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Source: Church History Vol. 2 Chapter 32 Page: 730 (~1844)

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730 Whigs with perfect amazement. Whilst they fancied themselves secure of getting the Mormon vote for Mr. Walker, the Whig newspapers had entirely ceased their accustomed abuse of the Mormons. They now renewed their crusade against them; every paper was loaded with accounts of the wickedness, corruptions, and enormities of Nauvoo. The Whig orators groaned with complaints and denunciations of the Democrats, who would consent to receive Mormon support, and the Democratic officers of the State were violently charged and assaulted with using the influence of their offices to govern the Mormons. From this time forth the Whigs generally, and a part of the Democrats, determined upon driving the Mormons out of the State; and everything connected with the Mormons became political, and was considered almost entirely with reference to party. To this circumstance in part, is to be attributed the extreme difficulty ever afterwards of doing anything effectually in relation to the Mormon or anti-Mormon parties, by the executive government."-Ford's History of Illinois, p. 319.

From this we can easily see that it was largely the spirit of partisan politics that caused the agitation which finally culminated in the tragic and horrible assassination at Carthage and the expulsion of the church from Nauvoo.

Nor can we truthfully suppose that it would have been different had the Democrats been defeated. It was not the Whig party, as such, that caused the mischief; it was the partisan spirit that ruled in politics, affecting all parties. It has in this instance, at least, proven to be a curse to the church. It is a menace to the prosperity of the nation, and always detrimental, even to the interest of the party it seeks to serve.

As will be seen by Mr. Ford's statement, the two parties were so nearly equal in that congressional district that the saints held the balance of power; and it was charged that the Mormon leaders controlled the votes of the church, and hence were in a position to absolutely dictate the election.

While all men do have, or should have, some influence; yet so far as Joseph Smith dictating the vote of Nauvoo is concerned, the charge seems to be groundless,

(page 730)

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