Letter to Editors, 6 May 1841, Page 414
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Letter to Editors, 6 May 1841

Source Note

JS, Letter, , Hancock Co., IL, to the editors of Times and Seasons [ and ], , Hancock Co., IL, 6 May 1841. Featured version published in Times and Seasons, 15 May 1841, vol. 2, no. 14, 414. For more complete source information, see the source note for Letter to Isaac Galland, 22 Mar. 1839.

Historical Introduction

On 6 May 1841, JS wrote to and , the editors of the Times and Seasons, requesting that they print his account of the recent visit of two prominent politicians: , a Democrat, and , a Whig, both of whom visited , Illinois, on Sunday, 2 May 1841. Douglas had served as Illinois secretary of state in 1840 and assisted in securing the passage of the Nauvoo city charter later that same year. In February 1841, Douglas was elected to the Illinois supreme court and resigned his office as secretary of state. The youngest state supreme court justice in Illinois history, Douglas took his oath of office on 1 March 1841, just shy of his twenty-eighth birthday. Though Douglas was new to his position, an article in the Times and Seasons noted that “all parties bear testimony, that he is eminently qualified for the station he occupies.” Douglas spent much of his time as a state supreme court justice in west-central Illinois; his duties included presiding over the Circuit Court. In early May, Douglas traveled to the Nauvoo area to chair a session of the circuit court. , a prominent lawyer from , Illinois, likely participated in court proceedings in Hancock County during the early May session and decided to visit Nauvoo with Douglas.
JS’s 6 May 1841 letter was written specifically for a public audience, and it is the only known contemporaneous account of and ’s visit to . According to JS's letter, Douglas and Walker met with a congregation of Latter-day Saints, where both spoke favorably about the Saints, their industriousness, and the development of the city of Nauvoo. JS juxtaposed Douglas’s and Walker’s attitudes toward the Latter-day Saints with the Saints’ experiences with government officials and prominent citizens in , stating that he hoped “every person” would “imitate the honorable example” of Douglas and Walker.
The original letter is apparently not extant. It was published in the 15 May 1841 issue of the Times and Seasons, and that is the version featured here.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    See Historical Introduction to Act to Incorporate the City of Nauvoo, 16 Dec. 1840.

  2. [2]

    Stephen A. Douglas, Springfield, IL, to Thomas Carlin, 16 Feb. 1841, and Oath of Office, 1 Mar. 1841, in Johannsen, Letters of Stephen A. Douglas, 97.

    Johannsen, Robert W., ed. The Letters of Stephen A. Douglas. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1961.

  3. [3]

    News Item, Times and Seasons, 15 May 1841, 2:417.

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

  4. [4]

    News Item, Times and Seasons, 15 May 1841, 2:417. At some point during his visit, Douglas inspected the Nauvoo Legion and affirmed its legal status at the request of John C. Bennett. Despite criticism from outside the church that the legion was “exclusively a Mormon military association,” Douglas opined that the legion’s organization was in harmony with government regulations. JS’s 4 May 1841 general orders to the legion characterized Douglas’s assessment as proof that the legion was legitimate—that it was “a body of citizen-soldiers organized (without regard to political preferences or religious sentiments) for the public defence, the general good, and the preservation of law and order.” (General Orders for Nauvoo Legion, 4 May 1841.)

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

  5. [5]

    Douglas’s sympathy for the Saints was evident when he later presided over JS’s June 1841 habeas corpus hearing in Monmouth, Illinois. At that trial it was noted that a description of the suffering and persecutions of the Saints in Missouri “drew tears from the eyes” of Douglas. (“The Late Proceedings,” Times and Seasons, 15 June 1841, 2:447; News Item, Warsaw [IL] Signal, 16 June 1841, [2].)

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

    Warsaw Signal. Warsaw, IL. 1841–1853.

  6. [6]

    Another version, copied directly from the Times and Seasons, was published in the 2 June 1841 issue of the Warsaw Signal. (JS, Nauvoo, IL, to the Editors of the Times and Seasons, 6 May 1841, in Warsaw [IL] Signal, 2 June 1841, [2].)

    Warsaw Signal. Warsaw, IL. 1841–1853.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation.
*Letter to Editors, 6 May 1841
History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842] “History of Joseph Smith”

