Mormon History
Mormons and Numerous Petty Thefts - 1840
Western World – July 29, 1840
Shameful Outrage.
It is well known to our
readers, that after the Latter-day Saints, or Mormons, as they are usually
called, were driven out of the State of Missouri they established their
head-quarters at Commerce, in the upper part of this county on the Mississippi
river, 18 or 20 miles above this place, where they have built largely, and where
most of them reside, though they are scattered through this and the adjoining
counties in considerable numbers. They have generally demeaned themselves as
quiet, peaceable citizens, and displayed considerable fortitude under their
severe trials in the loss of property and friends, and a commendable industry in
trying to retrieve their fallen fortunes.
During the last winter and spring various petty thefts were perpetrated in
various parts of this county which many persons attributed to the Mormons, they
having lately come into the county, and sufering under the odium of similar
conduct in Missouri. With what justice these charges were made we know not, and
do not know that there is any evidence to substantiate them. We merely state the
facts as a matter of history.
Some weeks ago we stated in a late paper, a depot of stolen articles was found 8
or 10 miles below this town, by a gentleman residing near the place. The news of
this discovery having gone across the river to Missouri, a number of the
inhabitants of Tully, a town in that State about 20 miles below this on the
river, came over to seek for goods which they averred had been stolen from them,
and found several articles at the said depot, which they claimed and carried
off. These Missourians attributed all these thefts to the Mormons, and coming
across four of them, who alleged they were hunting horses in the bottom, they
forcibly and without warrant, carried them over the river out of this State, and
tied three of them up to trees, stripped and beat them in the most shameful and
cruel manner. The fourth one was permitted to depart. One of the persons
pubished has since made his escape -- what has become of the other two we have
not learned. It is said that one of them is so badly injured that he cannot
recover.
This is a high-handed and daring violation of the rights and laws of this State,
by citizens of another State residing on our borders, and we are extremely
gratified to learn that Gov. Carlin is taking prompt and vigorous measures to
bring the perpetrators of this daring outrage on our rights and our citizens to
condign punishment. A demand has probably before this time been made on the
Governor of Missouri for the criminals. Gov. Carlin will deserve the thanks of
every citizen of Illinois by pursuing this matter vigorously. The people of
Illinois will not thus suffer their territory to be invaded, their citizens
carried off and shamefully abused, without seeking and obtaining redress for
their grievances. It does not alter the case in the least whether the persons
carried off were guilty or not. If guilty, they still had the right of trial by
jury, by the laws of the State in which the thefts were committed; and the law
holds every man innocent until he is found guilty by a legally constituted jury
of his peers. We hope the citizens of Illinois will frown down this base attempt
to introduce mob-law into the limits of our State, and insist upon it that the
perpetrators of this outrage receive merited punishment. The following are the
proceedings of a meeting held at Nauvoo in relation to this subject, which we
willingly give place to, and only regret that the proceedings had not been
forwarded to us sooner. We would state for the information of those at a
distance, that the name of Commerce has been changed, by the Mormons, to Nauvoo.
At a meeting of the citizens of Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois, on Monday,
July 13th, 1840; Judge Elias Higbee was called to the chair, and R. B. Thompson
was appointed Secretary.
On motion the following Gentlemen were appointed a committee to report
resolutions expressive of the sense of this meeting, to wit:
Isaac Galland, R. B. Thompson, Sidney Rigdon, D. H. Wells. Whereupon; The
committee retired and after a short absence, reported the following preamble and
resolutions, which were unanimously adopted.
PREAMBLE.
The committee appointed to express the sense of
this meeting, in relation to the recent acts of abduction and other deeds of
cruelty and inhumanity committed upon our citizens by those of the State of
Missouri, beg leave respectfully to report:
That having under consideration the principal matters involve in the discharge
of their duty, they have been forced to arrive at the following conclusions:
1st. That the people of Missouri not having sufficiently slacked their thirst
for blood and plunder, are now disposed to pursue us with a repetition of the
scenes of brutality which marked their whole course of conduct towards us during
our unhappy residence among them.
2nd. That, notwithstanding they have already robbed us of our homes, murdered
our families, stolen and carried away our property; and their exertions to
complete the measure of their infamy as a State, have caused unoffending
thousands to be banished from the State, without even the form of a trial, or
the slightest evidence of crime.
They are now sending their gangs of murderousbanditti, and thieving brigands, to
wreak further vengeance and satisfy their insatiable cupidity in the State of
Illinois, and that too, before we have even had time to erect shelters for our
families.
3d. That for the purpose of giving a semblance of justification to their most
unhallowed conduct
The people of Missouri have again commenced concealing goods within the limits
of our settlements, as they before have done in the State of Missouri, in order
to raise a charge of stealing against our citizens and under this guise they
have within a few days kidnapped and carried away several honest and worthy
citizens of this county.
4th. Under these circumstances, the first duty and the only redress which seems
to offer itself to our consideration, is an appeal to the Executive of the State
of Illinois, for redress and protection from further injuries with a confident
assurance that he, unlike the Governor of State of Missouri, will extend the
Executive arm to protect unoffending citizens from lawless outrage.
Therefore -- Resolved, firstly, that we view with no ordinary feelings the
approaching danger as a necessary consequence, following the lawless and
outrageous conduct of the citizens of Missouri, in setting at defiance the laws
of this as well as of all other States in this Union, by forcing from their
homes, and from the State, civil citizens of Illinois, and taking them into the
state of Missouri, without any legal process whatever, and there inflicting upon
them base cruelties in order to extort false confessions from them, to give a
coloring to their (the Missourians) iniquities and screen themselves from the
just indignation of an incensed community.
Resolved 2d. That while we deeply deplore the cause which has brought us
together on this occasion, we cannot refrain from expressing our most
unqualified disapprobation at the infringement of the laws of this state, as set
forth in the above preamble, and strongest indignation at the manner in which
the people of Missouri treated those, whom they had thus inhumanly taken from
among us.
Resolved 3d, That inasmuch as we are conscious of our honest and upright
intentions and are at all times ready and willing to submit to the requirements
of the law, We claim of the citizens and authorities of this State, protection
from such unjust and, before unheard of oppressions.
Resolved 4th, That the forcible abduction of our citizens by those of Missouri,
is a violation of the laws, regulating the federal compact, subversive to the
rights of freemen, and contrary to our free institutions, and republican
principles.
Resolved, 5th, That the cruelties practiced upon our citizens since their
abduction, is disgraceful to humanity, the height of injustice and oppression,
and would disgrace the annals of the most barbarous nations, in either ancient
or modern times, and can only find its parallel in the Auto da Fa of the
inquisition in Spain.
Resolved, 6th, That such unconstitutional and unhallowed proceedings on the part
of the citizens of Missouri, ought to arouse every patriot to exertions and
diligence to put a stop to such procedure, and use all constitutional means to
bring the offenders to justice.
Resolved, 7th, That we memorialize the Executive of this State upon the gross
outrage which has been committed on our citizens, and pledge ourselves to aid
him in such measures as may be considered necessary, to restore our citizens to
freedom, and have satisfaction for the wrongs we have suffered.
Resolved, 8th, That the above be published in the Quincy Whig, Quincy Argus,
Western World, Burlington Gazette, and Hawkeye and Patriot.
ELIAS HIGBEE, Chairman,
R. B. THOMPSON, Sec'ry.