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r 0tttOtt '-as, ;05 V " - ? - f 1 s Hichard Nugent, Editor The whole art ov Government, consists in the art or being honest. Jefferson. and Publisher VOL. I. STROUDSBURG, MONROE COUNTY, PA., FRIDAY, JANUARY 8, 1841. No 43. JEFFERSON IAN REPUBLICAN. terms Two dollars ner annum in advance Two dollars and a quarter, half yearly, and it not paid before the end of llie year TWO dollars aim a uau. x u?c v uv itxcn u uicir pers by k carrier or stage drivers employed by the proprietor, will be charged 37 1-2 cts. per year, extra. No napcrs discontinued until all arrearages are paid, except at me opuoh ui ic ui. rr7Advertisements not exceeding one square (sixteen lines) will be inserted three weeks for one dollar : twenty-five cents for everv subsequent insertion : larcer ones in proportion. A liberal discount will be made to yearly advertisers. JETAU letters addressed to the Editor must be post paid. JOB PRINTING. fS&ving a general assortment of large elegant plain andorna mental lype, we are prepared to execute every ins cription of Cards, Circulars, Bill Heads, Notes, Blank Receipts, JUSTICES, LEGAL AND OTHER BLMKS, PAMPHLETS, &?. Printed with neatness and despatch, on reasonable terms. POETRY. Indian Names. BY MRS. L. H. SIGOURNEY. "How can the red men be forgotten, while" so many of our States and territories, rivers and lakes, are designated by their namesi" Ye say they all have past away That noble race and brave, That their light canoes have vanish'd From offthe crested wave, That 'mid the forests where they roam'd There rings no hunters shout; But their name ia on your waters, Ye may not wash it out. Yes, where Ontario's billow Like ocean's surge is curl'd, Where strong Niagara's thunders wake Tho echo of the world, Where red Missouri bringeth Rich tribute from the West, And Rappahannock sweetly sleeps On green Virginia's breast. Ye say their cone-like cabins That cluster'd o'er the vale, Have disappear'd as wither'd leaves Before the Autumn gale: . : " ' But their memory liveth on your hills, Their baptism on your shore, Your everlasting rivers speak Their di alect of y ore- Old Massachusetts wears it Within her lordly crown, And broad Ohio bears it Amid his young renown. Connecticut hath wreath'd it ? Where her quiet foliage waves, And bold Kentucky breath'd it hoarse, Through all her ancient caves. Wachusett hides their lingering voice Within his rocky heart, And Alleghany graves its tone Throughout his lofty chart. Munadnock on his forehead hoar Doth seal the sacred trust, Your mountains build their monument, Though ye give the winds their dust.- Ye deem those red browM brethren The insects of an hour, Forgotten and despia'd amid The regions of their power. Ye drive them from their father's lands, Ye break of faith the seal. But can ye from the court of Heavon Exclude their last appeal! Ye see their unresisting tribes With toil-worn step and slow, Onward through trackless deserts press, caravan of wo. Think ye the Eternal's ear is deaf Ilia sleepless vision dim! Think ye the souls blood may not cry From that far land to him? From the Episcopal Recorder History of Morinonism. GLEANINGS Br THE WAY. Dear Brethren', According to the intima tion given in the last No. of the Gleanings by -yuE Way, I proceed to finish the sketch which fias already occupied the two preceding num bers in relation to the Mormons. Perhaps be fore relating the few additional facts that I have ;ji my possession in reference to the rise and progress of this singular delusion, our readers -will ho gratified to have a brief outline of the contents of that mysterious volume whose ori gin and history we have already gven, and which, as we have- seen, has excited no small influence u imparling a degree of plausibility to the claims set up by this sect, and in gaining for them among the superstitious and the cred ulous, hosts of converts. I tyave before me a copy of the Book or JyJoRMqNj which hare re 1 through in order to furnish the following analy sis. Since reading this volume of nearly six hundred pages, I am more than ever convinced that there were several hands employed in its preparation. There are certainly striking marks of genius and literary skill displayed in the management of the main story while in some of the details and hortarory parts thero are no less unequivocal marks of bungling and botch work. As I have already slated this volume con sists of fifteen separate books, which profess .to have been written at different periods and by different authors whose names they respective ly bear: all these authors, however, belonged to the same people, and were successively raised up by Jehovah, and by him inspired to carry on the progress of the narrative, and de posit the record when made upon metallic plates in the same ark of testimony which contained the plates handed down by their predecessors. The first book in the volume is called the Book of Nephi: it contains seven distinct chap ters, and opens with an account