An Englishman's travels in America : $b his observations of life and manners in the free and slave statesBenwell, John
History
An Englishman's travels in America : $b his observations of life and manners in the free and slave states
Benwell, John
Slavery -- United States; United States -- Description and travel; United States -- Social life and customs -- 1783-1865
"Those who in quarrels interpose,
Must oft expect a bloody nose."
I visited the portion of the town appropriated by the Mormons as a
residence. Here, in the midst of their dwellings, they had erected a
temple for worship, which, on their emigrating west, their arch-leader,
Smith, prophesied would, by the interposition of heaven, be destroyed by
fire. The prophecy was verified as to the fact, but heaven had, it
appeared, little to do with it; for it was ascertained to be the work of
an incendiary of their sect, who was detected and brought to condign
punishment.
I was afterwards informed by an American gentleman, to whom I had a
letter of introduction, and who had been a great sufferer by these
impostors, that some time before the great body of Mormons migrated to
the interior, they started a bank. Having managed to put a vast number
of their notes in circulation, for which they received produce, they
closed the doors, and left the public to be losers by their nefarious
schemes. I had the misfortune myself, in my ignorance, to take from a
dishonest store-keeper a ten-dollar bill of this spurious currency, and
did not detect the imposture until I offered it to the captain of the
boat I had engaged a passage in to _La Belle Rivière_, as the Ohio is
called. I must mention, however, that I took it previously to the
interview with the gentleman I have adverted to, and actually, without
knowing it, had the note in my pocket-book when he mentioned the default
of these pseudo bankers. I paid ten dollars for a useful lesson.
The passengers from Cleveland formed a motley group; for, irrespective
of French, Dutch, Americans, and Canadians, we had on board eight or ten
families of the Mormon sect, following in the wake of their leaders,
Smith and Rigdon, to their new settlement in the far west. These people
were very reserved, and seemed inclined to keep aloof from their
fellow-passengers. This, however, may be accounted for by the prejudice
so justly existing at the time against them, as a body, from the causes
I have already mentioned; in fact, the indignation of the people could
hardly be kept in check by the authorities, and lynching was resorted
to on more than one occasion. The men were clothed in drab broad-cloth,
and wore large white hats; their garb altogether resembling that of the
more respectable Society of Friends, in America. The resemblance,
however, ceases with the dress, for, if reports speak true, and they are
many-tongued, they are very exceptionable in their morality and general
principles, amongst other peculiarities, polygamy being allowed, for the
avowed purpose of extending and perpetuating the sect.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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