USA > Illinois > Hancock County > History of Hancock County, Illinois, together with an outline history of the State, and a digest of State laws > Part 23
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So, in respect to the character of John D. Lee, the " scape-goat" who was executed for his share in the Mountain Meadow massacre, as one has depicted it: "Lee is a good, kind-hearted fellow, who would share his last biscuit with a fellow traveler on the plains, but at the next instant, if Brigham Young said so, he would cut that fellow traveler's throat." Such is the system taught in Utah, was taught in less horrid perfection in Nauvoo, in Missouri, in Kirtland
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and away back in Palmyra. Ah! but it is the system and not the men, urge these apologists, to which these monstrous evils are to be attributed. True; but who, if not the men who originated and up- hold it, are responsible for the system ?
The Mormons as a people are not justly chargeable with the wrong-doing which has been ascribed to them. There are bad men among them, dangerously bad men, who have committed outrages and damning deeds which would disgrace any community. But these deeds were perpetrated by the few; the masses were sin- cere and devoted to their conceptions of right and truth, as the whole course of their lives and eventful history abundantly proves. This has been the united test- imony of all the " Gentiles " who have lived among them. The errors of the past life of the people, whether in their treatment of apostates or in their hostility to the nation, are attributable to the system and to the men who direct the public mind. Men and women who, for a religious faith, voluntarily abandon the homes of childhood and rend asunder the hallowed ties of family and friends-as Mormon converts do in all parts of the world-traversing oceans and plains, and suffering privations incident to creating new homes in a barren waste, are not persons devoid of the qualities of good citizens .- [Stenhouse, p. 7.
The foregoing, while partly true, is yet in a sense extremely false. That a large portion of the rank and file of the Mormon brotherhood are " sincere and devoted to their conceptions of right and truth," will not be denied; yet another large portion of them joined the ranks caring little for "right and truth," so that they could improve their worldly condition in a land said to be " flow- ing with milk and honey," and where the Gentile was soon to be brought into subjection. These, it will not be claimed, possessed the qualities of good citizens. And it may well be questioned if the sincerely honest ones were not really the more " dangerous " in the hands of the few bad men, whose behests were to them as the word of God. Take for example the Mountain Meadow massacre, or the slaughter of the seceding Morrisites. These " damning " deeds were not perpetrated alone by the bad leaders; they were done in all their atrocity by men who were " devoted to their con- ceptions of right and truth,"-inspired by the vindictive fanati- cism of the leaders; and that is the system to which our author attributes the " errors " of Mormonism! Errors, indeed! Which is to be most dreaded in a community,-the few bad men who order and direct, or the many " sincere and devoted," who execute the damning deeds of midnight or open-day assassination and pillage?
In referring to the character of Smith, Stenhouse in another place gives us the following, p. 158:
The poor farm laborer merges in the preacher, the preacher becomes a trans- lator, a prophet, a seer, a revelator, a banker, an editor, a mayor, a lieutenant-gen- eral, a candidate for the Presidency of the world's greatest republic, and last of all, though not the least difficult of his achievements, he becomes the husband of many wives. This variety of work accomplished within the short space of four- teen years, exhibits a fertility of brain and a reckless activity, which stamps Joseph Smith, the Mormon prophet, as one of earth's most remark able men.
All this seems very remarkable and real until submitted to the touchstone of truth-until we call things by their right names. Not one half of these was he ever in reality. We have already
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shown that he was not a farmer. A preacher? instead, he was only a rude, foul-mouthed declaimer and blasphemer; a trans- lator? instead, he was notoriously incapable of even interpret- ing his own native tongue; a prophet? a seer? a revelator? in each and all an arrant pretender and failure; a banker? on the money bestowed upon him by his dupes, he and his asso- ciates did establish what they called a bank, but its disgraceful ending showed that it deserved any other name; an editor? only by having his name at the head of a paper, his subordinates doing the work; a mayor? he did hold the title under the city charter, but it was really an office of king and high priest. The title of lieutenant-general was bestowed on him by the charter, but it was one unknown to the Constitution or laws of the State or nation. A candidate for the Presidency? any man can proclaim himself such, but that does not invest it with the dignity of fact. And as to the last,-that of being the husband of many wives,-the laws of the country decide. A "variety of work," truly; but all centered in one grand scheme of imposture-the suc- cess of which has been truly remarkable, both under him and his successors; but which does not stamp either him or them as of " earth's most remarkable men."
