The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-24 00:00:00

THE MORMONITES.

THEIR PERSECUTION AND RECENT EXPUL-
SION FROM NAVOO.

From the Philadelphia Correspondent of the Economist)
As the Mormonites have, from time to time, occupied
much of public attention, and especially of late, I have
thought that perhaps a short shetch of their history and
of their recent expulsion from Illinois, might not prove
uninteresting or unwelcome to the majority of your
readers, and I have therefore ventured to present them
in this letter, with as candid and as correct a narra-
tive as I can in so small a space.
The Mornomites, although they have been greatly per-
ecuted, have, ever since their origin, by their great ig-
norance and credulity, their peculiar religious creed and
distinct organisation, invariably become disagreeable and
obnoxious to their neighbours. The bulk are the con-
fiding dupes and tools of a few shrewd, de-
signing, profligate men, with some half-crazed fa-
natics, whom they follisw as their leaders and
high priests, in the full belief that they are
chosen by God to teach the true religion, that they are
the favoured people of the Almighty—that, like the early
Christians, they must and will suffer for the sake of the
truth—and that they will increase and flourish, and ulti-
mately cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. They
took their rise about the end of the year 1827, in the vil-
lage of Manchester, six miles from Palmyra (where the
writer has been), in the western part of the state of
New York. Four or five years ago might still be seen
an excavation in the side of a hill, from whence, accord-
ing to the declaration of Joe Smith, the original prophet
and leader, the golden bible, or metallic plates, were
disinterred. Joe Smith and his father's family were
poor, partially educated, and followed the occupation of
spade labourers, or money diggers, as they called them-
selves, Joe himself being of indifferent character, and
they resided in the vicinity of Palmyra.
The accepted version of the Mormon revelation is,
that an angel visited Joe Smith in a dream, and astured
him that he was sent by God to declare to him that he
(Joe) was the chosen prophet and priest of Jehovah to
all the world. The angel then disclosed to him the ex-
istence of a golden bible, whereupon, or wherein, was
written the new revelation, where he would find it, and
how he was to dig for it; and, when he had found it, to
make it known to all mankind. Joe obeyed the instruc-
tions, found the metallic plates, alias golden bible, and
in due time promulgated the new and only true religion,
Before I proceed, I would here remark that not the
slightest doubt exists, or ever did exist, in the minds of
sane and intelligent persons, that this book of Aformon,
alias metalic plates, alias golden bible, was devised and
manufactured by some skilled, unprincipled Bible read
associates and friends of the family of Smiths, and brought
to the light when the play was ready to be performed,
and the actors initiated into their respective parts and
duties. This Book of Mormon, or Oe new revelation, is
ingeniously contrived, and adapted to gull and chant
the superstitiously ignorant, and also to gain proselytes
amongst the uneducated portion of professing Christians
of almost every sect ; for, whilst it admits the authen-
ticity and truth of the Old and New Testaments, it als,
reveals new lights and truths, by which all the obscu-
rities and difficulties of the Bible that hitherto hulj.
over religious communities are explained and clearer
away. _ _

