History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Volume 6Smith, Joseph, Jr.
History
History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Volume 6
Smith, Joseph, Jr.
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Smith, Joseph, Jr., 1805-1844
I bring this appeal before my native State, for the solemn reason
that an injury has been done, and crimes have been committed,
which a sovereign State, of the Federal compact, one of the great
family of _"E pluribus unum,"_ refuses to compensate, by consent
of parties, rules of law, customs of nations, or in any other way.
I bring it also because the National Government has fallen short
of affording the necessary relief, as before stated, _for want of
power,_ leaving a large body of her own free citizens, whose wealth
went freely into her treasury for lands, and whose gold and silver
for taxes still fills the pockets of her dignitaries "in ermine and
lace," defrauded, robbed, plundered, ravished, driven, exiled, and
banished from the "Independent Republic of Missouri!"
And in the appeal let me say, Raise your towers, pile your
monuments to the skies, build your steam frigates, spread
yourselves far and wide, and open the iron eyes of your bulwarks
by sea and land; and let the towering church steeples marshal
the country like the dreadful splendor of an army with bayonets.
But remember the flood of Noah; remember the fate of Sodom and
Gomorrah; remember the dispersion and confusion at the tower of
Babel; remember the destruction of Pharaoh and his hosts; remember
the handwriting upon the wall, _"Mene, mene, tekel upharsin;"_
remember the angel's visit to Sennacherib, and the one hundred and
eighty-five thousand Assyrians; remember the end of the Jews and
Jerusalem, and remember the Lord Almighty will avenge the blood of
His Saints that now crimsons the skirts of Missouri! Shall wisdom
cry aloud, and her speech not be heard?
Has the majesty of American liberty sunk into such vile servitude
and oppression, that justice has fled? Have the glory and influence
of a Washington, an Adams, a Jefferson, a Lafayette, and a host
of others, forever departed; and the wrath of a Cain, a Judas,
and a Nero whirled forth in the heraldry of hell, to sprinkle our
garments with blood, and lighten the darkness of midnight with the
blaze of our dwellings? Where is the patriotism of '76? Where is
the virtue of our forefathers? and where is the sacred honor of
freemen!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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