His character in youth, as described by Tucker, is no doubt correct-a character just suited to the foundation for such a struct- ure as his life proved to be.
Tucker says, p. 16:
From the age of twelve to twenty years he is distinctly remembercd as a dull-eyed, flaxen-haired, prevaricating boy, noted only for his indolent and vagabondish char- acter, and his habits of exaggeration and untruthfulness. * * * He could utter the most palpable exaggeration or marvelous absurdity with the utmost apparent gravity. He nevertheless evidenced the rapid development of a thinking, plodding, evil-brewing mental composition, largely given to inventions of low cunning, schemes of mischief and deception, and false and mysterious pretensions. In his moral phrenology, the professor might have marked the organ of secretiveness as very large, and that of conscientiousness " omitted."
Stenhouse, in his charity for the prophet and his cashier, Rig- don, as bankers, concludes that they did not contemplate a deliber- ate swindle, in the matter of the Kirtland bank. He says such a conclusion " would be very inharmonions with their life and programme at that period." And yet he gives this statement in regard to it, on the authority of a Pittsburg banker. Those bankers, having been induced to receive the Kirtland money, found themselves one day with considerable of it on hand, and a rumor on the air that the bank had become shaky. So they despatched an agent with a lot of its bills for redemption. Rigdon was aston- ished at their assurance; coolly told him that their notes had been put out as a circulating medium for public accommodation! that they redeemed nothing ! that the Pittsburgers had not been asked to take their paper! and compared them to the money- changers who had been scourged out of the temple at Jerusalem!
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THE GOLD PLATES
were said to have been seven by eight inches in size, about the thickness of common tin, and that they were fastened together at one side by rings, making a book about six inches thick. This would make a solid gold block of nearly 300 cubic inches; worth, say fifteen to eighteen thousand dollars. Who will believe that so much treasure in hand, no matter what may have been engraved thereon, would not have been too tempting a bait for those men to resist; and that they would not have found some way to circum- vent the angel, rather than have them again hid from sight? Such a mnine of wealth, in those days, and to such men, would have been a bonanza worth fighting angels and "devils " for.
MORMONISM IN HANCOCK COUNTY, RESUMED.
We resume now the thread of Mormon history in Hancock county.
The first great error committed by the people of the county, was in accepting too readily the Mormon story of persecution. It was continually wrung in their ears, and believed as often as asserted. The Mormon people were among us, many of them in distress and in need of our sympathy and aid; while the "Missouri ruffians " were at a distance ;- and that was before the age of railroads and telegraphs and fast mails.
Another great wrong grew out of party spirit. The two politi- cal parties, Democrat and Whig, were nearly equally divided in the county, and a great presidential election was approaching. It was soon seen that Mr. Smith's influence would control the Mor- mon vote; and that that vote, if thrown one way, would decide all political contests in the county. Hence, it was only natural that both parties sought to attach the Mormons to their interests. In August, 1839, the election did not turn on party politics, and not many of the new comers being voters, the result was much as before,-candidates of both parties were elected.
During the summer and fall of 1839, many who had crossed the river at Quincy wended their way up to the new Zion; many others stopped with their families in Adams and the lower end of Hancock, wherever they could find an empty hut or place for tem- porary sojourn. In September the city of Nauvoo was laid out. It embraced a large portion of the two small fractional townships six and seven north, range nine west, lying in the bend of the river, at the head of the rapids, and extended over into the township on the south.
In view of their distressed condition when they reached Quincy, large contributions were made for them by the citizens, and also in Hancock county. The then small city of Quincy contributed some thousands of dollars. These contributions were made in money, clothing, provisions, or any thing to relieve distress.
