THE MORMONS.—The N. Y. Sun contains the follow-ing letter from the widow of Jo. Smith, the Mormon prophet, so called :
NAUVOO Ill., Nov. 20th, 1845.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW YORK SUN :
SIR,—I hope to be excused for addressing, for the first time in my life, a letter to the Editor of a newpa-per, and this I have been induced to do, from seeing the letters of Gen. Arlington Bennett, published in the newspapers, urging the Mormon people to remove to the Pacific Ocean, and advocating the cause of the TYRANTS, who have seized on the government of the Mormon Church. This Church, such as it is, was formed by my lamented husband, who was martyred for its sake, and whether true or false, has laid down his life for its belief!
I am left here, sir, with a family of children to attend to, without any means of giving them an education, for there, is not a school in the city, nor is it intended there shall be any here, or at any other place, where the men who now govern this infatuated, simple-minded people, have sway. I have not the least objection that these petty tyrants remove to California, or any other remote place, out of the world, if they wish ; for they will never be of any service to the Mormons, or the human family, no matter where they go. Their object is to keep the people over whom they rule in the greatest ignorance, and most abject religious bondage, and it these poor, confiding creatures remove with them, they will die in the wilderness ! The laws of the United States are quite good enough for me and my children, and my settled intention is to remain where I am, take care of my property, and if I cannot educate my child-ren here, send them to New York or New England for that purpose. Many of the Mormons will, no doubt, remove in the Spring, and many more will remain here, and nothing would give me greater pleasure than to have a mixed society in Nauvoo, as in other cities, and all exclusive religious distinctions abolished.
I must now say, that I never, for a moment, believed in what my husband called his apparitions and revela-tions, as I thought him laboring under a diseased mind, yet, they may be all true, as a prophet is seldom with-out credence or honor, excepting in his own family or country; but as my conviction is to the contrary, I shall educate my children in a different faith, and teach them to obey and reverence the laws and institutions of their country. Shall I not, sir, be protected in these resolutions against the annoyance of the men I now oppose, for they will no doubt seek my life ?
What object Gen. Arlington Bennett has in advocat-ing the cause of these petty tyrants, I am not able to understand, for he assured me, when at my house, that he had not the smallest intention of connecting himself in any manner with them, much less removing with them to the Pacific Ocean. But this is a strange world ; and I would not be surprised if they had offered to anoint and crown him King or Emperor in the West ! As I have something more to say, I will take the liber-ty to write you another letter.
With great respect,
I am sir, your humble serv't,
EMMA SMITH.
19th Century Mormon Article Newspaper Index
