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a community, the sooner it reaches its crisis. Thus a’ New Harmony may endure longer than a Nauroo, and some other communities which adopt the forms of strict morality may be comparatively permanent; but wherever the order of nature is disregarded, especially as respects the family state -the elements of destruction are combining, and an explosion will be inevitable, to relieve society from the blasting contagion.Some twenty years ago, there resided in the western part of the state of New York, id a family by the name of Smith. The fa-d • ther, and three or four sons, appear to have — had little employment besides “digging for money.” As hidden treasures are always supposed to be in charge of some departed is spirit for safe keeping, it became necessary lt;t to maintain frequent intercourse with the t- spiritual world, to secure the successful prosecution of the business.L. From time to time, they induced such of their acquaintance as were indolent, ignoi-i. ant, or credulous enough to be imposed up-on, to join in their nocturnal enterprises; and it usually fell to the lot of Joseph Smith,, jr., to propritiate the favor of the spirit.or so to divert him from the charge of his treasure, that human hands could hold it.Many marvellous encounters which occurred in the prosecution of their avocation are related in the book before us. As a specimen the following may suffico from page sixty-eight.“He repaired to ihe place of deposite and demanded the book, which was in a stone box, and so near the top of the ground that he could see one end of it, and raising it up took out the book of gold.; but fearing some one might discover where he got it, he laid it down to place back the top stone as he found it; and turning round, to his surprise there was no book in sight. He again o-God were not required to go to war at their own expense. It was estimated that the Mormons now numbered in this country, and in Europe about forty thousand. The scenes of depredation which brought on the Missouri war—a struggle between the Mormons and civil authorities of the state—are matter of history. The result was, their entire expulsion from the state—and the capture of Smith and several of the ringleaders, who after several month’s imprison mont, found means of making their escape to Illinois, whither their comrades had been driven.The Mormons, as a body arrived in Illinois in the early part of 1839. At this time they presented a spectacle of destitution and wretchedness, almost unexampled. This, togethei with their tales of prosecution and privation, wrought powerfully upon the sympathies of the citizens, and caused them to be received with the greatest hospitality and kindness. In the winter of 1840— they applied to the Legislature of this state to charter the City of Nauvoo, which i9 sit-uated on the Mississippi river at the head of the Lower Rapids—a site equal in beauty to any on the river. They asked also, for other and peculiar chartered privileges, and such was the desire to secure their political favor, that they were granted for the asking. The progress of the church, from this time to May 1842 was rapid ; the city of Nauvoo having reached a population of 10,-000 in number—the legion consisting of 2,000 soldiers, well drilled and disciplined nd the whole Mormon strength, as has been publicly stated being about 100,000 souls. The Prophet was in frequent com-munication with Heaven and taught that his Nauvoo was a resting place only, that there was to be a great gathering of all the Saints, to conquer Missouri, and rear thepened the box, and in it saw the book, and l great Temple in Zion, from which they had attempted to take it out, but was hindered. I been driven, and build the new JerusalemHe saw in the box something like a toad which soon assumed the appearance of a man and struck him on the side of his head. Not being discouraged at trifles, he again stooped down and strove to take the book, when the spirit sruck him again and knocked him three or four rods, and hurt him prodigiously.”As it was necessary that Joe Smith should have much intercourse with such spirits, he became the subject of frequent visions, and often made wonderful discoveries by looking into stones in the dark, and other super-human methods- His experience in these matters let him into the secret thatthere.13ut the point was now reached beyond which these schemes of imposture and iniquity, could not extend themselves. The dissolute habits of Joe Smith-the bankruptcy of the whole concern—and the attcmp. ted assassination of Gov. Boggs, which was traced to the instigation of the Prophet-induced our author to come out and disclose w hat had been enacted behind the scenes-the effect of which is thus described in a letter from Nouvoo. under date of Aug, 16, 1842.