The Next President

A laudable respect for the wise course pointed out to us, as a church and people, by our late venerable and distinguished fellow servant, and president of said church, Joseph Smith, who was our candidate for the presidential chair of the United States, but who was inhumanly [inhumanely] murdered by a portion of the powers that exist in this land, would say to us, if nothing more, beware how you vote for a Chief Magistrate of this Government! As a people we have exercised the elective franchise, heretofore, as far as we could, for our own good, and the best interest of the nation, but what have we gained? Nothing is the simple answer as touching any redress or redemption in consequence of our banishment without just cause or provocation, from the "Independent Republic of Missouri," at an immense sacrifice of land and property: and the land purchased of the general government.

It would seem from all past experience in our case, that partizans [partisans] and politicians, while they love our votes, they hate our influence and prosperity, and therefore, after they have obtained

their aims and ends, leave us among the missing,-perfectly contented to chuckle over the subterfuge of having used us as a passport to honor, profit, fame and wealth for their own gracious benefit, and then shove us aside to guess our way to respectability, competency, privilege and even a moderate share of morality-clandestinely acting the "Levite," that we may drag out and draw along a scrimpt [scrimped] existence in exile, among what is highly lauded to the nations of the earth, as a great, mighty free people,-THE ASYLUM OF THE OPPRESSED!!

Such conduct manifested to us as a people, is cruel, unjust, and oppressive; and, as not one of the candidates now before the nation for the high office of Chief Magistrate, has given us a pledge, that if he be elected to that exalted station, he will use all honorable means, constitutionally, lawfully, physically and forcibly to grant us redress and redemption for all wrongs: and as our candidate for this high office, has been butchered in cold blood, for aught [ought] we know to the contrary, to prevent him from being elected, and the murderers running at large with impunity; and as we are not abolitionists and will not go against one half the interest of the nation-what shall we do as honest and consistent men? Shall we honor the "views of the powers and policy of the government," as published by the now martyred Gen. Joseph Smith? We will. Therefore let every man of our faith be left free to choose and act for himself, but as a people we will honor the opinions and wisdom of our martyred General; and as a matter of propriety, we cannot vote for, or support a candidate for the presidency, till we find a man who will pledge himself to carry out Gen. Smith's views of the powers and policy of the government as he published them. Patriotism and integrity demand this course from the true Latter day Saint. Unus pro omnium.