| Show LAW AGAINST VINE LAW law THE decision of the of the united states in the reynolds il ol 01 as case will occasion some surprise among people of various shades of hion few if any entertained the belief that the decision of the lower courts would be confirmed pon firmed it was generally thought that the case caso would be returned on one or more of the technicalities involved in it several manifest irregularities in the trial proceedings having been permitted all of which were ably presented in the plea of the appellants coun counsel seia selo but if the press dis dib dispatches aiches announcing noun cing the decision are correct the court ef of last has not only decided that the anti polygamy Oly garny act of 1862 Is 18 constitutional but that the district court was justified fied nied in receiving hearsay testimony in defonce discriminating against the defence and in favor of the prosecution in the of the jury and in other proceedings dings out of the usual course as set forth in the argument for the appeal it was on these irregularities that those who expected the court to sustain the tha act of 62 anticipated a ruling which would necessitate a new now trial it would not be ain aln falt air to criticize the reasoning of the court leading to its decision from the meagre report which has hag reached us by telegraph the argument which attempts to draw any parallel between the religious marriages of the batter day saints and the tho religious human sacrifices of the and other sis bis ls so childish as to merit only a smile and to evoke a sentiment of pity for the person who advance sit Tit abir fr creditor credit of the chief justice and hl his august aukust associates that nie the toie tale gra graph ph has done them an injustice any ihan man who can cau disi discern bern aern no essential estial s en difference between a system which promotes preserves and cultivates life and a practice which tortures mutilates and destroys between an net act which contains no elements of crime in and of itself and one which embodies the essence of crim criminality I 1 rl allty between a creed that invades no numan human rights and a custom that tramples upon them to the last extremity must be possessed of a cloudy mind and a feeble understand understanding inge ingo but the question that naturally arises in the public mind is what a are r e the cormons mormons wor Mor mons going to do about it so far as we understand their views and feelings we should say they will leave the matter in the badas hands of the almighty the church of jesus christ of latter day saints ia is composed of people who are chiefly citizens of the united states their object in settling the once arid wastes of these mountain regions was to dwell together in peace where they could serve god according to the dictates of ud wi trammeled conscience many cf ef them came from foreign lands when they took the oath of allegiance to the constitution and government ern ment of the united states they made no promise of submission to any interference with their religious liberty neither did they agree that Con congress giess gless or any court should decide what might or might not be considered a part of their religious faith freedom freedora of belief implies freedom of practice the first without the second is less than a shadow it is a sham an enactment which thich pro professes to secure the former without protecting the latter ia Is a deception and a snare marriage to them is essentially religious in its character celestial marriage including the doctrine of plurality ef of wives was revealed to them directly from god it deos dees nol liot not matter mho rho may dispute this as a fact they have evidence of it which to them is complete leaving no room for doubt the skepticism or disbelief of others makes no difference whatever to them congress many tears years after this doctrine became an integral part of I 1 their their religious creed the practice af pf which was commanded by the almighty almighty passed a statute declaring what vh god had authorized a crime against the law the supreme court now affirms that law to be valid does this affect in any w way ay the truth that god hak has reveal revealed edana edama and commanded command edit it lot rot in the remotest degree the tho principles which underlie plural marri marriage ake ahe are ate aregusta j justa fisi fist ao true today to day as they werd were at any previous time and no human jaw or court decision can possibly alter or abrogate them the issue is between the supreme being and those who veu ved venture ture ignorantly or otherwise to oppose hib hia purposes and designs daniel was apparently at issue with darius but the conflict really was between the king of kings and those who sought to establish human decrees above divine commands history has recorded the we do not think there will be any trembling bf of limbs or faintness of heart over the ruling which has just been enunciate enunciated do neither Is there any cause for excitement I 1 or even a ripple cf alarm upon the surface of our profound tranquility but that decision portends trouble to the country if courts can decide what is or is not religion the liberties of all sects are endangered it is hk a poor rule that works only one coneway way that which now strikes at mormonism may soon smite some other religious organization that happens to be in the minority we regret the hulln ruling g mor more a be because ca use it is an undignified bubin subin submission last on to popular prejudice than from any apprehension of its effects upon our people and we see aee far more cause forbear of its general than its local results it is the lifting of the head gates for the entrance of a very imail amati stream but that is the first flowing of a toi tei terrible flood to come and the roaring of the fierce waters of religious intolerance sound faintly in the distance while we quietly look took at the trickling trickling kline 9 streamlet that runs runa towards 0 our ur feet another question that arises is what 1 is to be done about the det del defendant fen dant Is there to be no further effort in his behall it has been suggested that president hayes be petitioned for his pardon we assent to this and will support it but solely on this ground brother arre crne ar rg aiau a wis hia case as a teat ho he ia Is not required in justice to suffer forthe for the acts of a whole community he has not been chosen kra aaa jur sur it samp w f seeing that his is a test case we think that president hayes should look favorably on a request for his relea release see seo but neither he nor any of us wishes to ask mans pardon for our obedience to a law of god we do not want to see any one BO so foolish as to court suffering or invite penalties we think it the duty of every man to take all nil proper means to escape the consequences of an uda unjust and oppressive statute but if gad ged commands and obedience to his mandate necessarily xea yea requires aires sacrifice and suffering w who 0 will shrink from duty or cringe and crave for human pardon the doings of bl people should not be packed picked upon one pair of shoulders therefore we hope to see and sign a petition for brother reynolds reynolda relief but that request should not and must not compromise in the very smallest eat degree the mashak unshaken en faith of the latter day saints in the truth of the principle for the practice of which brother reynolds hag baa been condemned nor our testimony of its divine orgin no matter what decision ma may y be rendered by legislators or judges by presidents or emperors or by all the civilized and heathen nations that constitute the whole world |