The Mormon priests and elders process to pros,'
that the Book of Mormon, published through the
instrumentality of their prophet, by divine auttiort.t
and direction, contains a historical and religiem
record, which was written in ancient times by
branch of the house of Israel who inhabited America,
and from whom the Indians descended ; that thi•
record is the golden bible found by Smith, and tha
it not only confirms the truth of holy writ, but also nar
rates the history and events of ancient America as fe
back or beyond the period of the flood. They persuade
the deluded multitude that they have the gift of tongues.
or healing the sick, and the exclusive privilege of inter-
course with the Almighty, from whom they directly ob
Cain new revelations, and the power of working miracle s.
Soon after Joe Smith and his coadjutors had promul
gated the new religion, the disciples located themselves
in a body at Rutland, in the state of Ohio, when they
soon received an accession to their number ; and, by a
special revelation received by the prophet from God,
they built a large and beautiful temple. Here they at
tempted to establish a bank, and being unable to obtain a
charter from the legislature of Ohio, they tcok the power
into their own hands, and made a beginning. They ma-
naged to get out a considerable amount of bank notes 01
their own manufacture, by purchasing goods at hie;
prices, and distributing their notes at a great discount ;
but the pay day came ; there was no specie forthcoming
to replace the notes with; differences ensued amongst the
saints and their leaders, which ended in a division, a very
large proportion of them migrating to the town of Inde-
pendence in the state of Missouri. Here they becarn,
disliked by the previous settlers, and at length, in 1839.
they were forcibly expelled, with much suffering and
loss of property. Nevertheless, they kept together,
firm in their faith in the Morman creed; they travelled
on, enduring many privations for conscience sake, and
again fixed themselves at the village of Commerce, ii,
the state of Illinois. Probably the persecutions they
had experienced in leaving Missouri, and the patience
and fortitude they exhibited procured fur them a la7g(
share of sympathy and passion, for here they gained
fresh strength; their numbers rapidly increased, an,
they became possessed of a considerable extent of beau-
tiful country; they built the city of Navoo, or holy city,
and invited all the saints from every
.quarter, by pro-
clamation, and through the press, to join them, and as-
semble in that land of promise. Being industrious, and
simple in their way of living, thay prospered; their
numbers continued to increase till, in 1843, the popula-
tion of Navoo was reckoned at 16,000 souls, and in all
•their ramifications they were estimated at more
than 100,000, many of whom are from Europe, and
not a few from the manufacturing districts of England.
A city charter was now obtained from the legislature of
Illinois, by which the limits of Navoo were defined, em
bracing about six square miles of territory, and convey
ing the accustomed municipal rights. Joe Smith was
unanimously elected Mayor of the city. A military force
was also established, with the designation of the Navoo
Legion, and Joe Smith was appointed Commander in-
Chief, by the title of Lieutenant General. He was, in
fact, what Moses was to the children of Israel—Ceir
spiritual and temporal head, their military leader, their
prophet and revelator. His will was their law, for they
felt sure that he was divinely inspired. Such was their
faith in their prophet and the priesthood, that they con-
tributed largely of their small mens, and gave their
skill and labour to build another temple and houses for
them. The location of Navoo is described by a gentle
man, who has lately been there, as delightful ; the tem-
ple is one hundred and thirty feet long and ninety feet
wide, and it is built of white hewn stone. In the
basement story is a baptismal font, resting upon
twelve oxen, hewn from granite, with iron horns ; and
the temple may be seen from several points on the river,
at the distance of fifteen miles. But I must be brief.
The holy city is now deserted, and the temple is no
longer in possession of the saints. They have been
driven from their fire-sides and their church by an
armed, reckless mob, calling themselves Anti-Mormons,
but who are, in reality, a number of the worst characters
from various states, with some vagabond preachers of
different denominations, who have invented some accu-
sations, and exaggerated any faults they could lay hold
of against the Mormons as a pretext to seize their pro-
perty, and drive them from their homes. They have
accused the Mormons of thefts and depredations which
they did not commit, got legal processes against them,
and then volunteered their services in assisting to execute
them, under the plea that they would resist the laws,
for the sole purposes of aggression and robbery. They
have by this means taken and retained the city of Navoo,
have established Lynch-law, and are plundering and as-
saulting such of the population as remained. Much blame
is attributed to the Governor of Illinois for laxity of
duty, for not displaying more promptitude and energy
in maintaining the supremacy of the law. It is undoubt-
edly a blot upon this land of equal rights that a whole
city of sixteen thousand inhabitants, or more, should
have been driven out upon the prairies and wilderness
on account of their religion ; for, though deluded and
fanatical, they are not the less entitled to their natural
rights and protection from the law as American citizens.
Governor Ford is now acting with energy ; he is on his
way to Navoo with a hundred soldiers and two pieces of
cannon, and it is fully expected that he will soon be able
to expel the insurgents and restore order. Two things
are self evident in reviewing this affair and the state of
society in Illinois. One is, the great want of right edu-
cation amongst the population, to keep them from be-
coming the dupes of Mormonite, Millerite, or any other
ite leader ; and the other, the great inefficiency of the
executive portion of the government of the state.

CITY ELECTIONS.
Yesterday being the last d, y for polling great acti-
vity and excitement prevailed in the contested wards, in
consequence of the unfavourable state of the weather,
notwithstanding the distance to the hustings in no in-
stance exceeded a quarter of a mile, no expense was
spared in bringing up electors, cabs and other vehicles
being provided for their accommodation.
CRIPPLEGATE WITHIN.
The poll demanded on Monday by Mr. Wilson, the
Conservative candidate, was proceeded with this day,
at the school-rooms, Philip-Lane, Addle-street.
The polling commenced at one, and terminated at
three, and appeared to excite considerable interest in the
ward. At the closing of the poll for the day,
Mr. Alderman CEA Lus announced the numbers to be--
Smiih 39 Brass
Brown •••••• 40 Cash 37
Troole .................... 39 Lart
Bennoch .................. 36 And Wilson, the Con-
Dewar ................. 39 servativc candidate 2O
The polling will.. commence to-day at two, and will
terminate finally at four o'clock.
FINAL
rel.
r seE .0 opFe
nTe nd
CRIPPLEGATE WITHOUT.
The poll-books w e
EyPeOstLeiLr.day morning in
the Ward Schools, Red Cross-street, at one o'clock, when
they were finally closed. The numbers Nvere-
-Tones l9B Johnson Dixon 192 Gilbert .................. 161
....... . ...... 164
Sadler 189 King .....................121
Mead way lBB Read .. .120
Eldrid 174
Alderman CHALLIS declared the first eight returned
to serve in the Court of Common Council.

C ORDWAINERS'
The second day's polling commenced at one o'clock
yesterday afternoon, and closed at :three, when the
numbers declared were, for
Muddell 2B Jolliffe
Croucher
Lott
Joyce 29

The polling was resumed yesterday afternoon in the
room of Bow Church,Cheapside, and closed finally vestry-
at three o'clock, when the numbers were—
Muddell 45 Joliffe 45
Croucher
Joyce 45 Joseph
Lott
Alderman WOOD having declared the first six gentle-
men duly elected, they severally addressed the electors,
after which the wardmotewas dissolved.

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