Letter to John C. Bennett, 7 March 1842

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Letter to John C. Bennett, 7 March 1842
Source Note

JS, Letter,
Nauvoo
Principal gathering place for Saints following expulsion from Missouri. Beginning in 1839, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased lands in earlier settlement of Commerce and planned settlement of Commerce City, as well as surrounding areas....
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, Hancock Co., IL, to
John C. Bennett
3 Aug. 1804–5 Aug. 1867. Physician, minister, poultry breeder. Born at Fairhaven, Bristol Co., Massachusetts. Son of John Bennett and Abigail Cook. Moved to Marietta, Washington Co., Ohio, 1808; to Massachusetts, 1812; and back to Marietta, 1822. Married ...
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, [
Nauvoo
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, Hancock Co., IL], 7 Mar. 1842. Featured version published in Times and Seasons, 15 Mar. 1842, vol. 3, no. 10, 724. For more complete source information, see the source note for Letter to Isaac Galland, 22 Mar. 1839.

Historical Introduction
On 7 March 1842 JS wrote a brief letter to
John C. Bennett
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in response to Bennett’s earlier correspondence with abolitionist Charles V. Dyer.
1
A resident of Chicago, Dyer was a medical doctor and real estate entrepreneur in addition to being a prominent abolitionist. (Obituary for Charles V. Dyer, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 1878, 7.)
Comprehensive Works Cited
Chicago Tribune. Chicago. 1847–.
In a 3 January 1842 letter to Bennett, Dyer expressed indignation for “the outrages committed upon the Latter Day Saint by the authorities as well as the people of the State of
Missouri
Area acquired by U.S. in Louisiana Purchase, 1803, and established as territory, 1812. Missouri Compromise, 1820, admitted Missouri as slave state, 1821. Population in 1830 about 140,000; in 1836 about 240,000; and in 1840 about 380,000. Latter-day Saint ...
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” in 1838, drew attention to the recent conviction and imprisonment of three
Illinois
Became part of Northwest Territory of U.S., 1787. Admitted as state, 1818. Population in 1840 about 480,000. Population in 1845 about 660,000. Plentiful, inexpensive land attracted settlers from northern and southern states. Following expulsion from Missouri...
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abolitionists in Missouri, and urged Bennett to examine “the whole subject of American slavery.” In a 20 January 1842 reply, Bennett represented himself to Dyer as a “friend of liberty” who “ever detested servile bondage,” and he appealed to Dyer to further “investigate the wrongs” inflicted upon
church
The Book of Mormon related that when Christ set up his church in the Americas, “they which were baptized in the name of Jesus, were called the church of Christ.” The first name used to denote the church JS organized on 6 April 1830 was “the Church of Christ...
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members in Missouri.
2
“Correspondence between Dr. C. V. Dyer and Gen. J. C. Bennett,” Times and Seasons, 15 Mar. 1842, 3:723–724, italics in original.
The correspondence between Dyer and Bennett was published in the 19 February 1842 issue of Illinois antislavery newspaper Genius of Liberty and, at some point, came to JS’s attention.
3
“Correspondence,” Genius of Liberty (Lowell, IL), 19 Feb. 1842, 1.
Genius of Liberty. Lowell, IL. 1840–1842.