“The Mormon confusion is great—Joe omith has run away—every one is struckpeople may ho easily gulled, and suggested with consternation and dismav-trouble has ne idea of his distinguishing himself as a seized every breast. Joe’s strength is de religionist! It is hoped,there are no families ! livered into captivity, and his glory into thlt;in the land, more notorious for dishonesty,' hands of his enemies, and the days of his profanity, drunkenness, and vice, than were j glory are as if they had never been ” (Pagethe Smiths, at the time when Joe first be- 1 201.)The details which are given in the pages | before us of “Amours,” “Seductions,” and II In 1830, Joe Smith published the book 1 the internal order of the “Seraglio,” are tooof Mormon, a strange work, written much . disgusting for any respectable journal to in the style of the old Testament, and giv- ! notice; and we have not found room to coning an account of the departure of the Lost vev to (be reader an idea of the cruelty,ob. Tribes of Israel from Jerusalem under com- I scenityand blasphemy of this pretend svs--r i r _i.: ,i. • :________l.. r J rmand of Nephi and Lehi—their journey by 1 tern of religion, land and sea, till they arrived in America— ’ their quarrels and contentions until the Nc. Frozen to death.—We learn from the phites were entirely destroyed by the chil- Southport (W. T.) Telegraph, that Klvhe-nrflTl nf T.f*hi tvltn nffnrutnrH rlivin/llnil in 1___ TT_______ as i /•dTi°rLehi- w,*° afterward dwindled in 1 tw Harmon, a Mormon preacher—one ofunbelief and became a dark, loathsome, n,e three hundred commissioned by Joe and filthy people to wit. the American j gmith to spread the doctrins of Mormonism:Indians.—and his nephew, Orsey Harmon, were fro-This history, originally written on plates I zan ,o death on Thursday the 17lh ult ....ot gold, in hiroglyphics of Egyptian char- ihe open prairie between Carthage and Nau-noti/r U.. T___ Q • . U 1 . * . ®act.er, was found by Joe Smith about the . Voo, about seven miles from the latter place.year 1824 ; who “was directed in the dis- They were traveling across the prairie to.onl-or,- A___I Si__T___1 -»___1 , . ? rcovery by the Angel of the Lord and wards Nauvoo with an ox team and wag-“being instructed by inspiration of God,” he on. and it is supposed tnev became bewil.r\t-A^an#tA/l *1------ 1----X______1 1 . . • , * .. . . .proceeded to translate them, and produced 1 dered in the storm. Mr. Alpheus Harmontlie Golden Bible.was found on the Saturday following a lewNow it so happens that one Solomon rod3 from the wagon, and his nephew, a ; Spaulding of Conneaut, Ohio, wrote this young man. was not found until the followI historic romance in 1810, and read the ing Monday—it appears he had wandered manuscript to several individuals who testi- j tome two miles from the wagon before hefy to its identity, (see pages 115 to 118.) perished He went to Pittsburg in 1812, with the pro- ! The elder Harmon had just made the tourfessed design of getting his book printed, j 0f Indiana and was returning to the city of and was not afterwards heard from by his j the latter day saints, where he had a wifefriends, but being a man of eccentric habits, [ and nine children anxiously awaiting hisand much embarrassed in his circumstan- j return ; but while yet a short spacees, his disappearances, was not accounted intervened between him and his domestic strange. How Joe Smith came into the fireside, death arrested him on his home-| possession of the ‘‘manuscript found,” is still ward jourcey. a mystery.Shortly after the publication of the Book , of Mormon, the Mormon church was orga0tr We read no paper that reasons more nized, consisting of six members. Their 1 philosophically, more profoundly, or morefirst efforts were confined to Western New sagaciously, on the politics of tho country, York and Pennsylvania, where they met than the New Orleans Bee. Every oner with considerable success. After a number fee|s lhe truth and force of its remarks. ; of convert? had been made, Joe Smith received a revelation that he, and all his fol- Take, ^or example, the following:lowers should go to Kirtland in Ohio, and When General Harrison was nominated. there take up their abode. Many obeyed by the Ilarrisburgh Convention, bets were j the command—selling their posscssions.and freely offered that he would not carry four1 1 _ * ___I _ 11 . . . i . ■ . i Stalao an tli. T^ninn rT'l_____9 helping each other to settle in the spot des- States in the Union. These wagers were ignated. This place was the Head Quar- predicated on the disastrous reverses whichI for 25,000, for the small sum of 28,000/.— ters of the church, and the residences of the j *ho whigs had met with every where. Nevone-fourth its original cost.