1842-07-26-New York Herald-The Trouble among the Mormons

The Trouble among the Mormons--The Mormon Discussion in this City

New York Herald, 26 July 1842, Issue 204, col D

The Trouble among the Mormons--The Mormon Discussion in this City

The Mormon discussion between Elder Adams and Dr. West in this city, has just been brought to a close; in the course of which many converts were made on both sides. Although it was somewhat astonishing that the discussion, at this particular period, did not excite more general attention, or draw greater crowds than it did.

It was commenced last week in the rooms of the Hope Total Abstinence Society, and occupied four consecutive nights. Dr. West spoke for the orthodoxy, and Elder Adams for the Mormons. No two men could possibly be more widely different in their habits and acquirements, and the disparity in their characters was constantly discernable in the course of the discussion.

The Doctor is a large portly man, of good rubicund face, a native of England, but an attached and adopted citizen of the United States. he has the address of a gentleman, and the acquirements of a scholar, and his principal faculty lies in witty and sarcastic repartee, tinged with cheerfulness and good humor; this was apparent throughout the discussion. His information on biblical matters is also extensive; he has much learning, little logic, large language, fine descriptive powers, and an eloquent and forcible delivery. Moreover, we should think that an attachment to a good dinner, if not a predominant, was at least a prominant qualification of the Doctors.

The Doctor's opponent, Elder Adams, is an American by birth, possessing much tact and acumen, but he is a man who labors under the disadvantages of an uncultivated mind, and a want of literary attainments. He is of the ordinary size, shorter than Dr. West, or the Rev. Mr. Shaw, but nearly as gaunt as the latter; and his countenance is indicative of energy and sincerity, and his whole conduct, we believe, displays that he possesses these attributes to a large extent. In this discussion he appeared deeply interested in Mormonism, noisy in his oratory, and pointed in his endeavors to substantiate the doctrines of his church.

The argument used in the discussion was unsatisfactory. The Doctor appeared to be the most popular of the two with the audience, particularly the ladies; but his adhesion to the point at issue was not so great as that of his opponent.

Elder Adams attempted to prove that there had been no church of Christ organized upon the strict New Testament principle for many hundred years; and that the "Latter Day Saints," or Mormons, were the only church organized upon those principles. These views were sustained with a course of argument, which, however satisfactory it was to Elder Adams, was not very convincing to his hearers, if we judge from the manifestations of the latter at the close of, and during the entire discussion.

The Doctor pursued a very different course; and he brought forward a long tirade of charges against Joe Smith and his men, such as murder, treason, lying, adultery, deception, seduction, and almost every thing that was bad. These constituted the principal points in his argument; in some instances they were tolerably well sustained by inferences, whilst in others the promises to produce proof were more apparent than the production thereof.

The two disputants pursuing such widely different courses, it cannot be supposed that the arguments were fairly met ad canvassed. The Elder stuck to his text best; he seemed more disposed to argue; the Doctor to ridicule; and certainly the ridicule was very pointed and effective. The Doctor depicted the scene at Palmyra, where the Devil and his imps were scrambling with Joe Smith for the possession of the plate, with much ludicrousness and tact. He also said that the attempt of the Elder in Boston to bestow on a woman an additional tongue seemed to him very unnecessary, and the height of folly, as the sex were generally very bountifully supplied with the commodity. This produced roars of laughter in which the women joined.

When the time at last arrived for the discussion to close, both parties manifested considerable desire to have it go on for some time longer. On this, Mr. Origen Bachelor rose, and proposed to procure a room on his own responsibility; and after deducting from the money received for tickets enough to pay for the room, and other necessary expenses, to give the balance to the speakers. This was received with loud cheers; but Bachelor added this proviso, that he should have the arrangement of every thing according as he desired, and be allowed to take the general supervision of the whole affair.

In the course of his remarks he made an unjust attack on the president, Dr. Dutcher, whose urbanity and impartiality had been so evident during the discussion, that the audience upon this retort hissed Bachelor heartily. Bachelor replied, "Serpents, hiss!" Upon this there was a general hissing, and the meeting broke up in a row.

Several gentlemen, however, came forward, and offered to be personally responsible for the hire of National Hall, in Canal street, and it is possible the discussion may be continued there this week.

In the mean time, whilst all this discussion is going on here, we perceive the angry discussion between Joe Smith and General Bennett waxes hotter and hotter at Nauvoo. In addition to what we have already given, General Bennett makes the following strange charges:--

[The balance of the article is about events in Nauvoo, instead of New York]