Joseph Smith as a Statesman IV–V

JOSEPH SMITH AS A STATESMAN 653

to the annexation on moral grounds felt that the Spaniards through discovery and exploration were entitled to the country, and that the actual settlement of some Spaniards tended to con- firm these rights. It must be observed, however, that nowhere in the writings of Joseph Smith does he indicate that Mexico, as the successor of Spain, should be deprived of any legitimate claim, nor does he indicate where the southern boundary of the United States or the Northern boundary of Mexico should be drawn. He was, however, very conscientious in his view and felt that the real owners of the soil were the Indians. On the contrary he did not believe that a vast acreage of land should be left vacant and uncultivated because of a few visits of some explorers and missionaries who were subjects of a foreign na- tion, thereby depriving men and nations who would cultivate the lands, develop the mineral resources, and settle the country, of coming into possession. He did not want, however, to see the Indians dispossessed without their consent. He was in favor of first obtaining the Red Man's consent to occupy the lands and then he felt that morally the United States had a right to expand to the Pacific Coast. It is to be observed that in no case did he propose to accomplish his ends by war or conquest, but only by means of peaceful acquirement after satisfying the savages. Upon their request and in the same peaceful way he favored the admission of Texas, Canada, and any other coun- try of North America into the Union where they might enjoy American liberty, because to him the United States was the land of liberty and he was in favor of extending Its privileges and blessings to all who desired, but where organized govern- ments existed, the annexation could only come about upon the initiative and request of the respective governments. This vast western domain did not become part of the United States in accordance with the views of Joseph Smith but as a result of war. He strongly favored the ways of peace. It would be well to observe, nevertheless, that regardless of the manner in which the territory was acquired, the views of the Prophet Joseph Smith in regard to the continental boundaries of the United States eventually became an accomplished fact. As the trained historian looks back and attempts to trace the course of events, he readily realizes that the destiny of this nation was from sea to sea and that the program outlined in the presidential platform of Joseph Smith was truly a forecast of the future growth and development of the young, vigorous, west- ern Republic. Had Joseph Smith lived to see the accomplish- ment of that which he so sincerely desired, he would have had only one regret and that would have been that it was an accomplishment of war.

654 IMPROVEMENT ERA

Lawlessness, Disunion, and Abolition Joseph Smith, however, was not a nationalist with respect to the extension of the government domain alone. He felt very strongly that the Federal Government should possess greater authority with respect to suppressing lawlessness and preserv- ing peace within the boundaries of the several states. For ex- ample he says, "As things now stand, the United States has the authority to sell settlers the national domain but no au- thority to protect them in the peaceful possession of it." He held strongly for the strengthening of the central authority to make such a procedure impossible. His conclusions in this respect were undoubtedly influenced by the experiences of the Saints in Missouri and other states where the "Mormons" had paid $150,000 to the Federal Government for lands, and had been driven away from them while the courts refused to issue even a writ, and when the executive authorities of the state were applied to, they would do nothing for the dispossessed. Afterwards the matter was carried to the president of the United States who admitted, in effect, that their cause was just '

but that he had no power to do anything for them. Joseph Smith regarded this as a weakness in the American govern- ment; for he says, "The governor himself may be a mobber." During the administration of President Cleveland, this condi- tion actually came about. Governor Altgeld was not a mobber, but he sympathized with the mobs and refused to do anything until property was being ruthlessly destroyed and lives en- dangered. President Cleveland, taking advantage of the fact that the United States' mails were being interfered with, called out the Federal troops to suppress a state of anarchy and to restore law and order. There were, however, other reasons why Joseph Smith arrived at this conclusion. He was a Unionist and a strong abolitionist and wanted very much to see slavery abolished and the Union preserved. He felt that the national government should have authority to handle the slavery and secession questions. In the Doctrine and Covenants, Section 101 verse 79, we read: "Therefore, it is not right that any man should be in bondage one to another." In Joseph Smith's plat- form he says, "The Declaration of Independence holds 'these truths to be self evident that all are created equal and en- dowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights and among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." But at the same time, some two or three millions of people are held as slaves for life because their spirit (bodies) is covered with a blacker skin than ours." Further on in the same declaration he urges the United States to purchase the slaves at their cash value and to abolish slavery within a few years. It was feared that the states would not do it and he wanted congress in some