^and though the Prophet till 183?.| ertheless, in eleven months, sixteen Statesmachinery is said to be excellent!!!—Lie. The leaders in this comunity having be- were revolutionized, The locos lost theirerpool Dec. 3.From the Evening Bulletin.fUormoiUsm.HISTORY OF THE SAINTS;OK, AX EXPOSE OF JOE SMITH AMD MORMONISM.* We make no claim to high attainments in theological lore when we assert that there is a Conservative principle in Sin. Every coricct observer of mankind must have noticed that there is a point, beyond which the elements of evil will no longer combine.— The victory of vice must of necessity retrace his course, or go to his end without power to perpetuate his baleful influence on [ society.I For illustration of these remarks notice the liar, who soon becomes so notorious for falsehood, that he loses the power to deceive; the drunkard,whose bloated limbs admonish him that reform or ruin must be immediate,| and warn othersto shun his wayward course;, the debauchee, who simulates his appetites to dissipation, til they no longer respond, and he has no alternative but a return to virtue, or loathsome imbecility for life.The same principle which is illustrated in individual cases like these, is equally ap. plicable to communities. All organizations of society which encourage Ihe practice of vice, admit a orinciple of dissolution, which, if unrestrained, is sure to destroy them. In the history oi nations we need go no further back into antiquity than France in 1793, for an illustration of this remark.come deeply involved in debt, bv trading, and their efforts to erect a Temple,“in 1837 the far-famed Kirtland Bank was put into operation without a charter. When the noies were first issued, they were current in the vicinity, and Smith took advantage of their credit to pay off with these the debts, he, and the brethren, had contracted in the neighborhood for land, c. The eastern creditors, however refused to take them.— This led to the expedient of exchanging for the notes of other banks. Accordingly the elders were sent off through the country to barter off Kirtland money, which they did, with great zeal, and continued the operation. until the notes were not worth twelve and a half cents to the dollar. As might have been expected, this institution, after a few months, exploded, involving Smith and his brethren in inextricable difficulties. The consequence was, that he and most of the members of the church, set offin the spring of 1838, for Far West, Mo., being pursued by their creditors, but to no effect.” [pps 135 136.]Previous to the breaking up of the com-munity at Kirtland, a portion of the faithful had imigrated to Missouri, where, having become very arrogant, claiming the land as their own by a title directly from the Lord, and making the most haughty assumptions— they had so exasperated the citizens, that in several places where they attempted to locate, mobs were raised to drive them from the country. Smith and his associates from Kirtland, brought them to a stand. His Apostles and Elders were instructed to preach tbat it was the will ofmoney, Chapman’s comb was clipped, and the people elected Harrison almost by ac. clamation. This was the consequence of whig exertion. What happened in 1840, will happen again in 1844. The whigs are now about as badly off as they were in 1839. That is, they have lost State after State through sheer default, as the returns a-bundantlv demonstrate. When tho great issue of the Presidential question comes to be fairly presented before the people, the whigs will awaken from their lethargy, and show their numerical strength. Their ef-forts cannot fail to achieve a victory as signal as that of’40. We arc no whit dis. couraged by recent rebuffs, because they plainly show that we have been defeated by ;»ant of energy and activity. The whig party will fight when they have a paramount object u accomplish, and not before. Thelocos poll their full strength invariably._Hence wo conclude, that at the Presidential election the latter will do very little better than they have done this year, while the whigs will poll their reservB of some 200,-000 or 300,000 voters.THE TARIFF.The Editors of the Globe, Richmond En-quirer, N Y. J. of Commerce, Evening J,ebe!an* Boston Morning Post, and N. H. Patriot, are believers in and teachers of that system of political economy, lhe principles or free trade; and their editoral columns are daily filled with dissertations tending to support and diffuse these principles—these papers are the lead-organs of Locofocoism in (Ka TTn;tAFl
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Middlebury Peoples Press
Middlebury, Vermont, US
Wed, Jan 04, 1843
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Burlington P.
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