Closing Argument of Onias Skinner, 29 May 1845, Copy [State of Illinois v. Williams et al.]
Source Note
, Closing Argument, [, Hancock Co., IL], 29 May [1845], State of IL v. Williams et al. (Hancock Co., IL, Circuit Court 1845). Copied [29 May–20 June 1845]; handwriting of and printed text; thirty-one pages; Wilford Wood Museum, Bountiful, UT; images in Joseph Smith Murder Trial Papers, 1844–1845, CHL.
I cannot, I will not believe the man that has been favored with the Suffrages of a majority of of the people of our could so debase & degrade his ◊◊gh station & himself as voluntarily, to stoop to the exercise of such vilecorruption.— I have to<o> much charity to believe it.— He has been most grossly duped, deceived & imposed upon by base men;— men whose individual malice inte[re]sts & aggra[n]dizement are their sole incentives to action. He has unfortunately taken their advice & counsel & acted precipit[ou]sly & inconsiderately upon such testimony as this Daniels; & I do trust when the learns that Daniels stands before his ownagent & the world apurgured <perjured> writer, he will abandon his counsels & the counsels of the men who are his backers & vouchers.
But, it is enough for us to know that these means have been used— that message after message— letter upon letter have been written & sent forth by his excellency:— that the State Register— has heralded its falshoods to the world— that books & caricature engravings have been published, all having for their object the destruction of these defts;— the prejudice has been proclaimed [p. 29]