Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1857-07-15
NAUVOO.
Correspondence ofthe "Raf aftsmam's Journal"

ant journey, I arrived in Nauvoo, city that
| once boasted of a prophet and large popula-
tion-a city whose splendor and prosperity de-
parted with its notorious founder.
| A description of the once celebrated city of
Nauvoo, may be interesting to some of the
readers of the Journal, as it is the first place
where the adherents to Mormonism concentra-
ted their forces, where their power and infiu-
ence was welded to so dangerous extent,
and where they first became formidable to the
community in which they resided.
| The city is beautifully situated on the east
side of the Mississippi, and surrounded on two
sides by that noble river. The upper part of
| the city stands on an eminence which rises
gently and gradually to the height of about
one hundred feet above the bed of the river.
From there, the s'Valley of the Mississippi"
with its gentle hills and sparkling. waters, is
| spread out before you. From there, both up
and down, you have full and extended view
| of the Father Of Rivers. Steamboats,, in their
mighty efforts to stem the rapid current they
| have to contend against, add beauty and in
! terest to the view. On the Iowa side of the
| river, opposite to Nauvoo, is situated the thri
| wing village of Montrose. That, also. is in
| full view, and is seen to advantage, both from
| the upper and lower City.
| The grand Mormon Temple, which was erect
ed under the control and superintendsnce of
the celebrated Joseph Smith, the great modern
saint and prophet, founder of the church of
Latter-day Saints, &c, &C., &C., soon after its
completion, gave way, not to the etfacing hand
of time, but to the strong hand that 1sslew Jo-
seph 30 and now that wonderful structure, the
| fruit of master workmanship, the pride and
boast of its celebrated protector, lies moulder-
| ing in ruins. Enough of the building remains
standing, however, to show its former splen-
dor and magnificcnce. The edifce was prob
ably one hundred and fifty feet long, about
| eighty or ninety broad, and fifty or sixty in
heighth. The entire west end is yet standing.
The exterior is of polished white limestone,
and has various figures on it carved or chseled
out of the solid stone. Wherever there are
any projections or holes among the stones, the
swallows have taken possession of them, under
the s'squatter sovereign law,'' for places to
build their nests and rear their young; and
| they are the only inmates, the only tenants of
that monument of Mormon folly.
The City, when in the height of its prosper
| ity, contained, it is said, between fifteen and
twenty Thousand inhabitants. Now it does not
contain exceeding six thousand. The place is
| full of torn down and demolished buildings,
! which evidence the degree of violence with
which the enraged multitude acted when the
| city was sssacked.''
The wife of the prophet, and number of
his children yet residing in and about
! Nauvoo. One of the sons, Joseph Smith, Jr.,
a fine, intelligent lad, about Is or 10 years of
| age, is now in the next room to me, playing,
very much to my edifcation, on the world-re
nowned instrument called the 'sBanjo.''
| great number of the old Mormons here, it
is said, privately adhere to s.the faith given to
| the saints; by Joseph, but renounce it openly,
on account of its extreme unpopularity.
| The city is made up Of a strange kind of
population. 1t comprises, within its limits,
all kinds, colcrs, classes, grades and occupa-
tions. Nearly every-civilized nation has its
representatives. here, either in the capacity of
professional men, mechanics, laboring men,
beggars or hieres.
l will now speak OF the French Icarian COM
munity, and then my s'chapter" on Nauyoo
will close. This community is composed
principally of French-recognize no individ-
ual rights in and to property, but hold every
thing in common for the common and joint
benefit of all its members. The community
was long under the presidency of NJ. Cabot,
and so long as he managed its affairs it seemed
| to prosper. Some twelve or fifteen months
! SINCE it numbered six seven hundred mem
| bers. The community then defeated NJ. Ca
bot, for President, who, after his defeat, bid
adieu to his beloved brethren and then left,
and soon after died with a ssbroken heart. -
| A number of the faithful adhered to their wor-
| thy President, followed him into his retreat,
and sustained him to the last. That blow
weakened them almost beyond recovery. This
/ spring another stampede took place among
them-they separated; a part remained in
| Nauvoo, and a part of them have gone into
Iowa to form a settlement there. 1 arrived in
Nauvoo just in time to see the last of the dis
satisfied decamping. There are now but two
or three hundred of them left. They will, /
think, in short time be entirely disbanded
and broken up. Time has well tested their
theory of government and proved its utter IN
| utility. They must, sooner or later, see their
| errors and their folly, and profit by the wisdom
| learned from past experience. They adhere
to none of the religious sects, and profess no
religion, 1 believe, of any kind.
| Last week was up in the interior of Iowa,
looking around to "see what could see, and
| hear what could hear.' As far as travelled
the country looked beautiful and the soil rich,