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Show THE QUESTION OF APPEAL- ' Many of the most intultieut new, jjpor writers of the counlry sccin to labor under the imnnw-ion that the right of appeal cxiMs Irom the court . of this Territory to the miitciuo IcJi-ral tribunal, and some of lliflin arue, lliwfore, that the Mormons are mi-williiit; mi-williiit; not only to mibrj.it to have their institutions rind praclii-e.1 ii'-AvA t'jijre a jury of their eoiiniryiumi; but also defy in udvanw supreme court ol'llie I'nili-d rSlah-, and n l'u-c to submit to iU linal d'hTiiiiiiation dliould such a decision ho reached. Now, so far from tlii.s idea beini; correct, cor-rect, the very opposite ia the cac. Them is no law providing fur an appeal from the judgment of the Territorial court io tho .supremo court at Washington Wash-ington in crimjnal canes. This i.s nminly what tbs pooplo hero complain of They are willin; and onxioiu lo know what law.H arc applicable and binding in thn Territory and ire de-iirouH de-iirouH uf obi-yim them, ior upun ihe ubservance of law depends iheirown protection in their lives and properly. Hut tho situation of otheers here is peculiar. No one, not even the fcdml olhcialn, can deny that this is a law-abiding law-abiding community. locs Judge Melvean or the prosecuting oiliccrs believe that the people of Utah arc either "lewd and lascivious, " or "adulterous" in their hearts'!' They know bettor ! Thoy do not ho pretend. They would not seriously assert it. If they aro simply moral reform agents, they can certainly lind fields more ripe for tho harvest elsewhere than in Utah. What do f hey want then ? Is it not simply this? The crafty politicians politi-cians see that Utah mast soon step from its Territorial condition into that of a Stale. They want lo put tho Territory into their breeches pockets, pock-ets, and if they can manage through the courts to inaugurate a crusade against the Mormons, making it appear that thoy are rebellious citizens, toe ambitious politicians Think tlicy may sail iu and boar off the ollicci and the laurels of the new State. Xow, if there had been au appeal to the United States supreme court from the Territorial courts, these gentlemen, we venture to say, would never have tried this Utile game, lor it would have been apt lo recoil on their own heads. But in the absence of any such appeal from their decisions to a higher and impartial tribunal, they are the sole judges of the law and the fact, with the nowcr to nack iuries. eonslnio statutes, and rule upon fiueslions of law and precedent as will best serve tho ends they have in view. Is this an unfair statement? Is it not almost susceptible suscepti-ble of proof by the incidents winch have occurred in court during a few weeks past? Indeed, the Sacramento i'aioii confesse3 as much; and we venture ven-ture lo predict thai ethers of the anti-Mormon anti-Mormon newspapers will ere long reach a similar conclusion from a candid can-did examination of tho facts in the case. Vc wish our friends in all parts of the country to understand that the people of Utah aro law-abiding, loyal to tho constitution and lo tho government. govern-ment. They arc also intelligent enough to know their rights and brave enough to defend them. Thoy ask no more privileges than the citizens of any other Territory or State. Their religious reli-gious belief they hold to be an affair of their owu, and they arc unwilling to allow a set of small politicians and pseudo-lawyers to dictate the laws under un-der which they shall bo tried and then "interpret them lo suit their own ideas or necessities. We are well aware that the question of polygamy is ono of the least of the troubles of these ollicials. It is political polit-ical power, wealth and fame that they are seeking for, and in their anxiety to secure these immediately, they seem to be willing to. assume the functions and responsibilities of congress and the supreme court of tho United Slates combined, no matter what may be the results to the community. If Judge McKean and his associates were really anxious to have these questions settled according to law, as interpreted by the highost legal tribunal of the country, would they consent to assume this great and delicate responsibility? Let them answer this question lo their -own consciences. |
