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This article published in the July
1833 issue of The Evening and the Morning Star angers the citizens of
Jackson county who fear it is meant to encourage the immigration black Mormons
into the state. On July 16 the Star publishes an Extra §
assuring residents that the article was only intended to encourage Mormons not
to be come involved in the slavery controversy. Following a mass meeting on
July 20, representatives confront, destroy the printing establishment that
published the Star, tar and feather Edward Partridge and Charles Allen, and
force the Lord's storehouse to close. Three days later, church leaders pledge
that all Mormons will leave the county by April 1, 1834.
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FREE PEOPLE OF COLOR.
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To
prevent misunderstanding
Missouri law |
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TO prevent any misunderstanding
among the churches abroad, respecting Free people of color, who may think
of coming to the western boundaries of Missouri, as members of the church,
we quote the following clauses from the Laws of Missouri. |
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EMS 2, no. 14 (July 1833): 109,
W. W. Phelps editor. (Last issue published in Missouri.
The next issue, December 1833, is published in Kirtland.) |
Free
people of color must have court certificate
Otherwise, ten lashes and order to depart |
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SECTION. 4. Be it further
enacted, That hereafter no free negro or mulatto, other than a citizen of
some one of the United States, shall come into or settle in this state under
any pretext whatever; and upon complaint made to any justice of the peace,
that such person is in his county, contrary to the provisions of this section,
he shall cause such person to be brought before him. And if upon examination,
it shall appear that such person is a free negro or mulatto, and that he
hath come into this state after the passage of this act, and such person
shall not produce a certificate, attested by the seal of some court of record
in some one of the United States, evidencing that he is a citizen of such
state, the justice shall command him forthwith to depart from this state;
and in case such negro or mulatto shall not depart from the state within
thirty days after being commanded so to do as aforesaid, any justice of
the peace, upon complaint thereof to him made may cause such person to be
brought before him, and may commit him to the common goal of the county
in which he may be found, until the next term of the circuit court to be
holden in such county. And the said court shall cause such person to be
brought before them, and examine into the cause of commitment; and if it
shall appear that such person came into the state contrary to the provisions
of this act, and continued therein after being commanded to depart as aforesaid,
such court may sentence such person to receive ten lashes on his or her
bare back, and order him to depart the state; and if he or she shall not
so depart, the same proceedings shall be had and punishment inflicted, as
often as may be necessary, until such person shall depart the state.
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fine for aiding and abetting |
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SECTION. 5. Be it further
enacted, That if any person shall, after the taking effect of this act,
bring into this state any free negro or mulatto, not having in his posses[s]ion
a certificate of citizenship as required by this act, [he or she] shall
forfeit and pay, for every person so brought, the sum of five hundred
dollars, to be recovered by action of debt in the name of the state, to
the use of the university, in any court having competent jurisdiction;
in which action the defendant may be held to bail, of right, and without
affidavit; and it shall be the duty of the attorney-general or circuit
attorney of the district in which any person so offending may be found,
immediately upon information given of such offence, to commence and prosecute
an action as aforesaid." |
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Bracketed text original. |
Slaves
are real estate
Church has no rule
Shun appearance of evil |
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Slaves are real estate
in this and other states, and wisdom would dictate great care among the
branches of the church of Christ, on this subject. So long as we have no
special rule in the church, as to people of color, let prudence guide; and
while they, as well as we, are in the hands of a merciful God, we say: Shun
every appearance of evil. |
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| Constitution
liberal |
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WHILE on the subject
of law, it may not be amiss to quote some of the Constitution of Missouri.
It shows a liberality of opinion of the great men of the west, and will
vie with that of any other state. It is good; it is just, and it is the
citizens' right. |
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| Freedom
of religion |
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1. That all men have
a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the
dictates of their own consciences; that no man can be compelled to erect,
support or attend any place of worship, or to maintain any minister of the
gospel or teacher of religion; that no human authority can control or interfere
with the rights of conscience; that no person can ever be hurt, molested
or restrained in his religious professions or sentiments, if he do not disturb
others in their religious worship: |
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| No
religious prohibition, preference, establishment |
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That no person, on account
of his religious opinions, can be rendered eligible to any office of trust
or profit under this state; that no preference can ever be given by law
to any sect or mode of worship; and that no religious corporation can
ever be established in this state." |
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THE
EVENING AND MORNING STAR |
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Qtd.
in TS 6 no. 4 (Mar. 1, 1845): 818. |
| Extra |
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Extra July 16th, 1833. |
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Article
misunderstood
Intended to stop blacks from coming to state and prevent them from joining
the church |
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Having learned with
extreme regret, that an article entitled, "Free people of color,"
in the last number of the Star, has been misunderstood we feel in duty bound
to state, in this Extra, that our intention was not only to stop free people
of color from emigrating to this state, but to prevent them from being admitted
as members of the church. On the second column of the one hundred and eleventh
page of the same paper, may be found this paragraph: |
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Missouri Persecutions (3) |
Great
care
Appearance of evil
Colonize Africa |
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Our brethren will find an extract of the law of this state, relative
to free people of color, on another page of this paper; great care should
be taken on this point. The saints must shun every appearance of evil.
As to slaves we have nothing to say, in connection with the wonderful
events of this age, much is doing towards abolishing slavery, and colonizing
the blacks in Africa. |
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Fear
insurrection
Blacks ignorant, disturb peace |
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We often lament the situation of our sister states in the south, and
we fear, lest, as has been the case, the blacks should rise and spill
innocent blood: for they are ignorant and a little may lead them to
disturb the peace of society. |
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Oppose
free blacks in state
Admit none to church |
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To be short, we are
opposed to having free people of color admitted into the state; and we say,
that none will admitted into the church, for we are determined to obey the
laws and constitutions of our country, that we may have that protection
which the sons of liberty inherit from the legacy of Washington, through
the favorable auspices of a Jefferson and Jackson.
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Missouri Persecutions (1)
Missouri Persecutions (2)
Missouri Persecutions (3)
Missouri Persecutions (4)
Missouri Persecutions (5)
Expulsion from Jackson County
Jackson County
Missouri
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