BY DAVID OVER.
|r Irrl a11ri]. j
THE FIRST SHOW.
BY CLARA IOTP.
With dull red splendor in his gaze
The sun sank towards his nightlv rest,
And clouds whose rims were all ablaze,
Piled lnouitta'n-high with gloom the west.
Without the sunset's golden Bush
To crimson o'er the winter sky—
To make the leafless tree-tops Mush,
The fields in burning glory lie.
To wander lonely wilds about.
I!ach lowly hut from gloom to win—
Making warm fir ■ glow without
Where warn fires never glowed within.
To wind a thread of silver light.
Where -treams, locked in an icy hold.
Lay whitely 'mid the lorest's blight.
Their lips of music dumb and cold.
Nature was desolately drear,
And told, in waitings loud and deep,
A tale of hopele-s wc and fear,
As. wrapped in clouds, she sank to sleep.
But when the gient Cyclops, Day,
Shaking the dun locks from his brow,
Opened his great dull lid of gray.
The world was beautiful with snow.
AT THL DDOR.
BT AMIN'ADAB STIGCIXS-
t
The clock struck to' ; I seized my hat
Ai d bade good night to all.
Evccpt the iass I courted, who
Came with me through the ball.
She stood within the portal,
And I gazed upon her charms.
And, oh! 1 longed that moni-nt
To clasp her in my arms.
She spoke about the moort and stars,
How clear and bright they shone
I said I thought tile crops would ftp,
Unless we ha l some soon.
Then I e Ig 'd a Tittle closer,
Put my rnis nis—iT-a *> - "•"***'
And gazed upon i hose rosy lips,
I longed so much to taste.
Said I, "my dearest Susy,
I'il never rest contented—
Ifl leave to-night without a ki-s,
I'll surely grow demeuted."
Then up she ttinted her rosy mouth,
And everything was handy ;
tiuiok from her lips I seized a kiss—
Oil, Yankee Doodle Dandy !
Then off for home I started,
T could no longer stay;
With a light heart and breeches thin,
I whistled ail the way.
Hence learn this truth, ye ha-kful youth, j
Who seek for wedded bliss,
No lass will love until you move
Her feelings with a kiss.
i&KIMMb.
__ j
From the American Agriculturist. I
WORK FUR THE MONTH
♦'Thus in son.e deep retirement wonld I pass
The inter with friends of pliant soul
t)r blithe, or solemn, .is the theme inspired ; j
With them would sesch, if Nature's boundless 1
frame
Was called, late rising from , s void of niglit,
Or sprung Etrnal from the Eternal Mind,"
Its life, its laws its progress, an l its end.
"Dead as December," is a proverb of rural
iife. Tho change is apparent everywhere.
The sun has retired far to the South' and even
at mid-day sends down bis beams aslant upon i
the earth. "How short the days are." U the t
frequent exclamation from the busy housewife :
aud the sentiment is often echoed from her busy j
sponse. The weather ia drear aud|gl o ouiy, apd '
the bright sunny days are few and far between. :
Outdoor labors are uncomfortable, and the i
shelter of the barn or the fire-side is frequently j
sought. It is a time of endurance, and almost
the whole labor of the farmer is directed to
make his family and the animals dependant '
upon him comfortable. There is little to attract i
biui to tbe field or forest but the stern neces
sities of the season.
1 e ( , there can be little doubt that a much
larger pat t of the H inter is redeemed for useful
labor now than fifty years ago. Then, as tho
o,d people tell usj very little wis accon.ptished i
after the Winter had fairly set in. Nearly all
tho help upon the farm w&* dismissed iu No
veinber, and the farmer did little else than
® c * re of ll cattle until tbe Spring opened.
>ow raauy of our farmers find it practicable
r _ "n a large part of their Summer labor
ers, aui to give them a chance to earn their
roa in inter. All good farmers now sccuro
°' r u< "' -.-when tbe swamps are frozen and
r c l? d H W,thsno,r - Places iu the forest in
und '.I *1 u V ' r * re now visited, .
Me. 1 \| r t ** hau!erl hom ' , u P on the j
n.n .i " 10ter - u is practicable to throw
■&-^to:£rrS
iLhan 1 • , P r **ticab!e, too, to
Jiuh and drain at thts season. Thick India
rubber coot* mike tha nicJt niota
and Uh,, r . u against water,
a laborer otn now be co.uforuble even in
Tr, " ok " - •"> •>/
. T; ,pon -o."
