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Show II1VLM . Ill' C 1 1 I k. t' JUTII E ,'hhl . . 'I i.,.- t' :'.'.!, 4 a:il'.-!,: in d-.-f ri--o o! fil.;: M -K.-iu, :n.d li.e r-1 ly to it. if: l ik -n !rn:!i ll. .' I l.nal.a i'-ra'd ol n, ! iy in- rii.ti-'- .-'.u.i- Liiit Crv, April 2, l'-Tl. T tl.o 111. ''-r f tho ll-mll: V'.ur ii ,-r of il,,- 1,1 -t hn a h-a iiiii; .it ' ..ii '::.':. f J i l:-: J o. IS. M K.-in, nt Una K-.uioiy , l hu ll, by a ii : ,r -; r. -'-n'.i' :,,n at. on-e, of hn in,)-t.v.-t and of t,i, rnoi.e- oi tho IJ.-ii'-li, .1.,, if:,-at i' j'i-'.'-,: I,, huu per-'Dally, in I. tlirouoli li.in, to lh- K'.-mual sonti-in, sonti-in, ui of I.- arly c. cry (.-utile in thi-. thi-. i,:l, .,'.'. II..; t' ii 1 -:i'-y of tlio article is to j . r, , i 1 1, -- tl.o iii.pr,."i-,ri that Judee .M, l.,an, u:il pri'babiy otlieri here, v . k lo p.-isooulo the Mormons uri ae-i:,,ui,t ae-i:,,ui,t ot'tli-.-ir roo.'iuiis boiii-J', e'so, why iiiiiMiliio,: wi'li sui li ou,plm-:s ill-! ob v.'.us propo-nioii that ''Kelurinus: lib-,-riy is as doar to the Mormon sect as to miy oihor soot." The question pre--rii', d in this Territory is not one of "fii-'ious liberty." Neither Judge M, Ivo.in, n r any other lientile, in or out of this Territory, will interfere with tlio riehi.1 of c,,n-ei. noe. If there is any sentiment that noiy be calle-l in--t.neiive in the American mind it is oppo-ition to any and every form of reiioioiis persecution. 'The real question ques-tion lu re and one that mu-t 6ud its solution either in courts of law or in the coercive power of the government is, uh ther a people or sect, under the I. h-a of ''telittious liberty" may systematically system-atically violate the written law of the country, and pleach and teach its violation vio-lation in others. .Now all um.-t admit that there is some limit to the freedom ot action when excused even under the high pu-' pu-' reation of con-eience. Some boundary bounda-ry line when belief or practice at least, where it cnulliets with law, must yield; otherwise every crime ever known or praeti.-ed must be recognized as cornet. cor-net. Human saeritico has devotees as sincere and conscientious probably as p ilygamy, yet the Herald will hard ly contend that the system is a right one becau-e its believers are sincere, or advocate immunity for its practice for fear of invading the conscience of tho-e who profo.-s to believe in it. Polygamy may rjot be so great a crime us the one cited in illustration, but the statute of Congress in the absence ab-sence of other law, makes it a crime within the territories of the United Mates, iii'l JU'IM .lotean, ueiug a sworn otli.-er of the Government and charged with the administration of its, laws, has no discretion in the matter, ; but must adniini-ter the law as he tinds' it, otherwise he is faithless iu the dis-: charge of his otlieial duties. If the law aoa.nst polygamy is wrong, op-, pres-ive, or coulliets with the proper-exorcise proper-exorcise of eon.-cieuee, blame the power, that made the law, and not the Judge whose oath compels him to administer it. And if it be said or thought that he has done this in a harsh or intoler- j ant manner in a way to offend the sensibilities of a large part of the community com-munity among whom he presides it uiay be replied that he finds the law not only violated, but its violation openly and ostentatiously upheld and vindicated. When and where el-e, it may be asked, has there been tenderness, tender-ness, much less a species of sympathy, shown lor open and professed violation of law ? In regard to the rulings and de-ei-ions of Judge McKean. it is sufficient suffi-cient for the purposes of this article to remark that, if erroneous, any person aS'oeted or injured by them has the remedy of appeal to a higher tribunal, and this would at once be more practicable practic-able and iu better taste than mere denunciations de-nunciations of the Judge who may probably have erred in his decisions. A PVVENsE OF CIUEV JCsTICE MCKEAN. The-e eolumus are always open for free discussion of ail pub ic questions. It is iu obedience to this rule of its management that we give ro-itn to day or an article iu defense of Chief Jus tico McKean. It is not perceived that it requires extended reply. If the orVcnses of Mr. Justice McKean were ef the character given to then by our Salt Lake contributor, this paper would have no quarrel with him. But this, to our uudorstaudiug. is far from being the ease. We need rot review the history of the advent of Shatfcr. Uoihster, "Me. Koan v. Co to Salt Lake, nor of what has happened since. We point to the cherts that are knowu to have received ti e etheiai sanction of the Chief Justice Jus-tice ot Chahuyvu the peaceful order cf thiocs in that l'erritory. The attempt to deprive its people of the sacred rieht of local self-government by that functionary func-tionary was a crixe. His recent ful-mif.atiou ful-mif.atiou from the bescli because he had even thwarted ia a conspiracy to force the Mormon people to support a horde of their unprincipled enemies, into whose hands, fer the purposes ot persecution a:ii oppression, he sought to p ace the wuo e judicial msehinety of the lhtrritery, was equally eriuiina. ar-.d o.-.sg--.'.eetul. It betrayed the ma-iietr.ant ma-iietr.ant animus of the man. aud proved r.is total u-dtness for the position he occupies. From the opinion that a majority of Geniii.s in - Ctah indorse Judge McKean. Mc-Kean. we have ample authority to jus-tity jus-tity an orcophat'.e o.tssenr. icsiiuiery eu that sujee: ootuss to us iu su.h a wuv is to .eai us : be." eve i: to he an er-':-0 P -- r1--" w-ul 5 '"-ie not the s.igh:e-;t cirereuoe wiih our oiv-j vics and post lien, lhis riper speaks its own sentiments, and not those of either Mormon or Gentile, in Ui -.h or elsewhere, who do not concur with it. Our friend soys "the tiuuiucycf oar svn that Jiicge McKean. and proba-b.y proba-b.y einers nere, o.u L iuu see-xto P- their religious btlief ': Eiaetly. If it did not produce teha: "impression" i: badly failed to aee-rmplish the object for which it was printed. That man must be horribly oblivious to truth who cannot perceive the undeniable fact on which that impression is founded. |
