1833-1834.
NEW STRUGGLE OF OLD WAR--MOB TURNED LOOSE ON SAINTS--THE TERRIBLE
DRIVING--APPEALS TO DUNKLIN AND JACKSON--MOB AND SAINTS HOLD CONFERENCE.
Long, long ago, before we were born, before any man on earth was born,
a great and terrible war was fought. This was in Heaven, between God,
our Eternal and Heavenly Father, and a disobedient son, who lusted
after more power. The army of the Lord was stronger, whipped Lucifer
and his angels and cast them down to hell.
Some on the Lord's side were very valiant, brave spirits, others were
not so brave; and some, perhaps, followed the Lord merely because He
was more powerful and not because of real love for Him. These last,
when placed on earth, are easy tools for Satan, and whenever God sets
up His work, Lucifer uses them in his efforts to destroy it.
This struggle in Missouri was just a new battle of the old war, and
it seemed as though Satan's tools were very thick there and were of
the worst kind. In one sense the evil one was victor. The Saints were
driven from Jackson county, and then from place to place until they
fled from the state to save their lives. And yet the Lord's power is
far greater than Satan's, and if He had willed it, the persecution
would not have taken place; but He let it go on because the Saints did
not obey all His laws and prepare themselves to build up the holy city.
When, according to Col. Pitcher's order, the weapons of the people
were given up, the mob--now state soldiers--acted like a legion of
devils. They rushed in companies on foot and horseback from place to
place, stealing, pulling down houses, threatening to murder women and
children, and tying men to trees and beating them. Ministers took an
active part, and Rev. Isaac McCoy with his gun on his shoulder led one
band.
Out on the wild prairie scattered all who could escape, and there they
wandered, homeless and torn from their loved ones. Darkness came, and
through the crisp air of the November night the stars shone down upon
their misery. A few halted at dawn on the bank of the Missouri river
and little by little their numbers grew. Each day more came to join
them at the ferry, bringing what they could carry from their ruined
homes.
A great part of the Saints crossed the river into Clay county, some
went into Van Buren and Lafayette counties and some scattered in other
directions. Jackson proved not the only county where unkindness was
known. And almost all the Saints except those in Clay were driven
again. The people in Clay did show some Christian feeling and let the
Saints remain.
About a week after the terrible attack of the mob militia, before dawn
on the morning of November 13th, all the heavens began to glow with
splendid light. Stars shot from their places, leaving behind them a
radiant train. All the colors of the rainbow were seen. It was like the
most magnificent play of the northern lights. The Saints could easily
see this glorious sight--few had roofs over their heads to prevent.
They rejoiced, for they took it as a sign of God's glory, and it
certainly was. Their enemies saw it also, and they, believing like the
Saints that the Lord of hosts was showing His power, were terrified.
Just as soon as the leading brethren could cross the river, they
sent out a sworn statement of all that the mob had done, to Governor
Dunklin. He ordered a special court of inquiry to be held at once. This
was done and Col. Pitcher was arrested for court-martial because he had
taken the arms from the Saints.
The governor said he would restore the Saints to their homes by force
if they wished it, but that he could not keep soldiers there to protect
them. They themselves had no weapons, and of course did not care to go
back and be butchered by the mob. They asked to be organized into a
militia, but though this was legal it was never done.
They sent petitions to President Andrew Jackson, asking that the
United States troops might be stationed in Jackson county to protect
them. The soldiers had to be placed along the frontier somewhere, and
the Saints thought if placed there, the mob would not dare do any
violence. The president would not interfere, saying he had no authority
to act in this case. On other occasions President Jackson was not so
particular about authority when he wanted to carry out his plans. What
an exhibition of weakness in our government! The governor of Missouri
and the president of the United States both seemed willing to do what
the law would permit, and yet over one thousand people were driven from
their homes and kept away, although they used all the lawful means to
regain them.
It was a terrible winter for the Saints in Missouri. All the comforts
they had gathered about them were gone. They not only were without
proper shelter from the storms but even lacked food. And while they
were in this condition, across the Missouri river the mobs were tearing
down and burning their empty houses and destroying their harvested
crops. During one week in the spring of 1834, one hundred and fifty
homes were consumed by fire.
In the latter part of February a regular court of inquiry was held
in Jackson county, and about a dozen of the brethren were called as
witnesses. A company of state soldiers went out with them as a guard.
No sooner had they reached Independence, however, than a strong mob
gathered and they were hurried back to Clay county without going into
court at all. Blood would certainly have been spilled if they had
stayed.
The court found Col. Pitcher guilty of calling out the militia to
crush an uprising when there was no uprising to crush, and of making
the Saints give up their arms when they were at peace. When Governor
Dunklin received this report he ordered that the arms be returned. His
orders were not regarded, and here is where his weakness was shown--a
strong man would have enforced his own proper commands. Instead of
being given back, the arms were divided among the mob, and the Saints
never did obtain them.
On the day following the entrance into Missouri of Zion's Camp, of
which you are later to hear much, on the 5th of June, 1834, the
brethren wrote to Governor Dunklin telling him that the Saints were
ready to be taken back to their homes in Jackson county. You remember
that he had promised to protect them until they were again settled but
no longer. They had now obtained new arms, Zion's Camp was coming to
help them, and they believed that they could now protect themselves if
the mob should rise again to hurt them.
In answering, the governor said that a clearer right did not exist
than that of the "Mormon" people, who were exiled from their homes
in Jackson county, to return and live on their lands. But instead of
raising troops to go back with the Saints, he tried to persuade them to
come to some terms with their enemies.
Through the efforts of him and other prominent men a meeting was held
on the 16th of June in Clay county between members of the mob and
members of the Church. Different proposals were made but none were
accepted. The mob offered to buy the lands of the Saints if they would
promise that no "Mormon" should ever come back, but God had commanded
them to build Zion there, and they could not promise that. The Saints
offered to buy the lands of all those who did not wish to live in the
same county with them, but this did not suit the mob. The meeting grew
very exciting and ended by one of the mob stabbing another.
It was an important gathering, for though no agreement was reached it
showed the governor his plain duty. But excitement and mystery were
in the air. Zion's Camp was near and the people did not know what to
expect.