Rock Island, July, 1846.
On my way up the Mississippi, I tarried a few hours at the far-famed
city of Nauvoo: and when I resumed my course, I felt like one just
awakened from an incomprehensible dream. Surely, surely Fanaticism is a
most foul fiend, and we ought to rejoice with exceeding joy that He who
ruleth the armies of heaven, is yet the protector of earth, and its
inhabitants, and will not leave all mankind alone to the mercy of their
idols.
The Mormon City occupies an elevated position, and, as approached from
the south, appears capable of containing a hundred thousand souls. But
its gloomy streets bring a most melancholy disappointment. Where lately
resided no less than twenty-five thousand people, there are not to be
seen more than about five hundred; and these, in mind, body and purse,
seem to be perfectly wretched. In a walk of about ten minutes, I counted
several hundred chimneys, which were all at least that number of
families had left behind them, as memorials of their folly, and the
wickedness of their persecutors. When this city was in its glory, every
dwelling was surrounded with a garden, so that the corporation limits
were uncommonly extensive; but now all the fences are in ruin, and the
lately crowded streets actually rank with vegetation. Of the houses left
standing, not more than one out of every ten is occupied, excepting by
the spider and the toad. Hardly a window retained a whole pane of glass,
and the doors were broken, and open, and hingeless. Not a single
laughing voice did I hear in the whole place, and the lines of suffering
and care seemed to be imprinted on the faces of the very children who
met me in the way. I saw not a single one of those numerous domestic
animals, which add so much to the comforts of human life; and I heard
not a single song even from the robin and the wren, which are always so
sure to build their nests about the habitations of man. Aye, the very
sunshine, and the pleasant passing breeze, seemed both to speak of sin,
sorrow, and utter desolation.
Yet, in the centre of this scene of ruins, stands the Temple of Nauvoo,
which is unquestionably one of the finest buildings in this country. It
is built of limestone, quarried within the limits of the city, in the
bed of a dry stream, and the architect, named Weeks, and every
individual who labored upon the building were Mormons. It is one hundred
and twenty-eight feet in length, eighty feet wide, and from the ground
to the extreme summit it measures two hundred and ninety-two feet. It is
principally after the Roman style of architecture, somewhat intermixed
with Grecian and Egyptian. It has a portico, with three Roman archways.
It is surrounded with pilasters; at the base of each is carved a new
moon, inverted, while the capital of each is formed of an uncouth head,
supported by two hands holding a trumpet. Directly under the tower in
front is this inscription, in golden letters: “_The House of the Lord.
Built by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Commenced
April 6th, 1841. Holiness to the Lord._” In the basement room, which is
paved with brick, and converges to the centre, is a Baptismal Font,
supported by twelve oxen, large as life, the whole executed in solid
stone. Two stairways lead into it, from opposite directions, while on
either side are two rooms for the recording clerks, and, all around, no
less than twelve preparation rooms besides. On the first floor are three
pulpits, and a place for the choir; and on either side eight Roman
windows. Over the prophet’s pulpit, or throne, is this inscription:
“_The Lord has beheld our sacrifice: come after us._” Between the first
and second floors are two long rooms, appropriated to the patriarchs,
which are lighted with eight circular windows each. The room of the
second floor, in every particular, is precisely like that of the first.
Around the hall of a spacious attic are twelve small rooms, with
circular windows and a massive lock on each door. At the two front
corners of the edifice are two winding stairways, which meet at the base
of the tower and lead to the summit,—while the roof of the main building
is arranged for a place of promenade; and the walls of the noble edifice
vary from four to six feet in thickness.
Estimating the manual labor at the usual prices of the day, it is said
that the cost of this Temple was about $800,000. The owners now offer to
sell it for $200,000, but it will be a long time, I fancy, before a
purchaser is found.
The Mormon, who took me over the Temple, and gave me the above
information, was nearly broken hearted. Like the majority of his
brethren, remaining in the city, he was without money, and without
friends, and yet, it was to be his destiny, in a few days, to push his
way into the wilderness, with a large family depending upon him for
support. It was in a most melancholy tone, indeed, that he spoke to me
the following words: “Mine, sir, is a hard, hard lot. What if my
religion is a false one, if I am sincere, is it not cruel, in the
extreme, for those, who call themselves the only true church, to oppress
me and my people as they have done? My property has been stolen from me,
and my dwelling been consumed; and now, while my family is dependent
upon a more fortunate brother for support, my little children cannot go
into the streets without being pelted with stones, and my daughters
cannot go to the well after a pail of water, without being insulted by
the young and _noble_ among our persecutors. I do not deserve this
treatment. I am not a scoundrel or a foreigner;—far, far from the truth
is this supposition. My grandfather, sir, was killed at the battle of
Yorktown, as an officer of the glorious Revolution; my own father, too,
was also an American army officer during the last war; and all my
kindred have ever been faithful to the upright laws of the government.
Knowing, therefore, these things to be true, and knowing, too, that I am
an honest man, it is very hard to be treated by my fellow countrymen as
a ‘vagabond.’ O, I love this sacred Temple, dearly, and it makes me weep
to think that I must so soon leave it to the tender mercies of the
_Christian_ world.”
Thus far had this poor man proceeded, when his utterance was actually
choked with tears,—and I was glad of it, for my own heart was affected
by his piteous tale. I gave him a dollar for his trouble, when he was
called to attend a new arrival of visitors, and I was left alone in the
belfry of the Temple.
Then it was that I had an opportunity to muse upon the superb panorama
which met my gaze upon every side. I was in a truly splendid
temple,—that temple in the centre of a desolate city,—and that city in
the centre of an apparently boundless wilderness. To the east lay in
perfect beauty the grand Prairie of Illinois, reaching to the waters of
Michigan; to the north and south faded away the winding Mississippi; and
on the west, far as the eye could reach, was spread out a perfect sea of
forest land, entering which, I could just distinguish a caravan of
exiled Mormons, on their line of march to Oregon and California. As
before remarked, when I went forth from out the massy porches of the
Mormon Temple, to journey deeper into the wilderness, I felt like one
awakened from a dream.