££* ■" h "' u "" c kw r"<
JikfeforD flipii
A Weakly Paper, Devoted to Literature, Politics, the Arts, Sciences, Agriculture, Ac., Ac—Terms : Ona Dollar and Fifty Cents in Advance.
I The character of our climate, and of our
J population, we think, have Undergone a change
| lor the better. The cleaning up of our forests,
j and especially the drainage of swamp* and low J
| land-, have tended to soften the asperity of I
■ our \V inters. The temperance reformation has j
; bad a happy influence upon the morals of the j
i people, aud energies once wasted in the tap- j
) room, are now -pent in useful labor. The in- j
| dustry of the former meets with a better reward,
I and lie is .stimulated by the higher prion offered I
for all his products to unwearied diligence in I
bis calling. The standard of education is
greatly jutproved among the pedpk. :ind the 1
farmers r t ow upon tho stago bring a mite's larger
share of intelligence to their work than the j
generations that preceded them. Then, in the •
matter of special training and education for
their work, the farmer- of lu-day are ia advance ;
of those of fifty years ago. There has been a i
steady aud houtthlul increase iu our agrieuTfural
literature for the last twenty years, and t.i.;.
btate and County Societies, which now ho! i
their Anuuai Fair*, are the ere irre
agricultural Press. These Fair-, trie, rightly
condur'"J r are one of the host nje.nts of edu
cation in ,i-j folia r-'at. that v.m enjoy. \V •
are arproaul.itig .si .iv y, but - I;, v.. -
I letua m husbandry, Urder v.ill be ituio .uced
I into all the departments of tarmiiig, and men
j win have accurate knowledge of the wants of
; every crop, and will not hesitate to spend the
j necessary uieucy and labor to -ecure the beat
I results. Some points are already settled, and
; many more are rqvidly approaching a solution.
| (tur best informed farmers do Dot livbcrnaie
j like many of the wild snitiials. They assume
; that matt is the lord of Nature, and can so
' I bin hi- business as to labor to advantage alt
t tlircugh tbe year. Of course
.MENTAL OULTCRK
J will have its place in his plan.-, and Winter
i is tur t>e-t time to lay in stores of Knowledge
, fur fcturc tt.-e. Few larmct.s find time in tite
1 Summer for that leading and refieutfots which
. are Oven Dal (ai the best met buds of husbandry.
| Not only does a mau want to master the general
! principles of the science of ag i -allure, and it-,
j kindred sciences, but he wishes to apply thes;
j principles to hi* own fouueatead. There i
j probably a eonsideiable variety of soil iu the
! Ituudri* i or more acres he owns, aud he wants
i time to iff,litre plan.-for the ecoumiicvut im
provement of the whole. Even after one ha.--
stu tied the subject of Umbrage, he cam it tell
! draittage. The wamps and swale-,"of course,
' most acad this iuipicvcineot. It wid take r.iiue
j aud study to tell bow mucii further ut> the
i slopes arid Itiii-stdvs Le may exteud hi? drrit s
with profit. Some of his sops need iinre probab'lv
| and it is a question where it can be tapplied,
; and how large an investment he can afh.rd to
• make iti ihts article.
i Will the markets he has tn supply, in:e
; Tops will pay a grew, deaf better riitn ui'.vx*.
jln some localities he tnay devoie his wuple
farnt to fim- or two leading sfiplrv; tn 'oVTi-Vs,
j a varied system of cropping is the more profit
t able course. The questions lliat arise in ttte
uiautgcnient of a rarm are very numerous, and
new is the time for a cultivator to give lb- at
tentiow to tbu, and detertpiue upon the c •tine
• (bat is best for bin; to pursue. The unud is
! cultivated and strrngthcued nut only by reau
j ing, but by the discussion of these practical
| questions in husbandry. There is tie mental
j growrii without reflection.
THE WINTER SCHOOL
is, of course, the appropriate placs'for the chil
dren who are to be the next generation of far
mers. Who does not remember with rapture
' his schoolboy days, his first introduction to that
august personage, the teacher, aud hLs early
| experiences under bis rule ?
"What pWsin g rights does yonder group create,
Theit childish sports, their contest and debate.
Man loves to see, as ripened wisdom grows.
Its frnits enrich the soit from whence it rose.
But who can view nor secret pleasure know
j Lite yet in bud. and maahooi on tbe blow /
r'Tis then that man s himself, no artful guise
( Spreads o'er its young desire its treacherous
I j dyes."
j It is the forming period of life with thetii, and
! very much of tbeir future success wifl depend
j upon their advantages in the Winter school.—
I In many parts of the country the sessions of
j the school arc confined to this season. Fat
i mrs are often tempted to keep their larger
I boys at home, to assist in the procuring of fug{,
! or in the etuo of stock. For a little present
I gain, the fa tore good of the lad is sacrificed.^—
! This course i? unworthy of any go ,d futhfr.
