Читать книгу History of Joseph Smith, the Prophet and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Joseph F. Smith - Страница 61

1. The Reverends Finis Ewing and Isaac McCoy were equally bitter and nearly as active. The former was the head and front of the Cumberland Presbyterian church, and is credited with publishing this statement: "The Mormons are the common enemies of mankind and ought to be destroyed."

Of this Reverend Pixley and the part taken by the clergy against the Saints generally in these Jackson county troubles, Elder Newel Knight, in his journal, published in Scraps of Biography, page 76, says: "The sectarian priests and missionaries around us were among the first to come out both secretly and openly against us. Among the more active of these was a Mr. Pixley, who did not content himself in slandering us to the people of Jackson county, but also wrote to eastern papers telling horrible lies about us, with the evident intention of rousing a spirit of hatred against us. His talk was of the bitterest kind, his speeches perfectly inflammatory; and he appeared to have an influence among the people to carry them with him in his hellish designs. Nor did he confine his actions to the white settlers, but tried to stir up the Indians against us, and use every means in his power to accomplish his purposes. His efforts were seconded by such men as Reverends McCoy, Fitzhugh, Bogard, Kavanaugh, Lovelady, Likens, Hunter, and others; and by their perseverance at last, the public mind became so excited that on the 20th of July a meeting was called and largely attended by not only the rabble of the county, but also the men holding official positions."

2. As stated in the Prophet's narrative, the article in the Star, "Beware of False Prophets," written as an answer to Reverend Pixley's tract, was of a mild and pacific character. It proceeds to place in contrast, merely, the course and character of true Prophets and false ones—fixing many of the marks of false prophets, however, on the sectarian ministers of the times who, while clinging to forms of godliness, were denying the power thereof. It makes no direct allusion to the tract of Rev. Pixley, nor does it say a personal word of the course he was pursuing: but indirectly it evidently refers to him and his nefarious work in the following passages: "When, therefore, any man, no matter who, or how high his standing may be, utters or publishes anything which afterwards proves to be untrue, he is a false prophet. And if he does it uncalled for, for the purpose of injuring his fellow-beings, or for the sake of gain, or to deceive any man by putting a false coloring upon a matter of religion, to lead astray or prejudice the minds of any to hinder them from receiving the truth, wo unto him, he is a false prophet! * * * * Here then we can say, where we find a person uttering or publishing what he does not know to be a truth, merely to make a noise, whereby the least saint on earth might be offended—beware of false prophets. * * * * Did you ever hear, or have you ever read of a true prophet that spake evil of any man, or that would lie to further the cause of God or anything else? If you have, brethren, then has the hypocrite an excuse for leaving his own fault unexposed, and publishing his neighbor's to the world. Then has the false prophet an opportunity to plead his right to send his lying words abroad, that he may obtain the praise and glory of this world, and deceive the simple."

3. The comment of the editor of the Star on this clause of Missouri's constitution is—"It shows a liberality of opinion of the great men of the west, and will vie with that of any other state. It is good; it is just, and it is the citizen's right."

4. This document is sometimes referred to as "The secret constitution," and was doubtless regarded as a "constitution" by the mob, by which they were bound together to accomplish the objects set forth in the document itself. The Saints became aware of its existence and the fact of its being circulated among the old settlers about the middle of July; how long before that it had been circulated is not known, but it was doubtless drawn up early in that month.

5. Relative to the charges against the saints in the foregoing documents, Elder Parley P. Pratt has the following pertinent comment in his "History of the Persecution of the Saints", pages 26-29:

"I will briefly notice a few items of the foregoing bond of conspiracy, for I consider most of it as too barefaced to need any comment. In the first place I would inquire whether our belief as set forth in this declaration, as to gifts, miracles, revelations and tongues, is not the same that all the Apostles and disciples taught, believed and practiced, and the doctrine of the New Testament?

