THE MORMON DIFFICULTIES.
FROM THE ST. LOUIS REPUBLICAN.
We have nothing later from Daviess county than the 14th. At that time the militia from Clay, Saline, Jackson, and some other counties, were collecting in Daviess and Carroll, but no deci-sive steps had been taken on either side. We copy below an article from the Western Star, (published at Liberty, in Clay county,) of the 14th, which shows the origin and progress of the difficulty. We have heard a number of ver-bal reports, but nothing that can be relied on, so we prefer-waiting for more positive intelli-gence. The remarks of the Star are as follows :
We desire in the statement we are about to make to give a true narrative of the causes which have produced the difficulty between the Mormons and the citizens of Daviess county, as well as to give all that has occurred respecting the movements of both parties since the first difficulty took place.
At the election in Daviess county a citizen objected to a Mormon's voting, which brought about angry words. The Mormon was struck with a club, and, in return, used the same weapon himself, and, before the affair terminated, several on both sides were engaged, and knives freely used. No person was killed, but some cut and bruised.
The excitement did not terminate with the fight. Short-ly afterwards, Joe Smith, Lyman Wight, and other Mor-mon leaders, collected a large force in Caldwell, and went into Daviess county to protect the Mormons residing there. They went armed and equipped for war, but they say their intentions were peace; and, if what we hear be true res-pecting the paper which they presented to Adam Black, a justice of the peace, for his signature, a very different face has been placed upon the transaction to what B. has sworn to. The paper Smith presented to Black was to the effect that inasmuch as it was anticipated that difficulties would grow out of the fight at the election, between the Mor-mons and the citizens of Daviess, he (Black) as a justice of the peace pledged himself that he would take lawful no-tice of any unlawful proceedings of either party—Smith representing to Black that if he would sign such a paper, he would show it to his own people, and to others, and that it would have an effect to prevent difficulties.
We understand that the facts elicited at the trial of Smith and Wight (who gave themselves up, and were heard before the judge of our circuit court last week) com-pletely stamped the certificate of Black, Cumstock, and others, with falsehood. After the trial of Smith and Wight, it was believed that difficulties had ceased; but not so. The people of Daviess county had sent letters and messengers to other counties, in order to raise men to drive ail the Mormons out of Daviess, and many from other counties had gone to their aid. The Mormons, seeing this, made preparations also, When, seeing the crisis at which things were arriving, the judge of our circuit, Hon. Austin A. King, directed Gen. D. R. Atchinson to raise one thousand men in his division, and forthwith march them into Daviess, to keep the peace, and prevent bloodshed.
Two hundred men from Clay, under the command of Brigadier General Doniphan, Major Lightburne, arid Cap-tains Moss, Whittington, and Price, marched out on yes-terday and the day before.
We are not apprehensive that any thing serious will take place, though both parties have become much excited. Both sides are to blame, but our opinion is that the Mor-mons are the aggressors. Until the fourth of July we heard of no threats being made against them in any quarter. The people had all become reconciled to let them remain where they are, and, indeed, were disposed to lend them a helping hand. But one Sidney Rigdon, in order to show himself a great man, collected them all together, in the town of Far West, on the fourth of July, and there delivered a speech containing the essence of, if not treason itself. This speech was not only published in the news-papers, but handbills were struck for distribution in Cald-well and Daviess counties. We have not the speech now before us, but we recollect, amongst other threats, that the author said: "We will not suffer any vexatious law suits with our people, nor will we suffer any person to come info our streets and abuse them." Now, if this is not a mani-festation of a disposition to prevent the force of law, we do not know what is. It is also true that when the Mormons left this county, they agreed to settle in, and confine them-selves to a district of country, which has since been formed into the county of Caldwell; but they have violated that agreement, and are spreading over Daviess, Clinton, Liv-ingston, and Carroll. Such a number had settled in Da-viess, that the old inhabitants were apprehensive they would be governed soon by the revelations of the prophet, Joe Smith, and hence their anxiety to rid themselves of such an incubus.
So many reports are in circulation relative to battles fought, and men on both sides being killed and captured, that it is hard to get at the truth. We are certain, how-ever, that, up to yesterday, no person had been killed. Three men from Ray county were captured by the Mor-mons, and some fifty guns taken. The men are in con-finement (or, rather, are guarded and kept) in the town of Far West, and it is said the people of Daviess have cap-tured one Mormon.
General Doniphan, in some remarks made to the compa-ny which went out from this county, said that the men and arms captured by the Mormons would be demanded, as also the Mormon captive in Daviess. Should the Mormons refuse to give up the men and arms, the worst consequences must follow.
We hope and believe they will not be so blinded as to refuse ; but, if they should, we can tell them that "war to the knife" will be waged against them, and they will no long-er be suffered to remain in the State. We rely greatly upon the standing and influence of Generals Atchinson and Doniphan, as well as the other gentlemen who have gone out, to bring this matter to a peaceable termination.
