Weekly national intelligencer., 1850-03-02
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
THE STATE OF DEsERET,

-. Il
called Mormons, and now praying to be admitted
to the Union under the name just stated. 1t is
matter Of surprise that this subject has not attracted
greater degree of public attention. This crcum-
stance can only be accounted for by the fact that
other subjects of more urgent nature have for the
last few months occupied the time and thoughts OF
Congress and the People. Under ordinary cir
cumstances, there are many questions connected
with the settlement of the Mormons and their pre-
sent application to be admitted into the Federal
Union, which would have been thought to require
very serious consideration.
In the first place, who and what are Mormons
The answer is, they are sect Of fanatics, who
have sprung up within the last few years, and who
believe in the late Joe Smith divine prophet
Since the cruel murder Of Joe Smith, they believe
that his gift and power of prophecy have passed to
his successors, and that Divine revelations re-
gularly and even frequently made by them to their
followers. The Book Of Mormon" is pretend
ed revelation, which Joe Smith alleged was COM
municated to him on golden plates, dug up in the
State of New York, written in an unknown lam
guage, but translated into English by himself. In
point of fact the greater part of this pretended new
Bible was sort of religious romance, written by
clergyman of New York, not with any intention to
deceive but as an effort "a very l-udged one) at
an innocent exercise of the imagination. By some
accident fell into Joe Smiths hands, and was by
named The deluded followers Of Smith, calling
themselves "Latter-day Saints" emigrated, we
believe, from New York to the West. Whether
their first establishment there in the State of
Missouri, we are not accurately informed. They
had not been long in that State before they incurred
the illwill and odum Of their neighbors, and were
illegally and violently driven out of the State.
They took refuge in Illinois, founded the city of
Nauvoo, built an abortion of architecture which
they called temple, and grew rapidly in numbers
and wealth. Recruits of two descriptions focked
to them first, simple fanatics, who believed in the
pretensions of Joe Smith, considerable number of
whom were enlisted by his missionaries, not only
in the Middle and Northern States, but in England
and, second, adventurers of every kind, who focked
to Nauvoo to speculate upon the credulity of the
other portion.
To the disgrace of the age this wretched impos-
ture fourished. As specimen of its grossness
we may mention fact, stated by an extremely re-
spectacle gentleman of this city, one within his
personal knowledge. Being on tour 70 the West,
he visited Nauvoo from curiosity. In the temple
he was shown collection of curiosities, and among
them were one or two mummies, which had been
imported from Egypt by Joe Smith. The atten-
ton Of the vsiter was called by Smith to the
mummy clothes and the writing upon them.
$ There" said Smith, that's the handwriting of
the patriarch Abraham, and lam the only man that
can read it, which he then proceeded to dol
In the course of few years the scenes of vio-
lence which had occurred in Missouri were re-
peated, and with still more fatal results, in Illinois,
and the Mormons were driven from the State by
armed and organized bodies.-not acting, however,
with any legal authority. We do not, by any means,
Justify or paiate the manner in which the MOrmons
were treated, either in Missouri or Illinois. 1t
was illegal and cruel, and this without any refer
ence to the character and conduct of the Mormons.
What credit is to be given to the reports which
circulated to their disadvantage we have means
of knowing. They were'beeved to be guilty OF the
grossest imnoralites :it,has been constandystated
that they professed and practised on the doctrine
of community, or plurality Of wives; and it was be-
lieved in their neighbofhood that they made up
their separate and peculiar organization to screen
each other in general violation of the laws OF the
land and of good morals. Whether this is strue,
false, or exaggerated, we have no knowledge; but
it seems scarcely possible that, unless there had
been some foundation for the prejudice, they should
in so short aaime have become the object Of such
bitter hostility in Missouri and Illinois.
In the conflict between the Mormons and the
cneighboring population of illinois, Joe Smith was
murdered in the prison towhch he had been com
mitted. His followers fledtfrom the State and form
ed the resolution to emigraae to California, not then
known TO aboand in gold. Having reached the re-
gion of the Great Salt Lake, they halted ,hereand
esta6Isned s6suement, Whsch has prospered,s sanu
is noE said to contain tweaty thousand persons,
one-half of whomare unnatulized foreigners, prin-
cipaly English. IL is probable that their settle
ment'has received . good many recruits from emf
grants who had started for California Their pre-
tended fheocrafic government is still kept UP, and
revelations regularly announced to them as
the orders of the day by commanding general in
time of war.
Sucheis the people who, having thus founded
few struggling settlements on the public land ofts,e
United Ssates-of which they DO not own an inck;
OF which the Indian title has not been extnguisi-
ed-haye iosmed constitution of government
chosen a Delegate to Congress, and asked admis~
sion into the Onion as an oganized Territory by
the name of Deseret. As far as we esn Judge the
region modestly included within the Boundaries
which they have granted themselves is about as big
as all New England and New York. This is " vote
yourself farm with vengeance. If Congress
admits the pretensions Of these people, they allow
them 10 vote themselves 10 each adult male a do |
main about as big as Rhode Island or rather Con-
gress will, in so doing. grant its sanction to this
most monstrous and unexampled appropriation,
which has already been made by the Mormons.
Had the Mormons addressed memorial to Con-
gress praying for small tract of land, say five or
six townships-a quarter section for each head of
family C}--our individual feeling might have been
in favor of complying with their request and thus
allowing them place Of asylum from persecution.