of Lehi, the father of Nephi. Nephi, the writer of this first book, appnars to be the grand hero of this epic. Ills lather, Lehi, resided in Jerusalem was a dovout man, and one that feared God. His mother's name was Sarah and the names of his three brothers were Laman, Lemuel, and Sam. The narrative commences with the first year of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah. During this year the prophets of the most high God came and uttered such fearful predictions in relation to the destruction of Jerusalem, the Lehi became greatly alarmed for the city and for his people. He was so impressed with the messages which the Hebrew seers proclaimed, that he was led to go and pray with great fer vency before the Lord. While in this solemn act of prayer, there came down a pillar of fire and rested upon a rock before him, blazing forth in awful majesty, and speaking to him out of the flames. Awed and terrified bv his divine manifestation, he went home and cast himself upon his bed overwhelmed with anxious and fearful forebodings. While he lay there thus meditating upon what he had seen, he was sud denly carried away in a vision, and saw the heavens opened, and God sitting upon his throne, "surrounded by numberless concourses of an geli." "And it came to pass," I here use the language of Nephi, (Page 6,) "that he saw one descending oui of the midst of heavon. And he beheld that his lustre was above that of the sun at noon day; and he also saw twelve others following him, and their brightness did exceed that of the stars in the firmament; and ihey came down and went forth upon the face of the earth; and the first came and stood before my father, and gave unto him a book, and bade him that he should read. And it came to pass as he read he was filled with the spirit of the Lord, and he read, saying, Wo, wo unto Jerusalem! for I have seen thine abominations; yea and many things did my father read concerning Je rusalem that it should be destroyed, and the inhabitants thereof, many should perish by tho sword, and many should be carried away cap tive into Babylon." Lehi, after this vision, be came liimself a prophet, and predicted the over throw of the Holy City; on account of which he was persecuted by the Jews. While they w.ere plotting to destroy him, he had another vision, by which he was instructed to' take his family and depart into the wilderness. He im mediately obeyed, leaving his house and land and gold and silver and precious things behind. In his journeyings he came near the shore of the Red Sea, and at length pitched his tent in a valley beside a river of water. His two eld est soni were quite unbelieving, and thought it absurd that their father should leave all his com forts behind, and come dwell in a tent in the wilderness. But Nephi who was the third son, was piously disposed, and being led to 3cek the face of the Lord in prayer, had a revelation from God that he should be led to a land of promise, and become a teacher and ruler over his brethren. After this; Lehi also had another vision, in which he was commanded to send Nephi and his brethren back to Jerusalem to obtain "the record of the Jews, and also a genealogy of his forefathers, engraven upon plates of brass." This was a mission attended with great danger, and replete with sundry advontnres of a marvellous character. After the three brethren had reach ed Jerusalem, they cast lots to decide which should go to Laban, who seems to have been the keeper of these sacred deposites and ask for the records. The lot foil upon Laman. He was received very roughly by Laban, and had to flee from his presence for his life, without attaining the object of his wishes. The two elder brothers now determined to abandon the object of their mission and go back to their fa ther; but Nephi, full of faith wished still to per severe, and therefore proposed that they should go to their former residence and collect togeth er the gold and silver and precious things be longing to their father, and endeavor to make an impression upon Laban's mind by tho offer of all these, if he would give them "the plates of brass." Laban was pleased with the exhib ition of their treasures, and determined to slay them, in order to possess their wealth They fled however into the wilderness, and hid them selves in the cavity of a rock The two elder brothers now became utterly indignant with Ne phi, and smote him with a rod, because he had led them into such an adventure. An angel of God, however, appeared, and rebuked them enjoining it upon them to go up to Jerusalem again, and not to give over the enterprise upon which they had embarked assuring them that the Lord would deliver Laban into their hands. Notwithstanding this divine reproof, the two elder brothers felt rather sorely towards Nephi, and went up again towards Jerusalem quite re luctantly. When they reached the walls of the city, they positively refused to go any farther. Nephi, however, offered to go again to the house of Laban. He proposed that they should