LIFE IX THE FAR WEST. 183 



persuasion must "clear out," and give up possession of 

 their lands and houses. The Missourians collected in a 

 body, burned the printing-press from which the proclama- 

 tion had emanated, seized several of the Mormon leaders, 

 and, after inflicting a summary chastisement, " tarred and 

 feathered " them, and let them go. 



To revenge this insult, the Mormons marshalled an army 

 of Saints, and marched upon Independence, threatening 

 vengeance against the town and people. Here they met, 

 however, a band of sturdy backwoodsmen, armed with rifles, 

 determined to defend the town against the fanatic mob, 

 who, not relishing their appearance, refused the encounter, 

 and surrendered their leaders at the first demand. The 

 prisoners were afterwards released, on condition that the 

 Mormons left that part of the country without delay. 



Accordingly they once more "took up their beds and 

 walked," crossing the Missouri to Clay County, where they 

 established themselves, and would finally have formed a 

 thriving settlement but for their own acts of wilful dis- 

 honesty. At this time their blasphemous mummery knew 

 no bounds. Joe Smith, and other prophets who had lately 

 arisen, were declared to be chosen of God ; and it was the 

 general creed that, on the day of judgment, the former 

 would take his stand on the right hand of the judgment- 

 seat, and that none would pass into the kingdom of heaven 

 without his seal and touch. One of their tenets was the 

 faith in " spiritual matrimony." No woman, it appeared, 

 would be admitted into heaven unless " passed " by a saint. 

 To qualify them for this, it was necessary that the woman 

 should first be received by the guaranteeing Mormon as an 

 " earthly wife," in order that he did not pass in any of 

 whom he had no knowledge. The consequence of this 

 state of things may be imagined. The most debasing im- 

 morality was a precept of the order, and an almost univer- 

 sal concubinage existed amongst the sect, which at this 

 time numbered at least forty thousand. Their disregard 

 to the laws of decency and morality was such as could 

 not be tolerated in any class of civilised society. 



Again did the honest Missourians set their faces against 



