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Letter from Elias Higbee, 22 February 1840

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Letter from Elias Higbee, 22 February 1840

Source Note

, Letter, , to JS, [, Hancock Co., IL?], 22 Feb. 1840. Featured version copied [between Apr. and June 1840] in JS Letterbook 2, pp. 111–115; handwriting of ; JS Collection, CHL. For more complete source information, see the source note for JS Letterbook 2.

Historical Introduction

On 22 February 1840, wrote a letter to JS from , the fourth in a series of seven extant letters written to inform JS of the proceedings of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, which was considering the ’s memorial. In this letter, Higbee continued to recount the testimonies given to the committee by Senator and Representative of (both of whom had also testified on 21 February), as well as that of a Mr. Corwin, whom Higbee described in this letter as a former newspaper editor from . Higbee responded to Linn’s and Jameson’s respective testimonies—which depicted church members and JS negatively—and suggested that the church prepare several men to travel to Washington as witnesses if the committee decided that the church’s memorial should be considered in an additional investigation.
presumably sent this letter by post to , Illinois, and JS presumably received it after he returned to Commerce by 29 February 1840. The original letter is not extant. copied the version featured here into JS Letterbook 2 sometime between April and June 1840.

Footnotes

  1. [1]

    See Historical Introduction to Letter from Elias Higbee, 20 Feb. 1840–A.

  2. [2]

    John Smith, Journal, 1836–1840, 29 Feb. 1840, [58].

    Smith, John (1781-1854). Journal, 1833–1841. John Smith, Papers, 1833-1854. CHL. MS 1326, box 1.

  3. [3]

    Coray, Autobiographical Sketch, 17, 19.

    Coray, Howard. Autobiographical Sketch, after 1883. Howard Coray, Papers, ca. 1840–1941. Photocopy. CHL. MS 2043, fd. 1.

Asterisk (*) denotes a "featured" version, which includes an introduction and annotation. *Letter from Elias Higbee, 22 February 1840 Letterbook 2 History, 1838–1856, volume C-1 [2 November 1838–31 July 1842] “History of Joseph Smith”
temporal, civil & political matters, and by this means caused all the Mormons to vote the whole hog ticket on one side, except two persons: but when I got an opportunity of speaking, I observed that Joseph Smith never led any of the in these matters; as we considered him to have no authority, neither did he presume to exercise any, of that nature; that revelations were only concerning spiritual things in the Church, and the Bible being our standard we received no revelations contrary to it. I also observed that we were not such ignoramuses as perhaps as he fain would have people believe us to be, and some other things on this subject. I then told him that every man exercised the right of suffrage according to his better judgment, or without any ecclesiasticle restraint being put upon him; that it was all false about a revelation on voting: And the reason of our voting that ticket, was, in consequence of the democratick principles having been taught us in <​from​> our infancy; That <​they​> ever believed & extended equal rights to all; and that we had been much persecuted previous to that time, many threatenings being made from the Counties round about, as well as among us, who took the lead in political affairs. It was <​true​> we advised our brethren to vote this ticket, telling them we thought that party would protect our rights, and not suffer us to be driven from our lands, as we had hitherto been; believing it to be far the most liberal party; but in that we were mistaken because when it came to the test, there were as many democrats turned against us, as whigs; and indeed less liberality and political freedom was manifested by them, for one whig Paper came out decidedly in our favor. I made these remarks partly from motives, which I may, at another time, explain to you. He laid great stress on the trials at , and a constitution, that he said and others had soon to (who were in good standing in the Mormon <​Church​> at this time) swore to: [p. 112]
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Related Case Documents
Editorial Title
Letter from Elias Higbee, 22 February 1840
ID #
517
Total Pages
5
Print Volume Location
JSP, D7:193–198
Handwriting on This Page
  • Howard Coray

Footnotes

  1. [5]

    Prior to an 1838 election for state and county offices in Caldwell County, Missouri, a militant group of church members called the Danites printed a ticket of candidates and then, in an effort to control the election’s outcome, distributed it among church members in the county. According to one newspaper, the election results in Caldwell County were 351 votes for the “Van Buren ticket” and 2 for the “Whig.” (Corrill, Brief History, 33; “Editorial Items,” Quincy [IL] Whig, 25 Aug. 1838, [2].)

    Quincy Whig. Quincy, IL. 1838–1856.

  2. [6]

    The church’s declaration on government, published in the 1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants, stated that the church did “not believe it just to mingle religious influence with civil Government.” (Declaration on Government and Law, ca. Aug. 1835 [D&C 134:9].)

  3. [7]

    In a Washington DC discourse he delivered earlier that month, JS reportedly declared that the Bible was a “sacred volume— In it the Mormon faith is to be found. We teach nothing but what the Bible teaches. We believe nothing but what is to be found in this Book.” (Discourse, 5 Feb. 1840.)

  4. [8]

    The church’s declaration on government advised citizens of republics to seek to elect government officials who would “administer the law in equity and justice” and counseled citizens to uphold such individuals “by the voice of the people.” (Declaration on Government and Law, ca. Aug. 1835 [D&C 134:3].)

  5. [9]

    According to former Latter-day Saint John Corrill, many members of the church thought that the ticket of candidates the Danites distributed was “from head quarters, and that it was the will of God that all should go for it,” but others saw it as “taking an undue advantage of the election, and were extremely dissatisfied; not so much with the ticket itself as with the principle in which it had been got up, for the ticket was democratic, and the Mormons, as individuals, are almost universally of that party.” (Corrill, Brief History, 33.)

  6. [10]

    The “whig Paper” possibly refers to the Quincy Whig, which had published articles in March 1839 supporting church members and condemning the Missourians. (See, for example, Report, Quincy [IL] Whig, 2 Mar. 1839, [2]; and “The Mormons,” Quincy Whig, 16 Mar. 1839, [1].)

    Quincy Whig. Quincy, IL. 1838–1856.

  7. [11]

    “The trials at Richmond” refers to the November 1838 court of inquiry in Richmond before Judge Austin A. King for a group of church members facing a variety of charges, including treason, riot, and murder. (See Document Containing the Correspondence, 149–151; see also Historical Introduction to Letter to Emma Smith, 1 Dec. 1838; Historical Introduction to Petition to George Tompkins, between 9 and 15 Mar. 1839; and LeSueur, 1838 Mormon War in Missouri, chap. 12.)

    LeSueur, Stephen C. The 1838 Mormon War in Missouri. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1987.

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