134 THE STORY OF MORMONISM.
It did not seem possible to a community convicted of no crime, and living in the nineteenth century, under the flag of the world's foremost republic, that such fla- grant wrongs as the Boggs exterminating order, and the enforced treaty under which they were deprived of their property, could be carried into eflect. They ap- pealed, therefore, to the legislature,^^ demanding jus- tice. But that body was too much with the peo- ple and with Boggs to think of justice. To make a show of decency, a committee was appointed and sent to Caldwell and Daviess counties, to look into the matter, but of course did nothing. Another was appointed with like result. Debates continued with more or less show of interest through the month of December. In January, 1839, the Mormons were plainly told that they need expect no redress at the hand of the legislature or other body of Missouri.
who encouraged the mob answer.' Correspondence Joseph Smith, 2. On the 16th of March, 1839, the editor of the Quincy Argus wrote as follows: 'We have no language sufficiently strong for the expression of our indignation and shame at the recent transaction in a sister state, and that state Missouri, a stn^e of which we had long been proud, alike for her men and history, but now so fallen that we could wish her star stricken out from the bright con- stellation of the Union. We say we know of no language sufficiently strong for the expression of our shame and abhorrence of her recent conduct. She has wi-itten her own character in letters of blood, and stained it by acts of merciless cruelty and brutality that the waters of ages cannot efface. It will be observed that an organized mob, aided by many of the civil and military officers of Missouri, with Gov. Boggs at their head, have been the prominent actoi's in this business, incited, too, it appears, against the Mormons by polit- ical hatred, and by the additional motives of plunder and revenge. They have but too well put in execution tlieir threats of extermination and expul- sion, and fully wrealied their vengeance on a body of industrious and enter- prising men who had never wronged nor wished to wrong them, but on the contrary had ever comported themselves as good and honest citizens, living under the same laws, and having the same right with themselves to the sacred immunities of life, liberty, and property.' 'By enlightened people the Mor- mons were regarded as the victims of misguided vengeance in Missouri. The ruffianly violence they encountered at the hands of lawless mobs, in several instances eventuating in deliberate murder, finds no extenuation in any alleged provocation. The due process of law might have afforded adequate redress for the criminalities of which they should be found guilty on legal trial. Such was the view of the subject rightly taken by the people of Illinois and of the world, though it may have been wrongfully applied in favor of the cause of the persecuted.' Tucher^s Mormonism, 166.
- ^ A memorial was sent to the legislature of Missouri, dated Far West,
Dec. 10, 1838, setting forth these facts, and praying that the governor's novel, unlawful, tyrannical, and oppressive order be rescinded. It was signed by Edward Partridge, Heber C. Kimball, John Taylor, Theodore Turley, Brigham Young, Isaac Morley, George W. Harris, John Murdock, John M. Burk.
