1844-06-12-New York Herald-Great Mass Meeting of the Mormons at Military Hall
Great Mass Meeting of the Mormons at Military Hall
New York Herald,
June 12, 1844
Great Mass Meeting of the Mormons at Military Hall
Response of the Mormonites to the Nomination of Joe Smith -- Curious Prophecy of one of the Apostles, consigning Washington, the Capital and White House to the Lower Regions -- Awful Murders in Missouri -- Van Buren -- Henry Clay -- Polk and Tyler rag-tag and bobtail annihilated.
We have had a considerable share of excitement during the past six weeks in relation to the Presidential contest. The Whigs, the Democrats, the Tylerites, have all had their turn on the arena. We have had the Annual Conventions of Fourierites, Methodists, Episcopalians, Bible Societies, Tract Societies, Millerites, and a Meeting of "Darkies" in Leonard street -- all have come out in due course, but the greatest event of the season took place last evening at "Military Hall," Bowery, which throws all the Meetings and Conventions of the last month far into shade: and bids fair completely to eclipse even the famous "Tylerite dinner."
At 2 o'clock, pursuant to requisition, a meeting of the Mormonites of New York took place at the above hall for the purpose of responding to the "Nauvoo" nomination of their great Prophet, Joe Smith. Some twenty-seven men and seven Mormonesses were assembled at the hour appointed. The ladies had all passed the Rubicon, but seemed to take a lively interest in the proceedings. The Apostles looked grave as mustard pots, but resolute in their purpose of carrying their candidate through. There were placed in the centre of the room one three legged table, with the four chairs, one pulpit, and six gas lights. A brother Mormon stood conspicuously in the front seat, and wore a long beard, being an attested copy of the Prophet's. He was dressed in a military frock coat, and seemed the presiding spirit at the meeting. At half past 8 o'clock, another Mormoness arrived, with a grown girl about six years of age, and took her place near our reporter. On seeing him taking his stenographic notes, she remarked that she know it was the "sacred writing," and asked him "where he had learned?" Our reporter replied he had taken instructions from the great Prophet at Nauvoo; to which she replied "she knew it from the 'sacred characters' in which he had been writing," and was on the point of giving him a sisterly embrace, from which he ungallantly made his escape. A number of copies of the "PROPHET," published by the board of Control of the Society for the Diffusion of Truth, every Saturday morning at No. 7 Spruce street, New York, at one dollar per annum -- E. J. Bevin, printer," were distributed on the table. The articles in it discuss forcibly the Prophet's pretensions to the Presidential chair, and continues: --
"Would to God that our citizens, one and all, would take the same stand, and we would then select officers for the good of the country, and not for the especial advancement of a faction. Would we could invoke the spirit that animated those who bled for the privilege which our citizens as a body seem not to appreciate and let it rest on their descendants -- we would then have no occasion to record the delinquency of men high in authority, as it is very often our painful duty now -- but men would be selected with a view to the best interests of the country.
At 9 o'clock a small accession to the numbers present located themselves on the vacant seats, when
George T. Leach was nominated chairman pro tem., and W. H. Myers was appointed secretary.
Garret D. Newell was nominated president pro tem., upon which,
The Rev. Barney [sic] Pratt, one of the twelve apostles of Nauvoo, came forward and said that the meeting was convened for political purposes, and such a purpose as would be acceptable to God. It was high time that the people of the Union and the land awoke from their lethargy -- as the people had been living in slavery for the last ten years. They had seen negroes hung without judge or jury -- white men hung without trial -- Catholic churches sacked and burned down -- convents demolished, and 15,000 latter day saints driven from their homes and murdered -- and this done under the highest authority in the land at Missouri -- the Governor of Missouri was a murderer -- so was the Legislature -- so was their military, who plundered them of $240,000 worth of horses, cattle, and property. Van Buren refused to aid them, and so did the country -- and all had failed; in this state of things they should look to themselves. The halls of Congress were dripping with blood, and the whole national legislature were a pack of murderers, for they connived at the foul murders committed at Missouri, and gave no redress -- they had all been guilty of shedding innocent blood. The constitution guaranteed the free exercise of religion; but it was a mockery, as the State of Missouri was backed up by a pack of robbers -- murder, treason, rebellion, robbery, and plunder could be laid at their door. He charged these upon them and upon the editors of the press who also connived at the murder. Harry Clay was also a murderer, as well as Van Buren, for he too, in 1839, denied them any assistance. Joe Smith had even addressed a letter to Harry Clay and his reply was that he would not pledge himself. The Constitution was trampled under foot and they were governed worse than in the days of Nero, by the political jugglers of the country. He would sooner be a Quaker, and not vote at all, than vote for such men as Clay or Van Buren. He proposed then that General Joe Smith be the candidate for the next presidency -- (Tremendous cheers, mingled with hisses and cries of "shut up.") He would vote for any candidate that is in favor of the free exercise of religious principles. He would even go in for perfect liberty to the man that would worship a toad. -- (Loud, vociferous, tremendous applause, and cheers.) He prophesied that Washington would soon be a place of security for the cormorant, the bittern, the owl and the bat -- that it would soon be dripping with blood and that the words, "Mene mene, teke Iupharsin" would be written on the ruin. The mummery of the 4th July in America was a mere farce -- a name, as liberty was dead, and he felt proud that there was left a monument at Boston -- to tell the passing stranger that liberty once dwelt in the land; but its name had only survived -- the grave stone was upon it, as it was dead. (Loud, vociferous, and tremendous applause.) Harry Clay was in favor of slavery, and was an enemy to the free exercise of religious principles. He was tooth and nail against any species of religious oppression, whether against the Catholic, the Mormon, the Heathen, or the Jew, and to remedy these grievances, he would vote for and nominate Joe Smith, the "Mormon Prophet," as a candidate for the next Presidency. (Loud and prolonged cheers.)
The following delegation were then nominated to represent the twelve Apostles, and meet at Utica for further action, on the 23d August next: --
Dr. Doremns, F. J. Bevens, John Leech, Leeler Lane, Nathaniel B. James. _____ Watkins, John Swakum, and Samuel Leaver.
Rev. Orson Pratt, another Apostle, then came forward and addressed the meeting detailing the course of action pursued by Congress towards the Mormonites in relation to their application for redress, on the subject of what he termed the Missouri Murders.
A Mr. J. B. Meynell then rose and spoke at some length on the claims of his Excellency General Smith to the Presidency.
After Mr. Meynell concluded, a motion was made to adjourn, but the Chairman begged before the motion was put to say a few words on the subject of the meeting. Just as he commenced, however, some evil disposed loafer began to play tricks on the gas pipe leading to the room, and the meeting broke up in a very unceremonious manner, obliging the worthy chairman to postpone his speech till a more favorable opportunity. And thus terminated the first great mass meeting for the elevation of the great Prophet of the West to the Presidency. It is very evident that the contest between the Mormons and the Tylerites will be a tough one, and it is hard to say who will gain the leather medal.
