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Mormon Letter to Sterling Price
Far West 8th Septr. 1838
Col. Price Dear Sir
As a duty which I owe to the Church of Latter Day Saints, commonly called Mormons, and also to the public generally; I take the liberty of addressing this communication to you, and through you to the publick, in order that the publick mind may be disabused in relation to the affray which took place on the 6th of August last in Davie's [Daviess] County at the Election: together with the cause of the great excitement which has grown out of it.
I think Sir, that when the whole surface of this matter comes to be laid before you. You will agree with me, that it is one of those strange political, manouveres which occasionally occur (though I am happy to say but rarely) in times of high political feeling. As proof of the great excitement which prevailed in Davies County at and immediately preceding the day of Election, Judge Morin, our Senator elect, when conversing with myself on the affairs of the election declared that such was the excited state of publick feeling, that if he should lose his election; he did not know but that he would have to leave his present place of residence. I merely mention this to let you see how exceedingly high political feeling ran.
So great being the desires of the political parties to effect their object, as well as th[e] Candidates to obtain their election. You may well suppose that there would be great exertions made to enlist the Mormons, as they called them, in their favour: each Candidate in his turn using all the means in his pow[er] to obtain this object. Calculating with certainty that the ones who obtained their suffrage would be elected, as they comprised about one third of the Voters in the County. Proposals were made to Mr. Wight at one time or other by all the Candidates to obtain his influence, believing that such was his influence among the members of the Church to which he belongs that they woul[d] be easily persuaded by him to vote for the Candidates for whom he himself would vote. And among the rest. Col. Penningston made application for his share of Mr. Wights influence. The Col. was a Candidate for the house of Representatives and in order more fully to obtain his object he proposed to Mr. Wight if he would give him all tho aid he could his influence; he in turn would give him all the aid he could to have him elected Assessor. Mr. Wight knew that Mr. Penningston previous to this time had been a great enemy to himself as well as to the Society to which he belongs, and took the liberty of enquiring concerning his former prejudices against the society. And as he had previously engaged in a mob to drive the Mormons out of the County; Mr. Wight desired to know what they might expect from him in time to come. Mr. P. said that he never designed to drive them out of the County that if he could not scare them so as to cause them to leave, he intended to let them alone. He further stated that he had been deceived by false reports and that he was now convinced that the Mormons were not such a peopl[e] as they had been represented to be, but were good citizens, with many other sayings which were favorable to the society.
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But Sir, all this flattery and expression of good will could not prevail against Mr. Wights inflexable democracy. He was a Democrat and there was no compromise which could be made, which would cause hi[m] to sacrifice his political creed, nor could the promise of office have the least effect with him. If he could not get office without supporting men whose political creed sentiments he considered incorrect, he would not have it at all, and gave Mr. P. to understand positively that he need not expect to receive any assistance from him, but on the contrary, he would use his influence against him. Mr. P. was the whig Candidiate.
Perhaps it would not be amiss to let you know something of Mr. Wights political feelings as a democrat. He is one of the Old School. Uncompromising in his political creed. As an instance of his inflexibility. Mr. Awberry ofDavie's County who was a candidate for sheriff had been Mr. Wights personal friend, as also a friend to the society to which he belongs, and had lifted his voice against a Mob which had been raised in that county against the Latter Day Saints, at the time they first began to settle in that county: But notwithstanding the personal friendship which existed between them, and the former kindness of Mr. Awberry, Mr. Wight would not vote for him because he was of a different political creed from himself. He was willing to perform any office of kindness to Mr. A. but he would not do it at the expence of his political faith. He was willing to do anything in accordance to it, but nothing against it. This determined and unchangeable course of Mr. W. brought the indignation of his political opponents on his head. Fearing that his influence would be fatal to their election, plans were accordingly laid to put a final end to his influence if possible and prohibit those of the society from voting at the election. Threats were issued to this effect in order, no doubt, to intimidate them, so that they would not go to the election Previous to this time, Mr. Wight and the persons now engaged in issuing these threats were on terms of friendship, and the friendship was only broken by Mr. Wights determination to maintain his own political creed at all hazards, and support those and those only, who were of the same political faith with himself.
Threats of personal violence were made concerning Mr. Wight. Mr. Bowman had sworn that he would cut his throat. These things were going on sometime before the election. I was at the house of Mr. Wight several times during this political campaign, though I did not suppose that it would terminate in any thing serious. But in this I have been disappointed.
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Before the day of election came, feelings, if we may judge from sayings, ran high, and threatnings were made, but to what extent I am not able to say, but sufficiently to create considerable animoSity. The whole of this difficulty originated about the election; for before the electioneering campaign commenced, as far as I have know[led]ge there were no difficulties existing whatever. And the difficulties existing were purely political in their character. Religion had nothing to do with it on either side. It was fears entertained about the final issue of the election. Mr. Penningston and his friends became convinced that they had nothing to hope from the Mormons, as they called them, but all to fear and they supposed the dye was cast with Mr. P. if the Mormons voted. These are facts. Sir, I think that cannot be contradicted in truth. So Stood the affairs up until the day of election arrived.
I wish you. Dear Sir, particularly to mark, that during all this time there was nothing thought about raising the Indians, about enlisting the Negroes or about abolitionism. These were all creatures of a more modem date…
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| [Unknown, letter to Sterling Price, Far West, Missouri, 8 September 1838, Mormon Affidavits & Petitions relating to the Missouri Persecutions,
Caine Mss Collection 19, Fd 32, Utah State University, Special Collections and Archives] |
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