The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-10-26
nrxocRATrc.IIBERAL TICKET.
REPUBLICAN TICKET.
From the Prairie Chief.
Can Henderson and the Swedes.

|
admirers, who, in eloquent language, tuned
q nanegvric on the merits of the general
and the claims he had on the support OF
the Swedes in the coming election lor men
Der Of congress from this district,
Unable to correctly comprehend the no
bic principles and cardinal virtues, Which
we're said to be the motive OF al! the acts
in the public life of the general, ana not
having time on that occasion to go INTO any
answer, promised to make my remarks .hs
in writing, and state my o9leee,tlons 70 tne
claims the general had on the oWedlsh pop.
ulation for support to an ONCE oi ~ sioa'
Importance. l,a
the attitude the general has taken toWaros
a great number of Swedes in days past,
will 90 back few years to gather 1acls'
with their connections and results, Whlch
will help us in deciding if the claims are
Just and fair .,o, -
Illinois, were those who at the p pr
time are members of the Bishop Hlii Coi-
ony, in Henry county. They were the Pc
neers Of the Swedish emigrants to TINS
country: their description OF the country
sent home to their relatives and 1rienus,
caused an emigration from their nauve
land. which so doubled each year that IN
some localities the Swedes now outnumber
any other settlers :.
The Swedes at Bishop Hill lived in an
association, with few men to attend 10
the common interests OF all. Those lew
men soon became ambitious and asplred
10 AN undue influence and control over the
rest Of the association in which they re
sided; but as this control was more mat,
ter of confidence and submission, and could
be oyerthrown at any time, 1T became nee
essary to obtain an enactment OF the legls
lature, by which the control over the asso
citation could be concentrated IN one or
few. Several persons, more or less related
and from the same locality in Sweden, con
federated to centralize the control and bus
mess of the association in themselves II
this thew were successful the legislator
granted a charter February 18th, 1858,
incorporating the Bishop Hill Colony, AM
appointed seven persons named therel
trustees of said corporation, to hold thei
office during good behavior
The mower over the colony and its mem
bers which the trustees thought they nov
had in their hands from that charter, the
believed could be enlarged and msgnltie
to immensely. The horizon of their tn
ture, expanded by the perpetual exlstenc
of the charter had NJ limitation, bu
reached far into eternity Under such re
Elections, attended with imagined greatness
and infallibility in comparison with th'
other members, the trustees soon demand
ed blind obedience to everything splrltua
and temporal, by which they desired t.
test their authority, debating religion
creeds and codes to suit their fancy an
caprice, and changing the same to keel
time with their increasing hunger an
thirst for predominance. Thus was tn
colony system transformed into theocra
zeal government, under the Immediate d
rection of the trustees, with its spirltu
armory well filled with weapons for the
logical warfare against all those who wou
not nav homage to the modern goddess
the great Diana of the Ephes'ans
A most fanatical crusade was carried
against all members of the colony who q
fered in the dogmatic notions OF the tr'
tees, and such were eXcommunlcated a
expelled from the colony, without cen'
money to buy a meal or pay for nlgl
lodging, aud chased away to seek no
among ''infdels," as the outsiders W
called
The spiritual earthquake which,in IL
shook the colony to its foundations, can
called the tropical turn-polnt or latltl
on which their sun of prosperity rece
ed. During the year, a religious be
was introduced and forced upon the nj
bers, which met great objection, as be
no biblical doctrine but had its orlglt
an neutrality-suspicious.. 1t threatee
the dissolution of the family relations.
trustees, the church, police aud the sp
made their rounds to ascertain II all "
faithful, and those who showed the II
hesitation to adopt the new preaching,
he only true religion, were either ex pc
or brought to submission by threats OF
pulsion. After this period, the sentl
reported "aN quiet on the Potomac W
Unexpectedly, some thing was discovt
which the dignitaries called high I
son." Some detective had discovered
thirty or forty members had in a quiet
peaceable way assembled aud arrived at
conclusion that they could not with {
soncience, adopt the new preaching IN
colony, as the new doctrine. The old
was again brought to bear upon all
thus differed from the creed, and ne
all promised submission, a few eXcep
and as those few could not be tolera
Tie lGuSteBS IesolhSu uHuu d hlud "a
menical council for excommunication
expulsion from the colony of all those
obedient to the religious dictates of
leaders. This council assembled on
3lst Of October, 1856. The trustees
all present aud conducted the prosecu
which had previously been prepared.
families were at this time expelled
all interest in the colony, and consid
''infdels, subject to all the scorn
mockery that rude bigotry could in,
because they refused 20 adopt as ru
faith, ''all that heretofore had been Pre-
ed, or hereafter might be preached in
colony"
This disapproval of the acts of the
tees against the members, had for a
time been mumbled in the neighbour
but now it broke forth like thu
which Ioared all around the cot
Meetings had been held at different ?
and resolutions adopted to take venl
on the trustees for their conduct
Que of the expelled members, will
intention 10 prevent violence, had al
terview with of his American fri
who had some influence over those
took lead in this movement and q
them to drop the matter, but
met with the answer that forbeal
any longer would be a crime;
the trustees had about long enough
as despots in this land OF liberty, and
escaped the just retribution; and as
justice was likely to fail, il was their
20 infict punishment that was not