--- title: Times and Seasons description: Issues of 1841 to 1842. authors: - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints editors: - Ebenezer Robinson - Don Carlos Smith - Smith, Joseph, Jr. - Taylor, John collections: - periodicals tags: - newspaper - times-and-seasons - nauvoo - nineteenth-century periodical: Times and Seasons volume: 3 number: 15 published: 1842-06-01 publisher: E. Robinson and D. C. Smith; later John Taylor publisher_place: Commerce and Nauvoo, Illinois language: en type: article reference: "“Gov. Duncan,” *Times and Seasons* 3, no. 15 (June 1, 1842): 806–807." printed_title: GOV. DUNCAN, source: url: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1842-06-01_3_15 transcription: Text from the Centerplace.org transcription (https://www.centerplace.org/history/ts/v3n15.htm), with its page breaks; this Internet Archive scan is the reference copy (its OCR was used only as a witness for OCR repair) identifier: per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1842-06-01_3_15 start_page: 806 end_page: 807 curator_note: A Mormon newspaper published by the church in Nauvoo; included for historical study. Inclusion does not imply endorsement. rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1842 (Nauvoo, Illinois); published before 1931, so public domain in the United States source: https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1842-06-01_3_15 publication_year: 1842 --- # Gov. Duncan "Addressed the people of this county on the 4th inst. at Edwardsville. He was listened to by one of the largest audiences we have ever seen assembled on a similar occasion, since our residence in the State; and the attention and manifest gratification with which he was listened to, furnished the strongest evidence that the various positions he assumed met with the cordial co-operation of his hearers. "Much of his time was taken up in refuting the base and grovling [groveling] charges preferred against him by the State Register, of being the founder of both the Internal Improvement and State Bank Systems. And the evidence he furnished, forced from the most prejudiced of his political opponents the reluctant confession, that he had triumphantly vindicated himself, and shown the falsity of the charges. "His views in regard to the dangerous and alarming powers which were granted to the Mormons, in various charters passed at the last session of our Legislature, and the firm and decided stand he assumed against making them a PRIVILEGED SECT over all other religious denominations and classes of our citizens, met with universal approbation by all who listened to him. Gov. Duncan declared he was for extending to them the same privileges, and none other, that our citizens in common enjoyed under the provisions of the constitution and laws. [This is all the Mormons ask] But all extraordinary anti republican and arbitrary powers, which the corruption of a Legislature granted them solely for the purpose of obtaining their political support, [let the Legislature thank Gov. Duncan for that compliment.] he unhesitatingly proclaimed he was for taking from them, [when he gets the power.] The Governor referred to one of the ordinances of their city, which provided that if any person spoke lightly of, or doubted, their religion, upon conviction thereof the offender was liable to a fine of five hundred dollars and six months imprisonment. "This disgraceful attempt to form, in a republican government, an established religion by legal enactment, created throughout the audience a great sensation, and opened their eyes to the rapid strides that were being made in their very midst towards an arbitrary and monarchial [monarchical] form of government" [If Gov. Duncan had said that his disgraceful attempt to palm upon his political party, and the good people of the Illinois generally, a list of lies of the blackest kind would certainly fail until the faithful, righteous, and eternal prediction had been fulfilled upon his head, that all liars shall have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone; and he utterly fail of the charge of state, there might have been some good reason to believe that a "sensation" of joy was produced in the audience and that their eyes and ears were open to the voice of truth, and that they were ready to hail the downfall of an aspiring demagogue, with those demonstrations of hallelujah which became a noble and insulted people.] "He next referred to a correspondence in the Times and Seasons, published at Nauvoo, between Dr. C. V. Dyer, of Chicago, a distinguished Loco Foco, and Joe Smith and Gen. Bennett, the prophet and the military leader of the Mormons. That correspondence divulges the fact, that the Mormons under the solicitation of Dr. Dyer. [who is an Abolitionist] are prepared to act with them. And Gen. Bennett evinces his willingness at any moment to march against the Penitentiary in Missouri with his armed force, established under the auspices, [as Joe Smith says,] of Mr Snyder and Judge Douglass and release the three Quincy Abolitionists now in confinement there. This correspondence we shall publish at length in a few days, that every man may judge of its alarming tendencies for himself" "It struck us with a good deal of astonishment that Joe Smith and Gen. Bennett should thus publicly avow their abolition principles in the very face of the proclamation of the prophet, as the military leader of the mormons, to all his followers to vote for Mr. Snyder for Governor. WHO IS HIMSELF ONE OF THE LARGEST SLAVE HOLDERS IN THE STATE. To us it displayed an inconsistency irreconcileable [irreconcilable] with common honesty." The above is from the speech political of Ex-Gov. Duncan, and in perusing it we find that a privileged sect," "charters passed in' the last session of the Legislature"-"anti-republican and arbitrary powers:"-"Joe Smith," and "a corrupt Legislature" trouble the chaste mind of this pure man:-this noble champion of truth; this philanthropist, and friend of equal rights; so intently was his mind bent upon this all-absorbing subject, that he had scarce time to speak upon any other.