The hoys of th-' farm ought to have, the f ill
benefit of the district schorl, .and extra advan
tages as they grow older. A good e.'i v -,v iop
of toe mind and heart is.tVe richest inheritance
I a father can bequeath to I is s >n.
TTI!.- T'Ot't.Tr.Y QI'Ar.TEItS
should now be looked after. You perceive tbe j
reddening combs of your pußou, which indi
cate eggs early if they are kept comfortable.
If left to shift for themselves under the old ;
shed, or upon the apple tree, your (tope of eggs j
will be nipped in the bud, if you have been so ,
rash as to cherish it. Many farmers are rc- '
j signed t< a long egglesa Winter because they !
I will not take trouble to provide for tho biddies. !
; Fowls want a warnt southern aspect, sheltered !
j from the wind aud snows, and must have it if j
I Y nu waßt e K£ s - A poultry-house ought to be !
a part of every farmer's esta blishnient : but if'
you cannot have a separate building, finish off
n part of the barn cellar, and put in a window i
nt the south side, where tho uu can look in i
upon them for a few hoars ia the day. Fur- i
ni.-b this room with pure water, gravol, old
mottar, oyster or clam shells, or boues, all bro
ken up finely. Put a bed of loam or muck un
der the roosts, and see that it is mixed with
the dropping* on ce a week. Fowls suffer more
from the neglect of their foeeces, than . trow j
any other cause. It is entirely practicable to
have fjeah eggs al( through tbe Winter, if.you j
will give your pullets warmth, cleanliness, qnd I
tbe materials to woH- with. Meat is esseutiai. '
BEDFORD. PA., FRIDAY. DECEMBER 11. 1857.
: Uu ■ ... r- - r. - - * ' '•? £>
F.iTTRNTNf} PORK. • 1
Many keep up tbeh swine until Nevr-Year'a,|
thinking they can get a better price. tor their j
i pork. It costs a great deal more to make pork |
! :lt fbts season than iu warm weather, and we
i doubt very much it it can he Made to piy.— i
Hat it done at all, it should be uouo in the \
best m iitner. The sty, tor Winter feeiii'ig, i
should he a building, to kyep the;
animals both dry an J warm. The r,ets should [
have afi abundance o? clean straw, and the food !
• should be cooked and fetl to theui when warm, i
Wood is much cheaperthan corn meal, and iue i
] animal heat kept up by a tight sty and warm
t.iod, is ■, i much saved in the meal bin.
EXAMINE THE ROOTS.
The carrots, beets, turnips, &c., stored last ]
month, should be looked after now. Sometimes j
: litey heat, it in 100 large piles, and dccav corn
| menees. They should be kept at a low te.u- i
peru'iire, and at tbs same time i>; guarded j
fiiust. frost- Potatoes at all affected with the !
rot .should h- assorted, a.id all defective cues {
ryuH-yed. A little at'puXiou ur this sea.-an will :
<nt3u save a 1 irge store of roots frptu decay,
ria'.NiX'i
uthv'he attend,'l , ; \ u { days ~f De
•• ''■•••; 9v's. (■ ,4 e -li .iili tint
be (tverioohc \. • , a belter
to pa. t vi.c, in . -i L". I*. <iu iu the
spring. 'j wo ' la .- -ir in the
W toter Wliiwi, •'!' !. ~u Ye- Is are entirely
. closed.
WA-t'tNU AND SCRAPING
naturally follows the pruning. Many fiirmets
are s , tiu>y that the crchard and fruit-yard arc j
neglected tn the Summer. Remove ail dead
bark ami mo ses with a scraper, ami up.. v a
coat, of soft s<up ap 1 water. This wt.l kill
scale bugs and ether Insects, and promote the
t health and beauty of the tree. A smooth skiu
i- :.o comely iu a fruit tree a* in a co-.v.
