| Show ap MEXICAN LAW LAV provisions OF OB TUB TILE PENAL CODE RELATIVE TO E ETC TC la CALLS CALLE DIC DE SOTO NO 2 city of mexico nov 9 1886 editor deseret news the following sensible article which appeared in a becent issue of the vor gor reo de la tarde of Masu Ma sachau chau seems seema to have been called forth by the anti mormon 11 1 1 salt lake tribune cwb eff ef fusions effusions of the 7 he two I 1 te publics au an american newspaper ot this city leading attorneys of this capital pro nou ce the law points well taken the translation though not perfect may be of interest to your readers and you are at liberty to use it as you yon see nt lit to enable the reader to better andeer ander stand the subject and the position oh taken by the writer of the article 1 will first give we the transI translation aLion of a part of chapter VI of the renal PENAL CODE now in force in this rep republic bublic article criminal proceedings cannot be instituted again stany person for adultery except on the complaint of the conjugal partner of toe the offender article when NV hen the person often ded pardons the accused and they agree to live together again all proceedings ce that may inay be pending shall ceabe and if the accused has already been condemned the sentence snail not oe be executed it shall be of nou non effect following is the article referred to 11 the two Ite republics publics has several times raised the cry of alarm over UP tui coming to mexico of the mormons cormons Mor mons who are persecuted in the united states sod and compelled to seek here an asylum of rest it has painted in 4 strong colors the evils that may result from the residence in this country of the latter day saints as they call themselves indicating that if they cannot he be tolerated la in the united states their presence here would be even more detrimental admitting that our american may be right we do not see how the gover government vinent can impede their coming into the country it could expel then them a by virtue of article 33 of the constitution by declaring them to be pernicious strangers but this power does not appear to be sufficient to prevent them from f rom entering the country Nl neither aither can their religious us belief be made a cause for their expulsion because the state has no religion and consequently tolerates all inasmuch as their doctrines and dogmas do not violate the laws in force if for ex ample ampie there were to come to estat establish themselves i then country a religious sect who pact irce the offering of human uman sacrifice we understand that the state would proceed against them for homicide and not for their relt reli grous belief among the doctrines and practices of the mormons cormons Mor mons we find polygamy which consists of the marriage of one man with more than one woman a doctrine which is practiced by only a part of those who profess mormonism in the united states marriage is considered valid when performed by a minister of any established religion and concubinage is prohibited it is clear then that when a class of individuals organize to disobey the laws of a nation they the may mav be legally proceeded against and suh punished labed without cessation until reduced to obedience to the laws or forced to abandon the country this has bus been the case with the mor mons in deciding to maintain the institution ution of joia noli gamy they have violated the Is law of the country and are considered amenable amen aole for either bigamy or concubinage and as they were inevitably in the one case or the other the gentiles as the mormons cormons call those woo are aie not of their faith as soon as they were able by manipulating the elections to install themselves in the municipal j judicial uricial and other offices rained down such a show ui er of convictions sentences and punishments that many of the mor mons were obliged to renounce polygamy and others to seek a more congenial county country the latter latler are those who came to mexico and were received with certain solemnities at piedras negras degras according to accounts riven given in an exchange but in mexico they are free from such prosecutions because only those marriages are considered legal that are solemnized with certain formalities before ane judge of the civil registry and the mormons cormons Mor mons marry or seal as they express it by means of certain ceremonies which shiell are performed in a temple and in which the judge of the civil state has no right to interfere and aa consequently it would not be bigamy f for or many women to be resealed sealed I 1 to one man neither would a process for concubinage lie in such a case as the penal co code de prohibits hibits it only to those who are ina married r pro pd by the civil judge of the state and then only under certain conditions the IM cormons mormons Mor armons or mons not being married with the intervention of the civil judge of the state alq are tree from all process for b bigamy I 1 gamy adultery and concubinage cub inage to expel them from mexican territory it would not be sufficient to say they were violating the laws for they are not violating them neither can call they be expelled tor for their religious beliefs for we are living in an age of liberty of thought and to in a country of religious tolerance aud and we marvel to hear bear members of the anglo saxon race who so severely i attack critic criticism criticise ise and censure the spaniards of the century who f fought on glit d during the reign of charles I 1 and philip 11 II make utterances today which so clearly justify the sayings ot D luis in his biographical sketch of the duke of alba which he puts into the mouth of that hero in answer to the censures of which he had been the object and with which we conclude they accused mu me of bf being a carthol ica fanatic and a cruel gover in thrusting these accusations at me they forget the state ot of religious conscience A and ad theories of government which prevailed in my time if we catholics of the century believed that in defending our faith we were serving god our enemies the Luthe rians had the same belief much is now said of the respect due to the liberty of conscience but if there should appear a sect that in the name of their religious faith should pretend to establish human sacrifices as part ot of the worship ot of their god and seek to substitute po agamy tor for the actual form of the family il v it is certain that the tolerant sous sons of 01 the nineteenth century would employ tire and sword against those who thus believed if they like the fleming sect of luther should arise in arms to destroy the public power that would not consent to the propagation of their heretical doctrines respects respectfully ally HORACE CUMMINGS |
