Latter Day Saints' Messenger and Advocate/Volume 2/Number 11/Editorial notices and comments
MESSENGER AND ADVOCATE edit
MESSENGER AND ADVOCATE.
We have no doubt but our brethren expect, when they receive our paper, to have it a feast to the soul, an intellectual treat, something animating and instruction to the understanding in the great principles of our holy religion. Under these impressions, solely, they may suffer some disappointment on receiving this month's number, and think we owe them an apology. To such we say, that we deem it a matter of primary importance that correct intelligence be conveyed to all, in all matters relating to the welfare of our brethren in the West. It is not only due our brethren to wipe away the foul and calumnious aspersions cast upon them by their enemies; but it is due to the hospitable and humane, in the county of Clay, to thus publicly acknowledge the debt of gratitude due them. These are some of the reasons that have induced us to admit into our columns this month, what may be thought by some to belong only in a paper of a political cast. We have no other correct, expeditious mode of conveying intelligence; therefore, we feel that we are justified, and rely on the good sense of our brethren to approbate our course.
PUBLIC MEETING edit
From the "Far West."
PUBLIC MEETING
A respectable number of our fellow citizens met, being previously notified of the same, at the court house, in the Town of Liberty, June 29th, 1836.
On motion of Doct. Woodson J. Moss, JOHN BIRD, was called to the Chair.
And, On motion of Col. Wm. T. Wood, JOHN F. DOHERTY, appointed Secretary:
The object of the me[e]ting was, by request of the Chair, explained in a few appropriate remarks, by Col. Wood; when
On motion of Col. Wm. T. Wood, a Committee of nine was appointed to draft resolutions expressive of the sense of this meeting:
Whereupon the following gentlemen were chosen, viz:
John Thornton, Esq. Peter Rogers, Esq. Andrew Robertson, Esq. James T. V. Thompson, Esq. Col. Wm. T. Wood, Doct. Woodson J. Moss, James M. Hughes, Esq. David R. Atchison, Esq. and A. W Doniphan, Esq. Who retired, and in a short time returned and made through their Chairman, (Col. John Thornton.) the following unanimous report, which was read.
It is apparent, to every reflecting mind, that a crisis has arrived in this county, that requires the deep, cool, dispassionate consideration, and immediate action of every lover of peace, harmony and good order. We cannot conceal from ourselves, the fact that, at this moment, the clouds of civil war are rolling up their fearful masses and hanging over our devoted county, solemn, dark and terrible. This painful state of things has been produced mainly, by the rapid and increasing emigration, of that people, commonly called Mormons, during the last few months. It is known to all, that in November, 1833, these people were expelled from their homes in Jackson county, without money, without property, without the means of subsistence for themselves, their wives and their children; and like Noah's dove without even a resting place for their feet. They came to our county, thus friendless and penniless, seeking (as they said) but a temporary asylum, from the storms of persecution by which they were then buffeted. Their destitute and miserable condition, at that inclement season of the year, excited the deep sympathies of the philanthropic and hospitable citizens of this county; and notwithstanding the thousand reports, that were borne on the wings of the wind, charging them with almost every crime known to the laws of our country: yet our feelings of kindness, and sympathy for human suffering prevailed over every obstacle, and they were received with friendship and treated with toleration, and often with marks of peculiar kindness. They always declared that they looked not upon this county as their home, but as a temporary asylum, and that whenever a respectable portion of the citizens of this county, should request it, they would promptly leave us in peace as they found us.—That period has now arrived. Duty to ourselves, to our families, and to the best interests of our county, require at our hands, to demand the fulfilment of that pledge. They are charged by those who are opposed to them, with an unfriendly determination to violate that pledge. Their rapid emigration, their large purchases and offers to purchase lands, the remarks of the ignorant and imprudent portion of them, that this country is destined by heaven to be theirs, are received and looked upon, by a large portion of this community, as strong & convincing proofs that they intend to make this county their permanent home, that centre and general rendezvous of their people.—These are some of the reasons, why these people have become objects of the deepest hatred and detestation to many of our citizens. They are Eastern men, whose manners, habits, customs and even dialect, are essentially different from our own; they are non—slave holders, and opposed to slavery; which, in this peculiar period, when abolition has reared its deformed and haggard visage in our land, is well calculated to excite deep and abiding prejudices in any community, where slavery is tolerated and practiced. In addition to all this, they are charged, as they have heretofore been, with keeping up a constant communication with the Indian tribes on our frontier, with declaring, even from the pulpit, that the Indians are a part of God's chosen people, and are destined, by heaven, to inherit this land, in common with themselves. We do not vouch for the correctness of these statements; but whether they are true or false, their effect has been the same in exciting our community. In times of greater tranquil[l]ity, such ridiculous remarks might well be regarded as the offspring of phrenzied [frenzied] fanaticism. But at this time our defenceless situation on the frontier, the bloody disasters of our fellow citizens in Florida and other parts of the south, all tend to make a portion of our citizens regard such sentiments with horror, if not alarm.