The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-08-22
A BIT OF OLD HISTORY
TIME wwHEN A MORMON RAN
 FOR PRESIDENT.
Campaign of 1S44, When Joseph Smith IndulEed Bitter References to Clay and Calhoun--One Meet ing in His Interest Held
 At Memphis, Tenn.

was American people have ceased to re- member, writes Shannon Mountjoy, in The St. Louis Globe-Democrat. During the campaign the Mormon Church ad- vocated the claims of its leader. Joseph Smith, to the Presidency of the United States.
 The history of Mormon politics in Northern Illinois, and the part played by the leaders of the church are not matters of present interest. Every well-informed American Is familiar with the names and careers of perhaps two dozen of the chief saints out in Utah, but not one person in hundred stops to think of the personal political history of these men before the emil grafton of 1S4s-47, or of their part in Missouri and Illinois, from 1887 to the murder of Smith at Nauvoo in June, 1894. ]
 The story of this part of our politics has come down to us only in synopsis. The interesting facts of 1t are hidden in the musty files of old newspapers or in occasionala pamphlets. the tides of which sound strange to our ears. In October, 1S43, The Times and Seasons. a newspaper printed at Nauvoo, pub lished an editorial. the title of which was "Who Shall Be Our Next Presi- dent?" The paper urged the Mormons to support that candidate who would pledge himself most unreservedly to fighting the wrongs inflicted upon the saints In the Missouri war. In the fol- lowing November Joseph Smith ad- dressed letters to HenrySClay and John C. Calhoun, which were unquestionably written by Sidney Rigdon. the ablest publicist of the church.
 The one question to which Smith. as head of the Mormon Church. demand ed answer was, What will be your rule of action to us as a people should for tune favor your ascendancy to the Chief MagistracyT
 Clay and Calhoun.
 The replies of Clay and Calhoun are thoroughly characteristic of the two men. Clay said that his long and hon. orable public career ought to furnish a sufficient basis for any speculation as to what he might or might not do upon such an issue the Mormon wrongs, that, personally, his heart went out to them in their pitiable misfortunes. but that he could enter into no engage ments. make no promises, give no pledges to any particular portion of the people of the United States.
 Calhoun coldly replied that if elected he would enforce the laws according to his conception of the authority vest cd in him by the Federal Constitution. He also called Smiths attention to a conversation between them in Wash ington City some two years previous, and reiterated for the benefit of the Mormons a statement which he made at that time-"that under our present system of government 1t was pure fol- ly for the Mormons to talk about any such things as our case against the State of Missouri.
 These replies stirred Smith to white heat. and produced from his pen batch of genuine Mormon screeds. this time evidently not written by the accomp- iished Rigdon. Gays answer seems to have aroused the ire of the Mormon President for in The Times and Sea- sons (May l3, lS44) there is an open letter to the great Kentuckian, couch- ed in a spirit of vulgar impudence and worded in the maudlin, dithyrambic- prophetic strain which Smith deemed the only suitable medium for his exca- thedra communications.
 Roast for Clay.
 The following paragraph Is certain ly as ridiculous a bit of villification as was ever a public mans fortune to hear, especially when such a man as Smith was the villifier and Henry Clay che villihed:
 "In your answer to my question last fall, that peculiar trait of the modern politician, declaring. if you ever enter Into that hlRn once you must go Into it unfettered, with no guarantees but such as are to be drawn from your whole life. character and conduct. so much resembles a lottery vendors sign, with the goddess of luck sitting on the car of fortune astraddle of the horn of plenty, and driving the merry studs of beatitude without rein or bri- die, that I can not help exclaiming: oI frail man, what have you done that will exalt you? Can anything be nrawn from your conduct that Is wor- thy of being held up to the gaze of khis nation as a model of virtue. char acter and wisdom? Your whole life, character and conduct have been spot ted with deeds that causes blush up pn the face of a virtuous patriot; so you must be contented with your lot. while crime, cowardice. cupidity or low cunning have handed you down rom the high tower of a statesman to .he black hole of a gambler. Grape the heavens with deeds of love; and 4he earth with sackcloth and let hell nurmur one melody in commemora- :ion of fallen splendor. For the glory Sf America has departed, and God will set flaming sword to guard the tree sf liberty. while such mint-tithing Herods as Van Buren, Boggs, Benton, Calhoun, and Clay are thrust out of he realms of virtue as fit subjects for