1855-05-23-New York Tribune-The Mormon Immigration
The Mormon Immigration
- New-York Daily Tribune, 23 May 1855, pg. 5
THE MORMON IMMIGRATION.
The Valley of the Salt Lake is being rapidly peopled with Mormon immigrants from all quarters of the habitable globe, and the work of propagating the principles of this singular sect is now systematically carried on by elders and missionaries in almost every civilized and as well as semi-savage country. These men labor with a zeal untiring, a devotion that knows no limits, suffering hunger and thirst, privation, insult and contempt, for the advancement of the faith they preach and profess. The great object sought to be attained by the Mormons is the establishment of a mighty theocracy, in the valley of the Salt Lake, where they may enjoy, without fears of molestation, the free exercise of their religious and social opinions. To this end the most strenuous efforts have been made to promote immigration to Utah. Not only from the United States and Europe, but even from remote Asia and Africa. In every seaport of any consequence in this country and in Europe, Emigration Agents are located to give information to the inquiring, and to aid those who desire to go to Utah, and arrange for their safe and speedy transportation to that distant country. All along the line of travel, too, other agents are in waiting with the necessary supplies for the journey, and under the auspices of Mormonism the great land voyage across the plains is now almost as safe as a journey from New-York to Albany.
The faithful of the fold of Latter Day Saints whose poverty prevent their undertaking the journey, are forwarded at the expense of the "Perpetual Emigration Fund." Wealthy men among the sect support this fund by their contributions, and those who are sent out at its expense mortgage a certain portion of the proceeds of their labor after arriving in the happy valley to repay the cost—thus the fund is made perpetual. The season for emigrating is between November and April; this season the Liverpool agency have sent off over 3,600 immigrants, of whom above 1,100 were sent at the expense of the fund. Heretofore these immigrants have usually entered this country through the Southern ports, avoiding New-York altogether; but it would seem that the aversion is wearing off. Yesterday the packet-ship S. Curling brought to New-York 570 of these immigrants, and the ship William Stetson is on the way hither with 293 more. We believe there are still other vessels now due here laden with Mormons.
From a visit to the S. Curling we are enabled to lay some interesting facts before the readers of THE TRIBUNE respecting the order and management of the voyage. A large majority of the passengers are of the poorer classes of British peasantry. Ireland contributing but a small proportion, who are sent out to Utah at the expense of the Emigration Fund. They are mainly in families, only a few single men and women were on board. The married people were of all ages from tender 18 to hale 80, and appeared to enjoy good health and spirits. The vessel was the cleanest emigrant ship we have ever seen; notwithstanding the large number of her passengers, order, cleanliness and comfort prevailed on all hands, the between decks were as sweet and well ventilated as the cabin, and the orlop-deck was as white as scrubbing brush and holystone could make it. It would be well if the packet-ships that ply between this port and Liverpool were to imitate the system of management that prevailed on board this ship. The passengers were under the presidency of Elder Israel Barton and two Councilors, Elders Perry and Robinson. The company was divided into seven wards, each superintended by a President and two Councilors, who together attended to the affairs of the ward, such as cooking, drawing water, morning and evening worship, looking after the sick, setting the watch, and in short directing the affairs, temporal and spiritual, of the people committed to their care. These sub-Presidents and Councilors received their orders from the executive head of the expedition. President Barton and his Councilors. The routine of daily duty was somewhat as follows: At 4 A. M. the men told off in rotation as stewards the night previous commenced cleaning the wards, at 5 o'clock morning worship, at 5 1/2 cooking commenced, the stewards of each ward being allowed the use of the galley for half an hour and priority of use being assigned to the wards in rotation every day. At another stated time water was served out. Dinner cooking commenced at 11, and tea at 3. At 8 o'clock evening worship was celebrated, and then the lights were put out and the night watch set. The duty of the latter was to guard against visits from the sailors, or indiscretions of any kind among the brethren. All of these duties were discharged with military precision at the summons of the bugle; for instance, the call to prayers was "Rosa May," and the night watch was set to the tune of "The Soldier's Tear." As far as we could learn, comfort, cleanliness, good humor, and good health prevailed throughout the voyage. The Saints will set out for Utah by way of St. Louis as soon as possible. Wagons, teams, and tents are now waiting for them on the Missouri River, and they expect to reach the Promised Land in September or October next.
In conversation with the Secretary of the expedition, Mr. William Willes, we learned that he was by profession a schoolmaster, and he had been a member of the Church of England. This is his first visit to America—his wife and family are already in Utah, where he will join them. In 1851 he went to India as a Mormon Missionary. From Calcutta he traveled from station to station to the Himalayas, 700 miles of the distance on foot, teaching and preaching the Mormon doctrine to Europeans. Up and down the Ganges he wandered preaching with variable success. Next he journeyed through Burmah, tarrying at Rangoon about six months, where he made the acquaintance of some of the American Missionaries, among them Messrs. Kincaid and Vinton. During his Missionary tour he visited Penang and Singapore, and was the pioneer Missionary of his faith on the Island of St. Helena. he said that about 200 Mormons are now waiting for an opportunity to embark from India for Utah, and the efforts of the Mormon Missionaries are very successful, more especially among the natives, whose language they have learned.
We asked him for a little light on the alleged plurality of wives among the Mormons. He said it was part of their faith to have as many wives as they desired, only when a man took a new wife he must first obtain the consent of the presiding Elder. Women are not permitted to enjoy a plurality of husbands but only a molety of one. The slightest violation of the Mormon marriage relation on the part of either sex is punished with excommunication from the church. We asked why Mormons did not practice their peculiar views in this respect in Europe and the United States. He replied the Church always respected the laws under which they lived; any attempt by a Saint to carry the plurality principle into practice in Europe or here would be visited with instant expulsion from the Church. In Utah where Mormon law is paramount they lived up to their principles to the fullest extent. We did not ask him how the women liked polygamy but in the course of an argument by him in its favor the Mormon estimate of the sex was indirectly shown. He said woman was created as a help-meet for man to bear him children.