It soon began to be loudly urged that Missouri was in duty
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bound to make good the losses incurred by the refugees; and prep- arations were made by the chief's at Nauvoo to press their claims upon the national authorities at Washington. During the fall, the prophet, with two of his chiefs, Rigdon and Colonel Higbee, repaired to Washington to lay the matter before Congress and President Van Buren. They carried with them a large number of certificates reciting losses sustained by the brethren in Missouri, made out in due form and sworn to, with the county seal attached. Hon. . John T. Stuart, member of Congress from this District-a Whig- undertook to present the matter to the House, and Henry Clay was appealed to to lay it before the Senate. They also applied to the President and to Mr. Calhoun. The latter bluntly informed them that the General Government had no authority in the prem- ises. No redress was obtained, either through Congress or the President; and they returned to Nauvoo, highly incensed against the President and his administration. One great object, however, had been attained-a national notoriety.
At this date, Robert Lucas a former Governor of Ohio, was Governor of Iowa Territory. He was appealed to for a letter, and he kindly forwarded the following:
IOWA TERRITORY, Jan. 4, 1840.
SIR :- You informed me that a committee of Mormons are about to apply to Con- gress of the United States for an investigation on the cause of their expulsion from the State of Missouri, and to ask of the General Government remuneration for the losses sustained by them in consequence of such expulsion, and ask me to state my opinion of the character and general conduct of these people while they resided in the State of Ohio ; and also the conduct and general report of those who have settled in the Territory of Iowa since their expulsion from the State of Missouri.
In compliance with your request, I will state that I have had but little personal acquaintance with them. I know that there was a community of them in the northern part of the State of Ohio, and while I resided in the State they were generally con- sidered an industrious, inoffensive people ; and I have no recollection of ever having heard in that State of their being charged with violating the laws of the country.
Since their expulsion from Missouri, a portion of them, about one hundred fanı- ilies, have settled in Lee county, Iowa Territory, and are generally considered indus- trious, inoffensive and worthy citizens.
Very respectfully yours, ROBERT LUCAS, Gov. of Iowa Ter. A. RIPLEY.
A great Conference of the Church was held at Nauvoo on the 6-9th of April, 1840, at which it was said there were several thou- sand persons present. At this meeting Orson Hyde and John E. Page were commissioned to visit the Jews in Europe, and at Con- stantinople and Jerusalem. At this Conference, Smith gave an account of his reception and doings at Washington, in which he was very severe upon President Van Buren. The Conference also passed a series of resolutions, thanking the people of Illinois for their kind and generous conduct; the Illinois delegation in Con- gress for their course; and Governors Carlin of Illinois and Lucas of Iowa for their sympathy, aid and protection.
It is stated that while in Missouri Mr. Smith had been an adher- ent of the Democratic party; but his treatment there, with this rebuff at Washington, prepared the way for throwing his support
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to the Whigs. In the summer of 1840 it came to be generally be- lieved that such was his intention; and as he had several hundred votes now at his control. it became a matter of concern with candi- dates to secure his favor. Hence, those of both parties frequently visited Nanvoo, hoping to receive some pledge or to obtain some sign of support for the coming election in Angust. And these signs were in turn vouchsafed to them all: all were allowed to go away with high hopes, to relate to their friends in other sections the certainty of success.
It will be remembered that this campaign of 1840 was distin- guished as the "log cabin and hard cider " campaign, in which the Whigs held many large and enthusiastic meetings in favor of Gen. Harrison for President. About the last of March one of these mass meetings was held at Carthage, at which nominations were made for the county. The ticket put in the field was an unexcep- tionable one. viz .: for County Commissioner. Samuel Comer. of Carthage: for Sheriff. Wm. D. Abernethy, of Augusta; for Coro- ner. Harmon T. Wilson, of Carthage: and for Representative, Martin Hopkins, of Fountain Green. The ticket was well received by the people, ard was placed at the head of the Western World. the Whig paper at Warsaw, where it remained until the 22d of July, the election to take place early in August. In the World of that date, the "Important Announcement" was made that Mr. Hopkins had withdrawn, and that Dr. John F. Charles, of Car- thage, had been selected in his place. And what was the reason for this change-the purpose of a party in thus setting aside a capable and good man and substituting another in his place? Simply this: the autoerat at Nauvoo had declared he wouldn't support him! Such was party subservieney. And it is not strange that Smith used the power of which he found himself so fully possessed.
