| 855 personal appearance; and yet unaided by the influence of literature, or the patronage of the great, he induced thousands to obey his mandates, and to rally around his standard. He fought his way through all these adverse circumstances, and left the impress of his depraved genius upon his age, and his name will not be forgotten when that of many a statesman has long been buried in oblivion.
Born in the very lowest walks of life, reared in poverty, educated in vice, having no claims to even common intelligence, coarse and vulgar in deportment, the Prophet Smith succeeded in establishing a religious creed, the tenets of which have been taught throughout the length and breadth of America. The prophet's virtues have been rehearsed and admired in Europe; the ministers of Nauvoo have even found a welcome in Asia, and Africa has listened to the grave sayings of the seer of Palmyra. The standard of the Latter-day Saints has been reared on the banks of the Nile, and even the Holy Land has been entered by the emissaries of this wicked impostor.
He founded a city in one of the most beautiful situations in the world,-in a beautiful curve of the 'father of waters,' of no mean pretension, and in it he has collected a population of twenty-five thousand from every part of the earth. He planned the architecture of a magnificent temple, and reared its walls nearly fifty feet which if completed, will be the most beautiful, most costly, and the most noble building in America. Its walls are of solid stone, four feet in thickness; supported by thirty stone pillars. That building is a monument pointing the traveler to the genius of its founder.
The acts of his life exhibit a character as incongruous as it is remarkable. If we can credit his own words, and the testimony of eye-witnesses, he was at the same time, the vicegerent of God, and a tavern keeper-a prophet of Jehovah, and a base libertine-a minister of the religion of peace, and a lieutenant general-a ruler of tens of thousands, and a slave to all his own base unbridled passions-a preacher of righteousness, and a profane swearer-a worshipper of the God of Israel, and a devotee of Bacchus-mayor of a city, and a miserable barroom fiddler-a judge upon the judicial bench, and an invader of the civil, social and moral relations of men; and notwithstanding these inconsistencies of character, there are not wanting thousands who are willing to stake their souls eternal salvation upon his veracity. For aught [ought] we know, time and distance will embellish his life with some new and rare virtues which his most intimate friends failed to discover while living with him.
Reasoning from effect to cause, we must conclude that the Mormon prophet was of no common genius; few are able to commence and carry out an imposition like his, so long, and to such an extent. And we see, in the history of his success, most striking proofs of the gullibility of a large portion of the human family.-What may not men be induced to believe?
(->) Remarks.-Amid such a volume of smoke, we look for some fire; and we generally find it. The 'Prophet' of New York, has some capital touches on this subject, but their length precludes us, at present, from copying them.
There is a spirit in man, possessed of so much "divinity," that it will discover truth by its own light; no matter whether it is covered with a 'sectarian cloak,' or thrown among the rubbish of scoffers. For this reason we copy the foregoing eulogy on General Joseph Smith, one of the greatest men that ever lived on the earth; emphatically proved so, by being inspired by God to bring forth the Book of Mormon, which gives the true history of the natives of this continent; their ancient glory and cities:-which cities have been discovered by Mr. Stevens in Central America, exactly were the Book of Mormon left them. Write on, gentlemen, you can do nothing against the truth but for it.
To be short, we will sort out of two paragraphs according to truth, and let them speak for themselves.
JOSEPH SMITH
With his friends. With his enemies.
"God's vicegerent: "A tavern keeper;
A prophet of Jehovah; A base libertine;
A minister of religion; A ruler of tens of thousands and slave
A lieutenant general; to his own base unbridled passions;
A preacher of righteousness; A profane swearer;
A worshipper of the God of Israel; A devotee of Bacchus;
A mayor of a city; A miserable bar room-fiddler;
A judge upon the judicial bench; An invader of the civil, social and
moral relations of men"
And upon these consistencies He and his followers believe in direct
of character there are not wanting revelations, and the gathering of old
thousands, who are willing to stake Israel, and the gifts, and spiritual
their souls eternal salvation upon wife doctrine
his veracity"-and all according to Dr. J. C. Bennett's
this because the spirit of system.
God in their hearts and his
works testify to the truth.
[And upon these consistencies of character there are not wanting thousands, who are willing to stake their souls eternal salvation upon his veracity" and all this because the spirit of God in their hearts and his works testify to the truth.]
[He and his followers believe in direct revelations, and the gathering of old Israel, and the gifts, and spiritual wife doctrine, according to Dr. J. C. Bennett's system.]
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