THE APPLE BORER
will give sitrns of his work about the collar r>'
the tree. Remove the earth two or three Inches
with a noe, and look for the holes. Thrust in j
a wire and spit the occupant, or he wi;l .-pit
J our apples next year. Apple and qui eve .
trees should bo examined once a year lot this j
<i'\-tructive insect,
REMEMBER THE POOR
in these ir,r,i times, iAruiers are Tmw a"
i .voi• u ela.--, and have more occasion to cel
ebrate the clone of 'lie year with thquksgivipg
than any other. It, the cities, financial ~-y
-...vv. r, ... visssvi inhthiUßaes
ate tnrown out of employment, and are drum
Dj beggary. Many will .seek the country in
:earoli o labor and food, i.t will be a giett
kindness t„ furnish tt'iciu with occupation, food
and .shelter. In \ry many oases this can be i
done without great ijteotiviolence. There are !
| M'h"* Ul •he Winter w(:gp labor can he profitably i
; vtupioy ed, especially if o lie red at low rates. —
) Cutting and hauling Wood, digging aud hauling
, luucs, "iratatug njakiug eouipust, digging out
barncctt u>, repairing stone fences, are souie ot
too things that can be doue in the tuthi W in
ter day-. Giro willing hand.- a chance to work
aud viuu at least their bread.
A HISTORY.
MIItiMOMSH
AMI THE MIIIIAS.
j Fiom Ihe International Magazine for Dec., 1851.
In 182b there lived near the village of Pal- j
; myra, in New York, a family of small farmers ;
iof the name of Smith. They were of had re
! pute iu the neighborhood, notorious for being ,
i continually in debt, and tieediess of tlmir bnsi
! ncss engagements The eldest son, Joseph,
; says one of bin friends, "could read without
j difficulty, wrote u very imperfect hand, and
; had a \cry limited understanding of the ele
: men fury rules of arithmetic."" Associated in
J Mime degrae with Sidney Rigdon, who comes i
: before us in the first piaee as a journeyman j
printer, he was the founder of the new faith. |
The early history of the conspiracy of these t
j worthies is imperfectly known: but it is #vi
• dent that Rigdon tuuat have been in Smith's
confidence from the first. Rigdou, tudecd,
probably bad tuore to do with the matter than
' even Smith; but it was the latter wuo was first
nut conspicuously forward, and who managed
to retain the preemtueuce. The account of
tue pretended revelation, as given by Smith is I
ias follows; He at ouco found himself labor- \
jug in a state of great darkue.vs and wretched- :
: ucss of mind —was bewildered among the con
flicting doctrines of the Chiistiaus, nod could j
i find no comfort or rest for his soul. In litis j
state, be resorted to earnest prayer, kneeling I
,in the woods and fields, aud after long perse- ;
; yepiince, was answetej by the appearauce of a i
I bright jigM iu beav-'t. which gradually dc- !
' scetjded until it enveloped the worshipper,!
wbo found himself siaifliug face to face with
! two supernatural beings. Of these be inquired
i which wa.s the true religion! The reply was,
that all the existiug religions were erroneous,
1 but that the pure doctrine and crowning dis-
I peusatiou of Christianity should at a futurepe- I
' riod bo miraculously revealed to himself.— j.
i Several similar visitations ensued, and at IcDgtb |
( he was informad that the North American In- :
! dians were a remnant of Israel; that when
i they first entered America they were a powet
i fill and enlighteLod people; thai their priests ■
j and rulers kept the records of their history aud j
dootrioes, but that, having fallen off from the I
i tme worship, the body of the nation were
supornaturally destroyed—not, however, until
a priest aud prophet named Mormon, had, by
heavenly direction, drawn up an abstract of
their records and religious opinions. He was j
told that this still oxisted, buried in the earth, j
aud tbat.be was selected as the instrument for !
i its recovery and manifestation to all nations, j
i The record, it was said, contained many propb- j
| ccies a? to.lbeso latter days, and instructions
' for the gathering of tbr saiuts into a temporal J
I aid spiritual kingdom, preparatory to the sec
-1 coming of the .Messtali, which was at band.
alter seyjjral very similar visions, tl*; spot in
I' htoh tite'hook lay buried was disclosed.—
iuuth we.TfTo it, and after digging, discovered
i son of box, formed of upright aud horizontal
j * *g-, withiu whieh lay a number of plates re
eiubUng gold, and of ti;o thickness of common
: iu. l'jjese were bounl together by a wire,
i mJ were: enginvyd with Egyptian characters,
ay tiie side of tkciu lay two transparent stones,
talivd by the anci- nts "Uritu and Thumttiin,"
j set ui "the two rims of a bow." These stoues
vers (iivitiiug crystal,, and the angels iulorui
oi .Sunn, that by using them ho would be en
iblel to decyph.ir t)te character on the plates.