Page 414

City of . May 6, 1841.
To the Editors of the Times & Seasons,
Gentlemen:—
I wish, through the medium of your paper, to make known, that on Sunday last, I had the honor of receiving a visit from the Hon. , Justice of the Supreme Court and Judge of the fifth Judicial Circuit of the State of , and Esq. of , who expressed great pleasure in visiting our , and were astonished at the improvements which were made. They were officially introduced to the congregation who had assembled on the meeting ground, by the ; and they severally addressed the assembly. , expressed his satisfaction of what he had seen and heard respecting our people and took that opportunity of returning thanks to the citizens of , for confering upon him the freedom of the city, stating that he was not aware of rendering us any service, sufficiently important to deserve such marked honor; and likewise spoke in high terms of our location and the improvements we had made, and that our enterprise and industry were highly creditable to us indeed.
spoke much in favor of the place, the industry of the citizens &c. and hoped they would continue to enjoy all the blessings and priveleges of our free and glorious Constitution, and as a patriot and a freeman he was willing at all times to stand boldly in defence of liberty and law.
It must indeed be satisfactory to this community to know, that kind and generous feelings exist in the hearts of men of such high reputation and moral and intellectual worth.
has ever proved himself friendly to this people; and interested himself to obtain for us our several charters, holding at that time the office of Secretary of State. also ranks high, and has long held a standing at the bar, which few attain, and is considered one of the most able and profound jurists in the .
The sentiments they expressed on the occasion, were highly honorable to them as American citizens, and as gentlemen.
How different their conduct, from that of the official characters in the state of , whose minds were prejudiced to such an extent, that instead of mingling in our midst and ascertaining for themselves our character, kept entirely aloof, but were ready at all times to listen to those who had the “poison of adders under their tongues,” and who sought our overthrow.
Let every person who may have inbibed sentiments prejudicial to us, imitate the honorable example of our distinguished visitors, ( & ) and I believe they will find much less to condemn then they anticipated, and probably a great deal to commend.
What makes the late visit more pleasing, is the fact, that Messrs. & , have long been held in high estimation as politicians, being champions of the two great parties that exist in the ; but laying aside all party strife, like brothers, citizens, and friends, they mingle with us, mutually disposed to extend to us courtesy, respect and friendship, which I hope, we shall ever be proud to reciprocate.
I am, very respectfully, yours &c.
JOSEPH SMITH. [p. 414]
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Editorial Title
Letter to Editors, 6 May 1841
ID #
644
Total Pages
1
Print Volume Location
JSP, D8:143–146
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Footnotes

  1. [1]

    2 May 1841.

  2. [2]

    For more on the improvements and developments in Nauvoo, see Report of the First Presidency to the Church, ca. 7 Apr. 1841; see also “Nauvoo,” Sangamo Journal (Springfield, IL), 9 Feb. 1841, [2].

    Sangamo Journal. Springfield, IL. 1831–1847.

  3. [3]

    This assembly likely took place in the grove just west of the temple site, the common location for large public meetings in Nauvoo.

  4. [4]

    Conferring the “freedom of the city” was a symbolic gesture of welcome granted to distinguished visitors to a city—similar to the bestowal of a key to the city—that encouraged a guest to come and go freely about the city. (See, for example, “The Approach of Congress,” New York Herald, 1 Dec. 1840, [2]; “For the National Intelligencer,” Daily National Intelligencer [Washington DC], 9 Dec. 1840, [3]; and “Original Anecdote of Decatur,” Pensacola [FL] Gazette, 23 Jan. 1841, [2].)

    New York Herald. New York City. 1835–1924.

    Daily National Intelligencer. Washington DC. 1800–1869.

    Pensacola Gazette. Pensacola, FL. 1830–1861.

  5. [5]

    This honor appears to have been an extension of the gratitude the Nauvoo City Council had previously expressed to other government officials and Illinois citizens for their assistance to the Saints. On 3 February 1841 the Nauvoo City Council resolved to tender “unfeigned thanks” to government officials in Illinois and a month later voted to express particular thanks to Senator Richard M. Young, who introduced the Saints’ memorial for redress into the Senate. The city council also bestowed upon Young the freedom of the city. (Minutes, 3 Feb. 1841; Minutes, 1 Mar. 1841; see also Proclamation, 15 Jan. 1841.)

  6. [6]

    As Illinois secretary of state, Stephen A. Douglas signed legislation benefiting the Saints in their efforts for self-governance, including the Nauvoo city charter, which authorized the Nauvoo Legion, the University of Nauvoo, and the Nauvoo Boarding House Association. (See Act to Incorporate the City of Nauvoo, 16 Dec. 1840; and Agreement with William Law, 26 Apr. 1841.)

  7. [7]

    See Psalm 140:1–3.

  8. [8]

    Douglas was a Democrat, while Walker was a Whig.

  9. [9]

    The Saints had previously benefited from bipartisan support. The Nauvoo city charter received unanimous support from both Democrats and Whigs. Douglas and the Whig senator Sidney H. Little were particularly influential in the charter’s passage. In his history of Illinois, Thomas Ford wrote that the Saints received bipartisan support because “each party was afraid to object to them for fear of losing the Latter-day Saint vote, and each believed that it had secured their favor.” (Gregg, History of Hancock County, Illinois, 273; John C. Bennett [Joab, pseud.], Springfield, IL, 16 Dec. 1840, Letter to the Editors, Times and Seasons, 1 Jan. 1841, 2:266–267; Ford, History of Illinois, 263, 265.)

    Gregg, Thomas. History of Hancock County, Illinois, Together with an Outline History of the State, and a Digest of State Laws. Chicago: Charles C. Chapman, 1880.

    Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.

    Ford, Thomas. A History of Illinois, from Its Commencement as a State in 1818 to 1847. Containing a Full Account of the Black Hawk War, the Rise, Progress, and Fall of Mormonism, the Alton and Lovejoy Riots, and Other Important and Interesting Events. Chicago: S. C. Griggs; New York: Ivison and Phinney, 1854.

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