THE MORMON WAR.
From the St. Louis New Era, Sept. 27.
MORMON WARS.—The Boreas came down yes-terday and brings a few items of news from the seat of war. The inhabitants of Warsaw had principally return-ed to their homes, and the Mormons to Nauvoo. The Mormons were still in the ascendency in Hancock coun-ty. In McDonough and the upper part of Adams county there was a considerable excitement. A committee from Quincy went to Nauvoo on the 24th, to negotiate and mediate, and to try and prevent the further effusion of blood. It was said that they intended to try and prevail on the Mormons to agree to wind up their business and leave that part of the country within some definite time; and that if they failed to give assurances of removal, the committee would intimate to them that they might ex-pect the people of Adams county to co-operate with the anti-Mormons against them. It was supposed that if the Quincy committee failed to effect a peace, that the war would recommence with redoubled fury. Many persons from Missouri, Iowa, and different counties in Illinois were said to be ready to join the mob against the Mor-mons. Orin P. Rockwell, the fellow who attempted to assassinate Gov. Boggs, appears to be ringleader among the Mormons at present. He is the person who shot Mr. Morrel, and seems to act as aid to Backenstos. A rumor prevailed that Gov. Ford had ordered out a considerable body of militia under the command of Gen. John J. Har-din, and that they were on their march to the seat of war, but there was a great diversity of opinion as to what they would do when they arrived. Some supposed that they would attack the Mormon troops; some that they would aid Backenstos in arresting the house-burners, and others that they would reduce both parties to submission, and try and reestablish law and order.
The Mormons were said to have been very busy in capturing, driving and slaughtering a large number of fine cattle, and in laying in a heavy stock of provisions; roving bands were said to be busily engaged in rum-maging and plundering the deserted houses of the re-fugees.
In Iowa, the Governor had ordered several companies of the militia to hold themselves in readiness to act so as to prevent the peace of that Territory from being dis-turbed.
A number of Mormon families had removed from Iowa to Nauvoo. Some person supposed that if the Quincy Committee failed in their object, hostilities would be re-newed next day. She Mormons speak with great confi-dence of their ability to maintain their rights, and of the inability of their opponents to put them down. If the parties come in conflict again, a much bloodier scene will be presented.
The mob, which has been overpowered by superior numbers, will be speedily reinforced by their friends from every direction, and Nauvoo will probably be sack-ed and burned, and many of the families butchered, and the rest of them driven off. Backenstos, Bedell and Rockwell figure as prominent men on the Mormon side, and Williams and Hopkins are leaders of their opponents. Serious outbreaks are anticipated.
The St. Louis Evening Gazette of the 27th ult., brings us the reply of the Mormons to a communica-tion from the citizens of Quincy. After a long string of whereases, in which, among other things, they profess a desire to restore peace to the country on such terms as will not involve the sacrifice of their right to worship God according to the dic-tates of their consciences, they make the following propositions:
We would say to the committee above mentioned, and to the Governor, and all the authorities and people of Illi-nois, and the surrounding States and Territories; that we propose to leave this country next spring, for some point so remote, that there will not need to be a difficulty with the people and ourselves, provided certain proposi-tions necessary for the accomplishment of our removal, shall be observed, as follows, to wit:
That the citizens of this and the surrounding counties, and all men, will use their influence and exertions, to help us to sell or rent our properties, so as to get means enough that we can help the widow, the fatherless and destitute to remove with us; That all men will let us alone with their vexatious law-suits, so that we may have the time, for we have broken no law : and help us to cash, dry goods, groceries, good oxen, milch cows, beef-cattle, sheep, wagons, mules, har-ness, horses, &c., in exchange for our property, at a fair price, and deeds given on payment, that we may have the means to accomplish a removal, without the suffering of the destitute, to an extent beyond the endurance of human nature;
That all exchanges of property be conducted by a com-mittee or committees of both parties, so that all business may be transacted honorably and speediiy.
That we will use all lawful means, in connexion with others, to preserve the public peace while we tarry, and shall expect decidedly that we be no more molested with house burning, or any other depredations, to waste our property and time, and hinder our business.
That it is a mistaken idea that we "have proposed to remove in six months ;" for that would be so early in the spring, that grass might not grow nor water run, both of which would be necessary for our removal, but we propose to use our influence, to have no more seed time nor harvest among our people in this county, after gathering our present crops. And that all communica-tions to be made in writing. By order of the Council,
BRIGHAM YOUNG, Pres't.
WILLARD RICHARDS, Clerk.
The Quincy Courier of the 26th says that a mes-senger arrived on the day previous from the Governor with orders for volunteer companies to rendezvous at Warsaw on the 29th.
