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Letter to Editor, 26 July 1843

Source Note

[
William W. Phelps

17 Feb. 1792–7 Mar. 1872. Writer, teacher, printer, newspaper editor, publisher, postmaster, lawyer. Born at Hanover, Morris Co., New Jersey. Son of Enon Phelps and Mehitabel Goldsmith. Moved to Homer, Cortland Co., New York, 1800. Married Sally Waterman,...

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, (Viator, pseud.)], Letter,
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

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, Hancock Co., IL, to the Editor of Boston Daily Bee,
Boston

Capital city of Massachusetts, located on eastern seaboard at mouth of Charles River. Founded by Puritans, 1630. Received city charter, 1822. Population in 1820 about 43,000; in 1830 about 61,000; and in 1840 about 93,000. JS’s ancestor Robert Smith emigrated...

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, Suffolk Co., MA, 26 July 1843. Version published in Boston Daily Bee, 19 Aug. 1843, p. [2]; edited by C. J. Howland. Transcription from a digital image obtained from Newspaper Collection, Boston Public Library, Boston, Massachusetts, in 2024. For more complete source information, see the source note for Letter to Editor, 22–ca. 27 Apr. 1843.

Historical Introduction

See Historical Introduction to Letter to Editor, 22–ca. 27 Apr. 1843.
Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. Letter to Editor, 26 July 1843, Draft
Letter to Editor, 26 July 1843
Letter to Editor, 26 July 1843, as Published in Times and Seasons Letter to Editor, 26 July 1843, as Published in Nauvoo Neighbor History, 1838–1856, volume E-1 [1 July 1843–30 April 1844] “History of Joseph Smith”

Page [2]

-[correspondence of the “boston bee.”]-
Nauvoo

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

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, July 26, 1843.
Sir—In my last I touched upon the vested rights of the
city

Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....

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of the Saints, as they appear upon the face of the charter; and it may be proper, hereafter, to go further into the merits of that document, for I hold the maxim good that the “
Union

North American constitutional republic. Constitution ratified, 17 Sept. 1787. Population in 1805 about 6,000,000; in 1830 about 13,000,000; and in 1844 about 20,000,000. Louisiana Purchase, 1803, doubled size of U.S. Consisted of seventeen states at time ...

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is interested in the Union;” but at the present time I have another subject on the tapis, which more immediately concerns the wise and honest portions of the American people. I reason from facts, no matter who may cry “hush!” as to Mormonism, and the “disgrace” which the State of
Missouri

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...

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inherits from her barbarous treatment, and unlawful extermination of the Mormon people. The great day has already been ushered in, and the voice of a Mormon is not only heard, setting forth his own rights, and preaching the gospel of the Son of God, in power and demonstration, incontrovertibly from Revelation, in every city and hamlet in our wide-spread American free states, but other realms and kingdoms hear the same tidings; even the Indians, Australia, Pacific Islands, Great Britian, Ireland, Scotland,
Germany

Inhabited anciently by Teutonic peoples. Included in Holy Roman Empire. Became confederation of states, 1815. Between 1843 and 1856, population estimates range from about 30,000,000 to about 51,000,000. Orson Hyde traveled through Germany during his missionary...

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and the Holy Land, where God himself once spoke, have heard a “Mormon;”—and all this in the short space of twelve or fourteen years; yea, and measures have been taken that Russia may hear the “watchman cry.”
Now sir, “what has been done, can be done.” I shall not be surprised if the “Mormons” untake to cope with the world. Virtue and truth, are twin sisters, of such winning charms, that honest men of every nation, kindred and tongue, will fall in love with them; and what hinders the Mormons, with the Bible in one hand and humanity in the other, from Mormonizing all honest men? Nothing. The meaning of Mormon, the prophet Joe says, is, “More Good;” and no matter where it is, the Mormons will have it, and if they cannot obtain it by exertion in the world, the[y] will merit it by faith and prayer from the “old promise” of “ask and ye shall receive.” But do not think that I, even I, have been Mormonized, by what I write, for I say Nay; though I am willing to admit, and all men of sense will do the same; the more light, the more truth; the more truth, the more love; the more love, the more virtue; the more virtue, the more peace; the more peace, the more heaven; what every body wants. The Mormons believe rather too much for me, I “can’t come it.”
Another word on
Missouri

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...

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. When her Constitution was framed, they commonced the preamble as follows: “We the people of
Missouri

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...

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&c., by our representatives in convention assembled, at
St. Louis

Located on west side of Mississippi River about fifteen miles south of confluence with Missouri River. Founded as fur-trading post by French settlers, 1764. Incorporated as town, 1809. First Mississippi steamboat docked by town, 1817. Incorporated as city...

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, on Saturday the 12th day of June, 1820, do mutually agree to establish a Free and Independent Republic, &c.” Independent Republic! well, some of their subsequent acts prove the truth of it, and as the broad folds of the constitution often conceals more than meets they eye, notwithstanding it is the Ægis of the people, to keep law-makers and law-breakers, within and without bounds;—let me quote from the 13th article of the aforesaid Constution, the 3d paragraph; “That the people have the right peaceably to assemble for their common good, and to apply to those vested with the powers of government, for redress of grievances; and that their right to bear arms in defence of themselves and the
State

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...

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, can not be questioned.[”] This over-wise right of gun-fence was made, as I have learned, for breachy Indians, but was used by
Gov. [Lilburn W.] Boggs

14 Dec. 1796–14 Mar. 1860. Bookkeeper, bank cashier, merchant, Indian agent and trader, lawyer, doctor, postmaster, politician. Born at Lexington, Fayette Co., Kentucky. Son of John M. Boggs and Martha Oliver. Served in War of 1812. Moved to St. Louis, ca...

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as a sine qua non, pointed with steel and burning with brimstone, to exterminate the Mormons. Truly we may ask, what is right, and what is law, contrary to the Constitution? The Legislature of
Missouri

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...

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acknowledged the exterminating order of
Boggs

14 Dec. 1796–14 Mar. 1860. Bookkeeper, bank cashier, merchant, Indian agent and trader, lawyer, doctor, postmaster, politician. Born at Lexington, Fayette Co., Kentucky. Son of John M. Boggs and Martha Oliver. Served in War of 1812. Moved to St. Louis, ca...

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as constitutional, and appropriated more than $200,000 to pay the drivers and robbers, and I may as well say, mobbers of the Mormons, for service rendered the
State

Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...

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in 1838. O Gladius! O Crumana!
Viator

17 Feb. 1792–7 Mar. 1872. Writer, teacher, printer, newspaper editor, publisher, postmaster, lawyer. Born at Hanover, Morris Co., New Jersey. Son of Enon Phelps and Mehitabel Goldsmith. Moved to Homer, Cortland Co., New York, 1800. Married Sally Waterman,...

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. [p. [2]]
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Editorial Title
Letter to Editor, 26 July 1843
ID #
12530
Total Pages
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