—These and many other causes, have combined to raise a prejudice against them; and a feeling of hostility, that the first spark may, and we deeply fear, will ignite into all the horrors and desolations of a civil war: the worst evil that can befall any country. We, therefore, feel it our duty to come forward, as mediators, and use every means in our power, to prevent the occurrence of so great an evil. As the most efficient means to arrest the evil, we urge on the Mormons, to use every means, to put an immediate stop to the emigration of their people, to this county. We earnestly urge them to seek some other abiding place, where the manners, the habits and customs of the people will be more consonant with their own. For this purpose we would advise them to explore the territory of Wisconsin. This country is peculiarly suited to their condition & their wants. It is almost entirely unsettled; they can there procure large bodies of land together, where there are no settlements, and none to interfere with them. It is a territory in which slavery is prohibited, and it is settled entirely with emigrants from the North and East. The religious tenets of this people are so different from the present churches of the age, that they always have and always will, excite deep prejudices against them, in any populous country where they may locate. We therefore, in a spirit of frank and friendly kindness, do advise them to seek a home where they may obtain large and separate bodies of land, and have a community of their own. We further say to them, if they regard their own safety and welfare—if they regard the welfare of their families, their wives and children, they will ponder with deep and solemn reflection on this friendly admonition. If they have one spark of gratitude, they will not willingly plunge a people into civil war, who held out to them the friendly hand of assistance in that hour of dark distress, when there was few to say, God save them. We can only say to them that if they still persist in the blind course, they have heretofore followed, in flooding the county with their people, that we fear and firmly believe that an immediate civil war is the inevitable consequence.— We know that there is not one among us, who thirsts for the blood of that people. We do not contend that we have the least right, under the constitution and laws of the country, to expel them by force. But we would indeed be blind, if we did not foresee that the first blow, that is struck at this moment of deep excitement, must and will speedily involve every individual in a war, bearing ruin, woe, and desolation in its course. It matters but little how, where, or by whom the war may begin, when the work of destruction commences, we must all be borne onward by the storm, or crushed beneath its fury. In a civil war when our homes is the theatre, on which it is fought, there can be no neutrals; let our opinions be what they may, we must fight in self—defence. We want nothing, we ask nothing, we would have nothing from this people. We only ask them, for their own safety, and for ours, to take the least of the two evils. Most of them are destitute of land, have but little property, are late emigrants to this country, without relations, friends, or endearing ties, to bind them to this land at the risk of such imminent peril to them and to us. We request them to leave us, when their crops are gathered, their business settled, and they have made every suitable preparation to remove. Those who have 40 acres of land, we are willing, shall remain until they can dispose of it without loss if it should require years. But we urge, most strongly urge, that emigration cease, and cease immediately, as nothing else can or will allay for a moment, the deep excitement that is now unhap[p]ily agitating this community. If the Mormons will comply with these friendly requisitions, we will use every exertion, among our own citizens, to arrest this evil before it is forever too late; but if they are disregarded, we can promise neither them or ourselves, a long continuation of the blessings of peace and harmony.
1st. Therefore, be it resolved by this meeting, that they view, with feelings of the deepest regret, the present unhappy situation of our country.
2nd. That it is the fixed and settled conviction of this meeting, that unless the people commonly called Mormons, will agree to stop immediately the emigration of their people to this county, and take measures to remove themselves from it, a civil war is inevitable.
3d. That a committee of ten be appointed, to make known to the leaders of that people, the views of this meeting, and to urge upon them the propriety of acceding to these propositions.
4th. That said committee consist of Andrew Robertson, Michael Arthur, Littleberry Sublet, John Baxter, Jas. M. Hughes, W. J. Moss, John Bird, Peter Rogers, W. T. Wood and J. T. V. Thompson, who shall meet on tomorrow at the house of Mr. Cowen and confer with the Mormons and report to this meeting as soon thereafter as convenient, the reply of the Mormons to these requisitions.
5th. That if the Mormons agree to these propositions we will use every means in our power to allay the excitement among our own citizens and to get them to await the result of these things.
6th. That it is the opinion of this meeting that the recent emigrants among the Mormons should take measures to leave this county immediately as they have no crops on hand and nothing to lose by continuing their journey to some more friendly land.
On motion of Col. Wm. T. Wood, the Preamble and Resolutions were unanimously adopted.
Be it resolved that this meeting adjourn until Saturday next.
JOHN BIRD, Chair.
JOHN F. DOHERTY, Sec.