hide without the walls and wait till his return. It was night; and Nephi stoic carefully into the city, directing his steps towards the house of Laban. As he drew near his residence, how ever, he found aman stretched out on the ground, drunk with wine. Upon examination, he found it was Laban himself. He was armed with a sword, the hilt of which was "of pure gold, and the workmanship exceeding fine." Nephi drew the sword from its scabbard, and as he held it up, he felt constrained by the Spirit to kill La ban. He had to struggle some time with the natural tenderness of his feelings, but his desire to obey God prevailed, and he therefore "took Laban by the hair of the head, and smote off his head with his own sword." He then stript off the garments of Laban, and put them on him self, and girded himself with his armour, and "went forth towards the treasury of Laban," and as he went, "he saw the servant of Laban that had the keys of the treasury." This ser vant mistook Nephi, who tried to imitate the voice of Laban, for his master, and readily took out "the engravings which were upon the plates of brass" and carried them without tho walls. When the servant discovered his mistake, he was very much frightened -but at length was prevailed upon to accompany these adventurers into the wilderness; therefore having obtained the object of their wishes, 'they returned to the tent of their father. Lehi now examined, at his loiaure, the re cords engraven upon the plates of brass, and found that they contained the five books of Mo ses, "and also a record of the Jews from the beginning even down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah, and also many prophe cies spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah." He also found a genealogy of his fathers, from which he learnt that he was a descendant of Joseph. Here 1 cannot but remark that it is astonish ing that he had not found out before this to what tribe he belonged; and it is not a little remark able that as the sons of Joseph, Ephraim, and Manassah, were appointed to represent two tribes, in the place of Joseph and Levi, he had not told us from which of these descendants he sprang. We were all along at a loss to lenow what sort of au officor Laban was, but here we are told at this stage of the narrative: "Thus my father Lehi did discover the genealogy of his fathers. And Laban also was a descendant of Joseph, wherefore he and his fathers kept tho records. This seems to us quite a non Sequiluf. But to proceod. Upon obtaining these plates of brass, Lehi began to be "filled with the spir it, and to prophecy concerning his seed; that these plates of brass should go forth unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, which were of his seed. Wherefore, he said that these plates of brass should never perish; neither should they be dimne.1 any more by time." Soon after this- Nephi had a very wonderful vision, which he told to his sons, by way of warning the two elder, Laman and Lemuel, of whom he had great fears as ihey were dis posed to be unbelieving and rebellious. This vision presented an allegories! representation. Lehi declared that he saw a man dressed in a white robo, who came and stood before him, and then bade him follow him. He did so. The white robed guide lod him through a long, dark, and dreary waste. After travelling on for many hours in darkness he began to pray unto the Lord; and the Lord then led him into a large spacious field in the midst of which he saw "a tree whose fruit wa desirable to Tnako one happy." He partook of this fruit, which was intensely white, "exceeding all the white ness he had over seen." As soon as he had partaken of tho fruit, "his soul was filled with exceeding great joy." This led him to wish that his family should come and partake of the ame. While looking around to see if he could discovor his family, ho beheld a river of water, which ran along near the tree of whose fruit he had been partaking. At a short distanco he beheld the head of this stream and near it was his wife and two younger sons, and thoy stood as if they knew not whither they should go: and he called out unto them with a loud voice to ap proach the tree and partake the fruit thereof, and then his anxieties were awake for his two older sons, whom at length ho discovered in the distance, near tho hoad of the stream, but ho could not induce them to come to him or ap proach the treo And then ho beheld a rod of iron extending along the bank of tho river; load ing to the tree by which he stood: and also "a straight and narrow path, which came along by the rod of iron to the tree. And it also led by the head of the fountain, unto a large and spa cious field, as if it had been a world, and' he saw numberless concourses of people; many of whom were pressing forwards, that they might obtain the path which led unto the tree by which he stood." As soon as those who were advancing entered this narrow path they encountered "an exceeding great mist of dark ness," so that many lost their