JOSEPH SMITH AS A STATESMAN 655

way to exercise the authority of the United States, for he says, Pray congress to pay every man a reasonable price for his slaves In the very next paragraph he says, "Break off the shackles from the poor black man and hire him to labor like other human beings, for an hour of virtuous liberty on earth is worth a whole eternity of bondage." Eleven years later other public men began to urge the purchase of the slaves, but it was too late and it took a civil war at a great cost of blood and treasure to settle the slavery and disunion questions and to establish the supremacy of the Constitution. The freeing of the slaves was not a sufficient guarantee that their rights would be protected against the white population as the South was still unconverted to the propriety of having free colored people. The number of opponents in the South of the new system was not limited to a few people but included practically all the white population of several states. Rightly or wrongly, the question quickly arose as to whether the white population of these states would again attempt in some way to subvert the results achieved by the war. To the Unionists who had fought the civil war to a conclusion, this was an important question that could not be left undecided. Joseph Smith in his platform had proposed that the president be authorized to use the United States officers to suppress mob violence within the states if the governor failed to do his duty. Congress hesitated to confer this power upon the president. It did, however, go part way and by a constitu- tional amendment provided that the processes of the courts may be set in motion whenever laws were enacted that interfered with certain specific rights. The fourteenth amendment pro- vides that, "No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." This at least accomplished in part what the Prophet Joseph had in mind, prohibiting the states from depriving persons of their rights by legislation, and in the event that they were so deprived of their property and their liberty, action could be brought in the Federal courts. It did, however, still leave an opportunity for individual and mob violence against life ana property, as occurs in the cases of lynching throughout the states. Since the Civil War there has been a very noticeable growth of Fed- eral powers and it is becoming increasingly difficult for mob violence to occur to any extent without interfering with some activity of the Federal government, whether the interference is in the distribution of the mails, the collection of internal rev- enue or the enforcement of prohibition. The president, in such cases if necessary, can use Federal troops to restore order. From

656 IMPROVEMENT ERA

the foregoing we can readily see that Joseph Smith pointed out one weakness of the Federal Constitution as it existed, and foreshadowed a growth of Federal powers. The omission, how- ever, has been only partially remedied and as a consequence, on several occasions, the Federal government has had to pay citi- zens or subjects of foreign countries indemnities on account of the killing of their relatives by mobs which have escaped the control of the state governments.

Larger Navy Finally Joseph Smith was in favor of a larger navy. Living in the center of the country it certainly shows a comprehen- sive view of the needs of the nation for him to advocate an in- crease in the navy as a means of protecting the country. With a peaceful people to the North and a weak people to the South, he was not so much concerned about the size of the army, for he could see that if we were attacked by a powerful enemy, it must first come over seas and that it would be the duty of the navy to meet such an attack. Nearly eighty years have elapsed since the announcement of this policy, and students of military and naval affairs still recognize the great importance of the navy and insist upon it being built up. For national protec- tion it is still the first line of defense in case of an attempted in- vasion. "To countries situated as are the United States and Great Britain the element of affairs in international relations is represented primarily by their navies though the armies also have their share." So says Captain Mahan, the foremost au- thority on naval warfare. To many of the followers of Joseph Smith, he has ap- peared only in the role of a religious leader who founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and to many others as a religious bigot. Few, however, have recognized in him a man who possessed fundamentally sound and broad views of the large and vital national questions that were then awaiting solution. To all such, these lessons, especially four and five, have revealed a man and a citizen with a comprehensive under- standing of the nation's needs and such grasp as is found only in a statesman of large calibre.

QUESTIONS (1) What western territory did Joseph Smith propose to annex? (2) How did many statesmen regard the western territory? (3) Did Joseph Smith think we had a moral right to the western ter- ritory? (4) On what grounds did Mexico claim California and New Mexico? (5)How did Joseph Smith view the weakness of the authority of the Federal government? (6) How did Joseph Smith regard slavery and disunion? (7) Why did Joseph Smith want a larger navy?

