Litchfield enquirer., 1841-12-02

CT interest than that of mere curiosity. The Mormons are skilful in argument, so that they contend with no little success against all their opponents. They adopt the whole of our Bible, and claim that they have an additional revelation which was communi- cated to Joe Smith on the golden plates They say that the spirit of prophecy is an essential sign of the true church, and bold ly stake their Pretensions on the possession ot this gift They say that no true church has existed on earth since prophecying cea- sed, at or near the apostles time, and that 1 the church has now been restored, with the new revelation and the returning gift of prophecy. They claim of course that to the Saints belong the earth, and seem to have no doubt that they shall possess it. They seem indeed to have some reason for their expectations, for their numbers in this coun- try are already estimated at a hundred thou sand, and as many more in Europe. Their converts comprise large number of men of intelligence, smartness, and not few who have stood high in the Christian Church. es of various denominations, as men of pie ty and excellence. Their city of Nauvoo IS | growing Tn manner unprecedented; men of property are constantly joining them, and adding their whole estates to the com- mon stock. They have acquired so much political importance as to procure of the Legislature of Illinois an act of incorpora- tion, authorizing the Mormons to maintain a standing army of thousand men. Smith and Rigden have ordained twelve Apostles, who have been anointed for the work by a sight of the golden plates. One or two of them, we believe, have already deserted the standard and disclosed the designs of their great prophet. When we see miserable creature like Smith all at once putting on the garb of sanctity, and guided by prcten- ded inspiration, digging into the side of a hill, and there secluding himself for months, and then coming forth with the pretcncc that he has found golden plates on which are written new revelation, which revela- ton is nothing more nor less than a piece of imaginative writing left in manuscript by a deceased clergyman, and when we see such fraud believed in, and adopted by enlight- ened men, and spreading more rapidly than any system of truth ever did, we are anna Zed. What is man and all his boast of in- telligence, and what has the knowledge
 the present day made man but foQcc-. the dupe of every knave! It is e 'Housa- that if the Supreme Ruler should running draw his care from our worlift to New might spread abroad, which woH to and. the human race in the deepest hosannect..
 W. Y. Journal efliine ~nek.
 During our brief career as an .edltO,s sa%, have been several times threatened w.. actions for libel upon grave Senators, Town Clerks, Postmastcrs, and such like H0norI- ble Men, but we never before had the terrors ot the law so forcibly impressed upon our mind, as when reminded day or two since that we had been guilty of an unfoundcd imputation upon the character of MT. Will- ard Weld, representative elect from Hol- land, in this county. In our list of repre- scntatives published last week, we copied the name of this gentleman, with the word LOcOtOcO appended, from the list sent us, without once questioning its correctness We were informed of the nature of our ot- fence by distinguished member of the le- gal profession last week, and we hasten to make this public acknowledgment and re- traction of our error.-Spring.fen GGS
 WALKING IN THE WArER-A Mir. T. Evans, at Cincinnati, has got up a new and very extensive Life Preserver, by means of which the power of locomotion is perfectly rctain- ed. It consists of a water-tght garment to incasc the feet, legs and body to near the arms, and near the latter is fitted large life prcserver. To the hands are fixed pad dies. The buoyant power of this garment is so great. as to float any one for hours, without getting wet.
 A public trial was made of the article at Cincinnati on the 2d instant, in which the wcarer entered the water and passed down the channel front of the city, a distance of over a quarter of mile-thus successfully testing it's advantages.
 EXECUTION Planters OLOu.) Banner of the 4th inst, says: "On Saturday last, the four negroes convicted of the murder of Capt. Dehar,, suffered the penalty of the law"
 McI.EoD-We learn that this individual is again in trouble-having been arrested on a capins. at Niagara, for his defalcations in Canada.-Bu6alo Com. T.
 Strange deoih-A negro boy belonging ,o Pierre de Puerto in COlcasinc, come to his death on the 18th Aug, in very ss-angs manner. The master, it seems, had given him permission to go fishing, and the negro, having soul too large to bait for minnOws or mulle,s, resolved to take nothing hut "rei horse fish," Accordingly he baited large hook, and getting rather tired, he decided on taking pleasant snooze in his canoe in the middle of the bayou. Alter tying his line to his leg, so that he might feel the biie," he curled himself up in the bottom of his boat, and went asleep. The next day the boat was seen, but no negro but some of the slaves on shore discovered his dead body. with the line still fast to his leg, and the hook in the mouth of a dead alligator gar. about six feet long! The fish, it seems had drawn him over the side of the boat into the water. and being unable to release himself he soon was drowned. The hook. and the struggles of the unfortunate boy. soon worried the gar to death and the next morning theV were