The Nauvooites were preparing with all expedition for a siege. The Courier says : Armed men from the surrounding country are congre-gating in Hancock, and there can be little doubt but that a battle will soon be fought, unless State authority is in-terposed. The Mormons are said to have driven off 30 or 40 head of cattle from the neighborhood of Warsaw, night before last, and it is said that Nauvoo looks more like a cow-pen than a human habitation. About 500 head were driven in in one day. We have the Warsaw Signal, Extra, of Sept. 24, in which we find a very intemperate statement, on the Anti-Mormon side, of the causes of the war. We make an extract to show the grounds on which it is attempted to justify the attack upon the Mormons :
"It was not one outrage alone, that aroused our citi-zens to action, with the determination to rid the county of the outlawed villains who infest it; but for years, wrong upon wrong, and insult upon insult, had been heaped upon us. We had been robbed of our property times without number; many of our citizens had been grossly abused and insulted ; the lives of some of the most estimable men in our community have been threat-ened, for no crime other than opposition to tyranny ; our political rights have been taken from us ; we could get no justice in the courts of our own county; and, in short, every outrage, every wrong, and every indignity, that the malice and cupidity of our enemies could suggest, had been inflicted on the old settlers of Hancock. They had borne it until to many it seemed that forbearance had ceased to be a virtue ; and at least a small body of deter-mined men, rendered desperate by the remembrance of long continued wrongs, commenced the work of rid-ding our neighbordood of the presence of the banditti that infested it. They did not this on their own reponsi-bility, but from a well founded belief that the citizens of of other counties would assist in driving from the State a community, that every man at all acquainted with its character, admits to be utterly unfit to dwell in the midst of civilized society. Time and again have influential citizens of other counties, who were acquainted with our wrongs, averred that it was only necessary to set the ball in motion, and a force sufficient to keep it moving, would immediately flock to our standard. Our enemies believed this, and when the work was commencd gave up all for lost, but it seems that both were disappointed.
The effect of these proceedings was soon discernible on the surrounding country, and public opinion in oth-er counties was brought to bear against them, and many in our own county condemned the conduct of the burn-ers as rash and imprudent. The Mormons, finding that the force of their enemies did not increase, and that they had the sympathy of other counties, were at length encouraged to march out of Nauvoo, with a posse of about three hundred men to stop farther depredations. The camp of Anti-Mormons, who had been engaged in burn-ing, was broken up. The Mormon posse retired to Bear Creek, and here they commenced a system of plunder-ing, which has, without interruption, been continued up to the present time. In short, since Backenstos and his posse have had control of Hancock, plundering parties under its protection have traversed the whole county, and carried off in teams every thing left by the inhabi-tants, who had been compelled to fly from their ven-geance.
Heretofore these monsters in human shape have feared the power of their enemies, and this alone kept them in check, but when they at length ascertained that they could with impunity march an armed force out of Nau-voo and traverse the county as its undisputed lord, mark the result. Immediately plundering parties who were no longer in fear of consequences were out in broad day-light carrying off to the Holy City every article on which they could lay their hands. Men who have been guilty of no violation of law are now fugitives from Mormon ven-geance. They have been compelled to leave their homes in consequence of the threats of the Sheriff and his law-less band, who under pretence of restoring order to the county, are, in fact, but giving protection to roving bands of plunderers, who are pillaging the county with perfect impunity.
The following paragraphs we copy from the same paper:
OUTRAGE ON TRAVELERS.—We learn by a gentleman from Fort Madison, that a party of emigrants from San-gamon County were crossing the North of Hancock on their way to Iowa, when they were stopped by some armed Mormons, their wagons taken into a ravine and overhauled. Every thing was deliberately searched, and then the villains were drawn up in front of the travelers and threats made to shoot them. The stran-gers begged for life, and offered their teams if they would spare them ; but their inhuman tormentors only laughed at them. After keeping them in suspense for some time, they let them go.
The roads in the North are guarded by Mormons, and all who pass are stopped and insulted.
The inhabitants of the North are driven from their homes and have taken refuge in Iowa. Plundering par-ties are out in the North, and are carrying off the proper-ty of the inhabitants to Nauvoo.
THE PLUNDERERS.—We learn that a party of fourteen Mormons, in disguise, having their faces blacked, are about five miles from Warsaw engaged in plundering.—They have swept the county of cattle, and are carrying off in teams the grain and farming utensils of the in-habitants.
Word has come in that the farms North of Carthage are stripped of every thing.
A party of eighteen men, belonging to Camp Creek, started from Carthage for the south end of the county, last week. They have not been heard of since, and fears are entertained that they are all butchered.
