1839-10-01—New York American—The Mormons

The Mormons

New York American, October 1, 1839, p. 2.

The Mormons—The Baltimore Chronicle, alluding to the meeting held in this city, for the suffering Mormons, and referring to those who took part at the meeting, makes these remarks:

We take and interest, like our brethren of the New York press, in the fate of these poor deluded wretches, to whom, notwithstanding their absurd and preposterous faith, we would secure the unmolested enjoyment of their religious notions, as well as of their property, when either may be assailed by a mob. But—and it is, perhaps, a little strange that, in so clear a case as this, there should be a necessity for any reservation—are not our friends in New York somewhat afraid that they may, by thus taking up the cudgels in favor of the deluded followers of poor Joe Smith, be taken, held and denounced, by some of the liberal and enlightened people of New York, as being under Mormon influence!

We do not know,—and soothe to say, where we feel sure of our own motives, do not much care,—whether we are to be held and denounced, as the Chronicle supposes possible; but we do fear that some feelings akin to those surmised by the Baltimore papers do interpose between the strong claims of these sufferers, and that stream of charity which usually flows so surely and so benignantly in this city. On no other hypothesis can we account for the almost entire failure of the appeal that has been made for the relief of the women and children of a class of proscribed Americans.