The result was, that the whole Whig ticket was elected by an average majority of about 400 votes.
No sooner had these people settled amongst us than they com- meneed those petty acts of stealing and other depredations upon property which were charged against them everywhere, and which were so annoying to their neighbors and provocative of hostility. It will not do to charge that all these offenses were committed by Mormons: some of them were doubtless by others on their credit: but it is clear that the prophet had among his followers a large number who interpreted literally his teachings that the prop- erty of the Gentiles rightfully belonged to the Saints, and practi- cally carried out the precept. It is also a notable fact that while openly professing a desire to punish all offenses, the leaders and members generally would screen and protect the guilty.
These depredations had been going on more or less for a year, when an event occurred on the river below Warsaw which created great excitement. A citizen found in his vicinity a depot of stolen goods, a considerable portion of which had been taken from a store in Tully. Missouri, a few miles further down. Some citizens of
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that place came over and claimed part of the goods, and took them away; and finding some Mormons in the river bottom hunting horses, caught them and took them to Missouri, where they were tied to trees and severely beaten. It is claimed that they confessed the theft, but this is not certain. This outrage created a great sensation at Nauvoo, and throughout the county. A large public meeting was held and strong resolutions passed. Shortly after- ward, some four or five citizens of Tully, found on this side of the river, were arrested and brought before Daniel H. Wells, Esq., of Nauvoo, for examination, and upon a hearing discharged. Mr. Sidney H. Little, Whig Senator, was employed in the prosecution. An envoy was sent by Gov. Carlin to Jefferson City, it was stated. to demand the delivery of the Tully culprits. and he returned to Quiney stating that they would be given up. But a day or two afterward a couple of officers arrived in Quincy (Gov. Carlin resided in that city). armed with a requisition from Gov. Boggs, of Missouri, for Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon, as fugitives from justice in that State. So far as now remembered neither of these demands was complied with.
DR. JOHN C. BENNETT.
During the summer or fall of 1840. a new star rose upon the horizon at Nauvoo, and shed its light upon the city and people for a year or two, and then disappeared. This was no less a personage than Dr. John C. Bennett. a man. though small in stature. vet large, extremely large. in his own estimation. About the first of October he was baptized into the Mormon faith, and at once was taken into the confidence of the prophet, and assigned a high rank among the leaders. Gov. Ford's notice of this individual is so tersely written, and so well accords with the public opinion, that we give it in his own language. He says:
This Bennett was probably the greatest scamp in the Western country. I have made particular inquiries concerning him. and have traced him in several places. in which he has lived before he had joined the Mormons, -in Ohio. Indiana, and Illinois. -- and he was everywhere accounted the same debauched, unprincipled and profligate character. He was a man of some little talent. and had the confidence of the Mor- mons. and particularly that of their leaders. [HIST. ILL. p. 263.
To Dr. Bennett was entrusted the duty of procuring from the Legislature such charters as they required. Accordingly, at the session of 1840-41. he repaired to Springfield to lobby for that purpose. His task was an easy one: both parties in that body vr- ing with each other to obey his behests. He returned about the first of Jannary, having secured three charters-one for the "City of Nauvoo," one for the " University of the City of Nauvoo." and a third for the " Nanvoo Legion." To Senator Little of Hancock county. and to Hon. Stephen A. Douglas, then Secretary of State. it is said he was mainly indebted for the liberal and extraordinary provisions contained in these charters. though they passed both houses without opposition, and were read only by their titles.
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This act (the three charters were all contained in one act) created a "City," a "University," and a "Military Legion," represented respectively by a " City Council." a "Board of Trustees," and a "Court Martial," each of which was invested with legislative, judicial and executive powers, the right to " enact, establish, ordain and execute all laws and ordinances not repugnant to the Constitu- tion of the United States or of this State."" No proviso appears in the act, guarding against infringement of the laws of either State or United States. That very usual proviso in charters seems to have been purposely omitted; for it will be found, on examination. that in all other charters granted at that session of the General Assembly, the laws as well as the Constitutions, are included in the provisos. And yet, as in all probability the charters were the work of Bennett himself, the omission may have been accidental on the part of our legislators. We hope, for the fair fame of the honored dead. who were instrumental in procuring these charters, that it was so. Yet it is a no less painful fact, that the Judiciary Com- mittee, the members generally, and the Governor who signed the bill. omitted the performance of a plain duty.
