Times and Seasons, 1 October 1842

  • Source Note
  • Historical Introduction
Page 940
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is a creature of his own make as we know of no such society in this place nor never did.
, ,
, ,
, ,
, ,
,
, ,
 
————
We, the undersigned members of the , and married females do certify and declare that we know of no system of marriage being practised in the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints save the one contained in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, and we give this certificate to the public to show that ’s “secret wife system” is a disclosure of his own make.
, President,
, Counsellor,
, Counsellor,
, Secretary
Mary C. Miller, Catharine Pettey [Catherine Petty Petty]
Lois [Lathrop] Cutler, Sarah [Ward] Higbee,
, Phebe [Carter] Woodruff,
Ann [Standley] Hunter, Leonora [Cannon] Taylor,
, Sarah [King] Hillman,
Sophia R. Marks, Rosannah [Robinson] Marks,
Polly Z. [Kelsey] Johnson,
Abigail Works.
 
————

Editorial Note
Another editorial selection from this issue discussed the criminal conviction of three abolitionists in . In July 1841, George Thompson, Alanson Work, and James Burr were arrested for attempting to transport several slaves from Missouri to , Illinois. A mob gathered outside the jail in , Missouri, where the abolitionists were being held and threatened to kill them if the courts did not convict them. The three defendants were eventually charged with larceny and found guilty by a jury in Marion County. News of the case spread throughout the country, and the three men were soon viewed as martyrs for the abolitionist cause in the . An article from the New-York Evangelist reprinted in the Times and Seasons immediately above this editorial stated that the American Abolitionist Society had “taken legal advice in regard to what can be done for Thompson, Work, and Burr” but that nothing could “be done for their relief—the case being quite out of the jurisdiction of the other courts.”
While this case had no apparent connection to the or any of its members, the editors of the Times and Seasons reprinted the article on the appeal in order to criticize what they perceived as the unjust use of the court system by officials and the undue influence that threats of mob violence had on legal proceedings in that state. This criticism almost certainly derived from their frustrations with Missouri’s legal system in failing to protect the citizenship rights of church members during the 1830s and, more immediately, with the ongoing attempts of Missouri officials to extradite JS in order to try him on charges that he was an accessory to the attempted assassination of former governor .

Missouri Law.—The Executive Committee of the Am. A. S. [American Abolitionist Society] Society have taken legal adv[ic]e in regard to what can de done for Thompson, Work, and Burr, confined for twelve years in the penitentiary of . The result is, that nothing can be done for their relief—the case being quite out of the justisdiction of the other courts. The only thing which can possibly avail them is, for the governors of those States of which they were citizens, to expostulate with the of , and obtain some abridgement of the time. Whether they will do this is very doubtful. This is a hard case; for it is admitted, even in , that they broke no law except by a forced construction. Indeed, when the young men were arrested, it was a long time before they could find any law under which to try them, and the law they applied did not, and never was intended to have any relation to the case.
We have copied the foregoing article for the purpose of showing that the State of , is not governed by law in her disposition of those that are considered offensive. If “the young men broke no law,” and the law by which they were tried had no relevancy to the case, how could they be sent to the penitentiary for twelve years, except upon mob law, or despotic assumption? It is well such cruel cases, as too often occur in , begin to attract the attention of some more sensible portions of the American public. The will not be the only people, who complain of injustice and oppression from the people and government of . We care nothing about abolitionism, and have nothing to do with it, but we do care about the honor and virtue of our , and want an equal enjoyment of rights and privileges from the banker to the beggar; from the president to the peasant:—but when wicked men bear rule the people mourn.
 
————

Editorial Note
The sixth editorial selection from this issue commented on an article titled “God’s Ways Are Equal” that appeared in the newspaper Olive Branch. That article, as reprinted in the Times and Seasons immediately below the commentary featured here, claimed that God sent years of plentiful harvests in order to provide for years of famine and always maintained a balance in the number of years of abundance and scarcity. Based on this interpretation of scripture, the Olive Branch article claimed that because the harvest throughout the country in 1842 signaled a year of plenty, those who believed that it was the last year of the world’s existence were mistaken; God would not “supply the inhabitants thereof with a large amount of food beyond the power of consumption.” This article was written as a critique of the Millerites, who believed that the second coming of Jesus Christ would occur sometime in 1842 or 1843, based on the calculations of . As the predicted years neared, the Millerites narrowed their predictions to more specific dates. JS and other leaders were also critical of Miller and his millennial prognostications.

We certainly take pleasure in presenting to our readers, the following well directed hit on Miller’s Sectarian Millennium. It appears in the Olive Branch of , and if the editors had been as wise in their calculations from a plentiful harvest for the people’s salvation, as in their exposition of the Millennium’s commencing in April, 1843, they would have given one hint upon the voice of famine: but to the article; viz:—
God’s ways are Equal. In his controversy with the ancient Jews, God said, “My ways are equal, your ways are unequal.” On this declaration we have been led lately to reflect, when looking over the country and seeing the immense harvest about to be gathered in. Nature is yielding in an unusual manner, and the strong probablility is that two years’ provision are soon to be reaped from the earth. Why is this? We know that the All-wise Giver of good things has in time past sent plentiful years, but they were to supply the necessities of his creatures in years of scarcity which were to follow. In this he showed his ways to be equal. It was so with the seven years of plenty in Egypt, which were followed by seven years of famine. This was an equal balance of year for year; and no doubt this balance has always been kept up, the surplus of one year supplying the deficiency of another. Here all is equal. Now our reflections on this subject led us to propose the following question for the consideration and answer of those who believe that this is the last year of the world’s existence. If the present is [p. 940]
is a creature of his own make as we know of no such society in this place nor never did.
, ,
, ,
, ,
, ,
,
, ,
 
