| 396 and purchased with money from some of these chief men that labored at pleasure, a portion of land in the vineyard, at a very remote part of it, and began to improve it, and to eat and drink the fruit thereof; when some vile persons, who regarded not man, neither feared the lord of the vineyard, rose up suddenly and robbed these meek men, and drove them from their possessions, killing many. This barbarous act made no small stir among the men in the vineyard, and all that portion who were attached to that part of the vineyard where the men were robbed, rose up in grand council, with their chief man, who had firstly ordered the deed to be done, and made a covenant not to pay for the cruel deed, but to keep the spoil, and never let those meek men set their feet on that soil again, neither recompence [recompense] them for it. Now these meek men, in their distress, wisely sought redress of those wicked men in every possible manner and got none. They then supplicated the chief men, who held the vineyard at pleasure and who had the power to sell and defend it, for redress and redemption, and those men, loving the fame and favor of the multitude, more than the glory of the lord of the vineyard, answered, your cause is just, but we can do nothing for you, because we have no power. Now, when the lord of the vineyard saw that virtue and innocence was not regarded, and his vineyard occupied by wicked men, he sent men and took the possession of it to himself, and destroyed those unfaithful servants, and appointed them their portion among hypocrites.
And let me say, that all men who say that congress has no power to restore and defend the rights of her citizens, have not the love of the truth abiding in them. Congress has power to protect the nation against foreign invasion and internal broil, and whenever that body passes an act to maintain right with any power; or restore right to any portion of her citizens, IT IS THE SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND, and should a state refuse submission, that state is guilty of insurrection or rebellion, and the president has as much power to repel it as Washington had to march against the 'whiskey boys of Pittsburg [Pittsburgh],' or General Jackson had to send an armed force to suppress the rebellion of South Carolina!
To close, I would admonish you, before you let your 'candor compel' you again to write upon a subject, great as the salvation of man, consequential as the life of the Savior, broad as the principles of eternal truth, and valuable as the jewels of eternity, to read in the 8th section and first article of the constitution of the United States, the first, fourteenth and seventeenth 'specific' and not very 'limited powers' of the federal government, what can be done to protect the lives, property and rights of a virtuous people, when the administrators of the law, and lawmakers, are unbought by bribes, uncorrupted by patronage, untempted by gold unawed by fear, and uncontaminated by tangling alliances-even like Cæsar's wife, not only unspotted but unsuspected! and God, who cooled the heat of Nebuchadnezzar's furnace, or shut the mouths of lions for the honor of a Daniel, will raise your mind above the narrow notion, that the general government has no power-to the sublime idea that congress, with the President as executor, is as Almighty in its sphere, as Jehovah is in his.
With great respect, I have
the honor to be your
obedient servant,
JOSEPH SMITH.
Hon. ('Mr.'!) J. C. Calhoun,
Fort Hill, S. C.
Minutes of the general conference, held December 2d 1843
The elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, composing the Gennessee conference, in the state of New York, met at the house of elder George Thompson, in the town of Alexander, in the county of Gennessee; on the second day of December, 1843.
High priests present, 2; Seventies, 1; Elders, 21; Deacons, 1.
The house was called to order by elder Noah Packard, and was organized by calling Noah Packard to the chair, and Wm. Brown was appointed clerk.
The conference was opened by singing a hymn and a prayer by Elder Almon Babbit.
The chair then stated the object of the conference, and presented brother Hartman to be ordained to the office of an elder, which was carried.
The representation of the different branches was then called for, composing the Gennessee conference, which were represented as follows:
The Alexander branch, represented by Anson Sheffield, composed of 32 members, 12 elders: four members were cut off since the last conference.
The Acron branch, represented by Elder Heat; 10 members, five elders.
The Utica branch, represented by Elder Shadbolt; 17 members, including three elders.
The Brant branch, represented by elder Beebe, 15 members, including elders and teachers.
The Buffaloe [Buffalo] branch represented by elder Gunniue; 10 members, two elders.
The Cambro branch, represented by Elder
(page 396) |
