1842-06-28-New York Tribune-Discussion on Mormonism
Discussion on Mormonism.
Source: New York Tribune, 28 June 1842, pg 1
- BOSTON, June 25, 1842.
Considerable excitement has been created here during the past week by a public discussion of the subject of Mormonism. It closed last night, having been continued five evenings. The disputants were Dr. West, an English gentleman, and Elder Adams, a minster of the Mormon sect.�The former is a man of strong and well cultivated intellectual powers, and, when excited, an effective speaker. He came here, as I have been informed, from New-York, for the purpose of delivering lectures in refutation of Infidelity, and is highly recommended by some of the leading clergymen of that city as well qualified for the proposed task. Elder Adams is a man of strong but uncultivated mind, and possesses no small amount of tact and ingenuity. As a speaker, he is rough and uncouth, and treats the King's English as unmercifully as he does his own lungs.�Precisely how the parties came in conflict, I cannot tell you; but I believe the Mormon was the challenger. Marlboro Chapel was the scene of conflict, and the tickets of admission were sold for 12� cents. The audience at first was small, but it increased as the controversy went on, until the Chapel was at last pretty well filled.
Dr. West affirmed that the doctrines and principles of the Mormons involved hypocrisy, lying, fraud, treason, plunder, murder, blasphemy, &c.; and these charges he endeavored to substantiate by quotations from their writings, and by proofs drawn from other sources. The laboring oar, consequently, was in his hands, while his opponent stood in an attitude of self-defence. The former had the prejudices, and generally the deep-rooted convictions of his audience, in his favor, while the latter enjoyed, as an offset, that sympathy which the human heart involuntarily feels when a fellow man is on trial for a serious offence. In this respect, perhaps, the advantages of the conflict were as equally divided as they could have been before an audience whose opinions were chiefly on one side of the question.
During the first three evenings I was not present; but those who were, assure me that I heard the pith of the discussion on Tuesday and Friday evenings. On the former evening, the chair was occupied by "Father Taylor," as he is familiarly called, the well-known Seaman's preacher. The debate was opened by Dr. West at 8 o'clock, and closed by Elder Adams at 10; the parties occupying twenty minutes each, alternately.
