PERSECUTION IN JACKSON COUNTY.
A great many of the old settlers of Jackson county, meaning those who were
there before the Saints, were of a shiftless, ignorant class from the
Southern States. They made but little improvement in their homes, being
content to live in small, log huts, many of them without windows or board
floors. They all believed it right to have negro slaves. They were also
eager to hold public office.
At that time there were also many persons in western Missouri who had fled
from the east on account of crimes which they had committed. Being near the
boundary line of the United States, these persons would need only to cross
the line into Mexico to be safe if an officer should come after them.
You will readily see by this what kind of neighbors the new settlers had.
Of course the Saints could not join with these wicked people in their horse
racing, Sabbath breaking, idleness, drunkenness, and other things which the
Missourians took delight in. Most of the Saints were from the Eastern and
Northern States and did not believe in slavery. They worked hard, and as
the land produced good crops, they were soon prospering, while their idle
neighbors remained in poverty.
All this naturally led the Missourians to hate the "Mormons," and as early
as the spring of 1832 they began to molest them by throwing stones into
their houses, etc. That same fall mobs began to come against the Saints,
burning some of their hay and shooting into their houses.
In April, 1833, the mobbers held a meeting at Independence to discuss plans
whereby they could rid the county of the "Mormons." However, the meeting
broke up in a row. July 20th, they held another meeting which was more
successful. An address was read to the people wherein the Saints were
falsely accused of all manner of wrong doings. It also set forth that no
more "Mormons" must settle in Jackson county; that the "Mormons" already
there should be given a reasonable time to sell their property and then
remove; that the printing of their paper must cease; that the stores of the
Saints must close up their business as soon as possible; and that the
leading brethren should use their influence to have the Saints comply with
these requests. The meeting agreed to all this and a committee was
appointed to wait on the leaders of the Saints to see what they would do
about it. When the committee called, the brethren asked for time to
consider the matter, but fifteen minutes only were given them. Nothing
could be done in that short time, so the committee went back to the meeting
and reported.
The mob then broke loose, yelling like a band of wild Indians. They went to
the house and printing office of W.W. Phelps, forced Mrs. Phelps and the
children, one of whom was sick, out of the house and threw the furniture
out in the street. They then destroyed the printing press and tore the
office down. Then they went through the town hunting for the leading
brethren. They caught Bishop Edward Partridge and Charles Allen, dragged
them to the public square, stripped most of their clothes off, and then
smeared tar all over their bodies. This ended that day's work, and the
frightened women and children who had fled to the woods came back to their
homes.
The third day after this a mob of five hundred men came into Independence.
They were armed with guns, knives, and whips, and they swore they would
kill or whip all who would not agree to leave. The leading brethren, seeing
that it was no longer of any use to plead or resist, made an agreement with
the mob that they with their families would leave the county by the first
of January, and that they would use their influence in trying to induce the
rest of the Saints to leave, one-half by January 1st, the rest by April
1st, 1834. They were also to use all the means they could to prevent more
of the Saints from settling in the county. The mob for their part agreed
not to persecute the Saints while this was being done.
The mob, however, did not keep this promise, but daily broke into houses
and abused the inmates.
The Saints now appealed to the highest officer of the state, Governor
Dunklin, for protection. He told them that the laws were able to protect
everybody in their rights, and advised the Saints to have those arrested
who threatened them, and have them tried in court for their misdeeds.
This, seemingly, was very good advice, and would have worked all right
under other circumstances; but when it is remembered that the very
officers--the constable who would have to do the arresting, the judge who
would try the cases, and in fact all concerned--were men who were
themselves leaders of the mob, you will see how useless such a course would
be. However, the Saints engaged four lawyers to protect them in the courts.
This made the mobbers more angry than ever, and they made preparation for
further action against the Saints.
"We will rid Jackson county of the "Mormons"," they said, "peaceably if we
can, forcibly if we must. If they will not go without, we will whip and
kill the men; we will destroy the children, and abuse their women."
The Saints now resolved to defend themselves, and the men gathered in small
bodies, armed with guns.
On the night of October 31, 1833, a mob marched to the Whitmer settlement
of the Saints where they whipped several of the brethren to death, drove
the women and children into the woods, and tore the roofs from about a
dozen houses.
The next night an attack was made upon the Saints living at Independence. A
party of brethren went to the aid of the Saints, and found a mob tearing
down the store of Gilbert, Whitney & Co. The mobbers fled, but the brethren
captured one of them in the act of throwing brick-bats through the window.
They brought him to a justice of the peace to have papers made out for the
mobber's arrest. The justice would not do it, so the man was released.
Three days after, this same mobber had the brethren arrested. It was no
trouble for him to get papers from the same justice. As one of the brethren
remarked at the time, "Although we could not obtain a warrant against him
for breaking open the store, he had gotten one for us for catching him at
it!"
Topics.--1. The character of the early Missourians. 2. Mobbers' meetings
in Independence. 3. Work of the mob.
Questions and Review.--1. From what sections did most of the early
settlers of Missouri come? 2. From what section did the Saints come? 3.
What difference of opinion existed between the people of the north and the
people of the south? 4. Why did the Missourians hate the "Mormons?" 5. Why
did many outlaws come to Missouri? 6. What did the mobbers want the Saints
to promise? 7. What advice did Governor Dunklin give? 8. Why did the law
not protect the Saints? 9. How was Bishop Partridge abused? 10. Tell about
the arrest of the four brethren.