y in supporting slavery
by "inference," by "intendment," but now that liberty has become
national, the Court is driven to less than a literal interpretation.
If the Constitution does not support liberty, it is of no use. To
maintain liberty is the only legitimate object of human government.
I hope the time will come when the judges of the Supreme Court will
be elected, say for a period of ten years. I do not believe in
the legal monk system. I believe in judges still maintaining an
interest in human affairs.

_Question_. What do you think of the Mormon question?

_Answer_. I do not believe in the bayonet plan. Mormonism must
be done away with by the thousand influences of civilization, by
education, by the elevation of the people. Of course, a gentleman
would rather have one noble woman than a hundred females. I hate
the system of polygamy. Nothing is more infamous. I admit that
the Old Testament upholds it. I admit that the patriarchs were
mostly polygamists. I admit that Solomon was mistaken on that
subject. But notwithstanding the fact that polygamy is upheld by
the Jewish Scriptures, I believe it to be a great wrong. At the
same time if you undertake to get the idea out of the Mormons by
force you will not succeed. I think a good way to do away with
that institution would be for all the churches to unite, bear the
expense, and send missionaries to Utah; let these ministers call
the people together and read to them the lives of David, Solomon,
Abraham and other patriarchs. Let all the missionaries be called
home from foreign fields and teach these people that they should
not imitate the only men with whom God ever condescended to hold
intercourse. Let these frightful examples be held up to these
people, and if it is done earnestly, it seems to me that the result
would be good.

Polygamy exists. All laws upon the subject should take that fact
into consideration, and punishment should be provided for offences
thereafter committed. The children of Mormons should be legitimized.
In other words, in attempting to settle this question, we should
accomplish all the good possible, with the least possible harm.

I agree mostly with Mr. Beecher, and I utterly disagree with the
Rev. Mr. Newman. Mr. Newman wants to kill and slay. He does not
rely upon Christianity, but upon brute force. He has lost his
confidence in example, and appeals to the bayonet. Mr. Newman had
a discussion with one of the Mormo