But this omission was not perhaps the worst feature of the act. All three of the charters seem to have been contrived to give the Mormons a system of government as far as possible independent of the rest of the State. Another provision, having the same pur- pose. was afterward added to the charter. by way of amendment, passed as a rider to a road law. It provided that " any citizen of Hancock county. may, by voluntary enrollment, attach himself to the Nauvoo Legion, with all the privileges which appertain to that independent military body." The effect of this, it will readily be seen, was to bring all those brethren who resided out of the city, in various parts of the county, into the legion, and under the same military control.
On the 3d of February, 1841. the city of Nauvoo was organized under its charter, with Dr. Bennett as its first Mayor. The legion and the university were organized about the same time, with Smith as Lieutenant-General and Bennett as Major-General of the legion. James Kelley. A. M., " an alumnus of Trinity College. Dublin," was chosen Chancellor of the university. This last named, we think. never occupied the position. One of the first acts of the City Council was to pass a vote of thanks to the State Government for favors conferred, and to the citizens of Quincy for the kindness shown them when driven from Missouri. The legion was furnished with State arms by Gen. Bennett, who, we omitted to state, had been appointed Quarter-Master General the year before by Gorer- nor Carlin.
Mr. Douglas, who had at the late legislative session been elected a Judge of the Supreme Court. and assigned to circuit duty, held a court in Hancock county early in May. One of his first acts was to appoint Major General Bennet to the office of Master in Chan- cerv. This act of indiscretion met with unqualified condemnation
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by people of all parties. It was rebuked by the Warsaw Signal (then the only paper in the county outside of Nauvoo), chiefly for the reasons that the appointee was a comparative stranger in the county and State, and that the mass of the people had no confidence in him. In the same issue of that paper was an editorial stating that a rumor existed that the newly arrived emigrants from Eng- land were dissatisfied with affairs at Nauvoo, but that Mr. Rigdon had given assurance that the rumor was false. The Signal contin- ued as follows:
But this is no concern of ours. While on the subject, however, we will notice an accusation which has been made against us-that of having, for political effect, flattered the Mormons. This is not true. We have occasionally noticed their doings, but not with any such design. We believe they have the same rights as other religious bodies possess, and ought to be protected in the just and proper exercise of those rights. We do not believe in persecution for opinion's sake. But whenever they, as a people, step beyond the proper sphere of a religious denomination, and become a political body, as many of our citizens are beginning to apprehend will be the case, then this press stands pledged to take a stand against them. On religious questions it is and shall remain neutral; but it is bound to oppose the concentration of political power in a religious body, or in the hands of a few individuals.
We copy the foregoing for two reasons : first, because it expresses the feeling that pervaded the public mind throughout the county at that time, without regard to party distinctions; and, secondly, in order to show in what spirit it was received by the prophet. Soon afterward the following note was received by Mr. Sharp through the mail:
NAUVOO, ILL., May 26, 1841.
MR. SHARP, Editor of the Warsaw Signal :
SIR-You will discontinue my paper : its contents are calculated to pollute me. And to patronize that filthy sheet, that tissue of lies, that sink of iniquity, is dis- graceful to any moral man. Yours, with utter contempt.
JOSEPH SMITH.
P. S .- Please publish the above in your contemptible paper.
On June 5th. Mr. Smith, being in Quincy, was arrested on a war- rant from the Governor, under a requisition from the Governor of Missouri. A writ of habeas corpus was at once sued out before Calvin A. Warren, Esq., Master in Chancery for Adams county. But Judge Douglas happened to be in the city, and he ordered that the prisoner should be taken before him at Monmouth, where his court was to sit on the following Monday. This was done, and after a hearing Smith was discharged on the ground that the writ had once been returned before it was served, and was j'unctus om- cio. There was a strong suspicion among the people, and the charge was pretty freely made that this arrest on a defective writ, and dis- charge. was all concocted for political effect. Of this we know of no existing proof.
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