New-York daily tribune., 1844-07-27
and ,beir seighbors.


-ou or tho Mormon diffcultics n this County
and the killing OF joseph and HyFnm S'nitn,
while in the custody OF tie law, By an af'nec
mob on the 9th Of June. This Outrage has
brou,bt great reproach upon cur community
The press and public sentimen. generally 50 lar
as we have heard. stigmati-e The &C: IS deec 'i
cr cod bloodsd unprovoked muFce-. Inc
moral ssnse OF mankind !evoIts with horror at
the sirbt OF human blood, she'd without the sane
lion oi laws: and few, il any, OF the sober and
reflec,ipn xi ever admit that any circumstances
sbor. of absolute inevitable necessity can justify
individuals, or communities, IN resort 10 ii!ege!
f5rce to project tier rights, or redress Their
wrongs. ard eren where the necessity apparently
exists, it may well be doubted whether the con-
SEQUENCES resulting from the application OF such
violent remedies, are not in the end more 10 De
lamented than the :mmediats evil removed
Egcrv act of this kind carries upon It's face an
implied assumption either that the law Is nsuiii-
c;ent to rnctc out the demands OF justice or that
those who violate law are recklessly indifferent
to lhehighest obligations of good citizens. With
out presumng to decide under which class this
case should ba placed, beg leave 10 present
few facts in relation to Lie peculiar position OF
,f;.;rs in this county, al the time the decd vas
done, and leave your readers to Judge no" iaf me
case will admit Of palliatIcn-Increly promising
that T. majority Of the Old citizens oil tne county
are disposed TO hold themselves as q nouv Fespoh'
sibte, and share equally the odium mai may at
tach 10 the act, rather than that the whole hianle
should rest uroa the one or two huadtcd ui!ccuy
implicated.
The Mormons include about three fourths OF
the population OF the county. They are coinpos-
ed OF two opposite yet agreeing classeS-a SCI OF
horse thieves, coanterfellers, backlegs ana swlhu,
.crs, drawn together for purposes et plundef ana
mutual protection: and set OF supeFst!touS ia,
natics. who have been scduced into beict oi
the most prcposterous, absurd and e1ecFaUie
aummery that ever disgraced the name OF rel-
zion. al acknowledged Joe Smith as their su
prcme head. They ascrlbcd 10 him supernatural
Dowers-profess To believe that he received com
munica;ions direct from Heaven. He had only
TO make known his Will in the character OF d
revelation from Heaven to secure the most I'M
elicit obedience on the part oth followers IN dI'
cases, no matter how rcpugnant to The dictates
OF reason o. the requsitions OF law. BY revela-
ton they were commanded how to dispose ol
their effects aud time, whom 10 select as rulers,
SC. &c-in short every thing IN morals, IN !el
zion, in Their secular affairs and in politics were,
when natural and ordinary means failed oi the
desired end, directed by pretended revelation OF
their pr0Dhet or the two classes The rogues are
much the moro numerous, but IT were diiicult tn
say which is the more denge:ous-one would cut
vour throat or steal your purse from the VICIOUS
orump,ings of his own abandoned nature-ihe
otncr, if bldden by the Prophetwoud do the same
rom perverted sense OF duty, and think ne was
dong God service. 1t is hard 10 credit such a
strange perverson of human reason, but the fact
stands sustained by ample testimony.
Smith assumed, and many Of his teludcd follow
ers believed that this fair land was their lawful her
ltagc-lhat they held the same prominence over
the Gcntcs (o!d citizens and non-be!icvcrs) that
the ancient Jews did over the Canaanltcs, and
that they would be justified III resortlng 10 The
same means to possess their lands and goods
That they did not adopt those means to The same
extent was bacause they lacked the poIcer and
not the ,rdl. They had committed lnnumerablc
aggrcssioRs Of every shade of enormlty, On tht
! rights OF the Geatiles, before they thought OF
seeking any othe- redress than that provided by
the law, Out the time came when the unwelcome
truth was forced upon them that the law had be
COlIlC uJubtluI, tuttC P'hrS''i
| The Clerk of the Circuit Court, Sheriff of the
County, and one Of the three County Commis
sioners were obedient tools of Smith. As things
stood it was hardly possible 10 get an impartial
iury. After The August Election he would have
had another of his minions in the County Com
missone.s Court, and through this Court direct
the selection of grand aud peut Jurors. Ii those
thus chosen were challenged ltwoud be the Sher
ifs duty to make up the panel from the bystand-
ers in Court and no prccaution could prevent
packed Jury at last The consequences then on
| the administration of the laws would be these
| If Mormon and old citizen were opposed in a
| civil suit or an old citizen accused of crime, the
4 only chance for cven-handed Justice would be BY
A change of venue to another County-a proceed.
| ing necessarily attended with much trouble and
expense. lfa Mormon were charged with crime,
the case could not be taken out of the County
without his consent, which would never be
given, as here he could have all the Immuni.ies
that packed jury and any desirable number Of
suborned witnesses could secure. Under such
circumstances conviction were hopeless, and
trial would be q mere mockery of Justice. Better
far for the old citizens of the County that the u-
dicia authority should be ab.ogated than that such
a state OF affairs should exist The City Courts Of
Nauvoo have for wears been pursuing this partial
course of practice. None but Mormon would
approach them for Justice The practice in these
Courts give the most satisfactory assurance OF
what nigh, be expected of the Circuit Court when
brought under Smiths influence. There is not
sensible man convcrsant with the facts who doubts
that ii Smith were now alive, and arruigned at
The next term Of our Court, he could and would
ne hoHorcbty discharged by 4 verde: Of his peers.
With Hale and Mansfield for Judge, and the
nest positive and damning testimony that was
ever adduced, he would be acquitted. llths point
is not already established to the satisfaction Of
the world it can and ,riiL be shown. Did he de-
serve death lie has brought trouble upon every
community in which he lived, and has been fore
ed three times TO remove with his people. He was
charged in Missouri with treason and escaped by
brblng his laller He instgated the assassination
Of Governor Boggs, and the act was nearly ac-
compis:ed by o. p. Rockwell, enc OF his desper.
ate hirelings. He tried 70 hire another man to
finish the work that Rockwell had attempted
While in the custody of an officer on his way to
Missouri to answer for this offence, prisoner and