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Show E XT E It 51 1 Pi ATI tJ l'OLYUAMY. The report that Grant has announced his determination to exterminate polygamy polyg-amy in Utah forthwith is of course without foundation. "The model President" has not yet learned a great deal about tho government whoso chief offico ho has held for the last four years, but it is impossible that ho can commit so great a mistako as to imagine imag-ine the existence or Don-existcuco of polygamy dependent on his unsupported unsupport-ed action. And though he has shown himself ready enough to exercise unprecedented un-precedented and arbitrary power, it is not to bo supposed ho is mad enough at this stage of the game to assume the role of au absolute monarch and issuo his firmans for the correction of what docs not meet with his approval. The abominable institution of the Mormons wo trust and believe will soon come to an end, but tho President Presi-dent has no power to exterminate it. True, ho is commander-in chief of the army, and might order government troops to Utah, but, after they reached iho Territory, what then V They could only bo made uvailablo in case of insurrection in-surrection or rebellion, and neither exists or is likely to tko plaoe. If tho United States marshal wero resisted in the enforcement of u decree of thi '. federal oourt tho troops might be used as a )ossc ccmitutus for its enforce-' ment, but there is no resistance to any decree of any court so far as wo are advised. How then, would it bo possible pos-sible for President Grant to make good his imputed threat regarding the ex-1 termination of polygamy ? Ho would hard'y issue a general order commanding command-ing the men to go from houso to house in Great Salt Lake city aud throughout Mormondom.bayonetiDg every man too much married. And jot, so far as we sec, that would.be his only plan. President Grant has it in his power, however, to accelerate the extinction of the moribund institution, and it is not improbable that ho contemplates using it. He can recommend to Congress tho enactment of a stringent law lor tho suppression of polygamy, and, though it would be a great deal better to let things take their own course, the strong probability is that congress would act upon hs suggestion. The liwonce passed, there is little reason to apprehend that the federal judges I would discover anything unconstitu-! unconstitu-! tional in it. Enough has recently j transpired to prove that United States judges can discover no defect in what the radical executive and the radical congress stamp as party measures. Tho law of congress for the suppression of polygamy onco enacted, and judge Mcblean and his associates having : taken action under it, President Grant oou'.d let loo?e the does of war in a regular way. The proceeding would be unconstitutional and oppressive, but not more so than a good many things that have been done of late. Now, we trust that President Grant and congress will adopt the wiser and better plan, and let this Mormon business busi-ness alone, at least for the present. The polygamic system will soon die of itself. The already Urxo aud rapidly increasing Gentile population of Utah is of course opposed to it, and it is at a discount even among the Mormons themselves. A proposition is now being discussed among tho people to reassemble the legislature for the purpose pur-pose of abolishing polygamy, in order that all objection to the admission of tho Territory ss a) State may bo removed. re-moved. Whether this is now done or not, it i3 sure to be dono before long if tho people are left to act for themselves. them-selves. Any action by congress or the President could only bo instigated by a wish to manufacture political capital. Courier Journal. |