Letter to the Citizens of Hancock County, circa 2 July 1842

  • Source Note
  • Historical Introduction
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For the Wasp.
TO THE CITIZENS OF
As a people, the are found “more sinned against, than sinning.”—In political affairs we are ever ready to yield to our fellow citizens of [t]he , equal participation in the selection of candidates for office—we have been disappointed in our hopes of being met with the same disposition on the part of some of the old citizens of the —they indeed seem to manifest a spirit of intolerance and exclusion, incompatible with the liberal doctrines of true republicanism. At the late Anti-Mormon convention, a complete set of candidates, pledged to a man to receive no support from, and to yield no quarters to, Mormons, are commended to all the citizens of this for their suffrages! As a portion of said citizens of we embrace the occasion to decline this ticket for the want of reciprocity in its term, [a]nd honesty and intelligence in the character of some of its candidates.
If the old citizens of the are still desirous of equal participations with us in the choice of candidates, we are ready to co-operate with them—If independent gentlemen will announce themselves, and possess the requisite qualities, capacity and integrity, they will receive the united support of our people in the —The time for holding a convention seems to have already gone by—there is time enough for the friends of justice and fair play to elect a ticket, to be announced in the independent manner we have suggested. Let the gentlemen who have the courage to oppose the spirit of dictation which governed the Anti-Mormon convention candidates, show themselves, and we will exercise enough, on the terms proposed in this article, to ensure complete success.
JOSEPH SMITH. [p. [2]]
For the Wasp.
TO THE CITIZENS OF
As a people, the are found “more sinned against, than sinning.”—In political affairs we are ever ready to yield to our fellow citizens of the , equal participation in the selection of candidates for office—we have been disappointed in our hopes of being met with the same disposition on the part of some of the old citizens of the —they indeed seem to manifest a spirit of intolerance and exclusion, incompatible with the liberal doctrines of true republicanism. At the late Anti-Mormon convention, a complete set of candidates, pledged to a man to receive no support from, and to yield no quarters to, Mormons, are commended to all the citizens of this for their suffrages! As a portion of said citizens of we embrace the occasion to decline this ticket for the want of reciprocity in its term, and honesty and intelligence in the character of some of its candidates.
If the old citizens of the are still desirous of equal participations with us in the choice of candidates, we are ready to co-operate with them—If independent gentlemen will announce themselves, and possess the requisite qualities, capacity and integrity, they will receive the united support of our people in the —The time for holding a convention seems to have already gone by—there is time enough for the friends of justice and fair play to elect a ticket, to be announced in the independent manner we have suggested. Let the gentlemen who have the courage to oppose the spirit of dictation which governed the Anti-Mormon convention candidates, show themselves, and we will exercise enough, on the terms proposed in this article, to ensure complete success.
JOSEPH SMITH. [p. [2]]
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