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Mormon War.The Morman war slill causes great excitement on the Upper Mississippi. The Boreas brings us some additionalitems ofintelligence. The official statement of Gov. Ford, confirms our previous information as to the cowardly and lawless manner in which the imposters were murdered. It is surprising that Gov. Ford, well knowing the solemn pledge of protection he gave to the Mormons, and the previous excitement that existed against them in the community, did not place a stronger guard, and take more vigilant and efficient measures for their protection. It might have been known beforehand that so small a guard could not protect the prisoners from the furious torrent of public indignation that was setting against the m in that portion of the country. The Warsaw Signal seems to be ol opinion that the war will not yet end, but that the Morman population must be removed; that they and the other citizens cannot! live together in peace.—St. Louis New Era.Head Quarters. )Quincy. June 29, 1814. j To the People of Illinois'.I deBire to make a biief but true statement of the recent disgraceful affair at Carthage, in regard to the Smiths, so far as circumstanceshave come to my knowledge. The Smiths, Joseph and Hyram, have been assassinnated in jail, by whom it is not known, but will be ascertained. I pledged myself for their safety, and upon the assurance of that pledge, they surrendered as prisoners. The Mormons surrendered the public arms in fheir possession, and the Nauvoo Legion submitted to the command of Capt, Singleton, of Brown county, deputed for that purpose by me. All these things were required to satisfy the old citizens of Hancock, that the Mormons were peaceably disposed; and to allay jealousy and excitement in their minds: It appears howevdr,that the compliance of the Mormons with every requisition made upon them, failed of that purpose. The pledge of security to the Smiths, was not given upon my individual responsibility. Before I gave it, 1 obtained a pledge of honor by a unanimous vote from the officers and men under my command, to sustain me in pei forming it. If the assassination of the Smiths was committed by any portion of these, they have added treachery to murder, and have done all in their power that they could do to disgrace the State, and sully the public honor.On the morning of the day the deed was committed, we had proposed to march the army under my command into Nauvoo. I however, discovered on the evening before that nothing but the utter destruction of the city would satisfy a j orlion of the troop; and that if we marched into the city, pretexts would not be wanting for commencing hostilities. The Mormons had done every thing required or which ought to have been required of them. Offensive operations on our part would have been as unjust and disgraceful as they would have been impolitic, in the present critical season of the year, the harvest and tne crops. For these reasons I decided, in a council of officers, to disband the army, except three companies, two of which were retained as a guard for the Jail. With the other company 1 marched into Nauvoo, to address the inhabitants there, and tell them what they might expect in case they designedly or imprudently provoked a war. 1 performed this duty, as I think plainly and emphatically, and then set out to return to Carthage. When I had marched about three miles, a messenger informed me of the occurrences at Carihage. I hastened on to that place. The guard, it is said, did their duty, but were overpowered. Many of the inhabitants of Carthage had fled with their families. Others were preparing to go. I apprehended danger to the settlements from the sudden fury and passion of the Mormons and sanctioned their movements in this respect.General Deming volunteered to lemain with a few troops, to observe the progress of events, to defend property against small numbers, and with orders to retreat if menaced by a supeiio; force. I decided to proceed immediately to Quincy, to prepare a force, sufficient to suppress disorders, in case it should ensue from the foregoing transactions or from any other cause. I have hopes that the Mormons will make no further difficulties. In this I may be mistaken. The other party may not be satisfied. They may recommend aggression. 1 am determined to preserve the peace against all breakers of the same, at all hazards. 1 think present circumstances warrant the precaution, of having a competent force at my disposal, in readiness to march at a moment’s warning. My position at Quincy will enable me to get the earliest intelligence, and to communicate orders with greater celerity. THO’S. FORD,Mormon Disturbances—-Statement from an Eye Witness-Signs of Peace.At Nauvoo, on the 2d, all was orderly and quiet. Messrs. Jonas and Fellows, deputation from Gov. Ford, returned to Quincy on the Osprey, reporting every thing quiet. The Boat waited at Warsaw for these gentlemen to address the people, where great manifestation of excited feeling still prevails,'the inhabitants seeming bent upon the point that either themselves or the Mormons must leave the ntry. The editors of the Republican and Reveille left the Osprey at Quincy, to wait upon Gov. Ford, and to communicate with the committee from Warsaw.The extra from the Mormon organ indulges in many lamentations for the death of their Prophet and his brother, and narrates how the deed was accomplished. The murder was committed about six o’clock in the evening, by an armed mob, of 150 to 200 men, painted red, black and yellow, who surrounded the jail, forced it, and poured a shower of bullets into the room where the men were confined. Each of the victims received four balls in his body, and John Taylor, editor of the Nauvoo Neighbor, was shot in (our places but not seriously injured. About three o’clock the next day, the bodies of “the noble martyrs” were