[ Full-text transcription of:
Letter from the Honorable A. A. King, Judge of the 5th Judicial Circuit, Richmond, MO to Governor Boggs, Jefferson City, MO
]
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Oct 23rd. 1838
Dear Sir
I have recently seen Col Price,
who made known to me the object of
his mission to this part of the State.
In reference to the lawless depredations
Said to be practiced on the Mormons, I
have no doubt that the charges are to
a certain extent true, and I have
as little doubt that the perpetrators
of them can be effectually brought
to justice by the civil authorities.
If, instead of writing those inflamatory
letters to members of the Legislature,
these same men would come before me
and give such information, as the
law requires against these lawless
characters, I should bring them to an
immediate account, and I am satisfied
there is virtue enough in this community
to aid and sustain me in so laudable
an undertaking. I have heard frequent comp
=laints, and have uniformly invited them to institu
=te a legal investigation, but no person
has thought proper to do so.
In most of the cases of outrage against
the property of Mormons, it has been by
persons who pretend, and perhaps truly,
that the Mormons were them, or by
persons who say that the mormons, in their
late outrages upon them, have destroyed
their property, and they take this means
to indemnify themselves. This certainly is
an unlawful and highly objectionable
course. But I think it very ungracious in
Mr Arthur to charge it upon the citizens
of the surrounding counties, exempting
his own
true, he himself has been very extensive
=ly engaged in collecting his Mormon
debts, in property chiefly, and at prices less
than half what would be asked or given
in ordinary cases. This with me is only rum
=or, but there are men who say so who
are equally respectable with
Mr. Arthur. As it
regards the Military force
recommended by
him, I should look upon it as
a direct imput
=tion upon the power and
efficacy of the
civil authorities to maintain
this law
in ordinary cases, and would,
in effect
be reversing that [“to”
erased] salutary constitution
=al principle which renders
the Military
subordinate to the civil
authority.
I cannot but express regret
that the time, in
my opinion is not very
distant when we
shall have the same scene to
go through with
the mormons that we have
lately witn=
=essed. If the Mormons would disperse
and not gather into exclusive
communities
of their own, I think with
the exception
of a few of their leaders,
the people
might be as reconciled to
them, but this
they utterly refuse to do,
they tell me
that it would amount to
an aband
=onment of their creed &
religion,
for they believe, you know,
in this
gathering, together of the
Saints,
and that they shall come
out from
the world, Suggest, the
matter to them,
as I have done, for the sake
of
their peace and safety, and
they
will give you many scriptural
reasons why they should not
do so.
The mormons, appear lately to
have taken
new courage and [“appear”
crossed out] to be determined
not to move; the citizens are
equally deter
=mined they shall, for
nothing but
expulsion or the other
alternative will
satisfy this community, that
is, if the,
mormons hold out under their
former
principles and practices.
This I know
is strong doctrine for some
of the mem—
=bers, and such as I have not
encour
=aged, occupying this Station
I do, either
by act or expression,
yet I can easily
find men in this community,
noted
for their good moral
character and correct
deportment, who are
determined the
mormans shall not reside
among them
The alternative is presented,
the expulsion
of this mormons, or the virtual relin
=guishment of their own homes.
There has been from parts of this State,
as well as from other states highly
respectable gentlemen, who came
among us with all their sympathies
and prejudices enlisted in favor
of the mormons, but after traveling
through the country, hearing
and seeing which they did, [ ] they
undergo an entire change of
opinion, such as has frequently
astonished me.
I have written [“this letter” crossed out] to you
in conformity with the request
made by you through Col Price
in reference to the necessity of a
Military force to sustain and
uphold the laws.
I am
very respectfully
Austin A. King
Govr Lilburn W. Boggs