way, while others caught hold of the end of the rod of iron, and pressed forward through the mist clinging to the rod, and following it until they came into the light amid which the tree stood, and partook of its fruit. The persons who thus approached the tree after they had partaken of the fruit, looked around and some of them seemed ashamed. "Lehi also cast his eyes round about, and be held on the other side of the river of water, a great and spacious building: and it stood as it were in the air: and it was filled with people both old and young, both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceeding fine, and they were in the attitude of mocking and point ing their fingers towards those which had come at, and were partaking of the fruit." This was what caused some ivho had come to the tree to be filled with shame, and to fall away. He saw continual multitudes pressing forwards to wards the tree, and others towards the great, and spacious building. With all his persuasion Lehi could not induce his two eldest sons to come and partake of the fruit of the tree, there fore he had great fears in relation to them. After relating this vision, Lehi began to nroDhecv in relation to the Saviour, and told very distinctly what is related in the New Tcs tament about him. Nephi; however, became very anxious to see the tree of which his father had told, and at length he was gratified. I he same vision was repeated to him, and he oh tained also from the spirit of the Lord the inter protation thereof. The spirit commanded him to look. He did so, and first he beheld Jerusa lem then Nazareth and "in the city of Naz areth, a virgin, exceeding fair and white." And then he saw the heavens open, and an angel came down, and stood before him and said "the virgin which thou seest, is the mother of God, after the manner of the flesh." She was car ried away in the spirit, and after awhile she re turned bearing a child in her arms, and the an gel said to him, "Behold the Lamb of God, yea even the eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thv father saw? And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God. Afterwards he looked and saw the son of God going forth among the children of men. He then saw in succession all the miracles of Christ all the events of his life the scenes that followed his crucifixion, and the whole his tory of the Ghri8tian Church up to the present time beyond ichich the deponent Nephi saycth not. The tree was the love of God in Christ the rod of iron leading to it was the word of God the mist and darkness, that blinded the eyes of those groin? to the tree, were the temptations of the deil the large and spacious building was the pride and vain imagination of tho children of men. After this protracted vision, Nephi returned to the tent of his father, and found his brethren dis puting about the allegorical sense of the vision of their fatherLehi. He of course was now pre pared to enlighten them. They asked him "what meaneth the rivet 6f water which our father saw?" and he replied, "The water was filthiness. So much was my father's mind swallowed up in other things, that he beheld not the filthiness of the water, and I said unto them that it was an awful gulf which scperateth the wicked from the tree of life, and also from the saints of God a representation of hell." I have neglected to' mention that previous to Lehi's vision, Nephi and his brethern were commissioned to go up to Jerusalem the second time, to persuade Ishmael and his live daughters to join his father in the wilderness. The fifth chapter opens with a tender scene, in which Nephi and his brethren are married to the daughters of Ishmael. Immediately after Le hi received a command to strike his tent and journey on into the wilderness. And when he arose the next morning and went forth to the tent door, "to his great astonishment he beheld upon the ground a round ball of curious work manship, and it was of fine brass. And within the ball were two spindles; and the one pointed tho way whither we should go into the wilder ness." They travelled on "for the space of tour uays noany a south east uiroction. v a rious trials occurred in their journey. The el der brothers uniformly murmured, and Nephi was uniformly submissive. When in extremi ty the brass ball was their guide, pointing out the way, and exhibiting inscribed on its sides the various intelligence they needed visible at propor times. Ishmael diod in the wildernoss. where they sojourned for the space of eight years. At length they pitched thoir tents by the sea shore. Here Nephi was called to as cend a high mountain. There tho Lord met him, and commanded him to construct a ship to carry hjs people across to the promised land. He commenced the construction of thi shiD in the face of much opposition, and of many diffi culties, Dping quite ignorant ol the art of ship building, and his brethren at the same time rid iculing and opposing him. But the. Lord help ed him, so that ultimately his brethren not only desisted from their opposition, but united in as sisting him to complete it; and then they em barked with all their stock of seeds, animals, and provisions. During the voyage Nephi's elder brothers again began to be rebellious. They bound him with cords, and treated him with great cruelty. 