| 473 Later Mr. Rice wrote as follows:
MR. JOSEPH SMITH.
Dear Sir: I am greatly obliged to you for the information concerning Mormonism, in your letters of April 30 and May 2. As I am in no sense a Mormonite, of course it is a matter of curiosity, mainly, that I am interested in the history of Mormonism.
Two things are true concerning this Manuscript in my possession: First, it is a genuine writing of Solomon Spalding; and second, it is not the original of the Book of Mormon.
My opinion is, from all I have seen and learned, that this is the only writing of Spalding, and there is no foundation for the statement of Deming and others, that Spalding made another story, more elaborate, of which several copies were written, one of which Rigdon stole from a printing-office in Pittsburg [Pittsburgh], etc. Of course I can not be as certain of this, as of the other two points. One theory is, that Rigdon, or some one else, saw this Manuscript, or heard it read, and from the hints it conveyed, got up the other and more elaborate writing on which the Book of Mormon was founded. Take that for what it is worth. It don't seem to me very likely.
You may be at rest as to my putting the Manuscript into the possession of any one who will mutilate it, or use it for a bad purpose. I shall have it deposited in the Library of Oberlin College, in Ohio, to be at the disposal for reading of any one who may wish to peruse it; but not to be removed from that depository. My friend, President Fairchild, may be relied on as security for the safe keeping of it. It will be sent there in July, by a friend who is going there to "take to himself a wife." Meantime, I have made a literal copy of the entire document-errors of orthography, grammar, erasures, and all-which I shall keep in my possession, so that any attempt to mutilate it will be of easy detection and exposure. Oberlin is a central place, in the vicinity of Conneaut, where the manuscript was written.
I have had an idea, sometimes, that it is due to the Mormons to have a copy of it, if they took interest in it enough to publish it. As it is only of interest as showing that it is not the original of the Book of Mormon, no one else is likely to wish it for publication.
Miss Dickinson, whom you call a granddaughter of Solomon Spalding, represents herself to me as his grandniece: "My great-uncle, Reverend Solomon Spalding," she writes.
Reverend Doctor Hyde, President of the Institution, in this place, for training Native Missionaries for Micranesia, (a very prominent and successful institution), has written an elaborate account of this manuscript, and of Mormonism, and sent it for publication in the Congregationalist, of Boston. I presume it will be published, and you will be interested in reading it.
Very respectfully, yours,
L. L. RICE.
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