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Show FURTHER ON THE "IVLARTYRDOM" On Tuesday morning The Tribune noted the fact that on last Frida3 tho Doscret News refcrrod to a book written writ-ten b3' Hon. Adlai E. Stevenson, endeavoring en-deavoring l)3r means of that reference to disprove our contention that Joseph and Hyruni Smith wero brought fo their death b3 Mormon conspirators. But, as usual, the Nows merely quoted what suited its side, ignoring the most -important items as affecting cither side of this controversy. We take pleasure in making some excerpts from Mr. Stevenson's writings, the first being as follows: Two of tho Mormon' loaders. William and Wilson Law. were, al the time' mentioned. men-tioned. In open revolt against tho newly-assumed newly-assumed powers and the alleged practices prac-tices of the prophet. To strengthen their opposition they procured a printing-press and equipment, and Issued from their office in Nauvoo one number of a small weekly "The Expositor." By order of5 the mayor, Smith, and decree of tho council, the press wn3 seized and destroyed, de-stroyed, and the Law brothers and their few adherents compelled to flee the I-Ioly City. Immediately upon their arrival at Carthage, yiey caused warrants to bo Issued Is-sued for the arrest of Joseph and Ilyrum Smith, John Taylor, and others, for tho dcstructlpn of the prjntlng-prcss. Tho almost sovereign powers previously conferred con-ferred upon tho city of Nauvoo now play im Important part In this drama The persons arrested, as above mentioned, were at once brought by writs of habeas corpus, issued by the mayor of Nauvoo. before the municipal court and there promptly discharged. As to these court proceedings, Governor Gov-ernor Ford sa3's: "It clearly appeared both from tho complaints of tho citizens citi-zens and (.he admissions of the Mormons, Mor-mons, thnt tho whole proceedings of tho mayor, council and municipal court were illegal and not to bo endured in a free country." William and Wilson Law, and tho others of tho rebellious Mormons, Mor-mons, were determined to avenge themselves. them-selves. Their printing stablishmcnt had been ruthlessly destroyed, and thc.y themselves wcro driven out of Nauvoo. It will be noted how well these facts fit in with the narrative of Bishop Doni-son Doni-son L. Harris. Mr. Harris had attended three of the meetings held b3r tho Mormon Mor-mon conspirators at the house of Counselor Coun-selor William Law', and had informed Joseph of the proceedings thereat. Being Be-ing thus informed as to. tho movomcnts of the conspirators, Josoph proceeded to checkmato them hy nny anib cvoVy means in his power. He destro3-cd their newspaper, and when arrested for that act ho proceeded to sot himself frco by his own edict. This inconsed the Laws and tho others, and thej' determined de-termined to "get" Joseph for once and for all. It was through the request of Mormons' that Joseph and Ilyrum Smith, John Tnylor and Doctor Willinrd Richards Rich-ards weVo taken to Carthago and thero cast into jail. Every move, preliminary to this incarceration had been engineered engi-neered by Mormons. There wore hundreds hun-dreds of the saints, in Nauvoo who woro violentb- antagonistic to Joseph and Jlyrum on account of tho terrible reports re-ports which they bad heard of their practices, audi which reports thoy believed. be-lieved. Man- of then? claimed io have personal knowledge of these wrongs, and they succeeded in 'making others bc-lievo bc-lievo their accusations. Many of the saints were incensed against tho "prophet", because of the workings of thoso "almost sovereign powers"-which Mr. Stevenson says were oxcrciscd by thc mnyor and council nnd court of Nauvoo (these being .composed of Josoph Smith and his supporters). Whenever' Joseph or riu3- of his close friends got into any trouble with the law, Joseph released himself or them 1)3 means of these "almobt sovereign powers." But whon au3' of tho saints who was not in sympathy with Joseph and his immodiato supporters found himsolf in a similar position, Joseph prevented these "almost sovereign powers-" from operating in his bohalf. Thero was so much injustice of this kind, and so ninny flagrant abuses of power, thnt a largo number of tho saints became exasperated on this account. ac-count. Bctwoon these political wrongs and the numerous roports of gross immorality im-morality that went abroad concerning Joseph nnd Hyrum, the Laws had no difficulty in securing n following of several sev-eral hundrod saints. And all of these woro in such a state of fronzy toward the end that tho shedding of blood no longer appeared to" thorn in an nude-sirablo nude-sirablo aspect. They felt assured that in no other wa3' could they get justice than by "removing" Josoph and Ib'-ruin Ib'-ruin Smith. And they pursuod that thought to its conclusion in fatal act. However, there is another bit of testimony testi-mony which goes to assurodly establish our contention in this matter. Tho supposed sup-posed murderers were tried and acquitted. ac-quitted. Tho conspiracy formed b.v the enraged Mormons had been a compact one, except for tho revelations .made earlv in its formative' period by Dcui-sou Dcui-sou L. Harris (and he wns excluded from their mcetiii"8 whon ho was found to bo unsympnthotic, and consequently did not got lo know of their final plans. And tho3" probably never will be known.) As a result it was impossible to fix upon tho guilty parties, and naturally na-turally all wero discharged. Speakiug of this Mr. Sfovonson says: The result In even less surprising when It Is remembered that the principal witness wit-ness for the prosecution supplemented lils testimony of having seen the crime committed, by the remarkable declaration declara-tion that Immediately upon tho death of Joseph, "a bright ancl shining light descended upon Ills head, thnt several of the conspirators were stricken with total blindness, and that lie heard supernatural super-natural voices In the air confirming the divine mission of the murdered prophet." Now. who but a Mormon would have said that? And how could ho have said it lnd ho not been in tho mob 7 And is it noj. rcasonablo thnt ho was among thoso-who fired the fatal shols, and felt such subsequent -Tomorso that ho would make sufch a statement in the fancy that a tributo oi that kind to Josoph would caso his own guilty conscience and soften the punishment of heaven for his crime? It mav bo true thnfi thoio woro other "mobocrats" (as ihosaints call, them) in the gang; but it is as certain that Mormons engineered and executed the murder of Joseph And iHyrnin Smith as it is that day anil night alternate. |