'I hey, however, soon en countered a terrible gale, and were driven back from' their course. The brazen ball which had miraculously guided them through the wilder ness, and which was now a compass to steer by, ceased to work, and they were in the most awful peril. For a long time their fate seemed suspended, and their destiny doubtful; but the power of God at length softened the hearts f Laman and Lemuel, who released Nephi from his confinement, and then again every thing went on smoothly and they soon reached the land of promise, which of course was America, where "they found beasts of every kind in tho forest, both the cow, and the ox, and the ass, and the horse, and the goat, and the wild goat, and all manner of wild animals for the use of men. And 'all manner of ore, both of gold and silver, and copper. Nephi by the command of the Lord made metallic plates soon after hi9 arrival in America of this ore, on which he re corded their pengrinations, adventures, and all the prophecies which God gave him concerning the future destines of his people and the human race. These plates were to be kept for the in struction of the people of the land, and for other purposes known to the Lord. The second book of Nephi consists of fifteen chapters. It opens with an account of Lehi's death who, previous to his decease, calls all his children around him and their descendants, and reminds them of God's goodness in having brought them to the promised land, and gives each a patriarchal blessing uttering sundry pre dictions in reference to their future destinies. After the death of Lehi, Laman and Lemuel undertook to destroy Nephi, who thereupon fled into the wilderness, taking along with hirn hi own family, his brother Sam, and his younger brothers, Jacob and Joseph, who were born af ter his father went out from Jerusalem and their families. He also took along with him the plates of brass, and the ball that guided them in their former wandering in the wilderness by the Red Sea, and was their compass to steer by across the country. Beingthus separated they became the heads of separate tribes. Tho Nephites soon grew into a numerous people, and built a temple " like unto Solomon's." They, like their father Nephite, for many generations were good Christians, hundreds of years before Christ was born, practising baptism and other Christian usages. Ne phi here accounts for the colour of the aborigi nes. It was the curse of God upon the de scendants of his elder brothers on account of their disobedience. "Wherefore as they were white, and exceeding fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people, therefore the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them." A curse was also pronounced upon intermarriages with them. Nephi also declares that on account of the curso of God upon them "they did become an idle people, full of mischief and subtlety, and did seek in the wilderness for beasts of prey." In this book is also introduced "the words of Jacob, the bi other of Nephi, which he spake unto the people of Nephi." He predicts tho coming of Christ, and the return of the Jews from dispersion upon embracing tho gospel. Nephi then takes up the subject, and tran scribes several chapters from Isaiah by way of corroboration. This is followed by a long ha rangue, setting forth all the peculiar theology of the New Testament. He then predicts the ap pearance of a great prophet, and a marvellous book which he shall bring to light. The book of course is the golden Bible, and the prophet Jo Smith. "Wherefore," continues he, "at that day when the book shall be delivered unto tho man of whom I have spoken, the book shall be hid from tho eyes of the world, that the eyes of none shall behold it, save it be that three witnesses shall behold it, by the power of Gody besides- him to whom the book shall be delivered: and they shall testify to the truth of the book, and thq things therein." This would seem to be direct ly in the teeth of what actually happeiicd, for as wo havo seen in a former number there were eight other witnesses besides the three, who declared th they saw these mvsterioiu jMrtir.-.. l u emue mis utihculty a saving clan is tnrown mto this chapter to this ufTeot. Aiul there is none other that shall view it, save it be a few according to the will of God, to bear tes timony of his word unto the children of men.1' The reason is also here assigned why the plaiea are not spread before the learned it is to teach them humility! An unlearned man is choson to transcribe the hieroglyphics, or words of thq hook, that tho learned may read them. Tho learned, refuse to read the hieroglyphics, unless they can see the plates whence they are taken. This God will not permit. Ho fcas no need o; 4 V