The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-03-24

elements, and lord Of this world. He has
IiIled il with unbelief. and robbed man Of
his birthright, and will DO so. until the
hour Of the power Of darkness is ended,
and the mighty angel comes down with the
hsin in his band, TO bind The old serpent
and dragon"
Another speaker. stout, black-browed
"son Of thunder" gave an interesting ae-
count Of his experience. He had been one
OF The apostles OF the Mormon Evangel,
and had visited Europe. He went in faith.
He had but 'three cents in his pocket
when he reached England. He went to
the high professors Of all sects, and they
would not receive him; they pronounced
him damned already" He vas reduced
10 great poverty and hunger; alone. in
strange land, with no one TO bid him VEL
come. He was on the very verge OF star
yation. "Then," said he 81 knelt down
and I prayed in earnest faith. Lord. give
me this day my daily bread o. tell ye,
prayed with a good appetite; and | rose
ND, and was moved to go 10 house al
hand. l knocked at the door, and when
the owner came, | said TO him, Il am
minister Of the Lord Jesus Christ, from
America; am starving-will you give me
some food? why. bless you. yes said
the man, sit down and eat as much as you
please And did sit down at his table,
blessed be God; but, my hearers, he was
MT professor; he was not christian, but
one of Robert Owens infdels. The Lord
reward him for his kindness.
In listening to these modern prophets,
discovered, as ! think, the great secre, oil
their success in making converts. They
speak to common feeling; they minister
10 universal want. They contrast strong
ly the miraculous power Of the Gospel in
the apostolic time with the present state OF
our nominal Christianity. They ask for
the signs Of divine power; the faith, over
coming all things, which opened the prison
doors Of the apostles. gave them power
over the elements, which rebuked disease,
and death itself, and made visible to all
the presence Of the Living God. They
ask for any declaration in the scripture thai
ibis miraculous power Of faith. was to be
confined 10 the first confessors Of Christian
lily. They speak language Of hope and
} promise to weak, weary hearts, tossed anc
troubled, who have wandered from sect tc
sect, seeking in vain for the primal mani
: festalions of the divine power.
In speaking Of Mormonism as a de
fusion, | refer more particularly to the
apocryphal book Of Mormon. That thu
great majority OF the latter Day Saints
/, are honest and sincere fanatics, have nc
: reason to doubt. They have made grea
! sacrifices, and endured severe and pro
tracted persecution for their faith. tn,
reports circulated against them by their un
principled enemies in the West are in tn,
main destitute OF foundation. / place M
dependence on charges made against then
by the ruffian mob of the Mississippi val
ley, and the reckless slave-drivers, who, a
the point Of the bayonet and bowie-knife
expelled them from Missouri, and signal
sed their Christian crusade against unbe
levers, by numbering old men and viola
Ting their innocent wives and daughters
Il is natural that the wrong doors shoul,
hate those whom they have so foully in
jured.
: The Prophet himself, the masterspiri
Of this extraordinary religious movement
is no more. He died by the hands Of wick
ed and barbarous men, martyr-unwill
ing, doubtless, but still a martyr-of hi
faith. For, after all, Joe Smith could no
have been wholly insincere. Or, il so il
the outset, it is more than probable tina
his extraordinary success, his wonderful
power over the minds Of men, caused hin
to seem a miracle and marvel to himself
and. like Mohammed and Napoleon, to con
slider himself chosen instrument Of tn,
I, Eternal Power.
la the "Narrative Of an Eyewitness O
the Mormon Massacre. published in /,
western paper, was good deal impressed
by the writer's account Of the departure o
the prophet from "the holy city" to deliv
er himself up TO the State authorities a
, Warsaw. 1t was well understood, that il
so doing, he was about to subject hnnsel
TO extreme hazard. The whole eounir,
I round about was swarming with armed men
eager to imbrue their hands in bis blood
The city was in fearful state Of alarm
and excitement. The great Nauvoo legion
with its two thousand strong Of armed fan
atics, was drawn up in the principal square
A word from the prophet would have con
verted that dark silent mass into desperate
and unsparing defenders Of their leader
and the holy places Of their faith. Mount
ed on his favorite black horse, he rode
through the glittering files, and with word.
OF cheer and encouragement, exhorted them
to obey the laws OF the State, and give
their enemies no excuse for persecution and
outrage. "Well, said he, as he left them,
"they are good boys, if | never see them
again." Taking leave Of his family, and
his more intimate friends, he turned his
horse. and rode up in front of the great
temple, as il to take final look at the
Proudest trophy Of his power. After con-
templating it for while in silence, he put
spurs to his horse. in company with his
brother, who, il will be recollected, shared
his fate in the prison. dashed away towards
Warsaw, and the prairie horizon shut down
between him and the City Of the Saints Tor
lsslsst time.
Once in the worlds history We were to