A reference to those nations will also illustrate and prove the remark already made, that the practice of polygamy is adverse to free institutions. In all countries where the most freedom has prevailed, has monogamy existed,—a coincidence so remarkable as to authorize the deduction that the relation of cause and effect exists between these facts. The love of home is intimately associated with the love of country and of liberty, and whatever tends to refine and purify the former will inevitably exalt and strengthen the latter.
Again: polygamy tends to destroy the unity and sanctity of home, by permitting a man to have families in different places at the same time. "The supposition," says an eminent jurist, "that a man can have two domicils, would lead to the absurdest consequences." Hence such an idea has always been rejected in courts of justice. And yet this very thing is attempted in Utah, where it is not uncommon to
have different families of wives and children located sometimes many miles apart. Indeed, one of the Twelve Apostles has families scattered all along between Salt Lake City and the southern boundary of the Territory,—a distance of over three hundred miles.
Polygamy requires a law of descent peculiar to itself, and this law, differing, as it necessarily must, from that in force in all the surrounding States and Territories, leads to endless difficulty and confusion in the titles to property.
The evils of polygamy are aggravated by the fact that the consent of the first wife is not made necessary to the union of the husband with subsequent ones. The prevailing doctrine on this subject is authoritatively stated in the following words:—
"When a man who has a wife, teaches her the law of God, as revealed to the ancient patriarchs, and as manifested by new revelation, and she refuses to give her consent for him to marry another according to that law, then it becomes necessary for her to state before the President the reasons why she withholds her consent; if her reasons are sufficient and justifiable, and the husband is found in the fault, or in transgression, then he is not permitted to take any step in regard to obtaining another. But if the wife can show no good reason why she refuses to comply with the law which was given unto Sarah of old, then it is lawful for her husband, if permitted by revelation through the Prophet, to be married to others without her consent, and he will be justified, and she will be condemned, because she did not give them unto him, as Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham, and as Rachel and Leah gave Bilhah and Zilpah to their husband Jacob."[225:A]
In the case last supposed, in the foregoing extract, if the marriage ceremony is performed in the usual manner, the first wife is obliged to stand between her husband and the hated bride, and falsely admit that she gives her consent, when asked if she "is willing to give this woman to her husband to be his lawful and wedded wife, for time and for all eternity."
The result of such a state of things is what might be
expected. Jealousies, strifes, and heart-burnings arise, resulting in most cases in the breaking-up of the family, or the casting-off of the less congenial elements.
It is useless to deny these results. The facts are too patent to admit of any dispute. The alarming frequency, and I may say recklessness, with which divorces are applied for and granted, is a fact familiar to all, and can only be traced to the causes just stated, unless, indeed, we should—as I am unwilling to do—impute it to the promptings of caprice and passion. Having resided in the Territory nearly two years, it would be impossible for me, unless I had, in the mean time, shut my eyes to what was going on around me, to be ignorant of the state of things to which I have briefly alluded.