The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1851-09-24

happily Joseph was ludcrousy prosecuted.
He was martyr; but martyr to practical
jokes. The brnwny man was dragged from
his bed one night by horde of Mqthodsis,
Bapiiss, CampbeIites, md other burning
zealots. Wild cries are heard through tho
night air; the pi ophet is hauled along fu,
riousy, orthodoxy bnfIeIing him right and
left Where is the tar bucket7
The fatal bucket-black and calm az g
pool OF Erebus-is brought. Joe is fero-
ciously anoinlcd with pitch the thick dark
fluid sticks all over him, and causes the plum
age morcilessly coated over his sacred per-
son TO adhere as tightly as IL he had been
really blessed with wings. A saint tarred
and feathered is, indesd a new chapter in-
the Book of Martyrs. The faith that could
.urvive SO tremendou, pathos was impreg-
naolc, ana showed the unbounded power Of
the prophet over his followers. Il took the
whole night for the " inspired" friends of
the prophe, to cleanse his re evered and can.
onised kin j! Yet, Scared and bleared as he
vas-raw as come goose plucked alive-Joe
preached the mex, day to his own egregous
multitude.
The agitation in Jackson County Mis-
souri,, by degree, grew furious; there were
Mormon newspapers & anti-Mormon news
papers and when the pen ard the leading
article had done their worst, the sword, (the
States name for which is " bowie.knife,D
the bludgeon, and the revolver were brought
into play. Judge Lynch-rho never is 10
be bothered with juries, and decides in 4
second on his own responsibility COM
,inualIy invoked; and there were perpetua!
scene, Of bloodshed. In the end tho war
raxed too no, even for tho dauntless Joseph,
When he found that active valor was Of ne.
avail against his enemies, he betook himself
to tho courage Of discretion the passive
and better part Of valor. He went away.
In May, 1894, the entire community pack;-
ed up its " notions" and effected a success
ful exode.
We find that afier their expulsion from
Missouri they migrated TO Illinois, and mus
| tered fifteen thousand souls. Here they o.
tab.hed a city, which they called "Nauvoo,"
or the Beautiful" and by the consent Of
every body, worked right we'll. Joe was
mayer, president prophet; spiritual and
temporal head Of The settlement. They
now began to send out mi,sonaries and TO
build temple Of polished whito limestone.
1t was one hundred and thirly-eight feet in
length, and eighty-eiGht in breadth, SUR
mounted by pyramdal tower; and was so
elevated on a rising ground that it stood in
the sight OF the whole population. Tho
Mormons spent million Of dollars on this
edifce.
We now view Joo at tho summit Of his
career. Joe has military rank, and reviews
his troops as Lieutenant General Drums
beat, and flags are waved. He rides abroad
King. His work is now nearly done. The
city grows around him daily houses with
gardens spring up the hum Of the mill is
constantly heard. Every visitor 10 Nauvoo
describe, the prosperity Of the place a,mar..
vsllous. The solid element Of the religion
invented by Joseph Smith is, that il ncul-.
Gates work hard, useful, wealth-creating
labor The Prophet also incorporated into
his creed thorough appreciation Of reluz.,
alton. Tha, all work and no play makes a,
dull boy Of Jack, nobody knew batter than
Joe, One does not like to speak with leyiiy
Of prophet; but, perhaps the exact ad,
jective for Joe's religion is-Jjolly An air
of iolIity attends the faith. 1t isa iovial
heresy; a heresy that don't go home till
morning" Thus, after some squahbling, a
small fight or two (uot more intestine dis.
sension than falls to the lot Of most new
communities; the two grand desjeraia of
this lie were realized-prosperity and ease
1t was soon spread abroad that one Of the
first things realized in this good, substantial
town of Nauvoo, was plenty to eat and
drink. In consequence, Joe's disciples in,
creased by the thousand. All sort, OF pleas,
ant fellows who loved an easy life hockcd
There was. travellers say, healthy, hap
py lock about the place. Life rolled along
here in clear, vigorous way, like the food
'f the Mississippi hard by. Joe himself is
described as cheerful, social companion.
So very social in bis tastes, that there got
ibOut rumor that he had tendency to.
make Nauyoo into kind of New World
Oriental Paradise. One of his apostles,
Sidney Rigdon, brohchel doctrine con-
erning "spiritusl wives" which excited
5reat scandal.
We have read one or two Of Joe's pub
ishel letters, they show a shrewd, hard.
headed fellow. He writes to one man
lsct', like diamonds, not only cut glass, but.
hey are the most precious diamonds on,
arth.' There is a sturdy selfassertion
bout hlmi and that sell assertion is perpet.
iated for the Mormons seem to differ from
'her sects chiefly in believing the confined
nspraiion Of their prophets. Their faith
with ITS maerialism, its rude hopes, Ne
elief in tho superiority OF their best teach
RS, is hearlness in physical labot-is in,
eed piece of genuine Transatlantic life,s
kelly to hold together long. Their belief
| their " Book of Mormon " implies rug
3D. ignorant belief in Holy writ, TOO. To.
'eak seriously of our prophet, Joe Smith.
should say that the sturdy, iliteratc,
rewd Yankee conceived power in him N