In this 7 March letter to
Bennett
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, JS referenced the January correspondence and expressed outrage over the 1841 incarceration, trial, and conviction of the three abolitionists, who were affiliated with the Mission Institute in
Quincy
Located on high limestone bluffs east of Mississippi River, about forty-five miles south of Nauvoo. Settled 1821. Adams Co. seat, 1825. Incorporated as town, 1834. Received city charter, 1840. Population in 1835 about 800; in 1840 about 2,300; and in 1845...
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, Illinois.
4
Founded by antislavery advocate David Nelson in 1836, the Mission Institute was located approximately forty miles south of Nauvoo in Quincy, Illinois. (Prinsloo, “Abolitionist Factory,” 36.)
Prinsloo, Oleta. “‘The Abolitionist Factory’: Northeastern Religion, David Nelson, and the Mission Institute near Quincy, Illinois, 1836–1844.” Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society 105, no. 1 (Spring 2012): 36–68.
JS probably saw a parallel between the experiences of the
Illinois
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abolitionists and his own detention in
Missouri
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jails between 31 October 1838 and 16 April 1839, as well as a failed attempt to extradite him back to Missouri in June 1841.
5
See “Joseph Smith Documents from February 1838 through August 1839”; and Historical Introduction to Statement of Expenses to Thomas King, 30 Sept. 1841.
With these episodes fresh in his mind, he wrote to Bennett about unjust detention, constitutional justice, and mob violence in Missouri. Though JS had publicly distanced himself from the actions of radical abolitionists in April 1836,
6
Letter to Oliver Cowdery, ca. 9 Apr. 1836.
his sympathy for the incarcerated men and anger toward Missourians is plainly manifest in his letter to Bennett.

Given that
Bennett
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lived in JS’s home during this period, the correspondence between the two men was likely rhetorical in nature and created for publication in the church periodical. It is also possible that letters were exchanged, with JS hand delivering this letter shortly after it was written. In any event, Bennett responded to JS’s letter the following day.
7
Letter from John C. Bennett, 8 Mar. 1842.
JS and Bennett’s exchange was published in the 15 March 1842 issue of the Times and Seasons along with Bennett and Dyer’s earlier communication.
8
“Correspondence between Dr. C. V. Dyer and Gen. J. C. Bennett,” Times and Seasons, 15 Mar. 1842, 3:723–724. The correspondence among the three men was later reproduced in the Nauvoo newspaper Wasp. (“Correspondence. Between Dr. C. V. Dyer and Gen. J. C. Bennett,” Wasp, 28 May 1842, [2]–[3].)
The Wasp. Nauvoo, IL. Apr. 1842–Apr. 1843.
The correspondence eventually came to the attention of former
Illinois
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governor
Joseph Duncan
22 Feb. 1794–15 Jan. 1844. Soldier, politician. Born at Paris, Bourbon Co., Kentucky. Son of Joseph Duncan and Anna Maria McLaughlin. Presbyterian. Served in War of 1812. Moved to Kaskaskia, Randolph Co., Illinois, 1818. Moved to Jackson Co., Illinois, by...
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. On 14 May 1842 the Alton Telegraph and Democratic Review paraphrased Duncan as having asserted that the correspondence among Dyer, Bennett, and JS “divulges the fact, that the Mormons, at the solicitation of Dr. Dyer, (who is an Abolitionist) are prepared to act with them.”
9
“Gov. Duncan,” Alton (IL) Telegraph and Democratic Review, 14 May 1842, [2]. JS later asserted that Duncan’s statements were “foul perversions of truth; the correspondence does not shew either myself or Gen. Bennett to be abolitionists, but the friends of equal rights and prlvileges to all men.” (Editorial, Times and Seasons, 1 June 1842, 3:808, italics in original.)
Alton Telegraph and Democratic Review. Alton, IL. 1841–1850.
Footnotes
[1]
A resident of Chicago, Dyer was a medical doctor and real estate entrepreneur in addition to being a prominent abolitionist. (Obituary for Charles V. Dyer, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 1878, 7.)
Chicago Tribune. Chicago. 1847–.
[2]
“Correspondence between Dr. C. V. Dyer and Gen. J. C. Bennett,” Times and Seasons, 15 Mar. 1842, 3:723–724, italics in original.
[3]
“Correspondence,” Genius of Liberty (Lowell, IL), 19 Feb. 1842, 1.
Genius of Liberty. Lowell, IL. 1840–1842.
[4]
Founded by antislavery advocate David Nelson in 1836, the Mission Institute was located approximately forty miles south of Nauvoo in Quincy, Illinois. (Prinsloo, “Abolitionist Factory,” 36.)
[5]
See “Joseph Smith Documents from February 1838 through August 1839”; and Historical Introduction to Statement of Expenses to Thomas King, 30 Sept. 1841.
[6]
Letter to Oliver Cowdery, ca. 9 Apr. 1836.
[7]
Letter from John C. Bennett, 8 Mar. 1842.
[8]
“Correspondence between Dr. C. V. Dyer and Gen. J. C. Bennett,” Times and Seasons, 15 Mar. 1842, 3:723–724. The correspondence among the three men was later reproduced in the Nauvoo newspaper Wasp. (“Correspondence. Between Dr. C. V. Dyer and Gen. J. C. Bennett,” Wasp, 28 May 1842, [2]–[3].)
The Wasp. Nauvoo, IL. Apr. 1842–Apr. 1843.
[9]
“Gov. Duncan,” Alton (IL) Telegraph and Democratic Review, 14 May 1842, [2]. JS later asserted that Duncan’s statements were “foul perversions of truth; the correspondence does not shew either myself or Gen. Bennett to be abolitionists, but the friends of equal rights and prlvileges to all men.” (Editorial, Times and Seasons, 1 June 1842, 3:808, italics in original.)
Alton Telegraph and Democratic Review. Alton, IL. 1841–1850.
Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Letter to John C. Bennett, 7 March 1842 Times and Seasons, 15 March 1842 History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842] “History of Joseph Smith”
Page 724
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Editor’s Office,
1
This may refer to a space in the printing office, located on the northwest corner of Water and Bain streets, or to JS’s office on the second floor of his mercantile store in Nauvoo. (Editorial, Times and Seasons, 1 Dec. 1841, 3:615; Masthead, Times and Seasons, 1 Mar. 1842, 3:718; Clayton, History of the Nauvoo Temple, 16; Historian’s Office, JS History, Draft Notes, 4 May 1842, 11; JS, Journal, 3 and 8 Mar. 1842.)
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
Clayton, William. History of the Nauvoo Temple, ca. 1845. CHL. MS 3365.

