Jasper Banner, Volume 1, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 January 1855 — Mormonism. [ARTICLE]

Mormonism.

The beauties of the Mormon religion, and the connubial felicity of the Litter Day Sainte, are thus portrayed in an extract of a letter from one of them, to Ids friend in Illinois: Polygamy! Polygamy!! POLYGAMY’!! That is the word which you call it, and one would think from the holy bower with which your editors, preachers and politicians utter it, that it is a crime of a magnitude surpassing all others. My dear friends, I do not doubt many of you think co, bat it the result of education—nothing else, I assure you; for I speak from experience, as do thousands of others hereabout, who once thought as you do. But you must know that the chtiriJlif' O# Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint* discards all sectarian dogmas, and comes to the plain, simple truth* of the Bible—the whole Bible, not a part of it. It looks to the lives of the patriarchs and Prophets —the men of “pure religion and undefiled”—for principles, as well as to those who came,after them. It sees no higher or more heavenlystate of society than that which existed under the authority and direction of Jehovah; anterior to the Ohristain era. Not that it opposes any doctrine of Christ, or those authorized to speak for him, for it woqld leave every one free; no, it gives the highest sanction it can give to every principle elaborated in the New Testament, while it makes the old and the new entirely harmonize. The doctrine is founded on the Bible—the eternal rock of Truth.

But about the practical operation of Polygamy, as you cal! it. That is what you most probably want to know, and I shall enlighten you from my observation and experience. When I came to Deseret there were not many who were in the enjoyment of more than one wife, and many, or most of the new-comers, were opposed to it. But as they saw how beautifully and harmoniously those families lived where there were two pr more wives, their prejudice* gradually gave way, and among no tltteifwg This apparent than the women. At the present time, if a vote were taken upon the subject, I venture to say that nine out of every ten women who have lived here two years, would sustain our present social system in this particular. They are more for it than the meh, for upon many of the latter it entails heavy burdens; though the truth is, our wives in Deseret made no pretensions to being fine ladies, their highest ambition being to help their husbands, and their poor brothers and sisters in the Lord’s Church. There are very few men here who have more than five wives, and a large part have but one, while some have none. For myself,. I have three. Sarah Ann, your cousin, whom I married in York State, has the largest share of my affections, and takes precedence in the management of the household.

Two years ago I married Miss S., formerly of Ohio, and she has charge of the education of the children and attending to the clothing. My other, which I took three months ago, is from near Hamburg, Germany. She is larger than either Sarah Ann or Elizabeth, (the name of my second wife,) and,! say,it without invidiousness or impropriety, is decidedly handsome. Her person is of good size, very round, full chest, bright flaxen hair, and a soft blue eye.— She enters into the duties of her new situation with wonderful alacrity, and is very happy, as are also Sarah Ann and Elizabeth. There is none of that jealousy—that disposition to tear out each other’s hair—which you have probably imagined would show itself in such cases. We are all looking forward to the time when we shall be together constantly in our little Eden, where we can work for each other, and raise our children in “the fear and admonition of the Lord.”— You may be surprised at this; but you will be still more so, when I assure you that all of my present wives are anxious that I should get another—one who is fitted by education, and physically adapted, to take charge of the business of the dairy. With such an arrangement of my household, every department of a well organised establishment, on a patriarchal scale, would have a head to it, and be governed in order. 1 have no inclination tp comptyjon my own account, as I am well satisfied with those I now have, but if I should

do so, it will beentirely tfut of regard for them. • " -»rv daughter, Louisa, is engaged to be married to a man from Pennsylvania, who has already a wile and three children. It did not entirely meet my approbation, but I did tot interpose a single objection, afer long m she was satisfied, and the marriage would be in a high degree honorable to her, as well as advantageous in a worldly view. " ; • . Now, my dear sir, you say, what is to come of all this? Let me tell you what has some of it In Deseret, there are no libertines, with their paramours, no hoqses of prostitution, no cases of seduction, or those which disturb the peace of familraFin the States, under year laws, Here evccanhave what God intended she should—a husband—and every man that wants to, may have a wife. And the woman that is the wife of a man who has one or moife other wives, is more fortunate than if she was the only one, for in case of plurality, the duties of the bouse are divided. The children here are pretty numerous, 1 must admit, but this should and does contribute to the happiness of the true followers of the Lord, from whom we have learned that our duty is to multiply and replenish. But mark this; there are no illigitimate children inpeseret,no children of sh ame who we ashamed of their mothers, and a disgrace to to any but the lowest society. I shall not enter into an argument to attempt to convince you that your sentiments in regard to the marriage relation are the result of education and are wrong. I wish you could live here a year or two, however, and I have not a doubt ydur acts would, show you had changed your opinions.

A Happy Land.—A writer from Florence say? .that in some respects Italy is the mo?t delightful country in the world. It is a land, for example, where cleaning house, whasbing day, fttod all other such interesting epochs in the American calendar, are intolerated and dfhkaown. This exemption from the greit domestic evil of cleaning house is owing not so ranch to a love of dirt as to the peculiar construction of the buildings. / Thus, for instance, where the ceiling/ 5 and walls are frescoed, or the latter covered with sift or paper hangings, there is no need of whitewashing and where the panels and doors are of marble or 1 Salt, there is nojiecessity for scouring paint. The ceilings and wall are kept clean by long -handled brushes. The carpets there arp fastened to iron rings in the floor, by means of large hooks in the binding, and thus can be raised and laid down again as noiselessly and easily as bed covers. In Italy a large ing, cleaning windows, Ac., is done at an early hour in the morning, before the family are awake for the day; and so quietly is it accomplished that to a stronger it seems as if the invisible wand of some mighty magician had changed all in the night.

Singular Robbery.—A few evenings ago as Col. J. W. M. Benin, of Rome, Georgia, was riding* in the can in company with his family, & stranger took a seat beside him, and some conversation succeeded in administering to him chloroform, until hebecameinsensible. Hethencutthe buttons off his over coat and extacted from his side pocket a package of bills amounting to $5,160. Not content with tins, he took frontthe pantaloons pocket the colonel’* wallet, containing about SI,OOO, and made his escape. At the last accounts Col. B. had not recovered from the effects of the chloroform.

H7*The Cincinnati Commercial says that Mrs. Harrison, the widow of President Harrison, is lying dangerously sick at North Bend, and not expected to recover. A dispatch has been sent to the Hon J. Scott Harrison, her soa, to come homo at once. OCT The British and American Clmm Commission, in London, ar* said to have rejected all the claims for damage* sustained by the detention or seizure at Nassau, of American vessels, supposed to be engaged in the slave trade. - n' ; , ..I ■ They write home that them ar* flea* enough in Turkey to dam MP the Bosphorus. The Turks TO* them for lining for th*ir shirts. ■ '