>\ hut ultimately became of the plates—if such
j things existed ai ail--docs not appear. They
Weresatd to have been seen and iiandled by
j elcvai witnesses. With the exception of three
! pt-rsms, these witnesses were cither members
iot Suith's family, or of a neighboring family
}"f tlr name ot Whinner. The ,Smiths, ot
coure, give auspicious testimony. The Wbit
! ujcrsl'Hve disappeared, and no one ktiovrsany
thiui, ilout them. Auother witness, Uiivcr
Cewwey, was after,varus an amanuensis t) Jo
sepli; aud anoilter, Martin Harris, was long a
eotLtyeuous-disciple. There is sum - confusiou,
luiwirer. about this person Although he
sigixhis name as a witness wlhi has seen aud
handed the pja'.ts, he as.-ured Professor An
thou irat he never ha 1 seen thorn, that "he
was rat sufficiently pure of heart," and that
Josejp-refused to show him the plates, but
i iiui instead a transcript on paper of the
enaraVers engraved on them. It is difficult
to trae the early, advances of the imposture.
Everything is vague and uncertaiu. vV'e have
no itaes, and only the statements of the proph
et ant his friends.
'detuiiue Smith must hove wot iced succoss
tuilv m the feeble and superstitious tuind of
Maifii H irri.-. This man, us , we have just
oai'ij (vceived iroui lam a written transcript of
j the Mysterious c.,ataeters, and couveyed it to
Provysor Anthou, a competent philological au
j their.. I'r. Ati!hen's aocuuut of the iutar
i vievis on - of U'-t most important parts ot the
onti Ijjsfoiy. Harris told him he had tint I
! plate-, but that he intended to sell his !
- tacti an I <-tve the proceeds to unable Smith to j
pyiisha it tu.slaim:; of them. This statement, I
| -A' treat billowy, niinw.s tiiat Smith's original I
/'Uteurioß, quoad the ijleged plate.-), was to u.se I
Shciii as - ... .v n-ue '
Mrruiwii- have published accounts of Professor
Ambon's ju'lgemcut on the p ipef stihtnitted to
him, which he la:in-trif states to ha "perfectly
l'al- ." 1 !>e Mormon version of the interview
reptescnis l>r. Amiion "as having beeu unable
Ito decyput-r tht: characiera correcUv, hut as
lhaviug presumed that, i; the original records
icould he brougiit, he cpvbj assist in translating
tla-iij. ' Uu this statement being made, I)r.
Ambon described the document suburittud to
htm as baviug been a sort of pot pottrri of an
' cient mark- and ulpliabets. -It had eviJeutlv
been prepared by some person who had before
hitu a book con'-iiuiug various alpbabets;
Gr< eje and Hebrew letters, crosses and jjuui
ishes, Roman letters, inverted or placed side
ways, were arranged in perpendicular columns,
and the whole ended in a rude delineation of a
circle, divided into various compartments, dock -
ed with numerous strange marks, and evidently
copied alter the Mexican Calendar given by
Huaiboi'it, but copied in such away as not to
betray the source whence it was derived."
This account disposes ot the statement thit the
|characters were Egyptian, while the vefv yuui
: b!e of the signs of different nations, language*,
and ages, proves that the imnoster Was defi
cient both in tuet and knowledge. The scheme
seems to have been, at all events, in petto
wbeu Smith communicated with Harris but a
satisfactory clue to the fabrication is jost in
>ar ignorance of the time and the circurn-
Cauoes under winch Smith and Rhrdori eame
Ggetiier. It tupst have been suinequ*nt to
j Gat treat that the "translation." by means of
: the tiagic Uritu and Thuiumim, was
, 'Phis work Smith is represented as havfog la
-1 borer at steadily, by Oliver On wire v,
uutil a volume was produced coatdiißug as
mue! matter as the Old Testament, written in
the Jihhsal style, and contaiuining, as Smith
the Angel had informed him, a history of
lib lost tribes in their pilgrimage to aud in
America with copious doctriuui and prophetic
cuuuie!rt.alies and revelations.