received at Nauvoo. They were met—the paper says—“by a great assemblage of people, east of the Temple, on Mulholland street, under the direction of the city marshal, followed by Samuel II. Smith, brother of the deceased, Dr. Richards and Mr. Hamilton, of Carthage. The wagons were guarded by eight men. The procession that followed in Nauvoo, was the City Coua.nl, the Lieutenant General’s Staff, the Major General and Staff, the Brigadier and Stafl, commanders and officers of the Legion, and citizens generally, numbering several thousands, amid the most solemn lamentations and wailings that ever ascended into the ears of the Lord of Hosts, to be avenged of our enemies!When the procession arrived, the bodies were both taken into the “Nauvoo Mansion.” The scene at the mansion cannot be described: the audience were addressed by Dr. Richards, Judge Phelps, and Messrs. Wood and Reed, of Iowa, and Col Markham. It was a vast assemblage of some 8 or 10,000 persons, and with one united voice resclyed to trust to thelaw for a remedy of such high handed assassination, and when that failed, to call upon God to avenge us of our wrongs.We copy from the “Neighbor” the following statement of facta which occurred prior to the tradgedy at the jail. It is from a member of the bar at Fort Madison, Iowa Teiritory, retnined^as counsel for the Smiths, and bears internal evidence of its correctness.—Sr. Lou. Rep.Statement or Facts.At the request of many persons who wish that the truth may go forth to the world in relation to the late murder of Joseph and Hyram Smith, by a b ind of lawless assassins, I have consented to makeha statement of the facts so far as they have come to my knowledge, in an authentic shape, as one of the attorneys employed to defend the said Smith* against the charges brought against them, and other persons of Carthage, in the State of Illinois.On Monday, the 24th inst., at the request of Gen. Jospph Smith. I left Fort Madison, in the Territory of Iowa and arrived at Carthage, where I expected to meet the General, his brother Hyram, and the other persons implicated with them. They arrived at Carthage late at night, and next morning voluntarily surrendered themselves to the constable, Mr, Bettiswortli, who held the writ against them, on a charge of riot for destroying the press, types and fixtures of the Nauvoo Expositor, the property of William and Wilson Law, and other dissenters, charged to have been destroyed on the 10th inst.Great excitement prevailed in the county of Hancock, and had extended to many of the sui rounding counties. A large number of the militia of several counties were under arms at Carihage, the Head Quarters of the commanding Gen. Deming; and many other troops w'ere under arms at Warsaw and other places in the neighborhood. The Governor was at Head Quarters in person for the purpose of seeing that the laws of the land were executed, and had pledged his own faith and the faith of the State of Illinois, that the Smiths and the other persons concerned with them should be piotecied from personal violence, if they would surrender themselves to be dealt with according to law. During the two succeeding days his Excellency repeatedly expressed to the legal counsellors of the Smiths, his”determination to protect the prisoners and to see that they should have a fair nd impartial examination so far as depended on the Executive of the State. On Tuesday morning soon after the surrenner of the prisoners on the charge of riot, General Joseph Smyth and his brother Hyram were both^ arrested on a charge of tieason against the State of Illinois. The affidavits upon which the writs issued were made by Henry Norton and Augustine Spencer.On Tuesday afternoon the two Smitli3 and other persons on the charge of riot appeared before R, F. Sm’dh, a Justice of the Peace residing at Carthage, and by advice of counsel, in order to prevent if possible, any increase of excitement, voluntarily entered into recognizance in the sum ol five hundred dollars each with unexceptionable security, lor their appearance at the next term of the circuit court of said county. The whole number of persons recognized is fifteen; most, if not all of them, leading men in the Mormon Church.Making out the bonds and justifying bail necessarily consumed considerable time, and when this was done it was near night, and the Justice adjourned his court over without calling on the Smiths to answer to the charge of treason, or even intimating to their counsel or the prisoners that they were expected to enter into the examination that night. In less than an hour after the adjournment of the court, constable Bettiswortli, who had arrested the prisoners in the morning appeared at Hamilton’s Hotel, at the lodgings ot the prisoners and their counsel, and insisted that the Smiths should go to jail. Mr. Woods of Bur-lingtan, Iowa, and myself, as counsel for the prisoners, insisted that they were entitled Jo be brought before the justice for examination before they could be sent to jail. The constable, to our surprise, thereupon exhibited a mittimus from said justice as follows:STATE OF ILLINOIS,)Hancock County, j The People of the State of Illinois to thekeeper of the Jail of said county, greeting:Whereas, Joseph Smith and Hiram Smith, of the county afoiesaid, have been arrested upon the oath of Augustine Spencer and Henerv O. Norton, for the crime of treason, and have been brought before me as a justice of the Peace in and for said county, for trial, at the seat of justice thereof, which trial has been necessarily postponed by reason of the absence ot material witness, to wit: FrancisM. Higbee and others; therefore I command you, in the name of the people, to receive the said Joseph Smith and Hiram Smith into your custody, in the jail of the county aforesaid, there to remain until discharged by due course of law.