The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-03-05
THE RISE AND PROGRESS OF MORMoNIsM

[sECoSD PAPER.
Those characteristics of the Mormon imposture
or superstition which have contributed to its later
and permanent establishment will be DEVELOPED
hereafter in the progress of this narrative Itmay,
however, assist us to comprehend in some degree,
the surprising success which it met with in its in
fancy, to advert to the peculiar state of large Dor
ton OF the public mind at the time when its preen-
sions were first brought before the notice of the
world
At the period in question, the region where Joe
Smith lived, in common with considerable portion
OF the country pervaded by every species of re-
llglous enthusiasm, tending to actual mania. Reli
glous revivals were carried to pitch of excitement
scarcely ever before witnessed. New light preach
ers wrought up the public mind especially among
the lliterate, almost to frenzy, by their wild ex-
travagant and fantastic doctrines, and their vehe-
ment and exciting exhortations
The apprehension of some sudden and STARTLING
change in the physical and spiritual condition of
mankind, took strong hold of the lower classes of
society Sinners were smitten and appalled, by
vague fears of impending destruction; the pious
were deirious with ecstacy at the prospect of GER
| tain, and speedy exaltation. The prophecies of
Daniel and Isaiah were the favorie texts of these
| new light and tanatical exhorters. The consumma-
ton and the elimination of all prophecy, both Old
Testament and New, believed to be at hand-
The years, and the days. allowed for the winding I'D
OF all earthly affairs had been calculated to nicety
and one day after another appointed for the final
and general doom, was successively fixed, correct
| ed, or postponed, the varied calculations of the
interpreters, the necessity of the case suggested
! or required.
! Miracles were manufactured, and ordinary events
were turned into prodigies, to keep up and inlame
the excitement. Earthquakes, tempests, comets. ca
tastrophes rumors of wars, monstrous births were
all pressed into service, under every form of anpli
| icatiOn and establishment. To such a pitch of
tanaticism this deusion pushed that multitudes
OF ignorant and supersttious persons delirious with
terror at the prospect Of impending Judgment, con-
tessed long smothered secrets of crime and blood
abandoned or sacrificed their property,-arrayed
themselves in flowing robes of white and took their
posts upon lofty eminences in readiness for thelook
ed for ascension.
1t was in the year $780, while the moral atmos
phere was charged with these disturbing influences
and while the minds of the ignorant and tmid, were
agitated and futtering like pith-balls excited bv
electricity, that Joe Smith, boldly launched his pre-
tended revelations of 'The Latter Days." organized
the church of "Latter Day Saints consisting of
his father, two brothers, and few outsiders thus
showing that in this instance, at least the prophet
was not without honor" even among his Gown kin
dred, with the aid ofthe rough and uncouth but
effective defamation of Sidney Rigdon and Parlev
?. Pratt commenced the work of rapid and success
full propagandism. Avoiding the blunder of the
Millerites, who were stupid as to be constantly
naming short periods for the end of the world and
thus brought ridcule and contempt upon themselves
by the continual failure of their predictions
Smith took hold of the same prophecies upon which
Miller and Others relied, but modified their inter
pretation and applied them to the second coming of
Christ on earth, to reign thousand years-in other
words, the Millennium. There was a convenient
vagueness and obscurity about this doctrine which
at least protected its adherents from the fat and
crushing defeat which soon consigned the Millerite
deluson to ridicule and oblivion At the same time
it afforded the apostles of Mormonsm every oppor-
tunity to avail themselves of that morbid and dis
turbed state of mind which then prevailed.
Accordingly, no sooner the creed pub
licly broacned than it attracted numerous converts
of all ages and both sexes. As has been intmated
the success of Mormonism in this country has been
almost wholly restricted to the ignorant and the
vulgar Indeed, no attempt seems to have been
made to urge its claims among the cultivated and
refined classes And here Mormonism differs widely
from the later and equally absurd superstition known
as "Spiritualism, which has succeeded in entan-
Cling within its meshes some of the most gifted
minds which have shed lustre upon American science
and literature. We find no names among the ear
lier or the later Mormon proselytes like those of
Hare, Edmonds, or Tallmadge. 1t may also be re-
marked in this connection, although somewhat in
anticipation, that in England, Wales, Scandinavia
and other European countries, where the Mormon
prOpagandsts have penetrated the general charac-
ter of their recruits has been much higher than in
America. Abroad, their converts have been in a
great measure from among the well-to-do middle
classes OF society,-substantial farmers, artisans
and even professional men. Here although the
native Mormons have in many cases developed tai
ents which have raised them to the admitted lead
serhp of the Sect yet they have all been trained in
the Mormon school, and were. without single ex-
ception, before their proselytism, low-bred, litter
ate and obscure.
No sooner did Joe Smith find that he had made
g hit" with his new religion, than he turned his
attention to the open and boundless West az an ap
propriae field for its undisturbed development and
ultimate concentration. Sidney Rigdon had plant
ed a Mormon colony at Kirkland, Ohio, and here
not on y did Smith cause temple to be built at a
cost of some $4,000, but with characteristic versa
tity of talents engaged in divers secular and spec
ulative operations, including a store, mill and a
bank In spite of all his revelations, the prophet
was not proof against the great financial crash of
1887, in which year he suddenly and forever van
ished from Kirtland leaving his indignant creditors
to scrape together what assets they could out of his
broken wildcat bank, empty store and abandoned
temple.
Previous, however, to this reverse, Especial re-
velation" had instructed him to the precise loca
tion of the true ''Zion." Jackson county, Missouri
to be the Canaan-the destined inheritance of
the Latter Day Saints. Spies had been sent to spy
out the land, and had reported it arge land and
goodly, land flowing with milk and honey"
Joseph, himself, after other means of transport
failed walked distance of three hundred miles to
view it. We must let the prophet speak for him |
self, in his own rapturous and glowing words
'The prairies were decorated with growth of
flowers that seemed gorgeous and grand as the |
brancy of the stars in the heaven The soil is rich
and fertile, and produces in abundance wheat corn,
&C.; buffalo, elk, deer bears, wolves, beaver and
many lesser animals, roam at peasure turkies,
race are among the rich abundance that graces the
delightful regions of this goodly land of the herit-
age of the children of God The season is mild and
delightful nearly three quarters of the year. and as
the land of Zion is situated about equal distance
from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as well as
from the Allegany and Rocky Mountains, in the
thirty degree of North latitude and between
the tenth and twentieth degrees of West longitude,
it bids fair to become of the blessed places
on the globe"
In 1888, only three years after the first promulga
tion of the faith we find Joe Smith established at
Independence, Missouri at the head of fourishing
community, with several newspapers, and church
numbering between two and three thousand disci-
pies! Here his troubles commenced. So far he had !
got OFF with only an occasional coat of tar and feath
ers, applied by those whom he had swindled bv his
financial operations in Ohio. He now had to encoun !
ter more formidable, organized and radical oppos
ton. There were dangers from within and from with
out, and both were engendered by the sarna ca..a