The devotion of Harris to the impostor se
' ctred a fuud sufficient for defray ing the coat of
J printing the pretended revelation, and the sect
| big-ati slowly to luerea-e. The doctrines of
! Stiitli were not at first- very clearly defiued; i:
! isfiobable that neither be nor Rigdon bad de
i te.nuined whet should be their precise charac
ter; but like their early cotemporarv, the
j pnphet Mathias, (the interesting history cf
' wlhse careor was published in New York sev-
I end years ago by the late Colonel Stone.) they
h&i no hesitation m deciding on one cardinal
poot, that the revelations made to Smith at any
ttijie should be received with unquestioning
and implicit faith, and the earliest of these rev
elations contemplated a liberal provision for all
the*prophet's personal necessities. Thus, in
i February, 1831, it was revealed to the disei
; plei that they should immediately build the
: prophet a house; on another occasiqn it was
enjained that, if they liad any regard for their
owa souls, the sooner they provided him with
i fool and taiuicnt, and everything he ueeded,
j the better it would be for tbem; and in a third
i revdatioo, Joseph was informed that "he was
not to iabor for his living." All these revela
tions were received, and though tho imposter
seemed to intelligent men little better than a
buffoon, his followers soon learned to regard
him as almost deserving of adoration, ami he
; began to revel in whatever luxury and profli
gacy was agreeable to his vulgar taste aud am
bition. As iu the case of the scarcely more
respectable pretender, Andrew Jackson Davis,
it was asserted that his original want of cultL
! vatloo precluded the notion of his having by
the exercise of any n.ilur.il or acquired facul
ties produced his revelations. Everywhere his
followers said, "The prophet is not learned in
a huuiau sense: how could he have become ac
quainted with the antiquarian learning here
displayed, if it were not com
municated to him?" But to mis question there
was soon an answer equally explicit and satis
factory. Tlid real author of the Rook of Mot - 1
UIOO was u Rev. SolomonSpiulding, who wrote
it as a romance. Its entire history, and the
means by which it came into the possession of
Smith, are described iu the following state
ment, by Mr. Spaulding's widow:
"Since the Book of Mormon or Goldtn Bi
ble (as it was originally called,) has excited )
much attention,'and is deemed by a certain new !
sect of equal authority with tb*? sacred Scrip
tures, I think it a duty to the public to s'ste i
what 1 know of us origin. * * 45 * jJol
oiuou Spuuldiug to whom I was inarmi in ear-!
ly life,, was agradtut# of Dirim-oim t ji-.egc-t':-l .
was disiingUi-hed for a lively ijuati'imwicM, :• d
great fonduess for history. At- ihe una? <d • ■ -
marriage, he resided in Clerrv Vuiiav, N. ,7 t
\oric. From this pla;e, wo removed toNc.v
Salem, Ashtabula Uouuty, Ohio, some time c.il-'
led Lonncaut, as it. is situated on (J wiaoau?
Greek. Shortly after our removal to this place,
his health tailed, and he was laid aside from ac
tive labors, in the town of New Salem there
j are numerous mounds and forts, supposed by
: many to be the dilapidated dwellings am)
| tications of a race now extinct. These relics
i arrest the attention ot new settlers, and become
j objects ot research for the curious. Numerous
implements were found, aud other articles evinc
iug skill in tile arts. .Mr. Sluicing being an
educated man, took a lively iuteiest in ihese
j developetueut.s of antiquity; and in order to lie- i
| guile the hours of retirement, and furnish em-
I ployuienl for his miud, he conceived the idea
I of giving an liistorital sketch of the loug iost
j race, ii.eir antiquity led him to adopt the
• 'uost aticieat style, aud be imitated the Ul i
| Testament as nearly as possible. His sole ob
jeoc ia writiwi/ vuis iuiagiQary bibtoru was to
amuse himteh aud his neighbors. This was
; about ipe jeer 1812. Hull's sinTcadc-r at De
troit ovcured near the same time, and I recol
lect the date well from that circutufitance. As
| he prugreased iu his narrative, the neighbors
; would come in from time t-o time to hear portions
| read, ana a great interest in the work was ex- i
roifed amouE them , ;• .••!" •< o*m \
I milieu oy one ot the lost nation, an 1 to have i
been recovered ftom the earth: and he gave it,
tbe title 'The 3Lmuseript Founa.' The '
j neighbors wculd often inquire how Mr. Spauld
iug advanced <t< deciphering tbe luanuscripi; I
aud when ne had a sufficient portion iwepared,
he would inform thos,and they would assemble
to hoar it read, lie waAenabled, from his ac
( qu-iintance with tbe ciassiosaad aucteut history,
to introduce many singular names, which wtie
particulaily noticed by the people and could be
easily recognized by them. Mr. Solomon Spauld
iug uad a brother, Mr. John Spauliiiug iu the
place at ihe time, who was perfectly familiar
with the work, and repeatedlv heard the whole
of in Froiu New Salem wo removed to Fittsbarg
in I'tunsylvania. Here Mr. Spa ul ding found a
friend and acquaintance, iu the persou of Mr.
l'altorson, au editor of a uewspaper. He cx
; hibited his manuscript to Mr. Patterson, who
was much pleased vith it and borrowed it for
perusal, lie retained it a long time, and in
fortaed Mr. Spaulding that jf l ( e would make
out a title-page aud preface, be would publish
it, and it mighabe a source of urofit. This Mr.