[L. S.] Given under my hand seal this 25th day of June, A. D., 1844.Signed; R. F. SMITH, J. P.His Excellency did not think it within the sphere of his duly to interfere, and the prisoners were removed from their lodgings to jail. The recitals of the mittimus, so far as they relate to the prisoners having been brought before the justice for trial, and it there appearing that the necessary witnesss of the prosecution were absent, is wholly untrue, unless the prisoners could Lave appeared be-fore the justice without being present in person or by counsel; nor is there any law of Illinois within my knowledge which permits a justice to commit persons charged with crimes to jail without examination as to the probability of the guilt.On Wednesday forenoon the Governor in company with one of his friends, visited the prisoners at the jail, and again assured themthat they should be protected from violence, and told them that if the troops marched the next morning to Nauvoo, as his Excellency (hen expected, they should be taken along, in order to insure their personal safety.On the same morning, some one or more of the counsel for the prosecution, expressed their wish to me, that the prisoners should be brought out of jail for examination; they were answered that the justice and constable; had no further control of the prisoners; and. that if the prosecutors wished the prisoners brought out of jail, they should bring them out on a ritof habeas corpus, or some other due course of law.—The constable, after this conversation, went to the jail with the following order to the jailor:STATE OF ILLINOIS, )Hancock County. y To David Bettisworth, Constable- of- sa*dcounty:You are commanded to bring'-the bodies of Joseph Smith and Hyram Smith from the jail of said county forthwith before me at my office for an examination on the charge of treason; ' they having been committed for safe keeping until trial could be had on such examination, ’ and the State now being ready for such examination.Given under my hand and seal this 16th day' of June, 1844.(Signed) R. F. SMITH, J. P. [l. s.]And demanded the prisoners, but as the jailor could find no law authorizing a, justice of the peace to demand prisoners committed to his charge, he refused to give them up,-til discharged from his custody by due; course of law. Upon the refusal to give upj the prisoners, the company of Carthage Greys marched to the jail—by whose orders I know not—and compelled the jailor against his will and conviction of duty, to deliver the prisoners to the constable, who forthwith, took them before Justice Smith, the Captain of the Carthage Greys. The counsel for the prisoners then appeared, and asked f0r subpeaenas for witness on the part of the prisoners, and expressed their wish to go into the examination, as the witnesses could be brought from Nauvoo to Carthage; the jU8-‘ice thereupon fixed the examination for 12 )’cloi,k, on Thursday, the 27th inst., whereUp. on (he prisoners were remanded to prison. 000 after a council of the military officers was called by the Govenor, and it was determed to march on the next morning the 27th inst., to Nauvoo, with all the troops except one company, which was to be selected by the Govenor from the troops, whose fidelity was more to be relied on to guard the prisoners, whom it was determined should be left at Carthage.On rl hursday morning, another consultation of officers took place, and the former order* for marching to Nauvoo with the whole army, were countermanded. One company was ordered to accompany the Governor to Nauvoo; the Carthage Greys, who had but two days before been under arrest for insulting the commanding General, and whose conduct had been more hostile to the prisoners, than that of any other company, were selected to guard the prisoners, and the othc troops,’ including those rendevoused at Golden’s Point, from Warsaw, and who had been promised that they should be marched to Nauvoo, were disbanded. A guard of only eight men were stationed at the jail, whilst the rest of the Greys were in camp at a quarter of a mile’s distance, and whilst his excellency was haranguing the peaceable citizens of N»U-von, and asking them to give up al.I thein arms, the assassins were murdering the prisoners in jail, whom the Governor had pledged himself and the faith of the State to pro-tect.H. T. REID.Late and Bloody Ktot In Philadelphia.Philadelphia has again been the scene of one of the most disgracefel riots on record.— On Friday night, (July 5th,) the fracas commenced between the Native Americari party and the Military, and lasted until Monday morning, w hen the Military succeeded in quelling the mob. We have not time nor space now to comment upon the affair, but shall endeavor to lay the full particulars before our readers next week. The loss of life has been very great. At pur last accounts all was quiet.Louisiana Election.—The Whigs have met with complete success in Louisiana.-— They have elected two Congressmen, and in the city of New Orleans the vote for assembly stood,Whigs, 7-Tories, 3.POLK AGAINST THE OLD PATRIOTS OF THE REVOLUTION!!March 13, 1828, on the passage of the bill for the relief ol surviving officers of the revolutionary war. Mr. Polk VOTED IN THE NEGATIVE. Coag. Deb. vol. 4, part 2, page 2,670.Subsequently, on a bill to pay certain mili« tia c., he voted in the affirmative.March 18,1830, he voted AGAINST the revolutionary pension bill—Same, vol. 6,part 1, page 629.March 19, “Mr. Polk spoke some time AGAINST the Bill,” and voted AGAINST IT. Same, page 635. ArmawrFebruary 17, 1831, he voted AGAINST the bill for the relief of revolutionary soldiers.—Same. vol. 7, page 730.May 1, 1832, he voted AGAINST the revolutionary pension bill.—Same, vol. 8,part
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Logansport Telegraph
Logansport, Indiana, US
Sat, Jul 20, 1844
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Burlington P.
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