the law of 1871 relative to State coupons bein being received for tor taxes legal valid and constitutional while in the other they declare the same act illegal invalid and unconstitutional in that it im- im impaired impaired im impaired paired the validity of a contract Of decision course Virginians can take which de- de decision de decision suits their particular case the tribunal best If a decision of that august aug tri tri- tri tribunal bunal is a finality binding binding on the peo people pIe for ever and forever the State of Vir Virginia inia has a law both legal and il- il il illegal illegal legal valid invalid and and invalid constitutional and positions unconstitutional and both sustained by the court of last re- re resort re resort resort sort If the Supreme Court makes such a muddle of things can the ground and lofty tumbling and Jeremy Diddling ot of Zane et al be wondered at I I MUDDLING EFFECTS EFFECTS OF PUBLIC OPINION Our courts of both high and low tte- tte tie tie-gree gree have become simply the 4 enunciation enunciation tion of present public opinion instead of enforcers of the law public Con Congress ress driven by the force of pub pub- pub lic prejudice udice passes unconstitutional laws the courts und under r the same pressure declare them constitutional uncalled for and enforce their edicts uncalled uncalled- for fOI nay venomous severity the he result re the of which naturally is that the people lose confidence in ln n the l makers law the the courts and the Government Society political religious and social is Is dis- dis disturbed disturbed dis disturbed cut loose froat its moorings s it drifts away from ancient marks land land and becomes the prey to every evert passing current of wind They that sow to the Wind shall reap of ot the whirlwind NOT CAUSES FOR FOB ASTONISHMENT To the true Latter-day Latter Saint In possession pos pos- possession pos possession session of the the Holy Spirit all al 1 these things ar are not surprising Q 0 On the contrary they have hive been an and are expeCted and worse t than aa thes these for what natIon or people ever 8 i ted tedon ed edon on the hill down race called ahalt a halt halt before at the bottom On the contrary with increased sed and ac accelerated ac- ac accelerated accelerated s speed d they rush on seeming seeming- ly seemingly determined to commit t kari hari in spIte of the warnings s And efforts of those who w would uld gladly l ly stop them in fn inin Inin in fn their wild career c reer i lf allowed ed Let the hearts of the Saints be made glad lad let them stand firm by every every re- re revealed revealed re revealed principle of the t e Gospel q pel l let t the songs of Zion ion ascend for tor th the end redemption n nigh and the hour hoUI of tion apace God stays stairs with the righteous and his own bringing to pass His designs i In his ow own w wiry way y and the they who steadfast steadfast stand to the end shall snail be saved MISSIONARY l |