-Spaulding reiused to do. Sidney Rigdon, who
i has figured so largely iu tho history ot the Mor
mons, was at that nine connected with tho priut
j ittg office of Mr. Patterson, as is well known
j iu that region, and, as Rigdon himself has fre
quently stated became acquainted with Mr.
i ipauldiug's manuscript, and .mpied it.. It was
a matter of notoriety aod interest to all coti
ueeted with the printing establishment. At
length the manuscript was returned to its au
thor, and soon utter we removed to Auiitv,
\\ asbington -couuty, where Mr. Sjiauiling died,'
; iti 1810. ' The manuscript then fell into my
; hands, aud was carefully pteserved. It has .
; frequently been examined by tuy,ditugb*'T,Mrs.
Meßcostly, Moti&on, Massachusetts, with whoui
1 ucw reside, aud by other Ir lends. After the
Rook of Mormon came out, a copy of it was ta- |
ken to New baleiu, tho place of Mr. Spaulding's
former residence, and the very place where tbe
'Manuscript bound' was written. A woman
appointed a meeting there; and in the meeting
I read copious extracts from the Rook of Mormon.
Hie lii-.oiiealpart was known by all the i'ider
I itiliaoiiattts, -.- tiieiden io.l work ot Mr.Snauld
ing- it wan a tu.y '•- •.•r. *0 1 jcpfjf in;er
esteti years L fore. Mr. J a gr as
preseut, fc nd racogniact p.,,. • i -'. .e
--lion of his brother. Ho was;n,i zj.r. iler
ed that it should have been p :v to so
wicked a purpose. His grief fouua vent in
tears, ari i be arose oc the spot, and expres
sed to the meeting his sorrow that the writings
ot Lis deceased biother should be used
purpose so vile aud shocking. The excitement
in New Salem became so great that the inhabi
tants had a meeting, aud deputed Dr. Phisias
tus liuriburt, one ot their number, to repair to
this place, ana to obtain from me tbe original
manuscript ot Mr. Spauldiug, for the purpose
of comparing it with tne Mormon Bible—to sat
isfy their owu minds ami to prevent their frieud
I froiu embracing au error so delusive. This was
|in the year ib3d. Dr. Hurl but brought with
I him an introduction and request for the manu
script,which was signed by Messrs. Henry Lake, !
Aaron )\ right, and others, with aii of waioui 1-1
was acquainted, as tuey were •my neighbors
when I resided at New Salem. lam sure that!
uothiug would more grieve my husband were
be liviug, thau the use which has been made of j
his work, ihe air of autiquity which was thrown
about the composition doubtless suggested the
idea o. converting it to the purpose of delusion. 1
Hius, an hisoxioal romanco, with tbe addition
o! a tew pious expressions, and extracts from
the sacred Scriptures, has been construed into '
VOL. 30, NO. 50,
• a new Bible, and p timed off upon a company of
poor deluded fanatic* as Divine."
Similar evidence as to hc ripauldtng MBS.,
was giveu by several private friends, and by
the writer's brotlier, ail of whom were familiar
with its contents. The tacts thus graphically
detailed bate of course been denied, but bare
never been disproved. Indeed, without them
it is impossible to explain the hold which Rig
don always possessed on the I'ropbet: for tie was
a poor creature, without education and without
talents. At oue time—a critical moment iu
the history ot the new church—a quarrel arose
between iLe accomplices; but it ended iu Smith*#
receiving a ''revelation," in which Rigdon was
< raised by divine command to be equal with him
f self, having plenary power given to hiui to bind
and loose both on earth ami in heaven.