Nauvoo
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, Ill.,

March 7th, 1842.

General [John C.] Bennett
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;

Respected Brother:—I have just been perusing your correspondence with Doctor [Charles V.] Dyer on the subject of American Slavery, and the students of the
Quincy
Located on high limestone bluffs east of Mississippi River, about forty-five miles south of Nauvoo. Settled 1821. Adams Co. seat, 1825. Incorporated as town, 1834. Received city charter, 1840. Population in 1835 about 800; in 1840 about 2,300; and in 1845...
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Mission Institute,
2
While the Quincy Mission Institute was established to train evangelical missionaries, one former student recalled that “all who came . . . were of the same stamp—the Institute was a fountain of anti-slavery principle.” Many members of the institute were deeply involved in the formation of the Illinois Anti-slavery Society and acted as “conductors” in the Underground Railroad, actively aiding fugitive slaves attempting to escape servitude in Missouri. In July 1841 two students and one employee of the institute—James Burr, George Thompson, and Alanson Work—crossed the Mississippi River north of Palmyra, Missouri, to aid several slaves in their attempt to escape to Canada. Betrayed by the slaves, however, the men were captured by slave-owning farmers, bound with ropes, and incarcerated. Though defense attorneys argued that the men had broken no law, Burr, Thompson, and Work were convicted by a Missouri jury for larceny of slaves and sentenced to twelve years in prison in September 1841. (Prinsloo, “Abolitionist Factory,” 50–56; Thompson, Prison Life and Reflections, 17–23, 81, 85–90; Asbury, Reminiscences of Quincy, Illinois, 72–73.)
Thompson, George. Prison Life and Reflections; or, A Narrative of the Arrest, Trial, Conviction, Imprisonment, Treatment, Observations, Reflections, and Deliverance of Work, Burr and Thompson, Who Suffered an Unjust and Cruel Imprisonment in Missouri Penitentiary, for Attempting to Aid Some Slaves to Liberty. Oberlin, OH: James M. Fitch, 1847.
Asbury, Henry. Reminiscences of Quincy, Illinois, Containing Historical Events, Anecdotes, Matters concerning Old Settlers and Old Times, Etc. Quincy, IL: D. Wilcox and Sons, 1882.
and it makes my blood boil within me
3
Both Dyer and Bennett had used a nearly identical phrase in earlier correspondence. (“Correspondence between Dr. C. V. Dyer and Gen. J. C. Bennett,” Times and Seasons, 15 Mar. 1842, 3:724.)
to reflect upon the injustice, cruelty, and oppression, of the rulers of the people—when will these things cease to be, and the Constitution and the Laws again bear rule? I fear for my beloved country—mob violence, injustice, and cruelty, appear to be the darling attributes of
Missouri
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, and no man taketh it to heart! O, tempora! O, mores!
4
Variously translated as “Oh the times! Oh the customs!” or “Shame on the age and on its principles!” this Latin phrase was famously used in a speech by Roman orator and lawyer Cicero in 63 BC. (Yonge, Orations of Cicero against Catiline, 280.)
Yonge, C. D., trans. The Orations of Cicero against Catiline. London: G. Bell and Sons, 1919.
What think you should be done?

