Mormon History
Letter from Missouri Governor - 1834
Missouri Intelligencer – July 5, 1834
THE MORMONS.
We
have but little information, in addition to that published in our last,
respecting the difficulties between the Mormons and the people of
Jackson. A letter from Independence, dated the 27th ult. says -- "The
Mormons have backed out from the expected fight, but yet say this is
"Zion," and that it may not be established for one hundred years to
come and think they could not be hired to come to this county."
The following private letter from GOVERNOR DUNKLIN to Col. Thornton,
(which we find in the last Missouri Enquirer.) will no doubt be
interesting to our readers:
Copy of a letter from DANIEL DUNKLIN,
Governor of the State of Missouri, to
Col. J. Thornton, dated
CITY OF JEFFERSON, June 6.
DEAR SIR: -- I was pleased at the receipt of your letter, concurred in
by Messrs. Rees, Atchinson and Doniphan, on the subject of the Mormon
difficulties. I should be gratified indeed if the parties could
compromise upon the terms you suggest, or, indeed, upon any other terms
satisfactory to themselves. But I should travel out of the line of
strict duty, as chief executive officer of the government, were I to
take upon myself the task of effecting a compromise between the
parties. Had I not supposed it possible, yes, probable, that I should,
as executive of the state, have to act, I should, before now, have
interfered individually in the way you suggest, or in some other way,
in order if possible to effect a compromise. Uncommitted, as I am to
either party, I shall feel no embarrassment in doing my duty; though it
may be done with the most extreme regret. My duty in the relation which
I now stand to the parties, is plain and straight forward. By an
official interposition I might embarrass my course, and urge a measure
for the purpose of effecting a compromise, and [if] it should fail, and
in the end, should I feel it my duty to ACT contrary to the ADVICE I
had given, it might be said, that I either advised wrong, or that I was
partial to one side or the other, in giving advice that I would not, as
an officer. follow. A more clear and indisputable right does not exist,
than that of the Mormon people, who were expelled from their homes in
Jackson county, to return and live on their lands; and if they cannot
be persuaded, as a matter of POLICY, to give up that right, or to
qualify it, my course, as the chief executive officer of the state, is
a plain one. -- The constitution of the United States declares, "That
the citizens of each state shall be entitled to all privileges and
immunities of citizens in the several states." Then we cannot interdict
any people, who have a political franchise in the United States, from
immigrating to this state, nor from choosing what part of the state
they will settle in, provided they do not trespass on the property of
others. Our state constitution declares that the people's "right to
bear arms, in defence of themselves, and of the state, cannot be
questioned." Then it is their constitutional right to arm themselves.
Indeed, our militia law makes it the duty of every man, not exempted by
law, between the ages of eighteen and forty-five, to arm himself with a
musket, rifle, or some firelock, with a certain quantity of ammunition,
&c. And again, our constitution says, "that all men have a natural
and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the
dictates of their own consciences." I am fully persuaded that the
eccentricity of the religious opinions and practices of the Mormons, is
at the bottom of the outrages committed against them.
They have the right constitutionally guaranteed to them, and it is
indefeasible, to Living God, and to call their habitation Zion, the
Holy Land, or even Heaven itself. Indeed, there is nothing so absurd or
ridiculous, that they have not a right to adopt as their religion, so
that in its exercise they do not interfere with the rights of others.
It is not long since an impostor assumed the character of Jesus Christ,
and attempted to minister as such; but I never heard of any combination
to deprive him of his rights.
I consider it the duty of every good citizen of Jackson and the
adjoining counties to exert himself to effect a compromise of these
difficulties; and were I assured that I would not have to act in my
official capacity in the affair, I would visit the parties in person
and exert myself to the utmost to settle it. My first advice would be
to the Mormons, to sell out their lands in Jackson county, and to
settle somewhere else, where they could live in peace, if they could
get a fair price for them, and reasonable damages for injuries
received. If this failed, I would try the citizens and advise them to
meet and rescind their illegal resolves of last summer, and agree to
conform to the laws in every particular, in respect to the Mormons. If
both these failed, I would then advise the plan you have suggested, for
each party to take separate territory, and confine their members within
their respective limits, with the exception of the public right of
egress and regress upon the highway. If all these failed, then the
simple question of legal right would have to settle it. It is this last
that I am afraid I shall have to conform my action to in the end, and
hence the necessity of keeping myself in the best situation to do my
duty impartially.
Rumor says that both parties are preparing themselves with cannon. That
would be illegal: it is not necessary to self-defense, as guaranteed by
the constitution, and as there are no artillery companies organized in
this state, nor field pieces provided by the public; any preparation of
that kind will be considered as without right, and, in the present
state of things, would be understood to be with criminal intent. I am
told that the people of Jackson county expect assistance from the
adjoining counties, to oppose the Mormons in taking or keeping
possession of their lands. -- I should regret it extremely if any
should be so imprudent as to do so; it would give a different aspect to
the affair.
The citizens of Jackson county have a right to arm themselves and
parade for military duty in their own county independent of the
commander-in-chief; but if citizens march there in arms from other
counties, without order from the commander-in-chief, or some one
authorized by him, it would produce a very different state of things.
Indeed, the Mormons have no right to march to Jackson county in arms,
unless by order or permission of the commander-in-chief. -- Men must
not "levy war" in taking possession of their rights, any more than
others should in opposing them in taking possession.
As you have manifested a deep interest in a peaceable compromise of
this important affair, I presume you will not be unwilling to be placed
in a situation in which perhaps, you can be more serviceable to these
parties. I have therefore taken the liberty of appointing you an aid to
the commander-in-chief, and I hope it will be agreeable to you to
accept. In this situation you can give your propositions all the
influence they would have were they to emanate from the executive,
without committing yourself or the commander-in-chief, in the event of
failure.
I should be glad if you, or some of the other gentlemen who joined you
in your communication, would keep a close correspondence with these
parties, and by each mail write to me.
The character of the state has been injured in consequence of this
unfortunate affair; and I sincerely hope it may not be disgraced by it
in the end.
With high respect, your ob't servant,
DANIEL DUNKLIN.
Note 1: Although Governor Dunklin attempted to defuse the situation in
western Missouri, arising from the arrival of Joseph Smith's "Zion's
Camp" expeditionary force, it was the evident resolve and preparations
for resistance among the western citizens themselves that dissuaded the
Mormons from re-occupying Jackson county as a de facto theocratical
realm. Neither Dunklin nor other state officials viewing the situation
there from a distance could well comprehend the insistence of Smith and
his followers, that God had already promised Jackson county to them.
Smith's failure to establish his followers in and around Independence
naturally called into question the power and validity of his
"prophecies" naming that place as the Saints' "city of refuge" in the
terrible, pre-millennial conflagration he was then still predicting. As
things eventually turned out, the Mormons were persuaded to temporarily
relocate their "gathering" miles away, at Far West, in the soon to be
created county of Caldwell. Their removal there only postponed the
inevitable hostilities between the theocracy and the citizens, however.