THE MORMONS.
There is a chance that this frightful ex-crescence on the body politic will be removed. Captain GIBSON, who seems to have identified himself with the Mormons, is said to be about embarking for the East Indies, to seek an isolated home for this fanatical sect. Such a course was suggested some time since by Captain GIBSON, who has had a varied ex-perience in the Australian islands; and at his instance was proposed by BRIGHAM YOUNG to our government, on condition that the United States would purchase the Mor-mon property in Utah. Little notice was ta-ken of the offer, but it is now said, that if a favorable locality is found, they will abandon their city, and depart.
It has become a grave question what to do with these people. Increasing in numbers and wealth, already assuming the proportions of a state, and claiming representation in our national councils, there is yet that in the con-stitution of their faith, as well as in their so-cial institutions, which precludes the possi-bility of their admission into our political confederacy. Their distinguishing religious and social characteristic, polygamy, is inde-fiance of the first principles of civil law and social order; while they deny political allegi-ance outside of their hierarchal head, as en-tirely as the Jesuits. They have been already a cause of great expense to the government—an expense which must continually increase. The execution of the laws of the United States has been found next to impossible, and the difficulty is every day augmented by large foreign accessions to their numbers.
There is something of truth or substance in every error, to keep it alive; in the Mormon fa-naticism that preserving thread is thrift. Noth-ing but accretion is needed, however slow the process, to make any individual or community wealthy. This the Mormon leaders have had the wisdom to secure; and having added to it a continual appeal to the most insatiable animal passion, the indulgence of which they sanction as a religious duty, it is not so much a wonder that their community increases. They are ex-ceedingly well off, and they know it, and are made to believe that it is the reward of their reli-gious faith. It maybe added, that an inordinate self-conceit is also artfully encouraged, and credited to the same cause. There are many Mormons in principle everywhere. Let a man convince himself that worldly gain and the in-dulgence of selfish passions are sanctioned by the Deity, and he will readily adhere to any religious faith which adopts this facile pravity of his nature.
Mormonism, in its open profession, belongs to the barbarous ages and dark places of the earth. It has no business or place in a Chris-tian land. Its adherents feel this. They are uneasy among us; they do not wish to be under the restraints of civilized laws; any pro-tection which they might realize from the United States they feel would not pay them for submitting to the restraints and obliga-tions of citizenship. On their own standards, they are right. They have retreated from Christianity as far as Salt Lake, but it threatens to overtake them there. The report that they are disposed to make their next exodus to the very antipodes, is therefore probable. It would be like them to do it, and it is the best thing for them to do. They cannot be converted; missionary operations among them are impos-sible. They may not be abated by the strong hand; that is contrary to justice and the spirit of the age. Let them go where they can pur-sue their wicked fooleries to the appointed end. This end is an involution into the barbarism of the past—a falling backward into the dark-ness of heathenism. It will be said of them, "as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, He gave them over to a reprobate mind to work all manner of evil with greedi-ness." What will be their precise history in the East Indies, we cannot predict. They may have wars with the savages; they may be exterminated by strange diseases—a not im-probable issue; they may have risings and civil wars among themselves; or they may thrive in numbers and increase in material wealth for many years. But the result in any case will be a retrocession into barbarism—the sure end of every human institution which rejects Christianity. Mormonism is "like salt which has lost its savor," and as nothing can be done with it, it were better cast out.