————
We, the undersigned members of the , and married females do certify and declare that we know of no system of marriage being practised in the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints save the one contained in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, and we give this certificate to the public to show that ’s “secret wife system” is a disclosure of his own make.
, President,
, Counsellor,
, Counsellor,
, Secretary
Mary C. Miller, Catharine Pettey [Catherine Petty Petty]
Lois Lathrop Cutler, Sarah [Ward] Higbee,
, Phebe [Carter] Woodruff,
Ann Standley Hunter, Leonora [Cannon] Taylor,
, Sarah King Hillman,
Sophia R. Marks, Rosannah [Robinson] Marks,
Polly Z. Kelsey Johnson,
Abigail Works.
 
————

Editorial Note
Another editorial selection from this issue discussed the criminal conviction of three abolitionists in . In July 1841, George Thompson, Alanson Work, and James Burr were arrested for attempting to transport several slaves from Missouri to , Illinois. A mob gathered outside the jail in , Missouri, where the abolitionists were being held and threatened to kill them if the courts did not convict them. The three defendants were eventually charged with larceny and found guilty by a jury in Marion County. News of the case spread throughout the country, and the three men were soon viewed as martyrs for the abolitionist cause in the . An article from the New-York Evangelist reprinted in the Times and Seasons immediately above this editorial stated that the American Abolitionist Society had “taken legal advice in regard to what can be done for Thompson, Work, and Burr” but that nothing could “be done for their relief—the case being quite out of the jurisdiction of the other courts.”
While this case had no apparent connection to the or any of its members, the editors of the Times and Seasons reprinted the article on the appeal in order to criticize what they perceived as the unjust use of the court system by officials and the undue influence that threats of mob violence had on legal proceedings in that state. This criticism almost certainly derived from their frustrations with Missouri’s legal system in failing to protect the citizenship rights of church members during the 1830s and, more immediately, with the ongoing attempts of Missouri officials to extradite JS in order to try him on charges that he was an accessory to the attempted assassination of former governor .

Missouri Law.—The Executive Committee of the Am. A. S. [American Abolitionist Society] Society have taken legal advice in regard to what can de done for Thompson, Work, and Burr, confined for twelve years in the penitentiary of . The result is, that nothing can be done for their relief—the case being quite out of the justisdiction of the other courts. The only thing which can possibly avail them is, for the governors of those States of which they were citizens, to expostulate with the of , and obtain some abridgement of the time. Whether they will do this is very doubtful. This is a hard case; for it is admitted, even in , that they broke no law except by a forced construction. Indeed, when the young men were arrested, it was a long time before they could find any law under which to try them, and the law they applied did not, and never was intended to have any relation to the case.
We have copied the foregoing article for the purpose of showing that the State of , is not governed by law in her disposition of those that are considered offensive. If “the young men broke no law,” and the law by which they were tried had no relevancy to the case, how could they be sent to the penitentiary for twelve years, except upon mob law, or despotic assumption? It is well such cruel cases, as too often occur in , begin to attract the attention of some more sensible portions of the American public. The will not be the only people, who complain of injustice and oppression from the people and government of . We care nothing about abolitionism, and have nothing to do with it, but we do care about the honor and virtue of our , and want an equal enjoyment of rights and privileges from the banker to the beggar; from the president to the peasant:—but when wicked men bear rule the people mourn.
 
————

Editorial Note
The sixth editorial selection from this issue commented on an article titled “God’s Ways Are Equal” that appeared in the newspaper Olive Branch. That article, as reprinted in the Times and Seasons immediately below the commentary featured here, claimed that God sent years of plentiful harvests in order to provide for years of famine and always maintained a balance in the number of years of abundance and scarcity. Based on this interpretation of scripture, the Olive Branch article claimed that because the harvest throughout the country in 1842 signaled a year of plenty, those who believed that it was the last year of the world’s existence were mistaken; God would not “supply the inhabitants thereof with a large amount of food beyond the power of consumption.” This article was written as a critique of the Millerites, who believed that the second coming of Jesus Christ would occur sometime in 1842 or 1843, based on the calculations of . As the predicted years neared, the Millerites narrowed their predictions to more specific dates. JS and other leaders were also critical of Miller and his millennial prognostications.

We certainly take pleasure in presenting to our readers, the following well directed hit on Miller’s Sectarian Millennium. It appears in the Olive Branch of , and if the editors had been as wise in their calculations from a plentiful harvest for the people’s salvation, as in their exposition of the Millennium’s commencing in April, 1843, they would have given one hint upon the voice of famine: but to the article; viz:—
God’s ways are Equal. In his controversy with the ancient Jews, God said, “My ways are equal, your ways are unequal.” On this declaration we have been led lately to reflect, when looking over the country and seeing the immense harvest about to be gathered in. Nature is yielding in an unusual manner, and the strong probablility is that two years’ provision are soon to be reaped from the earth. Why is this? We know that the All-wise Giver of good things has in time past sent plentiful years, but they were to supply the necessities of his creatures in years of scarcity which were to follow. In this he showed his ways to be equal. It was so with the seven years of plenty in Egypt, which were followed by seven years of famine. This was an equal balance of year for year; and no doubt this balance has always been kept up, the surplus of one year supplying the deficiency of another. Here all is equal. Now our reflections on this subject led us to propose the following question for the consideration and answer of those who believe that this is the last year of the world’s existence. If the present is [p. 940]
Page 940