Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa Territory [Iowa]) 1840-1846, 1844-09-21

Letter Of sidney Rigdon, Esq. !,
70 H. Editor oftke Peoples Orgr;
DEAH Ssns Being ia this city On N,
return from Nauvoo to nttsburgh (ths
place u NY residence l feel myself cslles
upon 10 satisfy The public enquiry Ia rela.
ton to myself and portion Of the citisc en-.
Of Nauvoo. 1t is pretty generally known
that LETT Nauvoo in june hast, with m,
family, with the design OF making my fn
ture residence in the city Of Pittsburgh
On hearing Of the murder Of the two Smiths
i returned 10 Nauvoo, without any inten
ton, however, VI making Nauvoo my plac'
OF residence. During my stay in Nauvoo
o number Of persons expressed desire I,
60 with me to Pittsburgh and reside som,
where in that region of country. wher,
they could enjoy my society. as well as
theirs. This determination gave great Of
fence to some Of The citizens OF Nauvoo.-
We had held several meetings in relation
to the matler--not in the least doaIting on
right to do SO If we chose when, 10 ou
surprise, great excitement was got up
meetings were appointed in different part.
Of the town, and were addressed by Brig
ham Young, Orson Hyde, Farley P. Pratt
Heber C. Kimball, Orson Pratt, Erastu,
Snow, and others. Infammatery speeche.
were made, and general excitement wa,
created. We were traduced as mobocrats
as murderers, conspirators; and many 9th
er epithets of like character were applied
to us. We were charged with conspirins
against the lives Of the before mentioned
persons all this for the sin Of desir
ing to Pennsylvania to live with ou'
Orson Hyde (who is now in St. Louis
and who is calculating to preach to the goot
people Of this city on Sunday next, in
public meeting used language calculated I,
excite an ignorant popalace to commit VIC
lence on my person. His expression.
were, Speaking Of myself al will no
ride him on rail-no, | will not do it; bu
ought not man reapthat which he sows:
If he gets up q mob, ought he not to b,
mobbed?" This was said in the presenc,
of large assembly ofpeople; and my grea
crime was, (for which j ought TO be rod,
on rail, or otherwise mobbed, that mum
Der Of gentlemen Of high respectfully de
sired, if they could so arrange their bust
ness to 60 with their families to Pittsburgh
and there reside, and had agreed to ali
them all could, and use my influence 70
their comfort and future prosperity.
On last Sunday conference was Gale,
Of all the citizens Of Nauvoo, to take on
case under due consideration. Here, if
have been properly informed, my owl
character was assailed in a most shameful
manner. l, with many others, were Gu
off from the churchill for the crime o
wishing to 60 to Pittsburg and i've.
So great was the excitement, that som
Of my friends thought it unsafe for me t
be out Of doors in the night season.
Now, Sir, this unheard Of excitemen
grew out Of the simple fact of myself an,
others wishing to 60 and settle somewhere
in Pennsylvania; and for this crime, tn
said Orson Hyde (who on next Sunda,
is to preach righteousness to the people q
St. Louis actually desired to raise mo
TO commit violence on my person--or els
there is no meaning in language; and h
has actually after such shameful and IN
pardonable abuse, been on board the steam
boat May Flower, where am writing thi
communication, and requested me not
write certain things, in order to save him
self from the shame or odium which mus
attach itself to him; or else he is destitute
Of all sense of shame.
Il presume, Sir, parallel to this cas-
cannot be found in the history Of the civil
lied world. A whole community of PEG
pie e cited till they actually called peace
able number OF citizens murderers, an,
every other evil epithet that malice coul,
invent, because, forsooth. they were guilt,
Of the awful crime of daring 10 leave Nau
VOC without the permissi,n Of certain in
dividuals such as the before named. |
is such mortals as the above named VIII
would claim the right to dictate religion +
the world. When conversed with Orsol
Hyde this day on the subject, he had tn
effrontery to tell me he did it from a sens
of duty. ! ask, whose life is safe, whel
men act from sense Of duty in such fla
grant violation of the most sacred rights Q
others? do know, Sir, that some Of thos
persons who were calculating to take thei
families to Pennsylvania, were put in sucl
fear as to fear to make their design known
for fear. of abuse, and all this, says Orsol
Hyde, tive do from sense of duty
What a sense Of duty may lead such me,
to do, God only knows. For my owl
part ~ have not SO learned Christ" no
ever expect to learn him--nor did an,
other man 50 learn him. From what Hyd
said to me to-day, on the steamboat, wa
satisfied that he feared disclosures woul,
be made that might affect him during flu
ture life. '7a
did not leave Nauvoo because feare,
them, but because had staid beyond tn,
time calculated to stay when left home
and because had received letter re-
questing my return home. As to any at
tack they can make on my character, / feal
them MOI. feel myself at their defiance
though they should assail me by falsehoods
which conceive any man who can cloai
wickedness under a pretended sense O
duty can do by the same kind Of conscience
,str 4sss. SIDNEY RIGDON.
St. Louis, Sept. IL 1874. Il.