Your friend,

JOSEPH SMITH. [p. 724]
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Page 724
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Footnotes
[1]
This may refer to a space in the printing office, located on the northwest corner of Water and Bain streets, or to JS’s office on the second floor of his mercantile store in Nauvoo. (Editorial, Times and Seasons, 1 Dec. 1841, 3:615; Masthead, Times and Seasons, 1 Mar. 1842, 3:718; Clayton, History of the Nauvoo Temple, 16; Historian’s Office, JS History, Draft Notes, 4 May 1842, 11; JS, Journal, 3 and 8 Mar. 1842.)
Times and Seasons. Commerce/Nauvoo, IL. Nov. 1839–Feb. 1846.
Clayton, William. History of the Nauvoo Temple, ca. 1845. CHL. MS 3365.
[2]
While the Quincy Mission Institute was established to train evangelical missionaries, one former student recalled that “all who came . . . were of the same stamp—the Institute was a fountain of anti-slavery principle.” Many members of the institute were deeply involved in the formation of the Illinois Anti-slavery Society and acted as “conductors” in the Underground Railroad, actively aiding fugitive slaves attempting to escape servitude in Missouri. In July 1841 two students and one employee of the institute—James Burr, George Thompson, and Alanson Work—crossed the Mississippi River north of Palmyra, Missouri, to aid several slaves in their attempt to escape to Canada. Betrayed by the slaves, however, the men were captured by slave-owning farmers, bound with ropes, and incarcerated. Though defense attorneys argued that the men had broken no law, Burr, Thompson, and Work were convicted by a Missouri jury for larceny of slaves and sentenced to twelve years in prison in September 1841. (Prinsloo, “Abolitionist Factory,” 50–56; Thompson, Prison Life and Reflections, 17–23, 81, 85–90; Asbury, Reminiscences of Quincy, Illinois, 72–73.)
Thompson, George. Prison Life and Reflections; or, A Narrative of the Arrest, Trial, Conviction, Imprisonment, Treatment, Observations, Reflections, and Deliverance of Work, Burr and Thompson, Who Suffered an Unjust and Cruel Imprisonment in Missouri Penitentiary, for Attempting to Aid Some Slaves to Liberty. Oberlin, OH: James M. Fitch, 1847.
Asbury, Henry. Reminiscences of Quincy, Illinois, Containing Historical Events, Anecdotes, Matters concerning Old Settlers and Old Times, Etc. Quincy, IL: D. Wilcox and Sons, 1882.
[3]
Both Dyer and Bennett had used a nearly identical phrase in earlier correspondence. (“Correspondence between Dr. C. V. Dyer and Gen. J. C. Bennett,” Times and Seasons, 15 Mar. 1842, 3:724.)
[4]
Variously translated as “Oh the times! Oh the customs!” or “Shame on the age and on its principles!” this Latin phrase was famously used in a speech by Roman orator and lawyer Cicero in 63 BC. (Yonge, Orations of Cicero against Catiline, 280.)
Yonge, C. D., trans. The Orations of Cicero against Catiline. London: G. Bell and Sons, 1919.