The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-09-26
WHOLE NO. 1875.
For the National Era.
1.-THE NORNONS and THEIR CITY or
REFUGE"


REFUGE"
Dr BAILEY: Under this canton
Fra OF August 18th. notice an or,ioi, ,yn-
efignatnre Of 4" }. G. W. In thar article NV,
pax eu Quaker friend has expressed bis co..
is K ior the unfortunate and oppressed ,Tti
anYcteristic of him; and rejoice no 40 ~.
of maj ms ms good feelings for the sin.cursed rsca
thies q, mere Is out one Being whose sympa-
exercisgue and righteous, and who in their
pressed VII not cover the flults ~ r. -.
oppressiopnjustly condemn the ipstrpmen, Op
lible neitRur friend -. G. wis not inf.I
with the suk he, perceive fully ACQUAINTED
held his resAof which he treats He b.s ,o,
counties in Ne in Jackson and surround;n,,
I--';-- -----Su n0- - H. - -
neighbOr to they in Illinois. Had he been
- - ~ ID" sn2@0 ~ H. S-->- > 49,
\ Trren, eOnausaohS ',ysra mn, cncrlned dIt.
nected with their agding some Of the f,ctseon.
two States. The WY expulsion from those
Illinois near twenty has been 10 the State OF
been adjacent to the n aud his residence bas
may be rs well quslihepn difficulties and no
wrong Of the matter asSdge OF the right and
sets friend and lest no Sieemei NJ
ed 10 writing for the publhe, more accustoh
TO correct few mistakes iTvld feel disposea
attempt to do it in my plaihyticle alluded H.
When the expulsion from 3omeiy WY
.
affair were "giveu before the civ3cerning 'he
Missouri, and filed, and forwardedNhorineS .,
by the Senate of the United States Rubhsheu
pathies of Illinois were ELECTED on thhe sym
and as the fugitives fled across the MiScason'
our State, they were met by the hospinPp 70
the people, and sheltered, and fed, and e. %
"A large number arrived opposite QuiRe.u.
February and March, when the ice in the IN
was running so fast they were obliged to encK
in the open woods, without clothes or sheltA
| The citizens Of Quincy, to the honor of them
selves of civilization and humanity, expressed
Their adherence and detestaton Of the principles
Of the authors of their calamity and entered on
course Of vigorous and systematic efforts to relieve
their necessities, and provide for their future
wants" As 3 community we feb. thRt they ha5
been outraged in our sister State and they were
welcome TO our borders. Had they taken up
their abode among us, like other emigrants they
would now, doubtless be enjoying our privileges
in common with others but this was not accord
ing to the genius of MormOnsm Their famous
leader, Joe Smith, stuck a stake Mt Nauvoo, and
there gathered his followers. He it is well
known had full control over their consciences
! and regulated all their religious and political
acts. Party spirit WAS powerful engine at the
j time among our public men. The vote of the
$ Mormons would weigh heavily in one or the 9TH
er Of the scales Of political strife, and Of course
e each was anxious to oonciate those who perhaps
: held or would hold the balance of power Joe
, Smith applied to our Legislature for sundry char
I tiers, all of which he Obtained without modifca-
Il ton. Some of them were of an extraordinary
character for n sober, judcious legislative body
: to grant One incorporated their city with pecu-
n liar privileges; y another incorporated standing
army under the name of the Nauvoo Legion %
n third was for company to build temple worth
e 100000; fourth for company to build n tav-
n ern house of the same value; another for a uni
@ versi,y and sixth for a manufacturing compa-
!, ny. These privileges, thus granted, placed them
above all other communities in the State, and the
g writer Of this article, on learning how much the
r Legislature had granted them, made the remark
:, to his friends, early lS4l, "These charters
@ will end in bloodshed!o
II As they gathered from various points in the
Union and from England even, to this favored city
they soon obtained ascendency over the older in
habitants of the county, and controlled the cleo
ss q tAiSoXndf aTf6fmoniyssEv Wseq in . 9fic
"a other religious sect assumed the same amount o
20 political power, the community would have re-
~ garded them with a suspicious eye; and why
should they not them? Would that this had beef
y, all! Would that their "officers had been peace
e and their exactors Righteousness p They has
been, STILL the happy possessors Of their beautiful
re city. But the inhabitants of Hancock county
soon found, to their sorrow, that the same com
~ plants, made against these same people r and
III which the osens BILE reason for their expulsion
from Missouri, were sM chargeable on them Their
prophet and their leaders taught them that they
were the Lords people, that :" the earth is the
Lords, and the fulness thereof and that it all be-
longed to them. At least, there sufficient
number among them to act on that principle and
depreciation upon depreciation followed upon the
property Of the citizens till none held his
rights secure. Their cattle and their swine would
disappear from their prairies, and their eehves
and their tools from their out-houses Nothing
was safe. IL any were prosecuted on proof suff-
cient to convict In court of justice they had the
sheriff the justices, the constables and the uries
and no conviction could be obtained
Such was the condition Of Hancock county and
that county was not the only sufferer. The
Lords people did not confne themselves to Nau-
VOC, or Hancock county. They were scattered
abroad among u.s. and we had all come TO feel that
we could place no confidence in Mormon He
would be good neighbor, and deal fairly, till he
had you in his grasp, then you were bitten, and
the Mormon was In Nauvoo-verily, the city Of
REFUGEE Such has been the experience Of hun
dreds, not inhabitants Of Hancock county. And
what could the old settlers Of that county do
They could take the remains Of their personal
property, and migrate to other parts in penury
and distress. Their farms they could not sell but
to Mormons, and at their own price They were
in desperate case And since they could not
get Teurehs Nv tney LOOK tne case INTO tneir
own hands. They rose in their might, and de-
termined to 'efend their property and their
homes. And who were Mey? As respectable a
community in any other county in the State,
and hope our friend does not think we are all
"the blackeg and nomadic rascality of the Mis-
sssippi Valley for such are his own words No
SIR as good men society affords rose, as our
ancestors rose in the Revolutionary struggle TO
defend the rights that they could not other wise
reta M hav copta dad
fully, had not the friends Of order and peace from
surrounding counties volunteered for their as
sistance IL was common cause. And for any
TO assert or insinuate that the Mormons were per
secuted here for their religion, is gross, though
1t may be an ignorant SANDER unless lawlessness
robbery, and the spiritual rife system are the
ligion Of the sect. These were those absnrdites
or novelties OF worship and faith, which were
made the excuse Of new Christian crusade on
the part Of the blnckieg and nomadic rascality OF
the Mississippi valley"
Our friend quotes from brilliant discourse
before the pennsy lvania Historical Society,"" and
says he derives many Of the materials of his
sketch from it. II such is the character Of
History for one, can put trust in its records.
Our friend again says, "the author Of the Dis
course before us denies emphatically the charges
which have been preferred against their habitual
r purity OF life integrity Of dealing, their
/ regard for law, and their devotion to constitu-
: tional government" His denial will not blind
the eyes Of ten thousand witnesses to the exist
= ence Of facts, proving the contrary. We have
those 10 our families who left Nauvoo and father
and mother and friends, and cast themselves upon
strangers rather than be subject to insults from
those Of high standing In the church, Purity
We feel that poison has been spread around us
: that to this day rankles and testers among our
: population!
: But the Mormons suffered-yes, extremely