-It is true that he made a bold stand against "gross and grovelling [groveling] charges made against him by the editor of the State Register," (so says the Telegraph and Review,") but then so small was this in his estimation, (if you may judge of the conduct of the editors of the Telegraph,) that nine-tenths of his time was taken up in a tirade against Mormonism, as nine-tenths of their remarks on that subject are-it would seem that so conclusive were his arguments in refuting the charges preferred by the editor of that States Register, that it was not necessary for the editor to mention them; while Mormonism, that awful delusion: that growing evil; that monstrous iniquity, must be put down;-leaving then the above named papers to settle their difficulty: we shall notice his remarks on the Mormons. What does Mr. Duncan mean when speaking of the Mormons, that they are different from other people, and that they have some special law given them to be governed by; or has he made use of those expressions to decoy the unwary and gull the ignorant for political effect? There is no excuse for what he has done, he has done it knowingly, wantonly, wilfully [willfully], and wickedly. Gov. Duncan knows that the law knows no difference between Mormon citizens and other citizens, and that there is no law in the United States, or in this state to prevent people from worshiping [worshipping] the Almighty God according to the dictates of their conscience;" that under the broad flag of American liberty the Methodists, Presbyterians, Catholics, Universalists, Friends, or Latter Day Saints, are all one; their religion is unknown they are all citizens of this great republic, and are governed by the same law; and that they all possess equal privileges without distinction: then why should he try to make that appear to exist which never was in being? As citizens of Nauvoo we would ask, what greater privileges do we possess than the inhabitants of other cities? we have a city charter, so have other cities; such as Springfield, Alton, Chicago, Galena, and Quincey; we have a charter for a Legion; this may differ some little in form from some of the proceedings of other cities, but certainly is not unconstitutional, it is in strict conformity with the laws of this State, and of the U. States. The Nauvoo Legion is decidedly the best organised [organized], and most efficient military force in the State of Ill., or in the western country; it is well disciplined and officered with the best talent the country affords. If this is a sin we plead guilty, but we could heartily wish that our neighbors would imitate our example, then should we have a more efficient force to defend our country. Are these privileges that are denied other citizens? this "privileged sect"-(don't name it Gov. call them citizens sir,) have no other privileges than the citizens of other cities. Will Mr. Duncan, or the "editor of the" Telegraph and Review, show us what privileges we enjoy over other citizens, or other denominations? will he be so kind as to point out some of those "anti-republican extraordinary" and "arbitrary powers." that the Mormons possess. Will the Governor please to tell us where that ordinance can be found referred to by him: when it passed, &c.? The palpable falsehoods that he has uttered; and the gross misrepresentations that he has made use of, remind us of the words of one of the ancients, "their heart is full of cursing and bitterness, the poison of asps is under their tongues, and the way of peace they have not known." We have no such exclusive ordinance as the one referred to by Mr. Duncan; his statements are palpably false; we have no less than three gentlemen in our city council who are not members of our church at all. But we have laws for the suppression of vice: for taking up vagrants or disorderly persons; for defamation of character, &c; and if in our city a Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, Latter Day Saint, or Gov. Duncan was found transgressing these laws, they would be judged by the laws, and not by their religion. This blending of religious with civil affairs, is merely to deceive mankind; as citizens of this republic we have the privilege of using such privileges as other men, and of voting for whom we please. If it is our religion that he wishes to contend with, let him bring his bible, and we will meet him on that ground; but we think that our city charter, political intrigue, and city ordinances, make a curious compound when mixed up with religion. We suppose that the following is the ordinance referred to by the Governor, let him read it and blush, (vol. 2, page 326, Times and Seasons.