Lilburn W. Boggs

The THING whose name stands at the head of this article is not a stranger to our people,-he is known, not for works of righteousness [righteousness] which he has done, but for the cruel murders which he caused to be perpetrated on tthe [the] innocent and defenceless [defenseless]. His political career has been stained with blood, and cruelty and oppression have attended on every step: but his political life has ended; hear his expiring groans-

"Since your last session, the unpleasant [unpleasant] difficulties between a portion of our State and the Mormons have entirely subsided, with the exception of some slight interruptions on our northeastern border.-After that infatuated and deluded sect had left our State, they industriously propagated throughout the Union, the most exaggerated [exaggerated] details of our difficulties and the foulest calumnies against our citizens. In some of our eastern cities, missionaries of their creed were employed daily in making converts to their cause by proclaiming the cruelties which they alledged [alleged] had endured at the hands of our authorities. The report of our alledged [alleged] has not been confined to our Union, but even at this day in Europe they are made the groundwork of proselyting [proselytizing] and their orators find it to their interest to distort the facts into a persecution, which in every religious excitement that has marked the history of the earth, has always been found

the most effecting weapon of conversion.

In all intestine commotions, particularly when mingled with religious fervor [fervor] frequently happens that cases occur of peculiar hardship and unusual distress, and when public sympathy is excited in their behalf, these unavoidable consequences of civil dissension may easily be magnified into barbarous cruelty-that such cases arose in the course of that difficulty, I do not doubt. But they must be attributed to the excited nature of the contest between the parties and not to any desire on the part of our constituted authorities to wilfully [willfully] cruelly oppress them.

These people have violated the laws of the land by open and avowed resistance to them, they had undertaken without the aid of the civil authority to redress their real or fancied grievances-they had instituted among themselves a government of their own, independent of-and in opposition to the government of this State-they had at an inclement season of the year driven the inhabitance [inhabitant's] of an entire county from their homes, ravaged their crops and destroyed their dwellings. Under these circumstances [circumstances] it became the imperious duty of the executive to interpose and exercise the powers with which he was invested, to protect the lives and property of our citizens, to restore order and tranquility [tranquillity] the country and maintain the supremacy of our laws.

We owe to our reputation, both home and abroad, the duty of cleansing every aspersion that may rest upon it. Our State character should be held equally as dear as our individual reputation, and we should use the same exertions in maintaining the one as spotless as the other. Full testimony as to all the necessary facts of that controversy has been preserved or can easily be procured. Written evidence on both sides has been filed among the papers of your last session, and forms a part also of the records of several of our courts. The facts as they occurred can be presented to the world upon proof perfectly conclusive, and the reputation of our State can be rescued from reproach by an exposition of the true causes and events of those difficulties.

In recommending the publication of this testimony, I have no care about its effect upon the principles of that sect. Our Constitution has given us the high privilege of religious independence and left the worship of the Supreme to the unfettered will of every member of the community. If true the creed of that sect will ultimately triumph, if false it will "die amidst its worshippers." To explain the attitude which we have been made to assume, I would recommend the publication of all the evidence relating to the occurrence and distributing the same to the chief authorities of each State."

The above is an extract from his message to the Legislature of Missouri delivered on the 17th, Nov. 1840.-All who know the facts, whether saints or sinners, will perceive [perceive] that it is a tissue of lies from the pen of a demon -he evidently shudders at the contemplation of his own crimes, but he is gone, yes LILBURN is gone down to the dark and dreary abode of his brother, and prototype; NERO, there to associate with kindred spirits, and partake of the dainties of his father's (the devil's) table.-Farewell, NERO! farewell LILBURN!! injustice and cruelty have met together, fiends and demons have kissed each other

From the Illinois Democrat of Nov. 21, 1840.

"All the combined factions and fragments and sects of religion, morals and politics, have been arrayed against us. The Abolitionists falsely pretended that they were neutral between the great contending parties. Their strength was a reserved force, which fought us in ambush, under the standard of Federalism.

-> "THE DELUDED and INFATUATED MORMONS WERE MUSTERED LIKE so many regular soldiers [soldiers], by the INFAMOUS IMPOSTER [IMPOSTOR] SMITH <-

What a beatiful [beautiful] specimen of democracy is here exhibited; by those too. who know as little about "Joe Smith"

and the "Mormons" as a child knows about the Emperor of Russia or the Chinese Empire. The Mormons voted, to be sure, and they had an unquestionable right so to do, according to the constitution and laws of our country: but that they were "mustered like so many regular soldiers, by Joe (Smith, as they are pleased to call him,) we have yet to learn, as he was about 500 miles from our place on the day of the elections; however, this is no difference, our holy religion is the MARK upon which the gun was leveled: but as Virginius has spoken our feelings upon the subject, we submit his remarks, copied from the Sangamon Journal-they are appropriate and to the point-they do honor to himself, and to the cause of Republicanism-read them.-Ed.

The above precious and liberal morceau is taken from a long article in the last Illinois Democrat, printed in Jacksonville, Morgan county, and is one of the most prominent leading Van Buren papers in this State * * * The paragraph above quoted declares that all sects of religion were arrayed against the Radicals and Agrarians who were the chief supporters of Van Buren in the late political contest through which we have just passed. The assertion is in the main correct-It is not of that I complain,-but it is that out of all the various denominations of Christians which the Democrat admits were arrayed against the Van Buren party, the Mormons should alone be made the special objects of their abuse. Are not the Mormons, citizens of the United States, entitled to the same protection under our Constitution and Laws, as any other sect of Christians? Does not the Constitution guarantee to them as well as the Baptist, the Methodist, or the Presbyterian, the unquestionable right of worshipping God according to the dictates of their own conscience?-Why then does this leading organ of Van Burenism assail the Mormons as "DELUDED" and "INFATUATED" and brand one of their principal and most exemplary members as an "infamous imposter [impostor]?" Does the Democrat hope that by such unmeasured denunciation and inflamatory [inflammatory] appeals they can excite the populace to act over the scenes in Missouri, which banished hundreds of innocent individuals from their own soil and fireside-robbed them of their property, and left their children "houseless, save in a mother's arms-couchless, save upon a mother's breast?" Do the leaders of that party hope that the fire of persecution against this injured sect of christians can be rekindled within this State, and the objects of their malice and hatred be made to flee from without our borders? If so, they will find themselves mistaken.-The freemen of Illinois never will suffer the DISGRACEFUL scenes of MISSOURI to be acted over on this side of the Mississippi; and whenever the Democrat, or any of its leaders, or any of its supporters, shall attempt a renewal of the persecutions against the Mormons, the assailants will find that the swords of the law-abiding portion of the community " are a thousand while their bosoms are one." VIRGINIUS.