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Show BELIEF AND PRACTICES. An ai-nuainlanee cuils aLteimon to iLc following in the recent Annual Menage ofl'rcaiJcnt Grant, as an evidence evi-dence tlmt there w no intention on the part of the administration to interfere with the cxnci.-c of religious liberty in Utah: It not with the religion of the elf -t!c(l saints that we are now dealing, but their practice. t They will be protected pro-tected in t he worship of Cod according to tlio die tares oi' their conscience.", but they will not be permitted to violate liiw under the cloak of religion. We confer our inability 10 ee where the evidence exists. The position posi-tion is ho plainly a Methodi-t one which holds "llflivft, niid all your lita lorgivftt; Only hr.'licvo, and your' a is boa v en" that it assumes the whole question of rcliKioua liberty settled upon the basis where disemsion actually commencee. Ueligion, an usually defined, is a system sys-tem of" faith and worship, not a mere action of the mind alone; aiid to say that a people may believe an they please out niuar, not practice uiai uc-lief, uc-lief, is attempting to striko down religious relig-ious liberty at a blow. "Thoy will be jirotcctcd in the worship of God according ac-cording to the dictates of their con-Heienoori," con-Heienoori," but that worship must be confined within certain prescribed bounds which others who bclicvo differently dif-ferently shall define. That old-fashioned document, which was onco recognized recog-nized as the supreme law of the land to which all woro required to render obedience and is now soiuetimos rc-Ibrred rc-Ibrred to as the constitution enunciates enunci-ates a different doctrine, and lays it dowu in those- unmistakable words: "Congrefs shall make no law respecting respect-ing tlio establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Wo know it is held to be almost treasonable trea-sonable now to refer to the constitution, con-stitution, but there is the express language lan-guage of that document, and it docs not seem to bo susceptible suscep-tible of Mich construction as would separate the belief from the practices of religion. Tho Methodist prays; that Is a practice. Ho engages in a love-feast, which is another practice; prac-tice; and he has his little children sprinkled, calling it baptietu. The Baptist immerses adults in water; he believes it is a part of his religion, and lie practices it. The C'ampbellite goes further; he believes immersion necessary neces-sary for the remission of sins, and practices prac-tices it accordingly. And if some bigoltcd, narrow-minded sect, having the power, should say this was hereti-cully hereti-cully damnable, would they be sustaining sustain-ing religious liberty by contending that the Campbell! to should not be permitted per-mitted to immerse for the remission of sins, though he could believe it as freely as he pleased, and would bo protected in worshiping God according accord-ing to tho dictates of his own conscience? con-science? The Mormon believes that ho cannot obtain a full salvation unless un-less married, and married by proper ecclesiastical authority; and the aauie commandment which ia the ground work for that faith enjoins plural marriages mar-riages under certain conditions. It is a sacred rite with tho Mormons; a religious ceremony; a sacrament, in brief, and as vital in their estimation as baptism for the remissions of sins is, or can be, to the Campbcllites. It will bo urged that there ia a great difference between baptism and marriage, mar-riage, for some sects think several baptisms are essential. There is a difference dif-ference in the form of the rite or ceremony; cere-mony; there is no difference aa regards the vitality. Tho one is as essential a tenet of salvation, in the estimation of its believers, as tho other can bo. And whero religious liberty is assailed in this connection, is the point where one man having power says to another "You may practice so much of your religion as meets my will, but no more;" it being always understood, that the exercise of a constitutional right by one person must not deprive another of auy right similarly enjoyed. But President Grant does not go so fur as his appointees in this Territory. They do interfere with "the religion of the self-styled Saints." They go beyond be-yond the practices of religion and hold a people guilty for a simple belief, a mere action of the mind. To believe in Mormonism has been held cause euUieictit to exclude men from juries, from officii, from the rights of citizenship. citizen-ship. It has been, and is, held cause sufficient for refusing naturalization to aliens; not that they had broken any laws, not that they had refused to subscribe sub-scribe to'any just or legal condition; but tho mere fact of their believing that plurality of wives was a divinely revealed principle, has been sufficient to exclude them from citizenship; or when citizens, from their rights and duties as such. How the action of federal utlicials, who have thus made a man's religious belief the test of hi? capability to enjoy and perform the simc rights and duties as other Americans, will .-quarc with the declaration of President Presi-dent Grunt, perhaps some cunning casuist can explain. To thoso who understand fully their course hero, it is another evidence that they have firosly misinformed the President, and that thoy have not been acting in conformity with his sentiments, nor carrying out his policy. |