The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-10-17
THEIR OLD POLITICAL MEDDLING

|
very interesting 1ettcr-onc that was
writtcn many years ago. and ono that
may help to throw some light upon a
certain subject. 1T may also serve to
partially explain the attitude assumed
| by President Brigham II, Roberts AT
the recent Mormon conference; for he
has perused the same document and
therefore knows Of It's contents. Jt
rather undermincs the old contention
of the Mormon leaders that when the
church was located in Illinois there WAS
a combination Of every forcc-oliclaI
and personal-outside Of the Mormon
church TO pcrsecutc The organization
and bring about its ruin and dcstruc
tion
Mormon history tells us that ono
John G. Bennett was once a counselor
10 Joseph Smith, founder of tho church
and its first president. When the head
quarters OF the Mormon organization
were at Nauyoo, Mr., Bennett seems
| 10 have been the chief political agent
of tho body under Joseph and Hyrum.
He was an astute man. in way, and
his ability was recognized in com
mission to 20 TO Springfield the capi.
tai city Of Illinois, to forward the
political plans Of the church. The spe
cia mission given into his charge ut
the particular time 80 which we refer
WIS 10 promote the passage of the ley
islative measure granting TO the city
oh 90,
which latcr became SO notorious on ac
count of the trouble which it bred.
Years ago the Dcserct News was in
the habit of publishing running
series of chapters of the "lIistory of
Joseph Smith, taken mostly from his
personal diary, MS that was made up
under his direction by clerks employed
by the church. On Thursday. Novcm
her l6, 1854, the following letter APP
pcared in the Dcserct News in one of
these historical instnllments:
City of Springfield. Dec. l6. 1870.
Editors of the Times and Seasons;
Tho act Incorporating the city OF Nau
Noo has just passed the council of re-
vision. and is now law OF the land. 10
take effect and bc In force from and
The aforesaid act contains two addi-
tonal Chartcrs-onc incorporating the
"Nauvoo Legion" the other the Uni
vcrsity of the city OF Nauvoo."
All these charters are very broad and
liberal. comforting the most plenary pow
ers on the corpotators. Illinois has
acquitted herself with honor and her
State Legislature shall never be forgot
ten. Every power asked has been
granted. every request EratiiCd, every
desire fulfilled In the Senate Mr.. Little
l,.cF
and faithfully ard honestly. and with
untiring diligence, discharged every obli-
CATION dcvovlng upon him as our imme-
dlsrte representative ir the Upper House
Mark well that man. ana do him honor:
snyder. and Ralston. and Moore and
Ross, and Sapp, and numerous others
likewise In that branch OF our State Gov
crnment, rendered us very essential ser
vices; and the act passed that body with
out dissenting voice:
In the House OF Representatives
In the Lower House, was at his post and
discharged his duty as faithful Repre-
sentative: he is an acting, and not a
talking man, and has fulfilled all his OBJ
legations 10 us. Many members in this
House, likewise. were warmly in our Ia
vor. and with only one or two dissenting
voices. every Representative appeared in
Clincd to extend TO us all such. powers as
they considered MS justly entitled TO, and
voted for the law, and here | should
not forget to mention that Lincoln. whose
name we erased from the electoral ticket
in November (not however. on account
of any dislike TO him as man but sim
ply because his was the last name on
the ticket; and we desired TO show our
friendship to the Democratic party by
substituting the name of Ralston for some
one of the Whigs) had the mngnanimity
| to vote for our act, and came forward.
after the final vote, and cordially con-
graduated me on its passage.
Our worthy Governor is certainly dis
posed to do us ample justice In every re
spect; and TO extend TO ms every facility
for our future happiness and prosperity.
Illinois has certainly done her duty
and now II becomes us Ia show ourselves
upright honest. just, worthy of the favors
bestowed by noble. generous and magnant-
nous statesmen. l have said that we
are q law-ablding people, and we must
now show IL The State has washed her
hands in granting all our petitions, and
| II we do not show ourselves approved,
| Justice equal Justice should be our fixed
| object and purpose. and the great God
will prosper us; length OF days VIII be
| I'm our right hand. and in our left, glory
ana '''''' join c. BENNETT.
The concluding paragraph is pro
phetic. Subsequent events proved
the significance Of the warning therein
uttered. But our object in presenting
this letter is to show that, altogether
contrary TO the old contention Of the
church leaders, which was given cur
rency in order to embitter the hearts
of the Mormon people against all out
side Of the church, there was dis
position in Illinois to give the Nor
mon people and their leaders every OPP
portunity to establish themselves as a
decent. law abiding community IN the
commonwealth In his diary Joseph
Smith comments upon this charter
spoken of by John c. Bennett by say
ing "The City Charter of Nauvoo is
Of my own plan and device. con
cocted it for the salvation of the
Church" :" Under this concoction il APP
pears TO have granted such large and
so many extraordinary powers that ii
shortly fostercd and encouraged the ut
most arrogance in some Of the Mormon
leaders. Under its almost unheard-oi
privileges a great many grievous
wrongs against the State and against
people not of the church were com
mitted The realm of politics was