Much Ado About Nothing

What have the Mormons done in Illinois? is a question which I have frequently asked of those who are busy with the tongue of slander in calumniating the Latter Day Saints; but as yet I have found none who are willing to answer me honestly, or correctly. Perhaps many judge from rumor, not have investigated the matter for themselves. I have therefore thought it might be well to lay before the public some facts in relation to the case, believing that there is a respectable portion of community, who after having received correct information will frown with indignation upon the conduct of those who are endeavoring to raise a persecution against our people.

In the first place we would say that where a crime is committed, there is a law broken, for if no law has been violated, there cannot have been a crime commited [committed]: if then, our people have broken the laws, is there not power in those laws to vindicate themselves, or to redress the wrongs of those who are injured? we say there is; neither would we cast any aspertion [aspersion] upon the characters of the administrators of the laws, as though they were not vigilent [vigilant] in the discharge of their duty, we believe they have been, with very few exceptions.)

With these facts before us, there is then no difficulty in obtaining correct information as to the amount of crime committed by the Mormons, throughout the state. You have only to refer to the various dockets kept by the administrators of law, from the highest court to the lowest, throughout the length and breadth of the land, and there you will find recorded the crimes of the Mormons, if it so be that they have committed any. We say their faults are few compared to the population; where is there a record of murder committed by any of our people, none in the state; where is there a record against any of our people for a penetentiary [penitentiary] crime? not in the state; where is there a record of fine or county imprisonment (for any breach of law) against any of the Latter Day Saints, I know of none in the State. If then they have broken no law, they consequently have taken away no man's rights, they have infringed upon no man's liberties. We have been three years in this state, and have not asked for any county, or state officer; laws have been administered by those not of our persuasion; administered rigorously, even against the appearance of crime, and yet there has been no conviction of which I have heard.

Where is there another community of thirty thousand in any state, against none of whom there is a record of conviction for crime in any court during the space of three years. And yet there are those who cry out, treason! murder!! bigamy!!! burglary!!! arson!!! and every thing that is evil, without being able to refer to a single case that has ever been proved against the Mormons.

This then must be the "head and front of our offending." That by industry in both spiritual, and temporal things, we are becoming a great and numerous people; we convert our thousands, and tens of thousands yearly to the light of truth; to the glorious liberty of the gospel of Christ; we bring thousands from foreign lands, from under the yoke of oppression, and the iron hand of poverty, and we place them in a situation where they can sustain themselves, which is the highest act of charity towards the poor. We dry the widow's tear, we fill the orphan's hand with bread, and clothe the naked; we teach them principles of morality and righteousness, and they rejoice in the God of Abraham and in the Holy One of Israel, and are happy,-Thus it is with the honest in heart; but when the wicked creep in amongst us for evil, to trample upon the most holy and virtuous precepts, and find our moral and religious laws too strict for them, they cry out delusion, false prophets, speculation, oppression, illegal ordinances, usurpation of power, treason against the government, &c. You must have your charters taken away-you have dared to pass an ordinance against fornicators, and adulterers-you have forbid the vending of spirituous liquors within your city-you have passed an ordinance against vagrants and disorderly persons; with many other high

handed acts; you even threaten to vote at the next election, and may be (at least we fear) you will send a member to the Legislature; none of which doings we the good mobocrats and Anti-Mormon politicians, (and some priests as well,) are willing to bear. This is the cry of the base and vile, the priest and the speculator, but the noble, the high minded, the patriotic, and the virtuous, breathe no such sentiments; neither will those who feel an interest in the welfare of the state, for who does not know that to increase the population ten thousand a year with the most industrious people in the world, to pay thousands of dollars of taxes, to bring into the State immense sums of gold, and silver, from all countries; to establish the greatest manufactoring [manufacturing] city in America, (which Nauvoo will be in a few years,) and to create the best produce market in the west, is for the good and prosperity of the community at large, and of the State of Illinois in particular.

As to the City ordinances, we have passed, all such as we deemed necessary for the peace, welfare, and happiness of the inhabitants, whether Jew, or Greek; Mohammedan, Roman Catholic, Latter-Day Saint, or any other; that they all worship God according to their own conscience, and enjoy the rights of American freemen.

WILLIAM LAW.

Nauvoo, June 17th, 1842.

The above are plain matters of fact, that every one may become acquainted with by a reference to the county of State records, we might add that in regard to moral principles there is no city either in this State, or in the United States, that can compare with the city of Nauvoo; you may live in our city for a month and not hear an oath sworn, you may be here as long and not see one person intoxicated so notorious are we for sobriety, that at the time the Washingtonian convention passed through our city a meeting was called for them; but they expressed themselves at a loss what to say, as there were no drunkards to speak to; so that whether as a civil, moral or religious community we think that we can say without vanity that we are as orderly as any other community, in any town or city in this State, or in the United States; and we are laying a foundation for agricultural and manufactoring [manufacturing] purposes, that bids fair to rival if not to exceed, any city in the western country. Ed.