I'be remaining history of the Mormons is
eminently interesting. Iguorant and supergfi
-1 tious us, .have been the cbief part of tue di&ct
, p >, arid atrocious as have l>een the tricks of
-.->uve> who have led tbeui oti amid all the
v ... sof their good and evil fortune, there
,-i- v occasionally been displayed among tbein
;.n enthusiasm and bravery of endurance that
l demand admiration. Nearly from the begm
j ring the leaders of the sect seem to have eou
i teoipbtted settling iu the thinly populated ro
i gumtj of the western States,-where lands were
' to be purchased for low prices, and after .t
j short residence at Kirkland, in Ohio, tbev de
termined to found H New Jerusalem in Mis
souri. The interests of the town were confi
ded to suitable ojiicers, and Smith spent Lis
time in travelling through the country and
preaching, on til the real or pretended i tumor
alifie* of the sect led to such discontents that
iu 1839 they were forcibly and lawlessly ex
{ pel le i from the State. We ero inclined to be
j iieve that they were not only treated with re
i iuarkabL- severity, but that there was not any
■ reason whatever to justify an interference in
their affairs, t
From Missouri the saints proceede.l to Illi
nois, and y>u tLe sixth of April, 1841. with im
posing cere mootes, laid" at their new eitv of
Nauvoo the corner-stone of the Temple, au im
mense edifiee, without any architectural order
or attraction, which in a few months was eeie
hratdJ everywhere as not inferior in size ana
magnificence to that built by Solomon in Jeru
salem. Nauvoo is delightfully situated in the :
midst of a fertile district, and w careful iuqui
| home ola more industrious, frugal, and gene
: raily moral society, thm occupied any other
towu ii tue kitaU'. \\ hatcver charges were
brought against Smith uml bis disciples, to jus
| ify the outrages to which they were subjected,
the history of their expulsion from Nauvoo is
simply a series of illustrations of the fact that
the ruffian population ol the neighboring coun
try set on foot a vast scheme of robbery in or
der to obtain the lands and - improvements of
the Mormons without paying tor them. We
have not room for a particular statement of
the discontents and conspiracies which grew up
in the city, nor for any details of the aggres
sions from without. Ou tha 27th of June.
1844, Joseph and liiram Smith were murder
ed, while under tiie especial protection of the
authorities of the State. A writer iu the
Christian Reflector newspaper, soon after, ob
served of Joseph Smith:
arious are the opinions concerning this
singular personage, but whatever may be
thought in rtfcreuce to his principles, objects,
or moral character, alt agree that ho was ;a
■ most remarkable man. ••••*'.
■ Notwithstanding the low origin, poverty, and
; profligacy of these mountebanks, they have aug-
I tneiitcd their uumbc.s till more than lOO.OtP 1
j persons are now nuuil-ercd among the follow
er* of the Mormon i'rophet, and they r.over
j wore increasing so rapidly as at the time of his
| death. Burn iu the very lowest walks of itfe,
reared in poverty, educated in vice, having no
• claims to even common intelligence, coarse und
vulgar in deportment, the Prophet Smith suc
-1 succeeded iu establishing a religious creed, the
j teucts of which have been taught throughout
America; the I'iopket's vtttaes have been re
hearsed iu Europe; the miuistors of Nauvoo
have found a welcome in Asia; Africa has lo
teued to the grave sayings of the *cer of Pal
myra; the standard of the Latter Day £>aiuis
has heeu reared pn the banks of the Niie;. and
even the Holy land has been eutercd. b'v the
cminissariea of this imposter. He touched a
city in one of the most beautiful situations in
the woild, in a beautifui curve of the 'Father
oi \Y aters,' of uo mean pretensions, and in it
he bad collected a population of tweoiv-five
iht'Useud, from every part of me world. " The
acts of his life exhibit a character as incongru
ous as it is remarkable.
If we can credit bis own words and the tcsV
tiuiuny ol eye witnesses; tie- was at the eamtr
time vicegerent of God ami a tavern keeper—a
prophet and a base libertine—u minister of
peace, and a lieutenant general—a ruler of ten*
of thousands and u slave to ail Lis own base
passions—a preacher of righteousness and •
profane swearer—a worshipper of Bacchus,
mayor of a city, ami a miserable bar-room tid
dler—a judge on the judicial bench, and au in
vader of the civil, social, and moral relation? ot
men: and, notwithstanding these inconsistencies
of character,, there arc not wanting tuousauOs
willing to stake their soul's eternal -salvation on
his veracity. h\>r anght we know, time and
distance will embellish hie life with si me ntw
auu rate virtues, which his most intimate friends
failed to discover while living with him. Kew
s-.niog front effect to canst, we roost Cooclu<i<-
j ttiat the Mormon Prophet was of no common
gsuius: Jew arc able to commence and carry
! oot an opposition like his, so mug, aud to ex
tensively. And we sec, in the history of hi*
success, most striking proofs of the credulit v of
u large portion of the human family "
After some dissensions, in which the* party
!of ttnghaia Young triumphed over that -of
• BiJney lvigdon, the sect was reorganized, apd
■ for some tunc were permitted quiftly toprose
-1 cute their plans at Nauvoo. liutcaily iu 134G