Show SOME BITS Ql hISTORY THE HERALD In a late issue deprecated the methods of some of our Mormon Republican Re-publican friends wherein they seek to win prestige for their party by trying to make it appear that the Democratic party is responsible re-sponsible for all the persecutions and martyrdoms suffered by the Mormon people peo-ple We denounce this because it is an appeal ap-peal to the prejudices and the passions of the great majority of the people of this territory and is utterly unworthy of men who have confidence in the correctness of their political doctrines and their own ability to maintain them The letter of President JOSEPH F SMITH and Hon Jonx HENRT SMITH taking to task Hon MOSES THATCHER for some alleged remarks of his in the late Democratic convention at Ogden Og-den again brings this Mormon Republican method of argument l to public attention atten-tion and once more we enter our protest against these methods In the letters of the Messrs SMITH above referred to they accuse Mr THATCHER of connecting JESUS CHRIST with the Democratic party and then saTo sa-To connect our Lord in a position of responsibility I responsi-bility with the Democracy might be so construed con-strued as to hold Him accountable for the innocent inno-cent blood of our martyred Idndrea andriends for it Is a fact which cannot be gainsaid that the controversies in which our relatives and companions have been murdered have been in localities where Democrats held sway and when the dear ones who have sealed their testimony tes-timony with their blood shall stand before the judgment seat to accuse their slayers their fingers will be pointed at men who were Democrats Demo-crats on earth And therefore we do not wish to countenance any attempt to lay upon the Redeemer the burdens of the Democracy While loading all this responsibility S upon the Democrats they turn to the Republicans Re-publicans and thus whitewash them The controversies which our iriends and ourselves our-selves have had with those parties have been settled without mobocratio assassin violence and the members of those parties do not appear before our eyes with their hands reeking in the blood which was precious to us We do not hesitate to say that this is an appeal to the prejudice and passion of the Mormon people utterly unworthy of the gentlemen who make it Such methods may be looked for on the part of demagogues dema-gogues but it is with sorrow and surprise that one sees them resorted to by men of the standing and character of the Messrs SMITH Nor is it that true Democrats are responsible for persecutions and bloodshed blood-shed endured by the Mormon people peo-ple in proof of which we turn L to history In a brief editorial of a few days ago on this subject wo published JOSEPH SMITHS own words denying the responsibility the Democratic party in Missouri for the persecutions heaped upon the Mormon people there The circumstances circum-stances under which pat declaration was made were these LYMAN WIGHT in a communication com-munication to the Quincy Whig charged the Democrats of Missouri with being responsible for the outrages committed against the Mormons whereupon JOSEPH SMITH SIDNEY RIGDON and HTRDM SMITH then the first presidency of the Mormon church published a letter in the arne paper denying the Imputations of WIGHT in which they used this language We have not at any time thought there was any political party as such chargeable with the Missouri barbarities neither any religious society as such They were committed by a mob composed of all parties regardless of difference of opinion either political cr religious reli-gious II < II < Wo wish to say to the public through your paper that we disclaim any in tcntitin of making a political question of our difficulties with Missouri believing that we are not justified In eo doing So far then as Missouri troubles are concerned con-cerned here is a bill of acquittal from the first presidency of the church Democrats as ouch were not responsible for the cruelties perpetrated upon the Mormons in that state Now as to Illinois When the Mormons were expelled from Missouri they found temporary refuge in Quincy and vicinity Illinois A people exiled from their homes stripped of well r A n JL 55 555 h S CH S nigh all their earthly possessions sick and I dying aroused the sympathy of the people of Quincy and they opened their hearts and their homes to receive them The I I most active agency in looking after and I providing for the suffering and poverty11 stricken exiles was the Democratic association asso-ciation of Quincy Under the direction of I that association a publio meeting was J called At the first meeting all that was I done was to pass a resolution to the effect that the people called Latterday Saints were In a situation requiring the aid of the I pebple of Quincy A committee of eight was also appointed to call a general gen-eral meeting of the citizens of Quincy and of the Mormons to hear the story of the exiles wrong When the committee com-mittee applied for tho Congregational church and were refused they appointed the meeting in the court house In the meantime the committee heard tha storj of wrong and outrage heaped upon the Mormons I Mor-mons in Missouri from SIDNEY RIGDOS I and others They reported these wrongs I at the second meeting and suggested a series of resolutions setting forth that the exiled strangers were entitled to the sympathy sym-pathy and aid of the people of Quincy that a numerous committee composed of indi iduals from every part of the town be appointed to allay tho prejudices of tho misguided citizens of Quincy and explain that it was not the design of the Mormons to lower the wages of the laboring classes but to secure something to save them from starvation that a standing committee be appointed to relieve so far as in their power the wants of the destitute and houseless and procure work for those able and willing to labor The report closed by saying We recommend to all the citizens of Quincy that in all their intercourse with the strangers theyfuso and observe a becoming decorum and delicacy and bo particularly careful not to indulge in-dulge in any conversation or expression calculated to wound their feelings or in anyway any-way to reflect upon those who by every law of humanity are entitled to our sympathy and commiseration This good work began by the Democratic association was continued by them and substantial assistance was given to tho suffering Saints At subsequent meeting of the association the following resolutions ware adopted < That we regard the right of conscience as natural and inalienable and themos sacredly guaranteed by the constitution of our free government gov-ernment That we regard the acts of all mobs In violation viola-tion or law and thoso who compose them individually in-dividually responsible both to the laws of God i and manfor every depredation committed upon the property rights or life of any citizen That the Inhabitants upon the western fron tierof the state of Missouri in their late persecution perse-cution of the people denominated Mormons have violated the sacred rights of conscience and every law of justice and humanity That the governor of Missouri in refusing protection to this class of people when pressed upon by a heartless mob and turning upon them a band of unprincipled militia with orders encouraging their extermination has brought a lasting disgrace upon the state ovoj which he presides This was tho work of a Democratic association as-sociation and such work grows out of Democratic doctrines and when the Messrs SMITH are again tempted to lay at Democratic doors all respousibiliiy for the ills brought upon Mormon people we hope consideration ol these facts will restrain them somewhat But to come to the responsibility re-sponsibility for the expulsion from Illinois |