Mormon Affairs

Unlimited censure has been heaped upon Governor Ford, of Illinois, for his refusal to order out the militia of the State to aid in the arrest of certain Mormon leaders, indicted for counterfeiting. Governor Ford, in reply to some of the strictures of the press in relation to this matter, has come out in the State Register, and given in detail his reasons for not having complied with the request of the United States Marshal. These are, that the militia were not called for by the President of the United States; that the disturbances in Hancock county were

settled, by mutual agreement, the Saints not to be harassed with persecutions, and to leave in the spring, and finally, that as the Mormons will not remove without their leaders, it would be impolitic to arrest these, and thus deter the rest from prosecuting their preparations for an early removal.

We are no apologists for the Mormons, but we cannot but express the opinion that in this matter Governor Ford has acted wisely. At this crisis, prosecutions could do no good, and might do much harm, even supposing that they could be sustained. We insert the latter clause in view of the "fixed fact," that it is very easy to get up an indictment against an individual, but not quite so easy to sustain it when both sides of the question are considered. The saints too, it seems, are now willing to emigrate; then, in the name of Peace, let them go, and end this disgraceful turmoil and strife. It is quite likely that many of them are bad people, and it is still more likely that there are quite enough bad people in that quarter, not of their number without them. They should be permitted, therefore, to emigrate quietly, alike for the good of the community and their own welfare. When they are gone, we shall see whether there are any more horses stolen, or counterfeit money passed, in that region.

There is such a thing as painting his Satanic Majesty blacker than he is generally acknowledged to be, and a similar process we think has been resorted to in all the crusades that have been instituted against Mormonism. We have reason to believe that however bad the Mormons are, there has still been much exaggeration as to their misdeeds; and further, that their most violent opponents have ever been of a cast of character as questionable as any thing they would represent the Mormons to be. It is notorious that the great "Mormon Eaters" of Upper Missouri, were the greatest scamps in the country, and we have very good reason to believe that the same remark would apply to the tribe who are now persecuting them in Illinois.

The Peoria Register expresses the fear, that "there will be some very bad men still left in Illinois, after the Saints are gone." This we think quite likely. There will probably be left some of those who invited them to the State, for the purpose of using them as stepping-stones to power, but who, failing in making them the creatures of their will, afterward resorted to every means within their reach to villify [vilify] them, and even to encourage them to acts of outlawry. There will be left those, who, under the disguise of carrying out the laws of Illinois, induced the Smiths to become prisoners, and then in cold blood, murdered [murdered] them!-an act of atrocity unparalleled in the history of the age. And there will be left, men who will seize upon the effects of the banished fanatics, and whose prime object in driving them ferth [forth] is the spoils they may leave behind. There will be left-to the shame of Illinois-and they of course will continue to have apologists for their misdeeds, in the shape of some sixpenny journal of the calibre [caliber] of the Warsaw Signal, Quincy Whig, &c. &c.

The time will come, when the fanaticism and immorality of the Mormons will be lost in the recollection of the great barbarism of their persecutors.