Secondly—I would inquire when the New Testament religion ceased, and a law revealed or instituted, which made blasphemy of the belief and practice of it? or what holy religion the Jackson mob were speaking of, which was thrown into contempt by the revival of the New Testament religion?

Thirdly—They complain of our society being very poor as to property; but have they never read in the New Testament that God had chosen the poor in this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom of God? And when did poverty become a crime known to the law?

Fourthly—Concerning free negroes and mulattoes. Do not the laws of Missouri provide abundantly for the removal from the state of all free negroes and mulattoes (except certain privileged ones)? And also for the punishment of those who introduce or harbor them? The statement concerning our invitation to them to become "Mormons," and remove to this state, and settle among us, is a wicked fabrication, as no such thing was ever published in the Star, or anywhere else, by our people, or anything in the shadow of it; and we challenge the people of Jackson [county], or any other people, to produce such a publication from us. In fact one dozen free negroes or mulattoes never belonged to our society in any part of the world, from its first organization to this day (1839).

Fifthly—As to crime or vice, we solemnly appeal to all the records of the courts of Jackson county, and challenge the county to produce the name of any individual of our society on the list of indictments, from the time of our first settlement in the county, to the time of our expulsion, a period of more than two years.

Sixthly—As it respects the ridiculous report of our threatening that we would have their lands for a possession, it is too simple to require a notice, as the laws of the country guarantee to every man his rights, and abundantly protect him in their full enjoyment. And we hereby declare, that we settled no lands, only such as our money purchased, and that no such thing ever entered our hearts, as possessing any inheritance in any other way.

Seventhly—We ask what public morals were in danger of being corrupted where officers of the peace could openly violate their several oaths in the most awful manner, and join with hundreds of others in murder, treason, robbery, house burning, stealing, etc.

6. This article, "Free People of Color," referred to in the Prophet's History, but not quoted in extenso anywhere by him, is here given entire, and is followed with The Evening and Morning Star extra, published on the 16th of July, 1833. The importance of these documents justifies their introduction in this manner. It will be observed that the mob in their manifesto charge that the Saints in the first article in question, "Invite free negroes and mulattoes from other states to become 'Mormons,' and remove and settle among us." On this false accusation the mob pretended to found the following apprehensions: "This exhibits them in still more odious colors. It manifests a desire on the part of their society, to inflict on our society an injury that they know would be to us entirely unsupportable, and one of the surest means of driving us from the country; for it would require none of the supernatural gifts that they pretend to, to see that the introduction of such a caste among us would corrupt our blacks, and instigate them to bloodshed."

The publication of the article, "Free People of Color" completely refutes the false accusation of the mob against the Saints.

7. This "Extra," as soon as the brethren learned what construction was being put upon the article "Free People of Color," was printed in the form of a handbill and circulated as promptly as possible. In it, however, the editor of the Star goes too far when he says that no free people of color "will be admitted into the Church." Such was never the doctrine or policy of the Church. Indeed in the article "Free People of Color," the editor himself had said: "So long as we have no special rule in the Church as to free people of color, let prudence guide." And again, in the "Address of the Elders stationed in Zion to the Churches Abroad," published in the July number of the Star, and also found on page 379 of this volume, occurs the following: "Our brethren will find an extract of the law of this state relative to free people of color on another page of this paper. Great care should be taken on this point. The Saints must shun every appearance of evil. As to slaves we have nothing to say. In connection with the wonderful events of this age, much is doing towards abolishing slavery, and colonizing the blacks in Africa." This, with the passage from the article "Free People of Color," is quoted to show that the Church had formulated no doctrine or policy with reference to slaves or free people of color; and in forming his judgment of this matter the reader must remember that the statement about not admitting such people into the Church is merely the view at that time of the editor of the Star, and by no means represents the policy of the Church. As a matter of fact there were very few, if any, people of color in the Church at that time. The "fears" of the Missourians on that head were sheer fabrications of evil-disposed minds.