The Church Celebrates the First Vision

No greater interest and enthusiasm has ever attended a gen- eral gathering of the Latter-day Saints, than were experienced in the late April annual conference of the Church. The upper- most theme was the first vision of the Prophet Joseph Smith, the hundredth anniversary of which is celebrated this spring. It was a theme which every speaker touched and which ani- mated all the sermons and meetings with a unanimity of spirit- ual thought, influence, and feeling seldom experienced to such a great and universal extent as upon this occasion. It was the general sentiment freely expressed by the individual members of the unusually large and representative audiences, and heard everywhere: "We have been spiritually fed." The speakers, filled with the Holy Ghost, were fluent in their delineations of the rise, progress, development and future of the great and marvelous work of the Lord inaugurated one hundred years ago by the visitation of the Father and the Son to the Prophet Joseph Smith. It was clearly set forth by Presi- dent Heber J. Grant, his counselors, Presidents Anthon H. Lund and Charles W. Penrose, and other of the authorities, that the Church had steadily grown, that its growth and accomplish- ments, and the faith, works, and loyalty of its members, are testimonies and evidences in themselves of the truth of the visions and revelations of God to the prophet. The fruits of "Mormonism" are practical demonstrations that testify of its virility and divinity. The presentation of the musical cantata "The Vision" by Professor Evan Stephens, and his special chorus of nearly 500 voices, on the Monday evening, was the best attended and most successful local musical event ever witnessed in the tabernacle. The great Sunday School Union meeting was an inspira- tion to the stranger as well as to our own membership, as to what is being done in training the children of the Latter-day Saints in character and religion. The song and music by the Tabernacle Choir under Pro- fessors Anthony C. Lund, and John J. McClelland and their as- sistants,gave great satisfaction. The Priesthood meetings were replete with practical suggestions to the great body of enthus- iastic and intelligent workers from all parts of the Church, and

658 IMPROVEMENT ERA

the M. I. A. and other auxiliary meetings, abounded with sug- gestions for the advancement and welfare of the youth of Zion. Taken as a whole, the ninetieth annual conference of the Church, and the celebration of the one-hundredth anniversary of the First Vision of the Prophet Joseph, was a memorable, enjoyable; and fruitful occasion, which gave encouraging evi- dence to all of the faith and earnestness of its members, and of the greatness, grandeur, and virility of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Now, altogether for the next hundred years: More faith, more toorkl —A Quitting Tobacco

A number of business houses throughout the Church are voluntarily coming to the conclusion that the sale of tobacco is not right, as far as they are concerned, and so are abandoning its sale, believing that it will be a big aid in the battle against one of the greatest curses to the young people that we now have to contend with. These business houses are congratulated, and should be encouraged. Recently the Era received from Mr. Richard T. Astle, of Rupert, Idaho, a statement in which he says: "You can now count me among the list of stores doing a general mer- chandise business and not carrying tobacco. I feel that all Latter-day Saints can and should do likewise."

Also the following from the Acorn Mercantile Company of Vernal, Utah,comes as an answer to a request for a state- ment from them relating to their having discontinued the sale of tobacco: "Through the columns of the paper some time ago, we announced that as soon as our present supply of tobacco was sold, we would discontinue its further sale. We were somewhat doubtful, at first, whether this would be a good move or not, as we live in a stock-raising country, and many men who do not use it themselves, are under the necessity of furnishing it for the men who work for them. Still feeling that this meant the loss of the bulk of their trade, with the sale of tobacco, we decided to stand for what we thought right and take the consequences. "All great movements have begun with doubt in the minds of the majority as to the possibility of their success. So has begun the anti-to- bacco movement. While standing for this movement, we are certain that we will lose many of our present customers, but we feel sure that we will gain, if not at first, later, many who are much more desirable to trade with. "We have now in Vernal many of the most influential men helping us fight our battle against one_ of the greatest curses of the people today.We feel sure that we are not losing by discontinuing the sale of tobacco."

The following are the directors of the company: Andrew